The BULK-MAN 3D ULTIMATE Bee is a solid and reliable CNC Machine. Featured by HGR Rails and Quiet Transmission Ball Screws! The ULTIMATE
Bee CNC excels at cutting through plastics, foam, softwood, hardwood and even soft metal such as aluminium and brass.
The ULTIMATE Bee is our second CNC Machine based on the initial WorkBee design lineage, which is characterised by the use of C-Beam.
Extrusions and the rectangular-shaped Y-Plates. It is 100% fully self-developed, designed by BulkMan3D International R&D Team and copyrighted
by BulkMan3D.
Frame Structure:4 Axis
Transmission:SFS1210 Ball Screw + HGR Linear Rails
Maximum Supported weight of Z-Axis(spindle):6kg
Maximum Cutting Area(Tested with ∅80 1.5KW spindle):
– Z-Axis: 150-180mm/5.9-7.1inch
– X-Axis: 1270mm/50inch
– Y-Axis: 1250mm/49.2inch
Package Content
ULTIMATE Bee Mechanical Kit
Quiet Transmission Precise SFS1210 Ball Screw
Cable Drag Chain System
XYZ Touch Probe
+Options Spindle Bundle Kit with Dust Cover
- 1.5KW Air-Cooled or Water-Cooled (High Speed 7 Series 4 Bearings)
- 2.2KW Air-Cooled or Water-Cooled (High Speed 7 Series 4 Bearings)
+Options Controller Bundle Kit (Including Wiring Cable Kit) with Stepper Motors
xPROV5 GRBL (with Nema23 High-Torque 2.45N.m Stepper Motors)
High Current GRBL (with Nema23 High-Torque 2.45N.m Stepper Motors)
Maker Shield GRBL (with Nema23 High-Torque 2.45N.m Stepper Motors)
UC300 Mach3 (with Nema23 High-Torque 2.45N.m Stepper Motors)
UC300 Mach3 (with 3N.m Closed Loop Stepper Motors)
UC300 Mach3 (with IHSV57 180W 3000rpm Servo motors)
DDCS4 V3.1 OFF-LINE (with 3N.m Closed Loop Stepper Motors)
DDCS4 V3.1 OFF-LINE (with IHSV57180W 3000rpm Servo motors)
Note: Drag Chain System is already included in this machine design and no need to be added after!
Attention:
The Ball screw nut fixing and dismounting requires professional tools or done by professional stuffs!
Never rotate the ball screw nut over the ball screw end! This is very important as if the ball bearings come off the ball nut the ball screw will not work
properly and you will void any warranty!
Free Gift-10PCS Drill Bits (Optional) Diameter:0.6-1.5mm Degree 20°-90° Diameter 0.5-3.175mm Size M3-M10 (6PCS) Diameter 2.1-3.05mm
Note: It’s default to send1.5-6mm drill bits for free, please leave us a message if need other sizes.ULTIMATE Bee Breif Introduction
Bulk-Man 3D is the largest wholesaler of Open Source CNC parts worldwide. By producing or sourcing parts directly from the factory,
we eliminate the “middle man”, and in doing so, we can provide the best wholesale price direct to the many CNC owners and members of the community approached us requesting a linear rail solution for their machine at an affordable price, our technicians worked hard researching different options available and ways we can improve on existing designs. The result of the project was the QueenBee Pro CNC Machine.
Carrying on the tradition of community engagement, CNC owners and members wanted more, our technicians went back to the drawing board researching more improvements based on community input, the resulting machine is the ULTIMATE Bee CNC Machine.
The ULTIMATE Bee mainly distinguishes itself from the first design, the QueenBee PRO, by having Ball Screws as a transmission system instead of the traditional ACME Lead Screw. The Ball Screw has high-efficiency levels, delivering more torque to the motor when compared to an ACME Lead Screw used in the QueenBee PRO.
Machine Capability
The ULTIMATE Bee is not only a machine capable of cutting through a wide diversity of materials. The ULTIMATE Bee excels at cutting materials outperforming others.
Compatible Material for Cutting/Milling/Engraving: Aluminium / Hard Wood / Soft Wood / Oak / Plexi Glass / Delrin / HDPE / Foam.
By using different Drill Bits & Milling Cutters: The ULTIMATE Bee can create intricate 3D carvings like wood artware, inlays, adverting logo, plaques,furniture, amazing art works and so much
more. All the widely used applications can be achived here!
