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| - | CNC Machine Guidelines | + | === Note: Goliath is no longer at the space. |
| + | [[laguna|Laguna]] | ||
| + | |||
| + | === CNC Training === | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Safety and Basic info == | ||
| + | * Always have protection | ||
| + | * Eyes | ||
| + | * Ears | ||
| + | * Loose clothing should not be worn | ||
| + | * Hair tied back and out of the way | ||
| + | * If you notice anything strange with the machine DO NOT USE IT | ||
| + | * Notify thespace@sktechworks.ca | ||
| + | * Be aware of where the big red button is | ||
| + | * Pushing the button will stop the current job from processing | ||
| + | * It will not stop the router | ||
| + | * turn off the switch for that | ||
| + | * turn off the switch for cnc power | ||
| + | * notify thespace@sktechworks.ca | ||
| + | * Be aware of all the different ways you can shut off the machine | ||
| + | * Safety should be your number one concern | ||
| + | * You can always fix or redo a CNC job | ||
| + | * Fixing a broken face is harder | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Materials recommended for CNC === | ||
| + | == wood == | ||
| + | * hardwood | ||
| + | * softwood | ||
| + | * composites - MDF, OBS, etc | ||
| + | |||
| + | == plastics == | ||
| + | * Be aware that plastics will melt if feeds and speeds are not set correctly | ||
| + | * Polycarbonate | ||
| + | * ABS | ||
| + | * Acrylic | ||
| + | * HDPE, UHMW | ||
| + | * etc | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Phenolics == | ||
| + | * G10, FR4, Garolite | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Materials not recommended for CNC === | ||
| + | == Metal of any sort == | ||
| + | * In theory the large CNC has the capability but it is not recommended | ||
| + | * Please use the Sherline for small metal parts | ||
| + | * Anything larger contact an external machine shop | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Make sure your work material is secured === | ||
| + | * This ensures your safety and those around you | ||
| + | * Material that is not properly secured to the work surface has the potential to be ejected by the machine and injure anyone in the vicinity | ||
| + | |||
| + | === File Formats === | ||
| + | * Recommended file format from vector software is DXF | ||
| + | * Depending on the CAM software it may be able to accept other formats | ||
| + | * CAM software and GCODE conversion | ||
| + | * SK Techworks has an art license for MeshCAM | ||
| + | *Aspire is installed on the computer at Techworks | ||
| + | *There are many other paid and free solutions out there | ||
| + | *We will be going over Aspire | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Aspire === | ||
| + | * Aspire is CNC CAD/CAM package that has the ability to generate GCODE output for 3D carving and 2D profiling | ||
| + | * Aspire can accept multiple vector file formats including STL, DXF, OBJ and others | ||
| + | * The workflow for Aspire can be separated into two parts: | ||
| + | * Importing/ | ||
| + | * Importing/ | ||
| + | * When you start up Aspire you can either start a new job or open an existing one | ||
| + | * in our case we want to start a new file | ||
| + | * you will be greeted with a screen asking for the dimensions and type of material | ||
| + | * there is also a section asking what the zero position is for the machine | ||
| + | * select the top of the material for z-axis zero | ||
| + | * I also recommend using the center point of drawing for x-y zero as it is simpler for lining up a job on your work piece - more explained later | ||
| + | * **Please note the the long axis on our CNC is the x-axis** | ||
| + | * If you have already generated your vector output you can just import the file by going to File-> | ||
| + | * This is the workflow for 2d profiling | ||
| + | * If there is an interest in 3D Carving I can go over this at a later date | ||
| + | * After you have imported your vectors you then need to ensure that the vectors are closed | ||
| + | * vectors that are not closed will result in unexpected toolpaths when we try to generate them | ||
| + | * Once you have fixed your vectors you can then resize and position them as you like on the material | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Creating Toolpaths == | ||
| + | * Once you have your vectors in place it is not time to create the toolpaths | ||
| + | * This is how the CAM software will generate the GCODE for the CNC machine to run | ||
| + | * On the top right of the program there will be a tab that contains all the controls for creating toolpaths | ||
| + | * The operations we are interested in for 2D profiling are: | ||
| + | * profiling | ||
| + | * drilling | ||
| + | * pocketing | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Profiling == | ||
| + | * This operation will cut out the shape of the vector you want | ||
| + | * in the case of a circle let us say a generated toolpath will cut either on the inside, outside, or on the desired vector depending on the effect you require | ||
