CNC Future News Blog

Posts Tagged ‘CNC Art’

CNC Art Files can now be found on the CNC Plasma Art category page on CNCInformation.com. The CNC Art Project finished up a previously started CNC Art Project on a CNC Made Stomp Pad.

CNC Art Project has just been completed by Ivan Irons and CNCInformation.com. His CNC Plasma Art project on a snowboard stomp pad is now officially complete on his new CNC Art Files webpage. The video’s have been released for about a month or so, however, they had yet to be posted on Ivan’s CNC Plasma Art page on this website. Video’s 1-5, along with their transcripts, were released last week. The video’s can be viewed at: CNC Machining

CNC Art Files can now be found on the CNC Plasma Art category page on CNCInformation.com. The CNC Art Project finished up a previously started CNC Art Project on a CNC Made Stomp Pad. 

CNC Projects and CNC Artwork is the focus of the final day, day seven, in Ivan Iron’s CNC Basics Learning E-Course. Video seven has been highly anticipated for release and now joins video’s 1-6 as a complete series in learning CNC Basics. The now completed series can be found at:  

The seventh and final video of the Learn CNC Basics E-Course takes viewers through some completed CNC Projects. Ivan’s goal is to show students of CNC the potential of what can come from using your creativity combined with CNC Technology. Video seven is a fun day that also includes some CNC Parts and CNC Art pieces that Ivan himself has created.  

Ivan does a good job of showing CNC Projects from all different types of CNC Machines. There are CNC Plasma, CNC Router, CNC Mill and CNC Lathe projects that are discussed. These pieces of CNC Art are anything from farm animals on the side of a bar to floor lamps that may sit in a living room.

CAD/CAM software for the skilled artisian is believed to be the easiest to learn and the fastest to use engraving and routing software currently available

Delcam has released its ‘entry-level’ version of its ArtCAM family of artistic CAD/CAM software. Called ArtCAM Express, it is intended for skilled artisans, rather than engineers. Delcam said operating the software requires little knowledge of engineering or computing. Delcam believes it to be the easiest to learn and the fastest to use engraving and routing software currently available.

ArtCAM Express offers 2D drawing, and 2D and basic 3D machining functions.

Delcam told manufacturingtalk.com that ArtCAM Express provides an ideal introduction to computer-based manufacturing for companies in the signmaking, woodworking and engraving industries.

Designs can be imported in DXF, DWG, AI and EPS 2D formats, while the 3D formats supported include STL files from any CAD system, plus designs from Alias Wavefront, 3D Studio and other members of the ArtCAM family.

The software comes with a library of 3D ‘clip-art’ that new customers can use to create their first models.

All these examples can be scaled or combined to give initial designs ready for machining.

As the user increases his skills, any new designs that he creates can be added to the library.

For users that prefer to create their own designs, the software includes a range of drawing tools for producing geometric and free-form shapes, and also for editing and repairing imported 2D files.

The options for text creation support a wide range of fonts and also give complete control over spacing, kerning, and line and paragraph formatting.

* CNC machining – once the design has been finalised, the software offers a variety of strategies for CNC machining.

2D strategies supported include area clearance, profiling, engraving, vector-based machining and drilling, plus V-bit carving on all standard Windows fonts.

In addition, a 3D raster toolpath can be created within a vector boundary.

The software is supplied with a tooling database, which can be edited or added to by the user, plus drivers for many of the leading CNC engraving and routing machines.

Tier One automotive supplier has invested in a ‘latest generation’ high-speed laser cutting and work handling equipment to ensure low cost, consistent quality and dependable product delivery

Sheet metalworking specialist PAB Coventry has invested in the ‘latest generation’ high-speed laser cutting and work handling equipment from Prima UK. PAB supplies pressings, assemblies and bracketry to some of the world’s leading motor manufacturers. PAB’s managing director, Mark Brazier, said: ‘Ongoing ‘cost down’ pressures from customers mean that manufacturing accuracy and fast throughput are crucial to our continued success.’ Brazier said that PAB operates a range of power presses up to 500 tonf (5000kN) capacity, as well as 5-axis and 2-axis laser cutting equipment..

‘Around 80% of our work is produced from up to 3mm steel raw material, so 2D laser cutting is central to our operations.

Repeated equipment breakdowns started to have a negative impact on our own ability to meet customers’ demands.

