System Configuration of CNC Router Design - Input, Process and Output

System Configuration of CNC Router Design - Input, Process and Output

A CNC production facility requires three parts of equipment: A Computer. The computer is used to draw the design. CAD - Computer Aided Design software is used for this purpose. However, the design is only a picture and the CNC machine cannot use this to manufacture the product. The computer software must also convert the picture into numbers (coordinates) that the CNC machine can use when it starts to cut and shape the materials. An Interface. A computer cannot be directly connected to a CNC machine. The computer must be connected to an interface. Modern CNC machines have a ‘built-in’ or integral interface, which appears to be part of the CNC machine. This circuit converts the signals from the computer to a form that the CNC machine can recognize and understand. Older CNC machines have a separate ‘box’ called the interface. The signals are in the form of digital signals when they are sent to the CNC machine for coming processing. CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Machine. The signals from the interface control the motors on the CNC machine to move and act. The signals determine the way the vice moves. The vice moves in three directions X, Y and Z. (Horizontally, vertically and depth). The signals also control the speed for the cutting tool to move.
The whole process of designing and making an item using the CNC machine can be divided into three aspects INPUT-PROCESS-OUTPUT. The diagram below shows this system.

QUESTION:

Draw the systems diagram shown above and manage to explain what happens in the INPUT, PROCESS and OUTPUT sections.

Quality Control and Flow Chart to fabricate CNC Products

Quality Control and Flow Chart to Fabricate CNC Products

A production flowchart is very necessary and crucial when planning to manufacture any product. Although CNC products can be rather small, quality control in its manufacturing is also crucial. Firstly please draw a flowchart like the one shown below. This should explain every stage of the manufacturing of a product you have produced through the use of a CNC machine. This includes a number of quality checks. Quality control is an essential part of any project and at any stage the product may be rejected if a fault or inaccuracy is found.

To help you create your production flow chart the stages involved in the manufacture of a CNC project are listed on the previous page. Also a photograph of the product, with details are shown below. Remember to include quality control.

CNC PROJECT:

This is a small trophy for a cyclist. The part manufactured through CNC is the rectangular clear plastic piece. This has been engraved using a CNC machine. The trophy also has an MDF back which has been colored to provide scenery and a small green plastic front shaped to give the illusion of grass.

1. What is a recycle bin?

2. How could products be placed in the recycle bin be used if they cannot be recycled?

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Working Stages of CNC

Working Stages of CNC

1. The design is loaded into the computer which is connected to the CNC machine. The computer changes the design into a special code (numerical) which controls the way how the CNC cuts and shapes the material.
2. The material to be shaped is taped on to a block with double sided tapes. This must be done carefully so that it does not come off the block during working.

3. The block is then placed in the vice, inside the CNC. It must be tightened up carefully. If it is not secure when the machine starts to cut the material it can come away from the vice. When the machine starts working, the vice moves up, down, right and left according to the design.
4. The guard is placed in position. It protects the machine operator in case the material is pulled out of the vice by the power of the cutter. For safety reasons, if the guard is not in position the motor will not start.
5. The CNC is turned on and the shape is cut from the material. When the cutter has stopped, the shaped material can be removed from the vice. Total time - for simple designs - 15 minutes.

In your own words and with the help of diagrams, explained the stages involved in the use of a CNC machine such as the one shown above.

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What Does CNC Represent?

What Does CNC Represent?

What does the word CNC mean? CNC stems from the abbreviation of Computer Numerical Control. This means a computer converts the design produced by Computer Aided Design software (CAD), into numbers. The numbers can be considered as the coordinates of a graph and then they will be used to control the movement of the cutter. This way the computer controls the cutting and shaping of the material.

The way coordinates are used can be seen opposite. The X, Y and Z axis control the movement of the cutter on a 3D CNC machine. This allows materials to be machined in three directions (3D manufacture).

The plastic block shown below has been shaped on a CNC machine. It started as a cube. 

The design (produced on CAD, Computer Aided Design software) has been converted into coordinates. The cutter is instructed to go from one coordinate to another. A simple plastic block such as this may have a thousand coordinates.


For example, point ‘A’ on the plastic block has coordinates 18, 8, 23 (see diagram). The block is composed of thousands of coordinates and the cutter goes from the first set of coordinates to the second set to the third set and so on, until it has completed the thousand coordinates. As the cutter is spinning at high speed, and travels through all the sets of coordinates, it cuts and shapes the block, as it goes along.

The animation below shows how the coordinates change as the cutter moves across the block of material. The 'Z' coordinate does not change as the cutter remains at the same height, despites its movement on the X and Y axis.

