Group Assignment
Do your lab's safety training test runout, alignment, fixturing, speeds, feeds, materials, and toolpaths for your machine
Click on this linkIndividual Assignment
make (design+mill+assemble) something big (~meter-scale)
extra credit: don't use fasteners or glue
I m belonging the engineering background, most of the case there is nbo correlation of study between the other streams of engineering. After doing the work in FAB, I was really excited to learn the cnc router, when ever I m seeing the cnc router in mechanical lab, i was thinking about what the guys are doing with this , finally i came to know the use of machine.
We have used a CNC router machine manufactured by "FOREST CNC," featuring an 8x4-foot bed size and a maximum motor speed of 24,000 RPM.We have done the both assignments in Vigyan Ashram, Pabal, Special thanks to Mr.Suhas Sir for arrangements and explained about CNC Wood Cutting Router. Suhas Sir conducted an orientation session on the machine, explaining its operation and highlighting the safety precautions to follow during use. Additionally,Our instructor Mr.Akhash given information about how to upload and perform the operation in CNC Router. A detailed overview of the software we will be using for this assignment.
Mistakes made in group assignment gives more cautious for performing individual assignment in this week
For my individual assignment, I have selected to design a bookshelf using CNC machining techniques. The design will be created in SolidWorks, with the added challenge of incorporating curved surfaces and assembling the structure without relying on fasteners or glue.
For the bookshelf design, I selected the assembly part and chose the front plane to create the top plate. The top plate was designed with dimensions of 350 mm x 362 mm to serve as the uppermost component of the structure, ensuring a balanced and sturdy design.
Next, the lower, middle, and upper plates were designed with dimensions of _______ mm to ensure a precise fit within the bookshelf assembly. These plates were carefully modeled to align seamlessly with the overall structure.
The next part involved designing the side plates of the bookshelf with dimensions of ______ mm. Slots were created on the side plates with precise dimensions to ensure a secure and accurate fit for assembly.
Next, the bottom/base plates of the bookshelf were designed with dimensions of ______ mm. Slots were precisely created on these plates with suitable dimensions to securely fix the side plates, ensuring structural stability and accurate alignment within the overall bookshelf assembly.
The side plates of the bookshelf were selected with dimensions of ______ mm. Slots were created on the plates with specific dimensions to ensure proper alignment and secure fixing of the plates within the assembly.
The final design and assembly of the bookshelf, along with its various views, are presented in the images below. These views include isometric, front, side, and top perspectives to provide a comprehensive understanding of the design.
To operate the CNC router machine effectively, generating the toolpath is essential. For this process, we utilized VCarve Pro 11.5 software, which enabled precise toolpath creation and ensured efficient machining for the bookshelf components.
Upon launching the software, the VCarve Pro interface opened. I proceeded to navigate to the File menu to set up the project and initiate the toolpath creation process for machining.
Upon launching the VCarve software, I navigated to the File menu and selected Create New File. In the 2D View, I proceeded to the Job Setup section.
I configured the settings as follows:
Selected the Job Type: Single-Sided
Selected the Job Size:Width: 1200 mm, Height: 2400 mm, Thickness: 12 mm
Zero Position: Material Surface (as the job uses a plywood sheet)
XY Datum Position: Set according to the project requirements. After finalizing all settings, I clicked OK to proceed.
Next, I navigated to the File Operations menu and selected Import Vector to load the required design file into the project.
Navigated to the file menu option to import the desired .DXF file and Click Open to import the file into the 2D View.
The imported file was arranged on the sheet to make the best use of the material before creating the toolpath.
On the right side, go to the Toolpath section. Under Machine Vectors, select Inside or Left, choose all the inner parts, and click Calculate to generate the toolpath.
The file is saved as a .cnc file. The same steps are repeated for the outer parts by selecting the remaining outer vectors. After selecting them, click Calculate to generate the toolpath. Finally, click Save Toolpath and save it as a .cnc file.
I selected the View option to switch to the 3D View and review the toolpath.The images below clearly display the 3D view, providing a detailed visualization of the toolpath and design.
I have placed the plywood sheet on the machine bed and align it properly. Use C-clamps to hold it firmly in place.
Next I have turned on the machine by pressing the green power button and wait 30 seconds for it to start. Then, open the control software on your desktop. Press the Reset button twice until "Reset Cleared" appears.
Once "Reset Cleared" is displayed on the screen, issue the Reset Home command to the machine. After this, the machine will move back to its original position.
The machine then moves along the X, Y, and Z coordinates to set the origin point for the cutting process. As it returns to its original position, the X, Y, and Z coordinates may adjust significantly to establish the correct origin point.
Once the setup is complete, go to the Load menu to import the required files. Select the desired file from the File Explorer, click Open, and the file will load onto the screen.The loaded file displays the toolpath for the inside cut. Press Escape to proceed.
Move the spindle in the Z+ direction to a safe height to avoid accidents, as observed during the group assignment, and then press Start Cycle to begin the operation. Once the command is sent to the CNC router, it starts cutting along the predefined toolpath selected earlier.
After that I Pressed Start Cycle to begin. As the cycle starts, the cutting process will proceed using the same origin, and the cutting path will be displayed in real-time on the laptop screen in yellow.
After the cutting process is complete, all the parts are removed from the machine bed. The components are then arranged neatly, and a photograph is taken for documentation.
After assembled my book shelf with help of Mr.Akash and Dr.Shantanu Kadam , Thank you for my teammates
I have used this tool for converting my assembling images into a video.
😀 I learned to use CNC router machine 😀
😀I learned to generate the tool path for .cnc file generation 😀
😀 I learned how to create and execute designs we made using a wood router, gaining hands-on experience in the entire process.😀
😀 Getting famililar with short keys , enjoyed the learning 😀
Happy Learning
😀 Thanks to vigan Ashram, Suhas Sir, Akash & Kadam sir 😀
😀 Sujith Mayakrishnan 😀