4
votes
How to machine aluminium on a low budget?
Actually, you can perform most milling operations with a file, a micrometer, and patience.
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4
votes
Accepted
How to convert G code to motor command?
LinuxCNC is an open source project dedicated to "converting" G-code into motor commands. It is not at all a simple task.
The basic steps are:
Read the G-Code file into memory
Interpret the G code (...
- 6,322
3
votes
First CNC router, where should my zero position be?
The location of the homing position does not make any theoretical difference, you can zero (or set to any constant value) your axis positions at any desired position.
From a pracitcal point of view, ...
- 6,322
3
votes
Accepted
Linear actuators in a cartesian robots
I have worked on a cartesian robot with similar requirements† as your own, and we selected direct drive synchronous linear motors for our x/y stages. In our case, both axes were around 2m in ...
- 4,088
3
votes
How to machine aluminium on a low budget?
Look for a makerspace in your area, in boston there is http://artisansasylum.com/site/
they have various CNC machines, laser cutters, Etc. which with some simple low cost training you are allowed to ...
3
votes
How to machine aluminium on a low budget?
As John Williams points out you can find desktop metal milling machines that are reasonably priced. However if you want to work with metal make sure the machine you're buying is designed for that.
...
- 1,080
3
votes
Accepted
How to machine aluminium on a low budget?
In recent years, there is a surge in low-cost desktop-size home/DIY/High School level CNC, milling machine, router and 3D printers (common 3D motions parts, just the 'head' differs).
Hundreds of ...
- 419
2
votes
Current-limiting stepper motors for RepRap
I'm using a NEMA23 on my Y axis on my greatly frankensteined MendelMax. The bed was elongated to 350mm along with other upgrades, so I needed the bigger motor. It's running nice and cool at 26 volts ...
- 161
2
votes
Programming a G-code Interpreter
This is not a trivial problem to solve. Assuming your DXF file contains various primitives like tracks and pads drawn out, you need to create an algorithm which draws cuts around them, to end up with ...
- 6,337
2
votes
Programming a G-code Interpreter
I assume you know (or can figure out) how to parse the line objects in the dxf file, and can convert them to straight line operations in g-code. So the basic problem is how to order the operations to ...
Ben♦
- 5,215
2
votes
How to convert G code to motor command?
LinuxCNC is a good example. A simpler example would be GRBL, which runs on Arduinos:
https://github.com/grbl/grbl/wiki
- 71
2
votes
Are consumer grade CNC machines capable of cutting tile?
The answer is no!
Even if you ask: Is any professional CNC machine, build for metal/plastics/wood cutting, capable of cutting tile?
The answer is still no!
You can try it. It will work in the ...
- 1,647
2
votes
CNC: Linear motion without timing belt or lead screw
If you want to build something that more or less resembles CNC machine, and use a pen as a tool and draw some pictures, then you will probably be fine (as long as you can do programming and have a lot ...
- 953
2
votes
CNC: Linear motion without timing belt or lead screw
CNC controllers, in most cases, control rotary motion and the model of how this rotary motion is tranformed, by the mechanism attached to the motor, to a translational motion is implemented in the ...
- 6,322
2
votes
Accepted
Calculating screw breakaway torque
You can approximate the breakaway torque by considering static friction only. From the static friction coefficient of the lead screw (by knowing the maximum load on the spindle, coming from the ...
- 6,322
2
votes
First CNC router, where should my zero position be?
This depends on the machine specifically and the software that is being used to drive it, as well as the work placement and holding for the particular cut. Remember, there are typically two different ...
- 141
2
votes
How to make a CNC machine from scratch?
How does a controller translate a move x 20 units to moving the stepper x amount of steps and keep dimensional accuracy? If the CAD G-code says move 200 mm in the x direction, how to you translate the ...
- 6,322
2
votes
Accepted
Did I buy the wrong SBR rails?
That doesn’t sound very unusual to me unless you purchased materials that specifically purported to be predrilled and compatible. Sounds like you may need to manually mark out, drill and possibly tap ...
- 319
1
vote
Which part handles the acceleration of stepper motors?
On my experience working with stepper motor and CNC shield V3 with DRV8255 motor driver, acceleration and decelaration happen on software side.
So I have simple trajectory planner and PD controller ...
- 609
1
vote
Does the Grbl have S-curve or harmonic velocity profiles?
grbl has a trapezoidal velocity profile. It has an acceleration limit (so a ramp on the velocity), but does not set a jerk limit. Jerk limiting would be probably an overkill for stepper-motors. ...
- 6,322
1
vote
Accepted
Sphere-bot CNC that can engrave in a high resolution?
Laser cutters like this Epilog can engrave grayscale images as well as glass and curved surfaces. See some sample images below. But I am not sure how much grayscale you will be able to achieve on ...
Ben♦
- 5,215
1
vote
Are S-Curve (constant jerk) motion profiles significantly better than constant acceleration?
Short version, yes having an s-curve profile is beneficial for smoother and more accurate tracking.
Longer version:
For all real hardware systems I've worked with it has been important to use an ...
- 2,679
1
vote
How to convert 2D AutoCad drawing into CODE for CNC machine (laser cutter)?
Your question can be generalized as how to "convert: a CAD model to G-Code (or NC Code).
Generally CAD is used to design parts and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) software is used to design ...
- 6,322
1
vote
Given this old pin diagram and numbers on this old encoder, what would be a suitable modern encoder to use?
First, you need to find out how the encoder is used in your system. There are two sketches of plugs, I assume your encoder is connected as shown in the upper sketch.
Since the company who produced ...
- 6,322
1
vote
Accepted
ShopBot router software crashes after machine moves past limit switch
We have a ShopBot at our Maker Space and have had a similar issue. In short, adjust the distance between your limit-switch trigger screws and your hard-stop. If your hard-stop is too far away from ...
1
vote
Accepted
Hardware for Industrial-Grade CNC
Arduino and RPI can take the role of control systems hardware. They are not what someone would call industrial grade (although, in some cases, they are used in industrial context).
It is hard to ...
- 6,322
1
vote
How to calculate power supply requirements for Closed Loop Stepper Motors?
So there's a couple of things you need to go through when choosing the power supply for this application. Number one you need to differentiate between the driver capabilities and the motors ...
- 141
1
vote
How to convert G code to motor command?
I suggest you look at the Marlin firmware for reprap 3d printers. Essentially it parses out lines of CNC code and identifies each of them as a command. The trickiest of these are the mutli-axis ...
- 153
1
vote
DH Forward Kinematics for a Cartesian Robot (CNC Mill)
Okay, I feel really dumb now. Turns out my sine/cosine functions take radiant as input rather than degrees. As expected, the resulting transform matrix has "nice" values. Since my implementation and ...
- 51
1
vote
Are consumer grade CNC machines capable of cutting tile?
Most CNC mills use rotary tools which are not the best choice for material such as tiles. Commercially either diamond saws, which cut straight lines, or in some cases waterjets are used to cut tiles. ...
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