Workable Dimensions(mm):
Frame Size
X-Axis
Y-Axis
Z-Axis
500x500mm
273mm
262mm
180mm
500x750mm
273mm
512mm
180mm
750x750mm
523mm
512mm
180mm
750x1000mm
523mm
762mm
180mm
1000x1000mm
773mm
762mm
180mm
1000x1500mm
773mm
1262mm
180mm
1500x1500mm
1273mm
1262mm
180mm
Recommended Waste Board Dimensions(mm):
Frame Size
Width
Length
500x500mm
262mm
180mm
500x750mm
512mm
180mm
750x750mm
512mm
180mm
750x1000mm
762mm
180mm
1000x1000mm
762mm
180mm
1000x1500mm
1262mm
180mm
1500x1500mm
1262mm
180mm
ULTIMATE Bee Comparison
The ULTIMATE Bee was designed by our team of engineers with a great amount of thought into each aspect of the machine. Each of the components used on our machine are designed to be paired with each other in order to create a perfect ecosystem which results in the ULTIMATE Bee CNC Machine.
Don’t be tricked by other companies who claim a larger ball screw, more rails/ bearings, or different rail positioning will make their machine better than the ULTIMATE Bee. These are presumptions made with no engineering reason or facts by salesmen, not engineers. By researching the specifications of the components, you can conclude that in fact larger ball screws, more rails/bearings, different rail positioning all reduce a machine’s performance.
Ball Screw Size Engineered For Our Machines DiameterThe ULTIMATE Bee features a 12mm Diameter Ball Screw. The 12mm Diameter Ball Screw was carefully selected by our engineers to make the most of a NEMA 23 stepper motor.
Just by having this smaller diameter than a 16mm Ball Screw, it reduces the load on the motor by 25%. In other words, when the NEMA 23 Stepper motor is paired with the 12mm Ball Screw the motion motors drive through tougher materials with up to 25% more torque than the same motors paired with a 16mm Ball Screw.
Why Do You Get More Torque Out of a 12mm Ball Screw?The reason is very simple: the further you apply the force to the pivot point, the more impact this force will have on the pivot object. On a CNC, the stepper motor shaft is the pivot point, and the distance where the force is applied to the shaft is determined by the diameter of the Ball Screw. The analogy in the image below helps explain why a smaller diameter Ball Screw can be more effective. Why Do You Get More Torque Out of a 12mm Ball Screw?Bigger Ball Screws are recommended when they are designed to work with larger motors such as NEMA 34, or AC Servo motors for the transmission system to compensate for the extra torque required. Machines of this caliber would also use cast and milled steel frames rather than aluminum profiles. A Ball Screw larger than 12mm should not be used in a design where the motors are NEMA 23.What About The Vibration On a Smaller Diameter Ball Screw?Keeping low-vibration levels in the transmission system is extremely important for a CNC Machine. Due to this, we have paired the ULTIMATE Bee with a 10mm pitch Ball Screw instead of a usual 4mm pitch for the X and Y-Axis. This change has significant results, making the CNC travel more with smaller Ball Screw rotations, thus, reducing the Ball Screw vibration at fast feed rates.Our engineering tests conclude: A 12mm ball screw has the perfect balance of torque and vibration when paired with a NEMA 23 motor in a CNC Machine size 1500x1500mm or less. Larger Ball Screws are an incorrect design for NEMA 23 Motors. That is why the ULTIMATE Bee is the best design of its kind!
2 Rails Is Better Than 4Simpler Design, Better Results!The correct number of linear rails and bearings were selected by our engineers to increase performance. The HGH15CA bearings used on the X and Y-Axis were designed to have the correct spacing between them when mounted to a 20 series profile. The Y-Axis each utilise a single HGR15 linear rail with 2 x HGH15CA bearing carriages on the gantry plates. By using 2 HGR15 linear rails, one on the Y and one on the A-side(Y-Axis Slave), and not 4, the weight, friction and complexity are all reduced while maintaining enough load capacity with the 4 x HGH15CA bearing carriages for a dynamic load rating of approximately 14kN (or approx.1,400kg). In other words the dynamic load rating of our ULTIMATE Bee Y-Axis when using 1 rail per side is approximately 1,400kg! In a system where only the friction caused by bearings is considered, having double rails and bearings on the Y-Axis as per the image below will add an additional +100% of the amount of friction, therefore, more motor power will be required. If you pair this with any minute misalignment of a bearing or rail during installation, the force required by the same motor to move 4 bearings will result in loss of motor power which is translated to a loss in performance of a machine that uses 2 rails (4 bearings) on one actuator.Because the X-Axis gantry carries the Z assembly the moment loads (MR in particular) are distributed by using 4 x HGH15CA bearing carriages and 2 x HGR rails. The Z-Axis uses 2 x MGN15 Linear Rails and 4 x MGN15C carriages spaced to obtain maximum possible resistance to the operational moment loads (MP in particular).
