Assignment 18_applications and implications

01 Your project should incorporate 2D and 3D design, additive and subtractive fabrication processes, electronics design and production, microcontroller interfacing and programming, system integration and packaging. Where possible, you should make rather than buy the parts of your project

What is my project?

My project is an Educational CNC Machine. A machine made from MDF, 3D printing and basic electronics that allowed kids to manage and understand the logic of the machine. Also, they can customize theirs owns extruders, changing the logic of fabrication of the device.

My final project is a "spin-off" of my project educational analogue machine. The idea of this machine born from a necessity I observe in several workshops and talks of digital fabrication that I had done to kids. Where the kids were very excited about 3D printing, but just about printing anecdotic objects, like a case to the cellphone or little toys. I wanted they could understand that a CNC machine is a fantastic tool to fabricate whatever you want, not just plastic, you can use infinite materials, with different devices to make infinite solutions to necessities they had.

Even the main project is meant to keep analogue; I decide to make 2.0 version. In this version, where you can hack the same machine to be controlled by steppers and aloud kids to manage and understand the engine even more.

What will it do?

The Educational CNC Machine will:

Educational goals:

Evidences the logic of operation of the CNC technology.
Children can easily understand how it works and how to handle the machine.
Allows and facilitate the customization of the extruders.

Technical goals:

Steppers controlled by buttons automatize the X and Y axis.
Mini Servo controlled by button automatize the Z axis.
The extruder is interchangeable.
The machine is cheap and easy to fabricate.

Who's done what beforehand?

I.MTM Snap

This machine is a good project to look for because of the construction (snaps, just like my project) and also the idea of making a more cheap machine that everyone can fabricate. Also, this project documentation can help to understand how to program and control the steppers

II.Machines that Make

Just like MTM Snap, this project can help me to take some ideas about the controls of the machine. Also, this machine is designed to be customized by its users and to manufacture with different logics. It is not a printer, cutter or router, but you can take it to be what you want.

III.Sand Drawer

I love this project because is almost all fabricated in MDF in the laser cutter, so is very fast to fabricate and also demonstrate that you can make a mechanism that works with this material. The only components that are not in MDF are the stepper and servo (obviously), but also the rails and the surface where the circle rotate.

It also makes me realize that maybe my machine is not going to work perfectly, but that is not the goal, for now, The goal now is that a kid understands how a CNC works.

These are other projects I found that help me with references of mechanism and materials for my project:

CNC MDF

CNC from CD drives + servo Z

What will you design? What parts and systems will be made? What processes will be used?

(1) The framework and mechanism of assembly of the machine.
Design: 2D Design
Technology: Laser Cutting
Material: MDF 3mm

(2) The sliding parts for the axes.
Design: 3D Design
Technology: 3D Printing
Material: ABS

(3) Extruders
Design: 3D Design
Technology: 3D Printing
Material: ABS + Basic Electronic

(4) PCB for controlling the axis
Design: Electronic Design
Technology: CNC Router + Electronic Production
Material: Electronics

(5) Programming the machine
Technology: Code Programming (Inputs & Outputs)
Material: Electronics

What materials and components will be used?

FABRICATION

MDF 3MM
ABS Filament
Nuts and bolts

I/O

3 Steppers Unipolar 7V
3 Steppers drivers
1 Mini Servo
3 Batteries 9V
3 Battery connector
6 buttons
Wires
PCBs*

MAIN PCB

1 Microcontroller Atmega 328P
6 Buttons
2 LEDs red 1206
2 resistance 499Ohm 1206
6 resistance 1 K 1206
1 resistance 10K 1206
1 resonator / Crystal 20mhz
3 pin head 1x3
1 regulator sot23-3 5V
2 capacitor 0.1uF 1206
1 ISP 2x3
2 terminal block 3.5mm

NODE PCB x 3

1 Microcontroller Atmega 328P
1 Driver A988
2 LEDs red 1206
2 resistance 499Ohm 1206
1 resistance 10K 1206
1 resonator / Crystal 20mhz
1 pin head 1x5
2 pin head 1x3
1 regulator sot23-3 5V
2 capacitor 0.1uF 1206
1 capacitor 10uF 1206
1 ISP 2x3
2 terminal block 3.5mm

Where will come from? How much will they cost?

