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Previous Lesson (/lesson/CNC-Router-CAM-Setup/)
(/file/FQGVI9EIY3CXCIA/)
Collets
Workholding tools and equipment
General Safety
Long hair should be tied back and dangling jewelry should be removed before operating any spinning machinery such as
the ShopBot. Gloves should also be removed, since they may catch on the spinning tool or spindle.
Take light cuts and take them slowly. Cutting too deeply or hard creates a poor surface nish and may break your tool or
wreck your material.
Keep near the EStop button in order to turn off the machine quickly.
Tools
Shopbot Setup / Dust Collection
Work Holding
CNC Router General Info
Carbie 3D Shapeoko
Carbide 3D (http://carbide3d.com) makes the "most powerful, most hackable, most complete" CNC machine in its class.
This is a simple kit which you assemble yourself in about an hour. The machine must be plugged into a Mac or PC in order
to run. All versions come with either a 1.25 HP Dewalt spindle or a Makita spindle. Fusion 360 includes a post-processor
for these machines, so it's easy to make toolpaths and run them on the machine with good results. It's got a 3" Z travel,
which is respectable for a machine of this size.
It comes in 3 versions:
Shapeoko 3
Cutting area: 16"x16
Weight: 70 lbs
Shapeoko XL
Shapeoko XXL
Cutting area: 33x33
Inventables X-Carve
The Inventables X-Carve (https://www.inventables.com/technologies/x-carve) is a great choice for makers with limited
space and a limited budget. It comes in 500 X 500 mm (19.5 X 19.5 in), 750 X 750 mm (29.5 X 29.5 in), and 1000 X 1000
mm (39 X 39 in) for $1,200, $1,350, and $1,460 respectively.
All models use a Dewalt router (which is easy replaceable) as the spindle and have a 65 mm (2.5 in) Z depth which is more
than enough for at pack projects and relief sculptures.
The company claims a .075mm - .13mm accuracy resolution, which is really impressive considering the price.
In short, if I were to own my own machine I would get the 1000 X 1000 version. You can do a lot with 39" of width, and you
can cut longer sheets if you properly index and move the panels as demonstrated in this video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jhnKr4fc_c).
Shopbot Alpha
For this class, I'll be using the ShopBot Alpha to demonstrate the work in the lessons. The ShopBot is a Computer
Numerical Control router capable of cutting 2D and 3D shapes in wood, foam, plastic, some non-ferrous metals, and a
variety of other materials. The ShopBot CNC machine I'm using in the lesson is considered full-size and can handle 4x8
sheet goods. It is a PRSAlpha 96 48 (http://www.shopbottools.com/mProducts/prSalpha.htm) equipped with Z-axis travel
of 12 and a 24,000 RPM, 3 horsepower Colombo spindle.
A CNC machine cannot be successfully operated without an understanding of how coordinate systems are de ned in CAM
and CNC machines and how the systems work together. If you want to know more, please review Chapter 4 Coordinate
Systems in the CNC Handbook at cam.autodesk.com (http://cam.autodesk.com/docs/cncbook/en/).
We set up our coordinate system in the previous lesson to be consistent with that of the Shopbot.
Work Holding
In our shop, the table has a similar system with over 600 gridded holes, with threaded metal inserts. Nylon shoulder bolts
are screwed into the inserts to hold materials, and wooden hold-down blocks with slots milled into them make it easy to
hold stock of any size.
9/16" holes are drilled by the Shopbot on a 4" X 4" grid, and 1/4"-20 thread size threaded inserts are screwed into the
holes. 1/4"-20 nylon bolts are used to screw into the threaded inserts in conjunction with slotted blocks.
Using the Hold Downs
On one side, bolt down a registration block to ensure the stock is properly aligned with the Shopbot Axes. Then use hold
downs on the other three sides to keep your material from pulling up.
1. Put your material down on the Shopbot table. On one side, choose two holes near the material that are a few inches
placed over your material, ensuring that theyre applying force evenly.
4. Choose where to place your hold downsat least one on each of three sides and spaced at 3 intervalsand then blow
debris out of holes between your material and the scrap blocks. Screw a nylon bolt through each hold down and tighten
with a wrench.
