Many modern enterprises with machine parks have developed from ordinary home workshops. A person purchases a desktop CNC milling machine for his home, makes small items from wood, and within a few years opens his own furniture company or a company producing advertising products.
Working on program-controlled equipment is a profitable and promising business. It is this type of equipment that makes it possible to establish mass production at low capital costs. Below we will talk about where the development of equipment usually begins, its capabilities and areas of application.
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The main desire
The developers of the world's first CNC machine hardly suspected that in 50-60 years, equipment intended for defense enterprises would work in private workshops and even in ordinary city apartments. Thanks to the revolution in the IT field, numerical control technologies have become available to most people who are more or less familiar with technology.
In those years when all milling machines operated exclusively by manual control, in order to master the simplest operations it was necessary to obtain a specialized education. And to reach a professional level, years of practice in production were required. Nowadays, from getting acquainted with a small milling machine for home to receiving the first part, only a few hours pass. The main desire.
Most often it looks like this. A person gets acquainted with the capabilities of a home mini CNC engraving machine and decides that he needs it. He can set himself different tasks: earn money by producing souvenirs, take up wood carving or burning. Mini CNC machines for home are often used for such purposes, but not only. By the way, you can start getting acquainted with “household” CNC technologies in absentia. Much becomes clear after studying the advertising materials of equipment manufacturers.
Next - study thematic forums. In sections like “Choosing your first machine” you can find all the necessary information about the most popular models. Their production capabilities, operating features, characteristics, availability of upgrades and suitable compact devices. Here, more experienced users will share links to the software. There are a lot of shareware programs with a design focus, professional packages with a trial period, with which you can start mastering the “design part”. Later, along with a mini CNC machine, the user will receive a software environment for creating models of future products and converting them into G-codes. G-codes are commands that the machine understands and that make up the control program (CP).
Here we will talk about the features of CNC technologies: to compile a control program, it is not necessary to write out each “step” manually. The user will have to work with images, a clear interface, and numbers and indices can be entrusted to the computer. Another important advantage of environments for creating CP is the ability to view the full processing cycle in real time. Knowing the geometric parameters of a mini CNC machine, its dimensions, the workpiece and the finished part, the program will calculate the trajectories of movement of the cutting tool, sequential material removal and draw a high-quality 3D video.
Just a few years ago this was impossible due to the lack of computing resources of home computers. Many machine and cutting tool parameters had to be set manually, and novice CNC programmers often made mistakes. It was possible to check the operation of the program only on the machine. The result is a breakdown of the cutting tool and a defective product.
Programming in a modern environment and processing simulation makes it possible to eliminate such serious errors on the unit as a collision of the cutting tool with the work table and surfaces of the part during working and idling.
Instructional videos produced by home CNC machine manufacturers and software developers are a good way to help you master the technology. There are materials for novice users, where the whole process is explained step by step, and “advanced” videos with examples of solving non-standard problems using a CNC machine for the home. Sometimes, in order to save time, the operator still has to enter commands manually from the rack. But after analyzing the “lessons for dummies” this will no longer cause any particular difficulties.
Household-grade equipment can be ordered in an online store or on the website of manufacturing companies. While the user is waiting for delivery, he has time to master the basics of working with the equipment. Well, after receiving and installing a mini CNC machine, he can immediately load the finished NC and produce a version of the first part.
Classification and features of equipment
According to their purpose, such units are divided as follows:
- for processing wooden parts;
- for processing metal workpieces;
- with milling and engraving equipment.
Modern machines in this category are classified according to the following criteria:
- type of processing;
- accuracy of the resulting surface;
- Areas of use;
- dimensions;
- the cost of the machine and the attached tools.
A mini metal milling machine produces surface processing at three levels of accuracy:
- middle level;
- increased;
- highest.
According to the processing method, a small milling machine is produced in the following versions:
- horizontal console devices;
- vertical console machines;
- universal console ones (there are wide-universal console ones);
- longitudinal;
- non-console;
- volumetric;
- keyed;
- carousel
The desktop router is mainly manufactured in a cantilever version. They come in three types: (vertical, horizontal, universal). The school metal milling machine has a horizontal design.
