Replies to This Discussion

DistributorPermalink Reply by Dany Thivierge on June 6, 2012 at 11:21am

yes I also saw that video and was a believer from that moment that we can get a nice machine for not too much money.  I am sure the Monroe special edition will be even better! 

DistributorPermalink Reply by Dany Thivierge on June 6, 2012 at 11:28am

wow Monroe, this looked so easy to cut!  

and that guy's website has a ton of information

http://neo7cnc.com/

nice finding.   not time to wipe excess saliva from the keyboard! 

Permalink Reply by Dustin on July 30, 2012 at 9:12pm

ha.  I think Dany is where I am.  I want to Monroe special.  I've been re-reading the forums, and picked up on comments from Monroe such as ("I'm going to have a 3/4" bed".... Bigger is possible... etc. etc.).

 

Yep.  That's the one I want.  Just like Monroe's.

Permalink Reply by Dan "HotSeat" Neault on June 6, 2012 at 4:36pm

I have premium, and COMSOL & mod too run via CUDA's on my Tesla GPU.

You need to run a dynamic analysis, since it's the vibration thats the problem.

 

But I'm telling you all in for a big surprise when it comes to cutting Aluminum, the forces are just not constant. One sheet will cut fine, next will gum up or start breaking bits. Some parts will cut fine, others will not, even though you think your running at same feed's and speeds.

 

Even with good 6061T6, and a new Haas VF5, things don't always go our way :(

Which is why I personally cut all our prototyping parts, even now :)

 

Permalink Reply by Dan "HotSeat" Neault on June 7, 2012 at 7:26am

A few simple questions, but why not just contract out for your aluminum cutting ?

Them design a machine that will work best for the other materials that are processed?

Are CNC shops charging that much there?

Someone still has to watch the machine, 100% of the time when cutting aluminum (it will break a bit or gum up), with anything you build that is light.

 

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ellison Chan on June 7, 2012 at 7:36am

Monroe can answer to the technical aspect of this, but from my standpoint I want a hobby machine, and something I can try out prototypes on quickly.  So, I don't want or need to contract anything out.  It would be nice, as Monroe puts it, we have a machine that can mill aluminium all day, that's just icing on the cake, for me.  In fact, most of the time I would be milling plastics and just using it to drill holes into aluminium plates.  It's nice to have a machine that can do more, for a good price.

Permalink Reply by Dan "HotSeat" Neault on June 7, 2012 at 9:31am

Thats my whole point, you can't have a light machine that will cut aluminum "all day", so you will be compromising the design trying to do it.

 

Again look at what others have tried for example

 

http://www.axyz.com/sys/router/6000/

 

They claim it will cut aluminum, and it will, for 5-10 minutes, then the bit breaks or gums up. In fact they have a room they demo cutting aluminum, and they show you the parts for there own machines are being produced by these routers, but if you leave, and come back 1 hour later via the back, you see it's all BS and they are cutting there parts on a Mazak Mill.

It's the same for all router companies, for the most part.

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ellison Chan on June 7, 2012 at 9:44am

Well, I would have no problems running my machine 5 minutes at a time for the aluminium milling.  Just build the pause into the gcode and let it go at it.  Also, would a broken bit not be a sign of a bad machine, but simply that you need to get a better bit, that can handle that kind of duty cycle?

Permalink Reply by Dan "HotSeat" Neault on June 7, 2012 at 9:58am

I have tried router bits specifically for aluminum, some damn expensive, never could make any of them last on a light machine.... comes down to the 0.0015" per tooth rule.

And its not 5 minutes at a time, it's just a matter of time, so if you demo for 5-10 minutes, on a new bit, you can get away with it 80% of the time.

 

The only router I have ever seen run aluminum, looked more like a mill then a router, google "Omnitech router". It has the power / weight to run 3/16" nigara A337 series mill at 0.0015" per tooth, and so it clears the chips and runs without 100% operator time.

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Ellison Chan on June 7, 2012 at 10:11am

You mean this?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Omnitech+router

I love that LMGTFY. ;-)

I like it!

Monroe, can we build one like this for $1000?  I just had to get a set of new tires for my Jeep, so my budget has been affected. ;-)

Permalink Reply by Dan "HotSeat" Neault on June 8, 2012 at 6:28am

It has nothing to do with it being a gantry, the AXZY gantry doesn't work when cutting aluminum, the Omnitech does.... difference ?

MASS - nothing else

 

I just built a gantry, 12' x 8' x 4' travel, with 120' feed system, all at 0.0005" accurancy well ramping, so there is nothing wrong with gantry designs.

 

This is what I do for a living, and I believe I can't make my point any clearer, your all wasting your time trying to cut aluminum with a light machine, just give it up and design something that will work well on other materials.

I would be happy to help with that

 

 

Permalink Reply by Dan "HotSeat" Neault on June 8, 2012 at 7:18am

Well best of luck then, the day you have a light weight machine that can process aluminum "all day", you will have an instant commerical success, and prove me, and many other machine designers wrong.

 

 

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