Computer-controlled Machining
CNC Machine
There are 3 CNC machines in our School lab:
- CNC Router STM090: Working area 900 mm × 600 mm
- CNC Router STM1530D-4A: Working area 1500 mm × 3000 mm
- Snapmaker A350T CNC module: Working area 350 mm × 350 mm
There is one large-sized CNC machine at Chaihuo, our instructor showed us how to use it.
The difference between the CNC machines in our school and the CNC machines in Chaihuo is the working area, the autonomous system, and the software.
To replace the milling head at Chaihuo, we need to do it manually.
There is a stack for heads at our school, so the replacement is an automatic process.
The heads will be different for different materials and different processes.
The board needs to be mounted well in the working area.
In our school, there is a vacuum system to help the board to be mounted well. So normally we don't need to use clamps to hold the board.
After the board is mounted well, we can start the CNC machine.The gcode files will be imported to the machine by using a USB stick. Then we need to tune the zeroes of the machine.
Normaly we need to set up the X-zero, Y-zero and Z-zero.
In our school, as the head is automatically replaced, we don't need to set up the Z-zero manually. It will be set up automatically when the head is replaced.
Here are two videos of the two CNC machines.
The wheel on the controlling pannel is very useful for adjusting the position of the head slowly and gradually, to protect the machine from being damaged. .
When we talk about safety, we need to wear the safety goggles to protect our eyes from the flying debris.
We also need to wear the earplugs to protect our ears from the noise. Gloves are also needed to protect our hands from the sharp edges when we are moving the materials.
We need to make sure the machine is not moving when we are adjusting the position of the head. We need to make sure the machine is not moving when we are changing the tools. We need to make sure the machine is not moving when we are loading the materials.
Personal CNC Project
I designed a simple cat shield by using Fusion 360.
I exported each schetch to a DXF file.
Then I combine them by using Laser Maker 2.0.
Here is the dxf file of the cat shield. Cat_Shield_whole.dxf