In other words, we reverse engineered the forces that the Z-Axis is subjected to during a cutting operation, and then, calculated the necessary spacing between MGN bearings for the Z-Axis. NOTE: The position of the Ball Screws, Linear Rails and Bearing Carriage are designed for optimal positioning on all axis (Y, A, X and Z) – another example of Bulk Man 3D engineering innovation.
Parallel Bearing DesignOpposite bearing designs are a flaw The opposite bearing design implemented by other competitors is an inferior and incorrect engineering design for the X-Axis. The correct design is where the rails and bearings are on the same face because the bearings are less susceptible to twisting from moment forces when paired with another set of bearings.
The opposite bearing design is more susceptible to twisting especially when paired with heavy spindles such as the 2.2kW. The moment force subjected to the bearings in this configuration will induce more runout, meaning worse tolerances compared to a stronger and correctly engineered design that has bearings on the same face.
Correct Couplers Used In ULTIMATE Bee DesignCoupler ComparisonDouble diaphragm couplings are designed for ball screws while jaw couplings are not designedfor ball screws. Double Diaphragm couplings are more efficient than Jaw Couplings when paired with ball screws as they are designed for zero backlash. The diaphragm coupling design uses metal plates rather than plastic, making them more reliable and yield a longer service life. The double diaphragm coupling allows for higher speed and vibration dampening in the system which is essential for high performance and smooth running of the CNC. Smooth operation with little to no vibration will mean smoother and high-quality cuts. A design which uses a Jaw Coupling with a Ball Screw is an incorrect engineering design and will produce poor finish on the work piece. Ball Nut Gaskets Reduce Vibration and BindingGiving the ball nut a vibrational buffer in the form of a rubber gasket, the ball screw remains centered by damping the vibrational forces acting on the metal parts. This provides precision results and prevents the axis from binding up.
This small addition make the ULTIMATE Bee a far more effective system,in order to get the most out of your machine without the worry of damage or chatter on your workpiece. Upgradeable Motors Achieve Commercial SpeedsOur ULTIMATE Bee CNC has options to have its motors upgraded to achieve high-speed operation similar to industrial machines. Very few machines can match the rapids speeds of up to 30,000mm/min like the ULTIMATE Bee can with servos. This means much faster workflow and more jobs done.Competitor machines offer a maximum of 5000-6000mm/min.Our Servos offer higher levels of accuracy and can be programmed to get the most performance out of your CNC, so you will not need to upgrade for a faster machine in the future. Extra Z-Axis Height Increases Work Possibilities Our machines offer 180mm of Z-axis workspace to maximize the working potential. It is easy to mill out large cuts of wood, plastic or aluminium or add a rotary axis.
When our engineers designed the ULTIMATE Bee we took our customer’s response on wanting extra workable height as a main consideration. In this way, there will be no need to make upgrades or additions later to achieve more cutting depth, or space to add a new rotary axis. The ULTIMATE Bee, The Best and Last of its Kind! Coming from the WorkBee lineage, the ULTIMATE Bee was thoroughly designed to be the best and last of its kind. No need for versions 2, 3 and etc. We said NO to upgrades as everything was carefully designed to provide the best possible machine design and performance. As we scoped and advertised, this is the truly ULTIMATE Bee.'ULTIMATE Bee' Frame Design Features
After many hours of research and prototyping and also getting response from the community, we worked on creating the ULTIMATE Bee.The ULTIMATE Bee
has many features over previous CNC designs and our team has once again brought an innovating machine to overperform others.
Some upgrades from the QueenBee PRO to the ULTIMATE Bee include:
Precision laser cut 1.5mm rubber gaskets are used on all Ball Nut mounting brackets to allow for easy
alignment while maintaining a ridged and secure join to the gantry plates.
