Messages

3111

General Mach Discussion / Re: CNC Painting Machine/Robot

« on: April 03, 2015, 04:10:59 AM »

Just a thought...

If you stood your robot on a platform that is driven by stepper motors, slaved to the Y axis then Mach3 could have complete control of the X - Y movement. This way the Impact / Laser plugin could be used to produce the pictures you require.

Some further reading...
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,16446.0.html
http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,20490.0.html

Tweakie.

3112

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Guitar Strings.

« on: April 03, 2015, 02:45:38 AM »

The reasoning  behind the Hex/Oct core wire is to help keep the wrapping wire from unwinding under tension and changing the tonal qualities. 

Just a thought (;-) TP

Quite right Terry. 

Tweakie.

3113

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: April 02, 2015, 09:00:56 AM »

Good thinking Art - although it may be risky drilling a hole through a Peltier as it is my understanding that each of the individual elements are connected in series (see diagram). You may get away with a small hole but I think it would need to be at least 3mm dia. ?

Tweakie.

3114

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: 5 axis kinematics coming soon !!!

« on: April 02, 2015, 08:03:32 AM »

Hey, just found out it doesn't count if you fall for it the day after 

Tweakie.

3115

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: 5 axis kinematics coming soon !!!

« on: April 02, 2015, 07:06:13 AM »

Hmmmm - April the first for this and your last post - I wonder 

Ahh no - don't tell me I have been duped ( didn't notice the date  )

Tweakie.

3116

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: April 02, 2015, 06:47:49 AM »

Hi Ian,
 
Pre-heating or pre-cooling the glass is something I will have to try.
Perhaps tangential lines may make it easier to remove the parts - I don't know but I suspect that the fracture produced in radial lines may continue in a straight line rather than following the shape - something else for me to try.
Thanks for the suggestions.

Tweakie.


(There are more details of the tensile stress cracking technique in this document  http://www.jklasers.com/images/ZeroWidthGlassCutting.pdf )

3117

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Re: 5 axis kinematics coming soon !!!

« on: April 02, 2015, 05:31:35 AM »

Very impressive 

Tweakie.

3118

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: April 02, 2015, 03:17:00 AM »

Hi Terry,

Many thanks for the suggestions, they are gratefully received.

You are, of course, absolutely right about behaviour with a scribed line ( I have seen your excellent demonstrations with bottle cutting) but, unfortunately, CO2 lasers don’t produce the right kind of line. Because of the wavelength the CO2 beam is absorbed into the material causing some surface micro fracturing and some melting with the bottom of the kerf being randomly rounded and this prevents the glass from breaking along the line (many before me have tried this method without success).

The patented idea of ‘tensile stress cracking’ turns the tables, so to speak and relies on the laser beam being out of focus to heat the glass rather than mark it and it is usual to cool the glass some 10 or so mm behind the passage of the beam. For me, this is OK for straight lines but the toolpath starts to get extremely complicated for shaped working (where tangential control may be necessary for the air/water mist cooling nozzle).

With my experiment I attempted to create as much thermal shock within the glass as I could manage and it sort of worked (at least I got the discs I needed) but I found that it was necessary to create a fracture at an edge for it to follow the toolpath line and there is a technique to doing this. Perhaps, when I get more time to spare, I will investigate this further and hopefully be able to produce better quality results.

It is certainly a subject for thought. 

Tweakie.

3119

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Guitar Strings.

« on: April 02, 2015, 02:32:02 AM »

Thanks for the kind words guys.

The machine is currently awaiting new stepper drivers which will operate at a higher voltage and tests have shown that this will hopefully (32 x sq. rt. of inductance and all that) double the winding speed.

The significant difference (visually) between these 'custom strings' and 'store bought strings' is that they are finished both ends to a defined length. This initially caused problems as the actual number of turns of wrap can differ considerably from the theoretical (calculated) number but, on the plus side, it can use a round, cross section, music wire core instead of the hex / oct sections usually used.

Development of the machine and the controlling software will no doubt continue way into the future (a bit like a CNC machine never being totally finished) and when the time is right I will try to get some video's made of it in action.

Tweakie.

3120

General Mach Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: April 01, 2015, 12:27:56 PM »

Hi Mark,

Welcome to the forum.
As a luther, this should make you smile http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,28721.0.html

Tweakie.