It therefore became essential to find a replacement machine that could deliver speed and accuracy with low unit part costs’.

Brazier and his laser systems manager, John Laud set about an exhaustive evaluation of the market, ultimately ‘benchmarking’ several suppliers on a series of 10 components in various materials and thicknesses.

PAB said its findings resulted in choosing Prima UK’s Platino model equipped with an automatic work handling system.

‘The fact that Prima could tailor the system to our precise requirements and offer us excellent local support provided an unbeatable package,’ said Brazier.

The Prima Platino has cutting speeds of 140m/min and head acceleration of 12m/s2 to serve a 3m x 1.5m bed.

The machine has a 4kW laser that can cut mild steel components up to 25mm thick.

As well as exhibiting high dynamics the Platino, said Prima to manufacturingtalk.com, has exceptional precision.

It has been achieved through a fixed workpiece design and the use of advanced flying optics.

Consequently, it will consistently maintain positional accuracies of 0.03mm across its entire work area, along with a repeatability of 0.03mm.

The machine’s productivity and performance are also enhanced by off-line programming capabilities, optional nesting software and an in-built anti-collision safety device.

* Operating with ‘lights out’ – The Platino installation has a 30 tonne capacity, 10-storey, work handling tower unit, for full ‘lights out’ operation.

Laud explained: ‘We normally run two shifts per day, with unattended operation overnight and at weekends.

Typically, we’d expect the machine to process around 100-off 2m x 1.25m sheets per night’.

The Platino is equipped with a number of fail-safe devices, which ensure that the machine automatically shuts down if it runs out of raw material or encounters a problem.

After three attempts to restart, it will switch itself off and email a nominated operator to notify them of the situation.

The installation also provides remote internet access, which not only allows key operating parameters to be interrogated and adjusted, but also enables changes to the production schedule to be made ‘on the fly’, without the need for an operator to return to site.

Brazier said: ‘The Platino’s speed and versatility have helped us to offset steady increases in raw material costs over recent months.

It provides significant cycle time reductions across the 500 different laser cut components we currently produce on site.

It also uses around 30% less power than the machine it superseded, even though it is equipped with a 4kW laser compared to the original’s 2.5kW unit’.

These advantages not only helps to minimise running costs, but also supports PAB’s accreditation to the ISO14001 environmental management standard, said Prima.

In parallel, the work handling equipment’s ability to keep the laser running virtually ’round the clock’ means significantly reduced piece part costs and a fast return on investment.

Laud commented that during PAB’s benchmarking exercise, his team was impressed by the reliability of the Prima work handling equipment’s operation.

Laud continued: ‘This has been borne out in practice, with the tower unit requiring only scheduled maintenance since its installation and commissioning’.

Further features helping to streamline PAB’s production include the following.

* Automatic and programmable control of the equipment’s focal position.

* Rapid lens changes enable instant switching between material types and a wide variety of sheet thicknesses, without adjustment.

The consistent quality delivered by the Platino underlines the company’s recent certification to TS16949, the automotive sector’s quality standard based on ISO9001:2000.

In addition, the overall increase in throughput has enabled PAB to reduce its raw material stockholding.

The laser cutting installation also provides further capacity to support PAB’s continued growth and product development particularly in the aerospace and defence sectors.

* Continuous improvement – ‘We believe that a culture of continuous improvement is a prerequisite for any company looking to remain competitive in today’s tough market place,’ said Brazier.

‘Investments like the Platino fully support that by enabling us to tackle more complex, higher value parts paving the way for our continued growth’.

* About Prima Industrie UK – Coventry-based Prima Industrie UK Limited draws on the established track record of its Italian parent organisation, Prima Industrie, a world leader in the design, development and manufacture of laser cutting machines and automation solutions.

Prima UK provides sales, installation and servicing for a wide range of new and pre-owned 2D and 3D cutting machines that are used by customers in industries as diverse as aerospace, automotive, marine and electrical equipment manufacture.

* About PAB – with a customer list that includes such well-known names as Aston Martin, Jaguar, Ford, Land-Rover and Prodrive, West Midlands, UK-based PAB has established a strong reputation as a tier 1 supplier of pressings, assemblies and bracketry to some of the world’s leading motor manufacturers.

Founded in 1986, the 60-strong company relocated from Rugby five years ago and is a sister organisation to Coventry Powder Coating Limited.