Machine Design :

1. Laser Cutter machine design

What is a Laser Cutter

A laser cutter is a computer-controlled machine that uses a powerful laser beam to cut or engrave various materials such as wood, plastic, metal, fabric, and more. The laser beam is focused by a series of mirrors and lenses onto the material, which is then burned, vaporized or melted away. Laser cutters can be used for a wide variety of applications, including creating intricate designs and patterns, cutting out complex shapes, engraving text or images, and even etching onto glass. They are commonly used in manufacturing, prototyping, engineering, and the arts and crafts industries.

The laser cutter that we are going to design has the following characteristics

Laser Characteristics

ITEM	Characteristics
Width	400mm
Lenght	600mm
Laser Power	Roland Mendel
Frames	The flame is made in plywood
Motors	We will use nema17 stepper motors to move our laser beam in X AND Y directions
Control Mechanism	We plan to burn GRBR firmware and control stepper motors with G-code

we did some sketching on the frame of the laser bet and it looks like the following

We have two teams , one working on laser cutter machine and other working on Arm robot

Inventory for Our Laser Machine

ITEM	QTY	Characteristics	Picture
Stepper motors	2	We will use NEMA 17 stepper motors: Size: NEMA 17 Holding Torque: Typically between 26 to 76 oz-in (0.18 to 0.54 Nm) Step Angle: Typically 1.8 degrees per step Current Rating: Typically between 0.5 to 1.5 Amps per phase Resistance: Typically between 1.5 to 3 Ohms per phase Inductance: Typically between 2 to 6 mH per phase Number of Leads: Usually 4 or 6 (depending on the motor winding configuration) Shaft Diameter: Typically 5 mm Operating Temperature: Usually between -20°C to +50°C Weight: Typically between 200 to 350 grams
Stepper motor drivers (2)	2	the A4988 stepper motor drive characteristics and working principle cn be found here Microstepping: Up to 1/16 steps Current Limit: Adjustable up to 2.5A Operating Voltage: Between 8V to 35V Logic Voltage: 3.3V to 5V Protection Features: Over-temperature, Over-current, Short-circuit, and Under-voltage lockout Compatible Motors: Stepper motors with 8, 6, 5, and 4 wires Thermal Shutdown: Yes, with a threshold of 145°C Dimensions: 20mm x 15mm x 4mm Weight: Approximately 1.5 grams
Power supply	2	We will use 5V power supply having output current of 5A maxim
Aluminium Linear Guides	2	The flame is made in plywood
Laser Tube	2	we will use laser tube having xx watts of laser power
Frame	2	We plan to burn GRBR firmware and control stepper motors with G-code
Microcontroller	2	Atmega328p

Making of Control System for Laser

To be able to control the servo motors with G-code firmware, we built a control circuit around the atmega328p and another circuit for controlling servo motors

Making of control circuit with atmega328p

Making of Stepper Motor control Board

To be able to control stepper motors, motor control board is needed . we made a control board based on A4988 stepper motor drive BOARD

Testing Soldered circuit with G-code With LaserGRBL

The following video shows the testing we did atfer flashing GRBL firmware in Atmega328p then we send the G-code in the MCU to see if there is a coordiinated motion

Testing our Laser Head To check the laser beam before assembly

We tested the laser heat to our 12V power supply and any given pwm signal and it is working as intended

Testing our nema17 stepper motors with G-code anf laserGRBL

3D Design of Laser cutter

Final design for laser cutter in solidworks

The following video shows how the final design looks like before final assembly of the mechanical part

Testing our nema17 stepper motors with G-code anf laserGRBL

Producing Frame Mechanical parts with CNC Machine

After design of the mechanical parts , the next is to produce those differents parts. we cutted those parts in MDF with cnc router with vcarve pro software

frame_laser.jpeg

Automating the Laser machine with control circuit

Final results

Group 2:Robotic Arm with one Servos and 3 Stepper Motors

For this week's assignment, we plan to make a robotic arm. It would be equipped with a claw or something similar that could move things in the X, Y, and Z axes. The primary substance would be cardboard. We were debating how it would be run, but we hadn't made a decision yet.

A stepper motor: is a type of electric motor that is designed to rotate in small, precise steps. Unlike a traditional electric motor, which rotates continuously, a stepper motor moves in discrete increments, or steps, in response to electrical pulses.

A Servos motor: Robotics, automation, and control systems are just a few of the uses for which servo motors are used. The high precision and accuracy of servo motors make them ideal for jobs requiring controlled movement.

Here we are Sketching our Arm Robot

Block Diagram of Arm Robot

Here is group brainstoming how Arm Robot will works

Our Robot composed with the following parts

• Robot Arm Stand (Base)
• 3 Stepper Motor and one Servos Motor
• Joints
• End effector
• Cables and wiring
• Control system
• Bearings
• Bolts and Nuts

We started designing Arm Robot

1. Base Arm Design

2. Base_Bearing_Ball

3.Base_Bearing_Holder

4.Main Arm of Robot

5.V_Arm

6. Links

7. Horizontal Arm

8. Horizontal Arm Plate

9. Claw Base

9. Gears

10. Robot Assemblely

We started Printing some parts with 3D Printer

1. Base Arm Design After Printing

2. Printing other Parts of Robot

We started Assembly Part by Part of Robotic

Testing our Robot After Assembling

Progress video

Final Video of Arm Robot

Final Video For Laser cutter

Challenge Faced during Machine building in this two weeks

We encoutered with the issue of our 3D printer which broken after printing several parts of the robot arm. some gear are not working well and we are still finding alternatives.

We have also meet with the issue of Stepper motor driver circuit that was not working well which delayed the machine building process. we hope to finish machines as soon as possible because issues must be fixed and our instructor is looking for alternatives togather .