The universal CNC milling machine is widely used in small and medium batch production to perform milling, drilling and boring work on one-off parts.
It can be used to process various parts from materials such as:
- steel;
- cast iron;
- non-ferrous metals;- other materials.
To make figured parts, a three-axis machine is used. It can be crafted by yourself. Such a computer-controlled device will serve as the main tool for both specialists and home craftsmen. With the help of a desktop machine, you can perform engraving and volumetric milling; cut shapes or letters out of wood, plastic, and styrofoam.
The milling machine is very often used to make parts and kits for assembling model aircraft. In this case, it is also irreplaceable.
How to make a homemade milling machine?
All parts for this device are on sale. Of course, you can save money and use guides from an old inkjet printer or typewriter, but it is better to purchase them at a furniture store.fittings.
Motors can also be removed from the printer or scanner. True, on the market you will find more powerful ones at an affordable price. Thus, if you cannot afford to buy a milling machine, then it is quite possible to purchase the necessary parts.
When choosing the type of construction, craftsmen prefer either a portal CNC machine, or a device with a milling part and a moving portal. The second option is preferable because it is possible to process fairly long workpieces along the Y axis and heavy parts. It is very convenient for them to work with printed circuit boards.
The machine must be designed in the correct geometric form and without the use of welding (if possible). Ideally, it is very good to upgrade the machine and change dimensions.
Step by step work
You need to design a flat horizontal frame. Equipment will be installed on it. The frame must necessarily have a U-shaped knee to fix the Z-axis, and it may not be located in the center. Ordinary water pipes with a thickness of 2.5 cm can be used as a machine frame. Their joints must be sealed with sealant after assembly. Parts can also be purchased at the store. For the X-axis, choose guides that are wider and stronger. Next, you need to install a stepper motor with a holder. It is attached with studs to the motor shaft for 1/4 length. This uses a piece of rubber hose.
How to install the X-axis moving platform?
The very first thing you should do isprepare a piece of metal or plexiglass in the shape of a rectangle. It is attached to a U-shaped frame. Then, on a piece of aluminum bar, attach the bearing and screw a 0.5 cm coupling nut into the bar. The bearing is needed to attach the horizontal platform to the track, and the coupling nut is needed to ensure movement along the platform. By lubricating the nuts and guides, movement can be made easier.
How to install the Y-axis moving platform?
When constructing the Y axis, the same work is done perpendicular to the X axis.
To assemble the platform, you will need the following materials:
• plexiglass or metal (piece);
• rails (2);• U-profile.
Also, according to the scheme indicated above, the bearing and the coupling nut are attached. Here everything is repeated in the same sequence. All parts (guides, engine, etc.) are attached to a piece of plexiglass. The engine will hold four racks. The platform will move up and down. Add a roller bearing to each end of the rails to prevent the rail platform from coming off. At the end, the engine is attached to the Z platform. It is installed in the frame. If you want the milling machine to work, then fix the power supply and the controller, connect the electric motors to the controller and install the program on the computer.
Appliance electrics
The circuit must be equipped with a power supply, controller, stepper motor driver. You can easily find a lot of standard controller and stepper motor driver circuits to design a drilling-milling machine yourself. Butif you do not have skills in this area, then buy a ready-made controller for the machine. To control the device from a PC, you need an LPT port.
software
Quite a popular program for machine control - Roman Vetrov's VRI-CNC. The milling machine is connected via an LPT port using stepper motors from disk drives. There are other programs: Mach 3 and Kcam4, Turbo CNC, Linux CNC.
