We have a very expensive engraver at our shop, probably to the tune of idk, $20-30 thousand. It’s a pretty large, heavy machine. We use it all day long for identification tags on cabinet doors, push button tags, serial ID tags. Absolutely critical to our business and the company that made it went out of business so if the windows 7 laptop that has the software ever dies, it becomes useless.
You can sell it to a Makerspace or just toss on a new main board. Engravers, lasers, CNC machines, mills, etc all operate on the same fundamental principles.
LinuxCNC or Marlin work with practically every piece of hardware that you can imagine. Stepper motors/drivers have 4 wires each. Once you figure out which is which, just plug them into a Beagleboard or something similar, load up the software, and you’re good to go. Often with far more capabilities and accuracy.
We have a very expensive engraver at our shop, probably to the tune of idk, $20-30 thousand. It’s a pretty large, heavy machine. We use it all day long for identification tags on cabinet doors, push button tags, serial ID tags. Absolutely critical to our business and the company that made it went out of business so if the windows 7 laptop that has the software ever dies, it becomes useless.
You can sell it to a Makerspace or just toss on a new main board. Engravers, lasers, CNC machines, mills, etc all operate on the same fundamental principles.
LinuxCNC or Marlin work with practically every piece of hardware that you can imagine. Stepper motors/drivers have 4 wires each. Once you figure out which is which, just plug them into a Beagleboard or something similar, load up the software, and you’re good to go. Often with far more capabilities and accuracy.
Plus you keep more tech waste out of landfills.