Opensource machine for dedicated soft tooling?
Anyone interested in co designing a machine that is purpose built to cut plastic injection mold tools from blocks of Aluminium. Im thinking of a budget of around £3000 and the machine should be able to accurately cut aluminium blocks into 3d tools.
I would imagine the specs would be quite high but the work area relatively small, Closed loop steppers, flood coolant. The aim of the project would be building a machine that can run long programs and produce a finish in Alu that would need no secondary finish work.
Ps the title of the thread does not make much sense reading it back :) How do I edit it?
Re: Opensource machine for dedicated soft tooling?
What cutting area you thinking exactly.?
Re: Opensource machine for dedicated soft tooling?
300mm by 300mm would be optimum but 150*150mm would likely be enough.
I like the look of this epoxy granite machine.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84iP10KShvY
Re: Opensource machine for dedicated soft tooling?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
gavztheouch
Yes I was going to suggest Epoxy Resin and have looked at my self few times and some where I've even drawn the Moulds up in Solid works.
For a small precision machine this would be the way I would go 100% sure of it.
One thing I did look at doing and I think would make for a very accurate and easy build for a small machine is buying 2 600x600x100 Granite surface blocks which are very accurate. One for the Base which would have rails and ballscrews directly mounted on it.
The other I would stand vertical and cut centre out for clearence and mount rails/ballscrews on front. Then Would bolt the two together and make a Stiff supporting frame work from steel which would be used for alignment and setup and securely fastend to both. This frame work would then be surround by mould and Epoxy granite Resin poured into to give a very accurtate and stiff vibration damping chassis. (Think Concrete and Re-Bar type thing.!!)