FABRICATION

MDF 3MM / (Homecenter Sodimac) 1 x $7,20
ABS Filament / (MCI/Olimex) 1/4 use $5,00
Nuts and bolts / (Homecenter Sodimac) 10 x $0,30 = $3,00
Cost Fabrication = $ 15,2

I/O

3 Steppers Unipolar 7V / / (Fab Lab SCL stock) 3 x $8.95 = $26,85
3 Steppers drivers / (AMG KITS) 3 x $3,68 = $11,04
1 Mini Servo / (AMG KITS) 1 x $3,18
3 Batteries 9V / (Casa Royal) 3 x $5,12 = $15,36
3 Battery connector / (Casa Royal) 3 x $0,62 = $1,86
6 buttons / (AMG KITS) pack x $4,00
Jumpers / (Sparkfun) pack x $4,00
Cost I/O = $ 66,29

MAIN PCB

1 Microcontroller Atmega 328P / (Sparkfun) 1 x $4.25
2 LEDs red 1206 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,198 = $0,396
2 resistance 499Ohm 1206 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,1 = $0,2
6 resistance 1 K 1206 / (Sparkfun) 6 x $0,1 = $0,6
1 resistance 10K 1206 / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,1 = $0,1
1 resonator | Crystal 20mhz / (Sparkfun) 1 x $2.50
3 pin head 1x3 / (Sparkfun) 3 x $0,50 = $1,50
1 regulator sot23-3 5V / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,75
2 capacitor 0.1uF 1206 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,1 = $0,2
1 ISP 2x3 / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,50
2 terminal block 3.5mm / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,95 = $1,90
Cooper Board / (MCI/Olimex) $1.00
Soldiery Wire / (MCI/Olimex) $1.00
Cost Main Board = $ 14,9

NODE PCB x 3

1 Microcontroller Atmega 328P / (Sparkfun) 1 x $4.25
2 LEDs red 1206 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,198 = $0,396
2 resistance 499Ohm 1206 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,1 = $0,2
1 resistance 10K 1206 / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,1 = $0,1
1 resonator | Crystal 20mhz / (Sparkfun) 1 x $2.50
1 pin head 1x5 / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,50
2 pin head 1x3 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,50 = $1,00
1 regulator sot23-3 5V / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,75
2 capacitor 0.1uF 1206 / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,1 = $0,2
1 capacitor 10uF 1206 / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,1 = $0,1
1 ISP 2x3 / (Sparkfun) 1 x $0,50
2 terminal block 3.5mm / (Sparkfun) 2 x $0,95 = $1,90
Cooper Board / (MCI/Olimex) $1.00
Soldiery Wire / (MCI/Olimex) $1.00
Cost Node Board = $ 14,16 x 3 = $42,48

TOTAL VALUE: $139

What questions need to be answered?

BODY

How can I control the Z axis with a mini servo?
Which extruder am I going to choose?
How is going to be the interface of the buttons? Test with kids.

ELECTRONIC

How can I control the steppers and make it work in a network?
Which driver is best for my steppers?
How am I going to power the steppers motors?

USE

Can a kid use the machine and understand it?
What thinks kids of this machine?
Which things will kids want to fabricate in this machine?

How will it be evaluated?

Technical goals:

Steppers controlled by buttons automatize the X and Y axis.
Mini Servo controlled by button automatize the Z axis.
The extruder is interchangeable.*for future project
The machine is cheap and easy to fabricate.

Educational goals:

Evidences the logic of operation of the CNC technology.
Children can easily understand how it works and how to handle the machine.
Allows and facilitate the customization of the extruders.

I have two types of goals for my project, the technical and the educational ones. The first one is going to be the goals I need to achieve to be evaluated in the Fab Academy because is evaluate my technical skills. The second goals, the educational ones, are goals for my project that I want to continue developing. I will try to test both types of goals for Fab Academy, but I don't know if I will have enough time.

Schedule Final Project

Week 28-3 junio

Week 4-10

Week 11-17

Week 18-24

Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.