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A CNC part picking machine is a small automated storage-and-retrieval system: a user requests an electronic component through a web interface, software finds its grid location, and an XY gantry travels there to pick it. Evan Rust’s 2018 maker project documents one way to build this with a Raspberry Pi, an Arduino motion controller, database-backed inventory, and either a servo gripper or an electromagnet. It is a fabrication and software-integration prototype, not a production machine with published performance specifications.
How the CNC part picking machine works
The machine treats storage as a grid of indexed locations. A request enters through a web page, the inventory system looks up the component’s location, and the motion controller moves the pickup head to the corresponding position. The intended result is automatic electronic-part retrieval rather than searching through storage by hand.
- Request: The user submits a part request through the web interface.
- Lookup: PHP pages and a MySQL database provide the inventory and location information.
- Coordinate conversion: The Arduino firmware uses the requested grid coordinates and converts them to millimetres.
- Travel: Two stepper-driven axes move the pickup assembly to the target. Limit switches are used to home the axes.
- Pickup: The end effector engages the requested part; the documented prototype narrative says an electromagnet replaced the initially used gripper.
The project’s documented software and control stack is a Raspberry Pi 3 running a Flask/Python server, PHP pages, MySQL, and an Arduino Uno. The Pi-side web and database components handle requests and part locations; the Arduino handles the machine’s motion and pickup control. The available project description does not specify the communication protocol between the Pi and Arduino, wiring pinouts, coordinate calibration procedure, or a complete deployable software image.
What the documented build includes
Motion and pickup hardware
| Component | Documented role or context |
|---|---|
| Two NEMA 17 stepper motors | Drive the machine’s two motion axes. |
| Two DRV8825 stepper drivers | Drive the stepper motors from the controller. |
| Arduino Uno | Runs the motion-control firmware and controls the axes and pickup actuator. |
| Limit switches | Provide the axis references used during homing. |
| DFRobot servo gripper | Named in the hardware list; the build narrative says the prototype later used an electromagnet instead. |
| 25 x 20 mm, 5 V electromagnet | Used as the later prototype pickup actuator. Its usefulness depends on the part being magnetically responsive and compatible with the pickup geometry. |
| Timing belts, pulleys, linear bearings, and rods | Form the gantry’s belt-driven motion and linear support system. |
Fabrication tools and structure
The documented structure combines 3D-printed brackets and parts with two CNC-routed side panels. The listed workshop tools are a 3D printer, CNC router, and cordless drill. The build narrative also describes drilling and sanding printed pieces, installing rods and bearings, fitting belts and pulleys, and wiring the controller, drivers, limit switches, servo, and magnet.
The Tool Desk
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A separate 3D-model listing describes the same broad architecture: Raspberry Pi and Flask, MySQL, Arduino, two stepper motors, and a servo gripper. That listing’s gripper description should not be read as evidence that the final prototype used a gripper; the build account says the pickup actuator changed to an electromagnet.
Choosing between a gripper and an electromagnet
The actuator is not an interchangeable detail: it determines which parts the machine can collect reliably. The documented build shows both concepts, but it does not publish controlled pickup tests or establish that either option works for a broad range of components.
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| Pickup option | Best suited to | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Servo gripper | Parts whose shape and dimensions allow the fingers to grasp them. | Requires suitable clearance and a compatible grip; the source does not state gripping force, opening range, or supported part sizes. |
| 5 V electromagnet | Magnetically responsive parts that can be contacted by the pickup face. | Will not pick up nonmagnetic components. The source does not state holding force, switching details, or supported payload. |
For a reproduction, match the actuator to the actual inventory before finalizing bin spacing and the pickup-head design. A magnet may simplify contact with suitable metal parts, while a gripper can accommodate nonmagnetic items only if their geometry permits a secure grasp.
What reproducing the machine involves
This is a combined mechanical, electrical, and software build. The source documents the major components and fabrication approach, but it does not provide measured tolerances or a complete validated manufacturing package. Treat the following as the documented workflow, not as a guarantee that every machine will assemble or run without adjustment.
Rank #3
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- All of the Components and Integrated Circuits are individually packaged and labeled, and packing in a plastic box which is bigger enough for you.
- Design the frame and brackets: Model the brackets in Fusion 360 and prepare the structural parts. The documented project 3D-prints structural pieces and CNC-routes two side panels.
- Fabricate and fit the motion structure: Drill and sand printed parts as needed, install rods and linear bearings, then fit the timing belts and pulleys.
- Assemble the axes and pickup head: Install the two NEMA 17 motors and mount the selected pickup actuator. Do not assume the listed servo gripper and the later electromagnet are used simultaneously.
- Wire and configure motion control: Connect the Arduino Uno, two DRV8825 drivers, stepper motors, limit switches, and pickup actuator. The firmware is described as GRBL-style and uses the switches to home each axis. The available description does not give a pin map, current settings, or a complete firmware configuration.
- Set up the inventory software: Configure the Raspberry Pi 3 with the Flask/Python server, PHP pages, and MySQL inventory and location data. Each stored part needs a location that corresponds to the machine’s physical grid.
- Verify the coordinate and retrieval chain: Confirm that a database location maps to the intended physical position, that homing establishes the expected reference, and that the selected actuator can retrieve the target part. The source does not publish a calibration recipe or acceptance thresholds.
What the project does not establish
The project pages are instructional build records and component descriptions, not controlled performance reports. They do not publish independently measured positioning accuracy, retrieval speed or throughput, payload, reliability, storage capacity, or total build cost. Those figures should not be inferred from the motor count, frame design, or the fact that the machine moves to database-selected locations.
Likewise, there are no measured comparisons with a robotic arm, carousel, or commercial parts-storage machine. To judge whether a grid gantry suits a particular shop, evaluate the actual storage density, part sizes and materials, payload, pickup method, required positioning accuracy, database integration, fabrication effort, maintenance needs, and total cost. The documented design establishes one approachable maker architecture; it does not establish that it is faster, more accurate, or cheaper than those alternatives.
Rank #4
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Who this design is for
The CNC part picking machine is most relevant to makers or small workshops interested in building an automated electronic-parts organizer and able to work across mechanical fabrication, wiring, and web/database software. It is less suitable as a ready-to-install production solution: the published material leaves implementation details and operational performance unquantified, so a builder must develop and validate those for the intended parts and environment.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Perfect choice for beginners to learn, electronics and program.
- This kit with tutorial user manual containing more than 20 lessons,code,Libraries, datasheets, and so on.
- 100% Compatible with program.
- Inlcude type motors and LCDs with servo motor, stepper motor and DC Motor; LCD 1602, LCD 4-bit 7-segment Display etc.
- LCD 1602 module with pin header (not need to be soldered by yourself)
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