Unboxing Mellow CNC Tap

[PFarm]

It was well packaged in a plain cardboard box.

Inside is a Mellow Newsletter that highlights their products, a handy ruler, Opto-Tap 5-24V and the CNC Tap assembly.

Inside the product newsletter

Handy ruler with useful features

Octotap and wiring came packaged separately in a plastic box.

Wires come pre-crimped with the supplied JST connectors

CNC Tap is well packaged in its own box 

 

Hardware and tools as supplied

CNC Tap is solid and operates smoothly

This is my first Mellow product and I'm impressed with the quality of the product, the magnets seem to have the correct tension and release. I'll update the post when I have it installed on the printer.

Edited August 28, 2023 by PFarm

[PFarm]

Looking at the assembly a little closer it has a neat feature of being able to adjust the magnet tension and release.

[mvdveer]

Like their other products, this looks like quite a solid model. Might have to invest in one to try out. Will wait until you have fitted yours and the verdict on accuracy and functionality. 

[claudermilk]

Looks good. That looks like an LDO MGN9 rail, nice.

[PFarm]

I bought this to get rid of the printed parts when a couple of back plates were the heat sink that the 50mm screw into pulled through the back plate. Wasn't purchased for weight reduction, speed I'm not into that. Rigidity and quality over speed.

I set the magnet adjustment all the way outwards and seems to be working well.

While the linear rail truck was out lubricated truck and rail.

Installed the Opto-Tap and used the existing cable

The only hiccup is the assembly is designed to be used with end-stop relocation on the tool head. Couple washer and nuts and active the OEM end-stop. Not pretty but it works. Got two micro switches ordered so I can do both end-stop relocates.

 

 

Edited August 30, 2023 by PFarm

[mvdveer]

2 hours ago, PFarm said:

The only hiccup is the assembly is designed to be used with end-stop relocation on the tool head.

Would this work? It attaches to the CNC part where you would mount the switch and allows you to use your existing XY- endstop.

 

CNC_Voron_TAP_XY.stl

[PFarm]

32 minutes ago, mvdveer said:

Would this work? It attaches to the CNC part where you would mount the switch and allows you to use your existing XY- endstop.

CNC_Voron_TAP_XY.stl 222.29 kB · 0 downloads

Thank you I'll print it and give it a go till the switches come in. Wanted to do the end-stop relocation since Canbus so now is the time to do it.

Edited August 29, 2023 by PFarm

[PFarm]

Don't think these parts were designed to work this way but hey I made it work for now!  Again @mvdveer thanks for the help!

Edited August 30, 2023 by PFarm

[mvdveer]

As longs as it works 

[BeerMedic522]

Sensorless homing fixes all of that and gets rid of the switches and wires. 
 

Quality looks good, how does it “feel”?

Edited August 30, 2023 by BeerMedic522

[PFarm]

4 minutes ago, BeerMedic522 said:

Sensorless homing fixes all of that and gets rid of the switches and wires. 
 

Quality looks good, how does it “feel”?

@BeerMedic522 It feels solid and operation is top shelf! I'd highly recommend it the LDO rail has no slop and slides smoothly. The rail has no lubrication when shipped and since you have to remove it for installation it's the perfect time to apply some lube. It comes with spare screws and a couple of rail ball bearings.

How reliable is sensorless homing I've read that it's sometimes sporadic. would that be cause it wasn't set up (calibrated) properly? Guess I could give it a go and see for myself.

[BeerMedic522]

4 minutes ago, PFarm said:

@BeerMedic522 It feels solid and operation is top shelf! I'd highly recommend it the LDO rail has no slop and slides smoothly. The rail has no lubrication when shipped and since you have to remove it for installation it's the perfect time to apply some lube. It comes with spare screws and a couple of rail ball bearings.

How reliable is sensorless homing I've read that it's sometimes sporadic. would that be cause it wasn't set up (calibrated) properly? Guess I could give it a go and see for myself.