Rules of Thumb
Avoid cutting into the table. Skimming off 1/32" to ensure a full depth cut is generally ne.
Do not screw or nail into the table. There is no need given our work holding system.
Before securing your material to the table, use calipers to measure its thickness. this will be important when setting the
long edge.
3. For sheets that are cupped or bowed, place the belly of the sheet down so the edges lift up from the table.
Tool Interface and Software
From this point on, I'll be using the Shopbot Alpha to demonstrate CNC operation.
Safety First
CNC routers may do unexpected things! There are two ways to stop the Shopbot quickly.
SPACEBAR: Pressing the spacebar will pause the gantry and apply the brake to the spindle. The
spacebar will not cause the machine to lose its location, and the machine can be easily restarted. This is
the preferred way to stop the machine.
EMERGENCY STOP: There are two Emergency Stop (E-stop) buttons on the machine. Using the E-stop will stop gantry
movement. The spindle will lose power, but the brake will not be applied, so it will keep spinning for a few minutes. The
machine will also lose its known position, so you will need to reset home and restart your job.
The Shopbot is controlled by a PC that is permanently plugged into the machine as it runs a toolpath. The Shopbot control
software can run toolpaths, move the gantry manually, home the axes, run surfacing operations, and simulate tool paths
among other things.
Machine Startup
1. Turn on the computer.
The computer will be plugged into the shopbot via an ethernet cable if it was setup using standard Shopbot
instructions.
Command Console:
The window in the center, the Command Console, has standard drop down menus that contain commands. You can also
enter individual commands to move the tool or run a part le. When the part le is running, this winow will scroll through
the G-code./
To avoid errors, always home the machine at the beginning of a job. Our machine has proximity (prox) switches, so it can be
homed automatically through the Command console. Once the global home is set, you've got a reference for establishing
for setting your tool path home.
No Prox Switches?
If your machine doesn't have prox switches, there's an easy way to set the X and Y home. With the power off, move the
spindle to the hard stops on the X and Y rails, then turn the machine on and set the X and Y home manually.
Tool Changing
With the machine homed, it will already be in a good position to change or insert an end mill. This part is easy but there are
a few important things to consider.
Dust Shroud
We have a dust shroud installed on our Shopbot. To access the spindle, use the Allen key on the bolt near the top of the
spindle to lower the dust collector shroud so you can access the spindle.
Tool Insertion
It's very important to ensure that the end mill is inserted into the collet at the proper depth. The utes must be completely
exposed to avoid clogging, but the shaft must have the maximum possible length inserted into the collet to avoid
dislodging.
To insert a tool, rst insert the collet into the collet nut, then screw it onto the spindle end a couple of turns. Don't go too
tight or it will be to hard to get an end mill inserted.
Next, insert the end mill to the proper depth, then tighten the nut against the spindle. Don't go too tight! If the collet it too
tight you risk damaging the spindle threads and making it very dif cult to remove the nut later.
A good rule of thumb is to position the wrenches so that they're next to each other, then tighten using one hand. This will
ensure the proper tightness on the threads.
Job Homing and Z-Zero
(/file/F21CB12IU5N7P88/)
Now that the tool is inserted, it's time to set up the tool path home and Z axis zero height. The image above shows an
example of where the stock may be located in relation to the machine home and table corner.
1. MACHINE HOME: This is the absolute limit of the gantry on the X and Y axes. We established this previously using
either proximity switches or hard stops.
2. SPOILER BOARD (TABLE) CORNER: On our Shopbot, the table is offset from the machine home by less than 2 inches
in each dimension. On some machines, the table is perfectly aligned with the machine home.
3. STOCK ORIGIN: The stock to be cut can be any size that will t within the table boundary (48 " X 96" in our case).
Depending on the placement, the origin point of the stock must be set manually. In the case of a 4'X8' sheet, the table
corner and stock origin should be the same.
4. SAFE CUTTING AREA: This must be considered when laying out the parts to be cut before tool paths are made. A 1"
wide margin around the edges is usually enough to allow for the tool to cut without crashing into work holding.
