Sneak Peek

[jbolt]

This is a preview of a project a group of us have been working on over the summer. We mentor for a high school FRC robotics team. This summer we took on the challenge of designing and building a CNC router to cut aluminum sheet metal. This will be used by the team to manufacture parts in house for the competition robots.

Over the weekend we finished the major mechanical assembly and are now preparing for wiring and controls. Our goal is to be in full operation by the first of the year before build season starts.

J~

 

[Eddyde]

Looks Like a solid build, impressive. Pleas post pics of some parts it makes.

 

[bloomingtonmike]

Interesting that you did not run two steppers on Y and just have them slaved in mach. What prompted that?

Also what do you plan to use for chip colleection/removal? Dust Shoe?

You can cut all the alum you want with a 63-series Onsurd O-flute bit and any router. (63-620 is the 1/4" bit) Its not difficult to do at all. Keep a compressor close by with a blow gun and keep the chips clear and hit the cut with a little wd40. Set up a .03 full depth of cut final clearance path after hogging away most of the cut in passes. For those rough hogging passes try .075 clearance passes and 30-50ipm for the 1/4 63-620 bit and leave .03 or so to keep the work on place - no need for tabs. Adjust the path speeds based on your machine.

 

[jbolt]

Interesting that you did not run two steppers on Y and just have them slaved in mach. What prompted that?

It is a servo system, not steppers. We decided it would be safer to drive the two ball screws with a single motor vs trying to sync two servo motors. We will be running LinuxCNC with custom servo drives designed, built and programmed by one of the group.

Also what do you plan to use for chip colleection/removal? Dust Shoe?

Dust shoe and a no-mist coolant system.

You can cut all the alum you want with a 63-series Onsurd O-flute bit and any router. (63-620 is the 1/4" bit) Its not difficult to do at all. Keep a compressor close by with a blow gun and keep the chips clear and hit the cut with a little wd40. Set up a .03 full depth of cut final clearance path after hogging away most of the cut in passes. For those rough hogging passes try .075 clearance passes and 30-50ipm for the 1/4 63-620 bit and leave .03 or so to keep the work on place - no need for tabs. Adjust the path speeds based on your machine.

Thanks for the cutter suggestion. Spindle is a Columbo 3HP w/electric cooling.

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[Karl_T]

That's a solid rigid table. With a 3 Hp spindle, servos, and LinuxCNC; that machine will kick some butt making parts.

Karl

 

[jbolt]

Took longer than expected due to some electrical noise issues but we got the machine completed and running.

 

[jumps4]

great job on the project and the video
Steve

 

[TomS]

Took longer than expected due to some electrical noise issues but we got the machine completed and running.

Nice job Jay. Congrats to you and your team on a great project.

Tom S