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BASIC and SIMPLE DIAGRAM of a CNC Router

BASIC and SIMPLE DIAGRAM of a CNC Router

A simplified diagram of the Roctech CNC Router is seen below. The diagram is labelled clearly and some information is also listed to explain the main parts of the product and what they want to do.

1. Using an A4 piece of paper draw an accurate diagram of a Boxford Duet. 2. Label and describe the most important parts.
3. List and explain some of the difficulties you had when manufacturing a product using a CNC machine.

CNC Router Machine - A Brief Introduction

CNC Router Machine - A Brief Introduction

In Industry it is not efficient or profitable to make everyday products by hand. On a CNC machine it is possible to make hundreds or even thousands of the same item in a day. First a design is drawn using design software, then it is processed by the computer and manufactured using the CNC machine. The machine featured below is the BOXFORD DUET.

This is a small CNC machine and can be used to machine woods, plastics and aluminium. In industry, CNC machines can be extremely large. The Duet is one of the smaller CNCs and is ideal for use in schools.

Have a look at the photograph on the right. Can you imagine how long it would take a skilled worker to ‘carve’ this shape out of wood or a soft material - it would probably take a full day. We will be going through its manufacture, one step at a time using a CNC machine (next page). How long do you think manufacturing this product with a CNC machine will take ?

The VICE: This holds the material to be cut or shaped. Material must be held securely otherwise it may 'fly' out of the vice when the CNC begins to machine. Normally the vice will be like a clamp that holds the material in the correct position.
The GUARD: The guard protects the person using the CNC. When the CNC is machining the material small pieces can be 'shoot' off the material at high speed. This could be dangerous if a piece hit the person operating the machine. The guard completely encloses the the dangerous areas of the CNC.
The CHUCK: This holds the material that is to be shaped. The material must be placed in it very carefully so that when the CNC is working the material is not thrown out at high speed.
The MOTOR: The motor is enclosed inside the machine. This is the part that rotates the chuck at high speed.
The LATHE BED: The base of the machine. Usually a CNC is bolted down so that it cannot move through the vibration of the machine when it is working.
The CUTTING TOOL: This is usually made from high quality steel and it is the part that actually cuts the material to be shaped.
1. Draw a small CNC machine and label the most important parts. 2. List the safety factors that people must be aware of before they operate a CNC or similar machine.

CNC wood router

CNC wood router

A CNC wood router is a CNC router tool that creates objects from wood. CNC stands for computer numerical control. The CNC works on the Cartesian coordinate system (X, Y, Z) for 3D motion control. Parts of a project can be designed in the computer with a CAD/CAM program, and then cut automatically using a router or other cutters to produce a finished part.

The CNC router is ideal for hobbies, engineering prototyping, product development, art, and production work.

A CNC wood router uses CNC (computer numerical control) and is similar to a metal CNC mill with the following differences:

·         The wood router typically spins faster — with a range of 13,000 to 24,000 RPM

·         Professional quality machines frequently use surface facing tools up to 3" in diameter or more, and spindle power from 5 to 15 horsepower. Machines capable of routing heavy material at over a thousand inches per minute are common.

·         Some machines use smaller toolholders MK2 (Morse taper #2 - on older machines), ISO-30, HSK-63 or the tools just get held in a collet tool holder affixed directly to the spindle nose. ISO-30 and HSK-63 are rapid-change toolholding systems. HSK-63 has begun to supplant the ISO-30 as the rapid change standard in recent years.

A wood router is controlled in the same way as a metal mill, but there are CAM and CAD applications such as Artcam, Mastercam, Bobcad, and AlphaCam, which are specifically designed for use with wood routers.

Wood routers are frequently used to machine other soft materials such as plastics.

Typical three-axis CNC wood routers are generally much bigger than their metal shop counterparts. 5' x 5', 4' x 8', and 5' x 10' are typical bed sizes for wood routers. They can be built to accommodate very large sizes up to, but not limited to 12' x 100'. The table can move, allowing for true three axis (xyz) motion, or the gantry can move, which requires the third axis to be controlled by two slaved servo motors.

What a CNC router is used to do?

What a CNC router is used to do?

With the development of manufacturing industry, CNC router will be used in sign industry, crafts industry, model industry, organic glass processing, wood craft, blister mold, etc.

With the rapid development of manufacturing industry in recent years, CNC router industry has got the good development opportunity, which promoted the CNC router production and application.  CNC router is widely used in the following industry:

1. Sign industry. Along with the continuous development of economy in our country, the changing of urban public infrastructure, refurbishment of the street road, modern residential district, star hotel, office building, for some trends and standard identification and guidance system to produce a lot of demand, and the mechanisms of sculpture of plaque, logos, signs, represents a large part. From the external signs play a good role for the company's image, in the form of sculpture making employees wear badges, unit, floor board, has become a trend.