It takes a little bit of time but not difficult at all. I haven’t had any issues once the sensitivity was set.

I’ll have to give Mellow a look, not fond of my Chaotic CNC TAP, to me it’s too stiff with no adjustment. 

[PFarm]

Anyone purchasing this should check that the magnets are secured properly, I had one of the magnets come loose preventing the Opto-Tap from working properly, it would show triggered and wouldn't home Z.

[PFarm]

On 8/30/2023 at 7:47 AM, BeerMedic522 said:

It takes a little bit of time but not difficult at all. I haven’t had any issues once the sensitivity was set.

Thanks for suggesting sensorless homing got it set up and working great! Do you use a macro to back off the axis after stall? I can see why they back off the axis using microswitches but is it necessary with sensorless?

[BeerMedic522]

41 minutes ago, PFarm said:

43 minutes ago, PFarm said:

Thanks for suggesting sensorless homing got it set up and working great! Do you use a macro to back off the axis after stall? I can see why they back off the axis using microswitches but is it necessary with sensorless?

I used this GitHub to set it up. It moves 15mm after homing so it is off the rail. 
 

https://github.com/EricZimmerman/VoronTools/blob/main/Sensorless.md

 

[cjkennedy72]

I also setup sensorless homing on X and Y... Like BearMedic said, once you dial in the sensitivity, it is great. I have mine backing off 10mm after the stall. I found I needed it to keep the wires on my EBB36 from rubbing the Gantry cable chain in the back of the frame. 

That Mellow kit looks nice. I have the ChaoticLabs version and it seems to be working pretty well. But, and a big but... I haven't gotten to actually print on this printer yet thanks to a bad Orbiter v1.5 and waiting on a set of BMG style gears for a CW2.

Edited September 2, 2023 by cjkennedy72

[PFarm]

@BeerMedic522 Appreciate the info and link got the macro installed.  @cjkennedy72 I've also changed the backoff to 5mm. Anyone setting up sensorless on a Manta 8P the driver_SGTHRS: 127 works well with Moon 1.8 deg steppers. The next step is to remove the OEM microswitches, wiring and drag chain.

[Penatr8tor]

I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on a Mellow CNC TAP. It looks like it uses the same or similar PCB to the printed TAP. @PFarm Can you confirm? This would be a really good solution for me if it does as I won't have to reconfigure wiring from the old TAP.

[claudermilk]

@Penatr8tor that PCB looks the same as mine in my printed Tap. The number of components suggests to me it's the 5/24V design.

[Penatr8tor]

@claudermilk Agree, looks like Chaoticlab created their own PCB w/optical limit switch and the Mellow is going with the OG TAP pcb and sensor. Yeah. I think I'll put one on order, it's not that expensive and if it saves me a ton of time, it will have been worth the extra wait and expense.

[PFarm]

@Penatr8tor Yes, it's a 5-24V design, LED is on when in the normal position and off when triggered.

Edited September 3, 2023 by PFarm

[Penatr8tor]

@PFarm, Thanks for the confirmation. I went ahead and ordered one. It'll be a couple of weeks before it arrives and that should be good timing as I'm going to freshen up my Voron 2.4 build from over a year ago. 

[Nirin]

Just taking a look at this myself, I see at least one of you have the tap in hand, has it been installed? Any figures on the probe accuracy and resonance tests?

[PFarm]

On 9/14/2023 at 9:02 PM, Nirin said:

Just taking a look at this myself, I see at least one of you have the tap in hand, has it been installed? Any figures on the probe accuracy and resonance tests?

Probe accuracy is good I get a consistent 0.00500 performs QGL in 2 passes. Haven't done resonance testing yet. The only hiccup I had was my fault for not glueing the magnet properly it popped out and would let the assembly return to the downward position and the probe showed triggered before movement error. I high;y recommend it it a solid assembly with the LDO linear rail.

[cjkennedy72]

Nice

Edited September 18, 2023 by cjkennedy72