I help run a community workshop in the UK. We have been generously donated a Shapeoko 3 XL and I’ve been charged with the job of getting it up and running.
One of the requirements for our insurance company is to have anything like this in a enclosure that includes a safety interlock so that it can’t be used with the enclosure open.
I’ve had a search of the forum but I was unable to spot anything to show if this is possible with the stock system.
I did see that the Nomad appears to have the functionality that if the door is opened it pauses the job and I was wondering if something similar could be implemented of the 3 XL?
Or are there other options I could look into? Basically the only thing I can think of currently would be to run the mains power to the router via a relay which is only active with the doors shut.
How do you deal with other equipment like tablesaws, bandsaws and traditional router tables?
EDIT: is this considered different because it is being driven “automatically” rather than by a person directly?
Is it only the spindle/router power that needs the interlock? Not being able to jog the machine to set zero with the enclosure open would be tough. And using the bitsetter to change bits would be tough as well so you would probably have to use single path gcode files.
It does make sense that only the dangerous bit, the sharp spinning tool, should be shut off when the doors are open. My HDM has a spindle interlock button (As well as a feedhold button), But in my case the buttons are inside the enclosure, so not much help when the doors are closed.
If the controller for the 3XL has the circuit for a spindle interlock, then it would just be a matter of wiring it through plunger or contact switches in the doors. (Low voltage, I assume).
Otherwise, you could run the power supply for the spindle/router through door switches. ??
The door switch connected to the router power line is the simplist option. And you know the old KISS rule - especially for a community workshop I wouldn’t want to implement something too complex that cannot be repaired easily.
Note: I realized after posting that the switch I referenced to probably won’t hold up to running a trim router - it’s only rated for 3 Amps. So finding an appropriately rated switch is necessary, but you get the idea.
The best solution would be to do what @mhotchin stated by getting a BitRunner and possibly a new main board PCB.
Simply cutting power to the router can cause more issues than it’d help.
You’d also want a true estop which cuts power to everything in case of a real emergency.