RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: 4-AXIS FOAM CUTTER

Hi Alan

I have been working on getting the foam edm machine to cut for about two
years. I believe that I have it cutting just about OK now (within tolerances
for foam). I originally started this project to cut foam cores for RC
airplane wings, but as time went by I started to realize a lot of different
applications for the machine. I have cut quite a few signs so far as well as
some shapes for interior decorating. None of this on a commercial level
though (maybe someday) I have started the building of a 3 meter by 3 meter
by 1,5 meter high machine, with this I hope to do some bigger signs etc.
Some specs on the machines :

Number 1 :
This is about the 5th version I built. Originally I built it from old
printer steppers and linear slides etc. It has now been upgraded with
industrial belts and slides etc. The stepper controllers were bought from an
electronics supplier to the industry as surplus. Steppers are from old
floppy drives run at half step to give 400 steps/rotation. Control is by
step/direction pulses from the lpt port. The linear increment per step is
0.1021 mm which is fine because the wire cuts away about .7 mm of foam.
Cutting dimensions are 1,5 meters wide by 1 meter deep and 220 mm high.

Number 2 :
This machine is my best attempt at a professional build with properly
machined parts and industrial standardized belts, pulleys, linear slides and
bearings etc. Step controllers are 4A per phase and BIG stepper motors (I
don't have the specs with me now) 3,1A current draw run in half step mode
(400 steps/rotation). This time I reduced the linear increment per step by
driving the carriages via a belt reduction (4:1) from the steppers. The
machine hasn't cut yet but should be completed soon. The wire will
ultimately be heated electronically (does anyone have a circuit for this?)
and cooled by ex RC electric ducted fan turbines where it is exposed. Again
control is by step/dir pulses from the lpt port.

I hope I didn't bore you all to sleep.

Cheers
Coert vd Sandt
Universe Administration (Unix)
Dimension Data
Alexander Forbes Business Unit



-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Marconett KM6VV [mailto:KM6VV@...]
Sent: Wednesday, June 13, 2001 8:41 PM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: 4-AXIS FOAM CUTTER


Hi Coert,

Well, many on this list have done it, and I'm planning on it (if I can
get the new AMD host machine up)! Ray (and the EMC team) were offering
a BDI (brain dead install) disk, I would suggest that! It's my plan
(OK, one of my plans. I also intend to run CNCpro on it). Bought a
LINUX book, putting a web site up on a UNIX server, learn Microsoft's
Front Page for the web site... gotta get back to making chips!

Possibly you'd like to tell us more about the foam cutting. You are
making wings, I believe? Have you made cores for casting?

May the Swarf be with you!

Alan KM6VV
P.S. I meant to write "CNCpro would WORK quite well!"


Van Der Sandt Coert wrote:

>
> Hi
> Alan wrote :
>> "I'd think that generating the the XYUV from Vector CAD/CAM, and POST
>> processing the axis names for CNCpro would quite well!"
>>
> This seems to be the solution. I have had a look at EMC as well but it

seems

> to be a minefield to me. Is it all that difficult?
>
> Thanks
>
> Coert vd Sandt

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