| + | * It is important that the vector is closed when trying to do inside and outside profiling. | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Drilling == | ||
| + | * This is pretty self explanatory | ||
| + | * One thing to note is this operation will only work on properly generated circles | ||
| + | * some vector softwares will output a circle as a series of lines | ||
| + | * while the end result resembles a circle it does not contain the same information | ||
| + | * mainly where the circle is located | ||
| + | * the problem here is that if you were to try to generate a toolpath on such a circle, Aspire will ignore it as there is no centerpoint to locate and drill | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Pocketing == | ||
| + | * This operation will clear the area enclosed in a vector | ||
| + | * for example if you have a circle and you do a pocket operation on it you can make a bowl or cup. | ||
| + | * again it is important to ensure your vector is close so that the generated toolpath comes out as expected | ||
| + | |||
| + | == Feeds and speeds, endmills == | ||
| + | * When generating GCODE with the CAM software, it takes into account the physical start point, endmill properties, feedrate, and speed | ||
| + | * The physical starting point should already be set when you defined your workpiece properties. | ||
| + | * endmill properties are accessed when you have chosen a toolpath operation to perform | ||
| + | * once you have selected a toolpath you then need to select the tool you wish to perform the cut | ||
| + | * If a tool is not available in the default list you can create a new one to suit your needs | ||
| + | * At the point you are accessing the endmill properties you can also change the feedrate and speeds | ||
| + | * feedrate refers to the rate at which the endmill travels while cutting. | ||
| + | * Speed refers to the spindle speed measured in revolutions per minute (RPM) | ||
| + | * Feeds and speeds are a very important factor in the success of your job. | ||
| + | * correctly set feedrate and speed will yield great finish and longer tool life | ||
| + | * as a rule of thumb the plunge rate should be set to ½ your feed rate | ||
| + | * pass height - which is the distance your endmill plunges into the material to perform a cut- should be a maximum of ½ the tool diameter | ||
| + | * The CNC is capable of doing 100 IPM rapid movements but doesn’t like cutting at that speed depending on the material | ||
| + | * 50 IPM is a good starting point for wood | ||
| + | * Mach3 has the ability to dynamically change the feedrate during a job so you can start a job slow, then speed it up as you get to know the material properties | ||
| + | * as the spindle is technically a tile router, it is not controlled by the CNC software. | ||
| + | * setting the speed too fast and feedrate slow will result in burning or melting | ||
| + | * setting the speed to slow and feedrate fast will result in breaking | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Mach3 software === | ||
| + | * How to load GCODE | ||
| + | * Keyboard Operations | ||
| + | * Jogging the axes | ||
| + | * the arrow keys control the x and y | ||
| + | * pgup and pgdn control the z | ||
| + | * rapid | ||
| + | * shift | ||
| + | * fine tuning | ||
| + | * ctrl | ||
| + | * emergency stop | ||
| + | * big red button | ||
| + | * esc key | ||
| + | * setting feeds and speeds | ||
| + | * Run the Job | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Basic operations === | ||
| + | * Power to the machine | ||
| + | * power to the router | ||
| + | * big red button | ||
| + | * fan power for gecko | ||
| + | * Tool Changing | ||
| + | * Securing material | ||
| + | * zeroing the machine | ||
| + | * clean chips | ||
| + | * Leave the machine in a state where someone else can use it with minimal setup | ||
| + | * don’t leave your chips for someone to clean up | ||
| + | * don’t leave your endmills in the router | ||
| + | * don’t leave scrap material or custom sacrificial board on the machine | ||
| + | * scrap material goes in the bin | ||
| + | * if the bin is full, fucking empty it | ||
| + | * we pay monthly for loraas even if we don’t use it | ||
| + | * so we might as well use it | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Fusion 360 Toolpaths== | ||
| + | I nice formatted tutorial of how to setup a job in Fusion 360 | ||
| + | [[http:// | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{: | ||
| + | |||
| + | Update: the following G28 thing might actually not be necessary. | ||
| + | |||
| + | This is very, very preliminary, | ||
| + | DISABLE G28. If you leave G28 enabled, the machine will rapid to a bad place. | ||
| + | |||
| + | DISABLE M6. I'm not sure if this actually causes problems, but we don't have a toolchanger, | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Feeds and Speeds Resources== | ||
| + | Onsrud has some good charts for chipload of various materials. | ||
| + | | ||
| + | |||
| + | Once you know your chipload range, there are lots of online calculators to help you calculate RPM and feedrate. | ||
| + | | ||