The mini wood router has a special program. It allows for high-quality processing of parts for a wide range of applications.
Depending on the location of the cutting tool, desktop milling machines are manufactured in vertical and horizontal versions. Recently, the spindle location in them is made in a special modified block. It has three degrees of freedom. This allows him to move and process the surfaces of parts located at any angle relative to the workpiece mounting guide.
Translational movement in all planes is carried out according to commands received from the controller. They are fed to stepper motors. The main electric motor rotates the cutter.
A separate group of machines is equipped with a movable table. It is capable of moving perpendicular to the direction of movement of the cutter. Similar modifications are used for processing products that have flat and shaped surfaces.
To expand the functionality, individual modifications are equipped with additional equipment for engraving work. The design of the device includes special clamps.
Features and benefits of home computer-controlled machines
The main advantage of a home machine over a powerful production model is ease of commissioning and lower cost. Most household CNCs are connected to a single-phase network.
An industrial processing center requires the participation of the manufacturer’s specialists in installation and commissioning, while the assembly of a mini CNC milling and engraving machine is performed by the user himself.
Many household models are universal modular designs. The user can choose the configuration independently and order only those working modules and units that are needed for his tasks.
Basic selection options
A wide variety of similar machines have been developed. Therefore, when choosing the necessary device, you should create for yourself a system for assessing the main parameters. Such a system will help you purchase the required machine and not overpay for unnecessary functions. It is advisable to include the following indicators as such criteria:
- tasks assigned to the selected machine;
- where it is planned to be used;
- number of operations performed;
- required desktop dimensions;
- software availability;
- spindle power and speed;
- permissible processing speed;
- availability of additional functions;
- type and availability of software;
- reliability of the manufacturer;
- reviews about the selected unit;
- warranty period;
- minimum cost with a set of equipment.
A desktop CNC milling machine is a good addition when creating a home workshop or a school training and production center. A correctly selected CNC machine will allow you to acquire skills in basic processing operations and be used for the production of products in small batches. Such a compact device will provide an opportunity to open and develop your business.
Laser cutting
Laser cutters are thermal emitters with high local power concentration and a small impact area. Melting, evaporation, thermal decomposition - all these processes can be used to cut sheets of plastic, thin plywood, metals, composites and other materials.
The beam power of such a CNC laser machine can be adjusted for non-through cutting, that is, for laser engraving. The user receives a burner that is capable of drawing the finest lines. On some materials, changing the duration of thermal exposure allows you to obtain halftones and shades. Laser engraving allows you to obtain 2D images with high detail and work with vector and raster sources.
A machine with a laser cutter-burner “works” not only as a hobby tool. It can be used to make a wide range of promotional products, souvenirs, and make portraits.
Areas of application
Modern units of this class are made using the most modern technological solutions. Therefore, they have become widespread in many industries where high-quality processing of both metal and wooden products is necessary. Each of these devices is capable of performing a wide range of processing operations:
- conventional drilling of various diameters;
- countersinking;
- milling;
- turning and boring;
- grinding and polishing;
- engraving and applying various images.
He is capable of performing these operations on workpieces made of various metals, alloys, and wood species. Their wide distribution is due to their advantages, which include:
- acceptable geometric dimensions;
- relatively low overall weight;
- ease of transportation;
- power is supplied from a standard household electrical network (two-phase 220 volts);
- economical energy consumption;
- low noise level;
- acceptable price.
The main disadvantage of such machines is their inability to process large parts. Therefore they are used in the following areas:
- in various laboratories for small parts;
- automobile service centers;
- in public utilities;
- when processing in a home workshop;
- school classes and vocational training workshops;
- sometimes they are used in large industries (especially in woodworking enterprises) for the production or processing of a small batch, or for repairing finished products.
Woodworking
A CNC wood cutting machine for the home is quite common. The problem of fighting dust is solved if you purchase a “box” unit. Pay attention to dental milling machines: the entire station is placed in a sealed box with transparent walls. There are household woodworking machines of the same design that can be placed even in the kitchen.
