curious announcement… looks like a mini-HDZ …
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Coming on Monday, the Shapeoko Z-Plus, a new leadscrew Z axis with HG15 rails and inductive homing switches for the whole machine. The Z-Plus will be available as an option for all new Shapeoko purchases. Stay tuned for pricing and additional information next week.
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Well, I guess you beat me to the post:
This is going to be a new option for Shapeoko’s starting on Monday.
At the start it’ll only be an option for new machines because we’re waiting for a bracket we’ll need for retrofits.
It will be priced well-below the HDZ. (Pricing will be announced on Monday just in case we change our mind over the weekend)
any chance the homing switches are going to be available for those of us with a HDZ ? 
(in other words “please take our money” 
Yes, we need to have an adapter bracket made and then they’ll be available as an upgrade for everyone.
[claps 
] well done guys, well done. These will sell like hotcakes.
I’ll call it the Medium-Duty Z.
it’s quite timely… I was eyeing what to do with my 2nd machine which still has the original Z
While I already have a HDZ, I haven’t seen anyone ask… Does the HD spindle mount(s) work on this Z+?
this is niceeeeee.
hoping for rails with beefy belts on X and Y axis in the distant future
@DanStory in here asking the real questions! I am salivating at the thought of that exact purchase combo… Been holding off on an HDZ mainly because whenever it comes up for sale I have been cutting things wonderfully with the stock z (for the most part) and I feel like it is ultimately overkill because all I cut is wood currently. This seems to be a really close second in rigidity and perfect for a machine that may see more of a production type role in a small business/home woodshop. Curious to know the technical differences in the lead screws…
edit: nice avatar
edit 2: the more I look at it, the more I NEEEEEED IT…
So do I understand that this is a fit between the stock Z and the HDZ?
Yeah, same size rails I believe, however lead screw (has backlash, though presume they have anti-backlash nut) vs ballscrews and thinner plates
I’d imagine it would require replacing the extrusion as it wouldn’t be “bolt-on” friendly. I have a feeling a second or v4 machine will appear some time in the distant future.
i need to go read up on the differences between the two again in terms of accuracy and reliability… down the rabbit hole I go
A few more questions, what is the Z travel?
Is there an EasyTram mechanism with this?
looks like a guide for the screw to me.
Nope, the hole patterns are different because we had to make this from sheet stock to keep the cost down. We’ll see what we can do moving forward.
Yep, close to the HDZ in performance but more in the middle for price.
Same sized rails but the ballscrew would be stiffer than an anti-backlash nut. (This is our own anti-backlash nut and it’s a lot beefier than the existing alternatives for a TR8x8 thread) That said, for most users it’s not a big difference in practice.
Yep. Can’t have it running off the end of the rails.
Z travel is close to the stock belt Z.
The spindle mount allows easier tram adjustment but it’s not the same at the EZ Tram on the HDZ.
We’re throwing together a blog post for next week to outline our Shapeoko development process moving forward but the short answer is that we’re moving toward rapid incremental improvement rather than a fixed Shapeoko V4, V5, V6. We think it’s better for customers and it better suits our abilities.
For what it’s worth, we did design Shapeoko 4 about 18 months ago but it was too expensive for us to be comfortable with it. Since then, we’ve worked really hard to cut costs so we can afford to upgrade the machines without massive price increases. A current Shapeoko with the Z-Plus and a BitSetter is a better version of what we had planned for Shapeoko 4.
As I was telling Winston earlier, the iterative upgrades is great, and keeps the initial cost of the machine down and you can upgrade as your need requires. I’m sure eventually there will be a road block for the more aggressive (S&F++) and accuracy someone might require in their field/industry, but there is solutions for that, outside of C3D, that people have already taken when they reach that point and grown beyond the SO3 capabilities. I think ya’ll are staying in your market very well, and enriching it further.
p.s. +1 for transparency 
I think that the Shapeoko accuracy and performance is very good but some people are running out of work area to undertake larger projects that will not fit the XXL and tiling is not always possible. I have such project on my plate and I will have to be very creative to complete the project. Having an upgrade path would probably be meeting a demand.
This long awaited upgrade makes me SO Happy! ((Insert Happy Dance))
