This project involved attaching a retrofit angular positioning system to a 2nd hand 3 metre diameter drilling table. The original table was rotated by an eleectrically driven spur gear under the table. Over years this system hadworn prouducing unacceptable backlash and consequent inaccuracy.

Ritech Systems bonded a timing belt to the outside diameter of the table. This timing belt was driven by another double sided belt housed within a tractor drive attachment and controlled by a powerful servo motor.

This tractor drive system has been designed so that it can be scaled up or down to suit a number of different applications.

Original table

Bench testing the tractor drive

A hydraulic brake locks the table once in position (the drill sizes can be as high at 40mm on a 2.5m PCD)

The completed drive in place on the machine

Control system