2. Crafts industry. The expansion of the tourism market, tourists are looking for has the local amorous feelings of the gift, engraving Machine in this aspect also comes in. And, to open more and more the meeting now, for some souvenirs and advertising materials, pop made by carving. In a ring, key chain, trophies, MEDALS, imitation crystal furnishing articles, lighters, leather goods, watches, and so on can be carved, can reflect a person's personality and taste, for some people with ideas, is also unique, carved for these items to appeal, catering to the demands of emotional communication.

3. Model industry. The development of real estate, the demand for building model continuously increase. Sales department of sales model, the square model, construction design to show and display, model of vehicle market expands, some ship model, industrial model, also have a memorial and collection significance. The best assistant of the carving machine has become a production model.

4. Organic glass processing. Organic glass is one of the most ideal raw material. Because organic glass itself has good workability, by carving machine can produce. Cut, cut, carved. And organic glass has a wide range of applications, the model, small ornaments, handicrafts, souvenirs, advertising and other household decoration ideal material. Engraving machine and the perfect combination of organic glass, inevitably can produce excellent variety of craft products.

5. Wood craft. Engraving machine can punch, ornamental edge, etc., especially the wide application of new type of decoration material, wave plate, also gave the engraving machine more space to grow up and improve the repeatability, standardized at the same time, make the finished product production efficiency are improved significantly.

6. Blister mold. Yakeli board to grow and thrive in the advertising industry, font creation and design of mould is acrylic blister light boxes production process, the important link of engraving machine is also very important effective tools in this link, blister process, production process, in these respects scope for engraving machine.

The following more specific explanation of the CNC router application universality:

1. Advertising and gift decorating to engrave all kinds of signs, organic glass, stone house, three-dimensional signs, light box piece of double color person statues, anaglyph medal, built-in light houses, light guide plate carving lamp, organic board anaglyph stereoscopic door first.

2. Mould industry: engraving button relief mold printing, stamping die, injection mold, blow mold, stamping die, die eyes, etc.

3. Tobacco industry: used in cigarette packaging anti-counterfeiting mark, template production and cigarette word wheel production.

4. Printed circuit board (PCB) circuits in product development, drilling and milling slot, etc.

5. Automotive industry: tire mold lamp mould and mould processing ornament.

6. Coin business: printing money watermark anti-counterfeiting mould and mould making coin.

7. Packaging industry: bags hot stamping, carton packaging glue type production.

8. Model manufacturing, making sand table model, building model, etc.

9. Making all kinds of staff badge, doorplates, recruit sign.

10. Seal industry: all kinds of font material seal carving.

11. Shipbuilding industry: the cabin board layout and sign carving.

12. Machinery processing industry: dial wheel and the scale of print.

13. Wood industry: embossed with a design for design and production.

14. Camera aperture scale zoom parts and processing complex parts processing.

15. Tank compressor valve plate.

16. Hydraulic pump axis stator sealing groove machining.

17. Edm machine tool panel carving processing.

18. Printing industry: for concave and convex plate production.

19. Watch table notice casing mould manufacturing.

20. Pastry mould making, etc., are enumerated.

21. Golf head word and line processing.

22. Inkstone, head of art sculpture processing.

23. Motorcycle gear lever for processing.

24. Bowling spherical lettering.

25. Decorative products engraving.

26. Fine jewelry carving.

27. Bath faucet sculpture.

28. Sole mould processing.

29. Smoking set engraving.

Roc-tech CNC Router adding value to recycled materials!

CNC Router adding value to recycled materials!

Nicko is using the old to make the new. In his shop, Roc-tech Machinery Co., Ltd., he is taking discarded solid core wooden doors and using his Roc-tech CNC Router to change them into tables that are attractive and artistic.

With the demand for more and more green products, Nicko is making good use of materials that would end up in the landfill otherwise. By using the reclaimed doors he is saving the energy, trees and water that were used in the initial processing and giving them new life for years to come.

We love the work he is doing and Nicko was great enough to send us some pictures along with descriptions and we wanted to share some of them with you.

First a bit about Nicko's CNC Router and shop configuration:

Nicko purchased the 4' X 8' Roc-tech back with the vacuum bed and 3KW HSD Spindle.

He used some of the reclaimed doors that were not suitable for projects and attached them to the studs in the wall and built out a hutch for the computers, dust collection closet, "tables-in-progress" storage and a big shelf area overhead for random tools and whatnot.