"Show Off Your Gecko Moves" Geckodrive Contest!

Meet the GM215.

The GM215 is our newest UL Recognized (file number E344711) motor/motion controller and has been designed from the ground up. Featuring a full motion controller and GeckoMotion software compatibility, it can run up to four axes of coordinated motion off of onboard flash memory. Recommended for use with robotics, manufacturing, filmmaking, aerospace and industrial automation it can free up both budget and space constraints with its low cost and small size. A complimentary copy of our new software, GeckoMotion, is included in every GM215 purchase. Starting at $229.

For more info on the GM215, click here: http://www.geckodrive.com/gm215-step-motor-motion-controller.html

Enter the Contest

We want to see how you use your Geckodrives! It's your time to show off! You could win up to 3 of the brand new GM215!

HOW TO ENTER:

1. Enter by posting a comment on our facebook wall (https://www.facebook.com/geckodrive), or e-mail entries to [email protected], DOUBLE ENTRIES ARE AWARDED TO THOSE WHO POST THEIR ENTRY AS A COMMENT BELOW, ON THIS BLOG POST! (www.blog.geckodrive.com/contest2015/)

2. In your entries, write a brief description and include a photo (or even better, a video!) of what they are being used for in your post(s).

3. Be sure to include your full name and e-mail address in your entries! (This is how you will be contacted if you win!)

HOW TO WIN:

Three winners will randomly be chosen on March 2nd, 2015 and announced on our blog the following day, March 3rd, 2015. You will be contacted via e-mail if chosen as a winner!

WHAT YOU WIN:

First Place Prize: Geckodrive Gift Bag + 3 GM215's

Second Place Prize: Geckodrive Gift Bag + 2 GM215's

Third Place Prize: 1 GM215

**Select applicants will be featured on our official social media platforms! You must post your entry as a facebook wall post on our wall at https://www.facebook.com/geckodrive, an e-mail to [email protected], or post a comment on the blog post found at www.blog.geckodrive.com/contest2015. If chosen as a winner, you will be contacted via e-mail to redeem your prize. **Winners will be chosen at random. Please enter by 12:00 PM PST March 2nd, 2015. Winners will be announced on our facebook page and our blog the following day, March 3rd, 2015.

Categories: Contests & General Announcements

Posted On: February 16, 2015

Posted By: geckodrive

19 Comments

dan miiler

February 16, 2015 at 10:41 pm

i use my gecko drives for running my homemade cnc, making different wood products, such as signs, furniture, cedar chests
cant figure out how to post pictures....

Reply ↓
1. geckodrive
  
  February 16, 2015 at 10:55 pm
  
  Hi Dan, please post your entry to our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/geckodrive or e-mail [email protected] You can include your photos and/or videos in those entries! Thanks for entering! :) -Geckodrive
  
  Reply ↓
mahyar ajami

February 16, 2015 at 10:58 pm

I'm working to build a 3d printer.

I wish to be one of your winner

Reply ↓
Jose Antonio Olivares Trevino

February 17, 2015 at 12:40 am

Hello! I like to participate in the contest!
This is a project we made some time ago, is a Hot Wire CNC Cutting Machine, it has 3 Nema 23 G723-400-4 stepper motors and G203V (vampire) drivers, it works using timing belt linear motion actuator from Item, all the sistem works with MACH3 software and works great!
Thanks!

Reply ↓
JAZIAL

February 17, 2015 at 4:19 am

Hello,

I'm a cnc machine builder, as a "side project, i made this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=breeCOGcNC8

It's made with 1 G202 and 1 G203X

Reply ↓
Colin Doughty

February 17, 2015 at 4:21 pm

My project was to build a five axis desktop machine using a gecko G540 driving six motors.
How did I do this?
By interrupting wires going to pins 1 and 17, and used them to control an optocoupler circuit board I built. This then controlled two G251X to drive two X axis motors.
I assigned the the remaining four axis to Y, Z, B, and C..
I am using a UC100 pluged into the printer socket and controlling the machine using my laptop via Mach3.
Works fantastic.
I will post more detail and photos on the Facebook page.

Reply ↓
David Wescott

February 18, 2015 at 1:12 am

Hello, this is an entry for the "SHOW OFF YOUR GECKO MOVES" CONTEST! contest.

I have self built a CNC Router Table using the Gecko G540 along with Mach 3 software. It's just a great little option filled package, and so easy to set up. I make signs, guitar parts, right down to small engravings.

I also have a Taig manual Lathe converted to CNC also with the help of a Geck G540 and Mach 3.

These are just amazing machines with the help of the Geckos.

Reply ↓
1. David Wescott
  
  February 18, 2015 at 1:13 am
  
  Videos showing both in action:
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l79iwOd-8Q
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CwueR_5qFE
  
  Reply ↓
Mike

February 18, 2015 at 3:09 am

These drives are just what I need...thanks!

Reply ↓
Keita Joe Imai

February 20, 2015 at 7:19 am

I used the G320X's to make my first robot arm. The drives work excellent. I used an arduino to send pulses. But for my application it seems like servos were overkill since I'm not moving anything that heavy. So I'm redesigning to use steppers to make a 6 DOF robot arm.

