EP1001

2D Controlled Computer Machining

Assignment

We were tasked to design something big and fabricate it using the CNC machine

I wanted to design a rig for my racing wheel simulator.

  1. Strong and sturdy
  2. Adjustable
  3. Able to fold down for storing

I used fusion360 to design the rig. I used slotting to fasten components together. The CNC machine is similar to the laser cutter we used during dfab1, hence I designed it in that way. The design is quite simple and easy to fabricate.

When designing, I need to add dogbone to sharp edges, as shown below. This is to compensate for the tool bit diameter and obtain a sharp edge during machining. I used a dogbone feature. You would need to install this feature into your Fusion360. It makes it so much easier to create dogbones. You simply select the face and tool diameter for dogbone.

Once I’m done with designing, I’ll need to prepare the design for machining. I create new sketches for all the components then save them as dxf file. I’ll save them to my thumb drive. We will be using a software called VCarvePro.

Now to create the g-code file. First, i input the stock dimensions and thickness. The thickness of my stock is 17.4mm. Once done I’ll add the dxf files of the components in. I arranged them so that it fits in the stock size. Then I add the machining process like 2d contouring.

Next is to prepare the wood for cutting. First, i fasten the wood on the mill table with screws. I need to make sure the screw is long enough to secure the wood to table. Secondly, is to set the reference point for machining. This is done by manually positioning the cutter. The Z-axis is where things get sketchy. We use a probe to set the z-axis, like the smaller CNC machine. We will need to positon the probe manually with our hands as the cutter comes down. After callibration, I’ll turn the dust collector on and begin the operation. We were told to put on ear protection as the machine was quite loud.

Once the machining is done, I can take the components out from the stock. The components were rough on the egdes but that can be cleaned by sanding and deburring. I ran out of time so I did the cleaning process at home. Here are the finished components. I am satisfieed with how it looks anf functions.