How do you Lock an Axis?

[oskar]

The attached picture shows a typical lock I have made for my 3 axes. It’s a 3/8” thick aluminum plate with a 1/4” hole where the end of the screw pass through and I have a 1/4-20 screw at the top which I tight if I want this axis to be locked.

It works but I wonder if someone has a better idea or if there is something on the market to improve this setup.

Nicolas

 

[whitmore]

The attached picture shows a typical lock I have made for my 3 axes. It’s a 3/8” thick aluminum plate with a 1/4” hole where the end of the screw pass through and I have a 1/4-20 screw at the top which I tight if I want this axis to be locked.

It works but I wonder if someone has a better idea ...

I'm not sure if you want to lock rotation, or translation, but for a rotor, maybe a caliper and disk brake would be good. There
are also electric clutches that could hold the shaft from rotating. As long as power is on, a stepper motor will be an
effective lock, too. Gears on shafts can be locked with a pawl, of course. One of my (antique) lathe motions is most
easily locked by tightening the cone bearing (which is an oiled tapered journal), but that takes a taper keyed or splined
to the shaft, and a matching socket on a fixed block.

 

[P. Waller]

Do the servo motors not hold the lead screws in position?

 

[oskar]

I’m sorry I did not mentioned before but my machine is totally manual. On the posted picture I have removed the handle which I use to turn each axis for clarity.

So there are no servo motors but in the future (after I learn some machining skills) I plan to convert to CNC with stepper motors.

Nicolas