Reply ↓
Maximilian Mali

February 22, 2015 at 6:55 pm

This is an entry for the “SHOW OFF YOUR GECKO MOVES” CONTEST!
The ripper is a multi-purpose large area CNC router-table. The machine has been designed to fulfill different tasks like PCB-milling, 3D foam-milling and even milling in light metals like aluminium, while still obtaining each application´s different important properties. – in just a single machine! Easy to build – Easy to operate
I am using the G540 for powering the ripper.

Reply ↓
Rob

February 23, 2015 at 6:49 pm

We use your wonderful Gecko Drive G201 Stepper Drive to run our shops CNC machine. We use the CNC to make beautiful ice carvings for all sorts of uses. - Robert MacGuffie - Ice Magic of Naples - [email protected]

Reply ↓
Philip X Diaz

February 23, 2015 at 6:52 pm

Here's the 'glamour shot' of my 60x120 inch CNC router which uses 4x GeckoDrive 203V step drivers to run the 2-phase Oriental Motor PK296A2A-SG7.2 steppers at 3 amps each.

You can see it here

I have a few other robotics projects in the works and will definitely use GeckoDrives in those too!

Reply ↓
Brian Fauska

February 23, 2015 at 8:01 pm

I built a CNC router based on the plans at MechMate.com using a g540 as my controller. It has performed amazingly to make scenery for shows here at Seattle Rep and at other theatres around Seattle and even for Broadway shows.
I blogged briefly about the build at our theatre's blog that you can view here: http://blog.seattlerep.org/the-sets-of-opus-building-a-cnc-router/

Reply ↓
Carlos Contreras

February 23, 2015 at 10:46 pm

We are Plas-Ties and we design and manufacture machines that put a wire twist tie on everything from bags, clothes hangers, coils of tube and so on. Our newest and most advanced machine utilizes two G320 DC Geckodrives to drive 2 brushless DC servos with encoders. One motor drives wire tie material around a ring and then retracts the slack around a product. The other motor twists the material. The specific parameters (amount of retraction, speeds, amount of twist, solenoids) are handled by the on-board Unitronics V350 HMI+PLC in one. I removed the cover in the video so you can the whole layout. Great motor controls!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjdbtvRPDAI
Carlos Contreras: [email protected]

Reply ↓
Brad McDowall

February 24, 2015 at 4:39 am

Using your G540's on my home made CNC to mill molds for a seat, battery cover and soon to be made arm guards and front cannons for a replica electric batpod I'm building. As seen in this Youtube footage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37UTmVYAeRI

Reply ↓
Roy Ortiz

February 24, 2015 at 3:27 pm

I used Gecko drives on a four axis machine that uses a CO2 laser to melt and seal small glass tubes.
The unit will lower the glass into the path of the laser and then rotate the glass to cut and seal the ends.

Reply ↓
bryan bourgeois

February 28, 2015 at 9:49 pm

Our local Cub Scout pack is getting ready for the Pinewood Derby. This year, we offered to help the boys design their cars using our Solidworks CAD system. We saved the files in .stl format (standard tesselation language), then made toolpaths in G-code using STL Works. The CNC is a mid 1980s Bridgeport, converted from a Southwest Industries TrakCNC to a custom system using Gecko 320 Servo Drives with CAI encoders, running Linux based LinuxCNC. The little stuffed geckos that came with the drives are keeping the wood block company until it its a car.

The boys have some finishing work to do with mom or dad, as we didn't have time to do much more than the roughing pass. All considered, the CAD to CNC process took about 1.5 hours per car.

Our local Cub Scout pack has many generous leaders, and this year we decided to increase our focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) based activities for the boys. We believe pretty strongly that an early introduction to this kind of tech will have long term benefits. Please check out your local Scouting organization!

We will have about 10 of our 40 or so entrants in this year's race running cars they designed and machined themselves. This activity works out pretty well for 8-11 year olds, as the process fits their interests and attention spans almost ideally.

We can't wait to see the finished cars, and hope to have a winner from among our CNC builders!

In designing the CNC retrofit, I can't count the number of times I called Mariss at GeckoDrive for help, advice and troubleshooting. I tell people that developing this machine was like taking a college course - it was a most interesting learning process. Of all the equipment I used in this design, the Gecko Drives and the Mesa PCI interface cards have been the -zero- problem stars. Thanks again Geckodrive!

video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dxZDIGthdQ

Reply ↓
Marty Smith

August 23, 2015 at 1:25 pm

I would be honored to be chosen as a recipient of some of these amazing drives. I have an old CNC mill that is mechanically sound but needs replacement drives/ control board. These would be ideal for that project. Im exited o see just what these new drives can do and hope to share the project with our friends at CNCzone. I look forward to these becoming the new standard for precise, high end stepper control solutions for the foreseeable future.
Thanks again for the amazing and innovative products!

Reply ↓

"Show Off Your Gecko Moves" Geckodrive Contest!

19 Comments

Sign Up