The Gasket aids in the building by compensating for any minor misalignment as well as acting to absorb
vibrations during operation (essential in a more ridged drive system).
There are many benefits in using Ball Screws, such as high efficiency and reversibility, backlash elimination,
high stiffness, high lead accuracy, and many other advantages.
Compared with the contact thread lead screws, a Ball Screw adds balls between the nut and screw. The sliding
friction of the conventional screw is thus replaced by the rolling motion of the balls.
The ULTIMATE Bee drive system has been upgraded to SFS1210 and SFU1204 ball screws and ball nuts. The
10mm pitch SFS1210 is used on all axis giving a noticeable increase in speed while maintaining the ability to be
accurate and with measurable repeatability greater than or equal to 0.01mm. Using the Spark-Concepts xPRO
V5 the calculated resolution of the Y, A and X-axis of the ULTIMATE Bee is 0.00625mm at 1/8th micro-stepping.
The Z-axis SFU1204 Ball Screws have a 4mm pitch so the Z calculated resolution is 0.0025mm.
Ball Screw Resolution vs Microstepping Table:
Micro Stepping
SFU1204 – 4mm Pitch
SFS1210 – 10mm Pitch
Full
0.02mm
0.05mm
44563
0.01mm
0.025mm
44565
0.005mm
0.0125mm
44569
0.0025mm
0.00625mm
44577
0.00125mm
choice means no more broken bits or spindles falling into stock when powering off.
The 2040 Extrusion on the rear of the X-Axis has been replaced with a 4040 to allow for improved cable
management and rigidity.
By adding a 4040 extrusion to the back of a C-Beam Extrusion, the X-Axis is braced with a stronger support.
All plates have been completely redesigned to incorporate better cable management, mounting sensors and
switches, and allowing for more adaptive integrated applications.
All of the main plates are made with thick 10mm aluminium. All surfaces where bearing carriages are mounted
have been machined flat to provide a smooth surface for easy and accurate alignment.
The Y and A Axis each utilise a single HGR15 linear rail with 2 x HGH15CA bearing carriages on the gantry
plates. By using 2x HGR15 linear rails, one on the Y and one on the A-side, instead of 4, this reduces the
complexity of assembly and rail alignments without compromise on the performance.
Each HGR bearing has a dynamic load rating of approximately 14kN (or approx. 1,400kg).
We have introduced diaphragm couplers with the ULTIMATE Bee machines. One of the main benefits of using
diaphragm couplers instead of standard flexible couplers is that there is significantly less backlash, as well as
drastically increasing the resolution and repeatability of the system.
Diaphragm couplers are also designed to have noise reduction and vibration compensation. The vibration
compensation increases the lifespan of the mechanical hardware used on the transmission system.
Linear Rails consists of two parts, the rail and the bearing.The Rail is a precision machined strengthened
steel assembly that has twin parallel tracks to guide a bearing (also know as roller) along.
When combining the rail with the bearing you achieve low friction and high stiffness linear motion for loads
ranging from 1kg to thousands of kilograms.
There are many applications for using linear rails including industry,medical, science,defence, mining, construction, transportation.The benefit of linear rails over other types of linear guides are the rigidity, accuracy and load capacity. Linearrails are designed to withstand force applied from loads in all directions, unlike other guides that are only design to withstand a load in one direction.Linear bearings use recirculating balls held in place under tensions for movement. The high strength construction of the bearings make them superior to previous wheel motion in respect to load capacity, displacement accuracy and rigidity.Take a Look at our CNC Controller Options
Our CNC Controller Options are broken into 2 software categories:GRBL and Mach3/DrufelCNC. More details please Click Here
Our professional recommendation is the CNC xPRO V5 Controller which is the most advanced GRBL CNC Controller of its class in the world. It has 6A silent stepper drivers, WiFi + off-line options,
and is 4x faster than our other controllers.
The CNC xPRO V5 is the most advanced GRBL CNC Controller in the world. Developed by Spark Concepts in
USA who have been making GRBL CNC products for many years. It runs off a 32bit processor with over 4xthe
processing power of most other GRBL controllers.
The xPRO V5 is pre-assembled and pre-flashed with the latest GRBL version. We recommend the xPRO V5 as
the best controller option available.
The stepper drivers are easily suitable for our High Torque Stepper Motors and can even power stronger motor
such as Nema34.
- 32bit processor
