MPCNC Drag Chain System

thingiverse

Update: I've modified this design to work seamlessly with the Burly build, either attached to a new XYZ piece or clamped on like this design. https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4032440 I thoroughly enjoy using my MPCNC, but I've always had reservations about wire harness management. In particular, getting power and control to the gantry in a "clean" manner that also didn't require any attachment to the gantry itself for best precision was the major challenge. Taking a cue from another user, I designed a carrier for the drag chain that clamps securely to the side of the XY piece along with a track using 3/4 inch aluminum angle and two servo mounts. I utilized the excellent drag chain attachments from https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1272581 to complete the routing of all wires efficiently. I chose a clamp attachment method to avoid reprinting and disassembling/reassembling the entire center piece of the CNC. The center mount attaches firmly with a clamp screw from either end of the side piece using a nut trap. The internal retention tab is beveled to avoid the axis bearings. The small piece spans to the larger mount part using a 6-32 screw, requiring it to be cut to length (approximately 1.7 inches). Servo mounts attach securely with 6-32 screws and nylox (or regular nuts) with an aluminum strip cut to size between them. I ran Z-axis wires, spindle power (three wires), and an extra wire for endstop across the mount. I utilized this drag chain, which is just about right for the number of wires: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M0WRHUN/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 The center mount also features a provision for a terminal block for spindle power connection, which seemed to work better than any connector option I'd considered.