Home X + Y (Set Stock Origin)
To set the stock origin, move the spindle up in the Z axis to avoid crashing, then use the keypad to move the spindle in the X
and Y dimensions in order to align the end mill tip with the origin point of the stock already xed to the table.
Make a note of the X and Y position in the keypad. These numbers tell you where the spindle is in relation to the machine
home. If something goes wrong with your job and you have to shut down the machine in the middle of a job, you'll be able
to re-home the machine, then manually enter the values you recorded for X and Y location. This will allow you to continue
the job without wasting the stock that was partially cut.
You won't be able to line it up exactly with the corner by eye-balling an end mill, but it will be close enough for a at-pack
project with a 1"+ margin around the edges of the stock.
Click on Zero Axes and check X-Axis and Y-Axis in the list, and the keypad will now read X=0 and Y=0.
Air Pass
To ensure that youve placed your Work Coordinate System correctly and to verify your program, conduct an air pass
before actually cutting your part. With the Z set well above the top of the stock, you'll be able to follow the toolpath to
ensure that it's oriented properly and doesn't have any catastrophic errors.
1. Raise the spindle to a level about 4-5 inches above your stock, so it wont collide with the stock during the air pass.
2. Click Zero Axes in the Keypad dialogue.
3. Make sure that Z is checked.
4. X and Y must not be checked.
5. The dialogue box will con rm that Z has been set to 0.
6. Close yellow control pad.
1. Insert the key thats attached to the spindle wrench into the machine, and turn it to enable the spindle.
2. Click Cut Part in the Position Dialogue.
3. Find and load your .sbp le.
4. Click Start in the Position Dialogue.
5. The machine will run through a few lines of code, and then a dialogue box will come up reminding you to start the
spindle. The spindle does not automatically start: -Do NOT press OK yet.
6. Press the Reset button on the pendant and press the Start button on the pendant to start the spindle
7. Turn on the dust collector if you have one.
8. Click OK in the dialogue box to start cutting.
Watch the machine for about 1 pass to make sure the X and Y movements are what you expect. Even with a lot of
experience, it's a common mistake to switch the X and Y axes in the tool path. An air pass is the best way to ensure you
didn't make a mistake like this.
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Zero Z Axis
Setting the top of your workpiece to Z Zero and entering the exact thickness in the CAM software will prevent cutting the
table with your end mill. Use calipers to measure your exact material thickness, and ensure your stock in your CAM le is
updated.
5. Click Cuts in the top menu and then choose Zero Z Axis with Zero Plate. (keyboard shortcut C2)
6. Press enter when ready to zero.
7. When done with the z plate remove the ground clamp and zero plate.
ZEROING MANUALLY
I you don't have a zero plate, you'll have to zero manually. To do this, just put a piece of paper down on the top of the stock,
then nudge the spindle down until it touches it. You should be able to move the paper but feel a little resistance on it. This
should give you a zero that's close enough to perfect that your toolpath will give you the results you want.
Run Toolpath
Now that your machine is zeroed in all 3 axes and you've done an air pass, it's safe to run your toolpath and cut out the
parts.
1. G-Code Error: It's rare, but sometimes the code will have an error. In some cases, this can cause the tool to dive into the
bed when it travels from one pro le to the next instead of going up like it's supposed to. You'll know this error when you
see it (or rather hear it). This isn't usually dangerous, but it can cut a nasty gouge in your table.
Solution: Go back to the Fusion CAM environment and check the tool path preview again. You may have missed the
fact the one of the yellow traverse lines went through the material. Usually in this case it's best to just redo the
toopath.
2. Dislodged tool: If the collet wasn't tight enough, the end mill is likely to shift down in the collet. This can gouge your
table and even send the end mill ying, with is dangerous.
Solution: Reset the end mill in the collet with the proper depth, then tighten the nut a bit tighter this time. You'll have
Assembly
Finished Product
If you made a CAM setup for the chair le, you can make a whole dining set!
If you stayed with us the whole way through, you've learned enough about CNC to get going on your own projects.
Remember that this kind of work takes lots of practice and you'll probably make a lot of mistakes the rst several times you
make projects.
Stick with it, keep practicing, and pay close attention at every step. Keep experimenting, and you'll get more comfortable
every time you use the machine.
CLASS PROJECT
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