R11 Computer aided manufacture
This area of the audit has been marked at '1' meaning very little knowledge if not any at all.
What I have learnt and what I now understand
Before this course the only experience that I had in CAM was at school with the Laser cutter, however we were not actually allowed to use the machine and only were showed a few times on how it work by our teacher. Further more, even though I have a vague memory of this machine at the time I did not make the connection of the fact that it was linked to CAM.
I now have learnt and understand that CAM stands for Computer-aided manufacturing which is the use of computer software to control machine tools and related machinery in the manufacturing of workpieces. It is highly linked to CAD which is also known as computer aided design and effectively it is the step after as it then fabricates and constructs the designs made using the computer and software.
We have had a few taught sessions and demonstrations lead by Dean on most of the CAM machines so far in the course and whilst we were learning I began to notice certain common concepts and principles that can be transferable as skills whilst using these machines. In my opinion I would say that some of these common principles are also main advantages of using CAM machines.
I have learnt and identified that these common principles of CAD machines are the following:
- Each machine will recognise a 2D and 3D drawing - (Part drawings)
- With all of the machines they will recognise when you assign a colour to determine a certain depth- Personal experience- Using the Laser Cutter in my systems and control unit I set the cut lines as the colour Black and the engraving lines as Red.
- STL files (stereolithography file) will open on the all machines
- The machines convert drawings into a detailed series of X, Y and Z coordinates
- When the design is run through simulation software the computer displays the manufacturing on the screen. It also checks whether or not the design can be manufactured successfully. Apart from on machines like the Laser cutter or the Roland.
- They are generally fast and accurate as the purpose of the machine is to create fast production process and components and tooling with more precise dimension and material consistency which in some cases, uses only the required amount of raw material thus minimum waste while simultaneously reducing energy consumption.
- Generally speaking most machines can work with Wood, Metal and Plastic yet this is dependent on the thickness of the material and Plastic is a bit more limited apart from when using it with the Laser cutter for example.
- You can duplicate your designs and mash produce- Similar to CAD
- The machine does pretty much all of the work for you - all you need to do is set it up correctly and wait for the finish product
- If mass producing a product each product will be created exactly the same size and dimensions - accuracy
- Reduces the design process - Similar to CAD
I now understand now that on the milling machines the similarities are as follows :
- The mills are changeable
- 4MM mill will cut the material and the other mill will engrave
- 4MM is sharp all the way round whereas engraving comes down to a point
- Mills often create jagged profiles called stepping - however the smaller mills will create smaller steps
- 2- takes longer to step over
- The smaller the mill the longer it till take
So far it is safe to say that I have learnt that with every process in Design and Technology there will always be common misconceptions. The next few bullet points state the most common misconceptions that I have learnt and recognised when using CAM technology regarding the machines.
- I am fully aware that even though the machines generally speed up the design process if a student sets the machine up incorrectly it can create more time trying to fix damage
- Forgetting to turn the extraction and compressor on can cause huge damage and costs - especially with machines like the Laser Cutter
- Machines do wear and tear and therefore if a tool is not sharp then the results will not be as good - Students would need to alert the teacher or technician
- Some students become reliant on CAM machines and CAD technology therefore there is lack of knowledge when it comes down to using manual tools such as the Centre lathe.
- Some students do not know 3D objects can not be fabricated using a laser cutter - you can create 2D objects and fix it together to be a 3D piece not a 3D piece alone
- When using the laser cutter if the standard colours on 2D design are not used then the machine will not recognise it and therefore will not create the work. - These are called Hatch Tags
- Some students may transfer files from other Computer aided design software for example Illustrator and therefore the machine will not recognise it -Personal experience- For systems and control I was exploring and experimenting around with an initial idea, and the work did not print because I had transferred it from adobe Illustrator - It took me at least a few days to figure out that this was the actual problem.
- The machines and software combined can often be complex as a result some students are not able to grasp the best understanding for its usages due to various learning capabilities
Using the Laser Cutter
Today I used the laser cutter for the first time after Dean's demonstration I felt as if I wanted to have a go to see if I was able to recognise the misconceptions and how easier they were to make as a new learner.
I found it relatively easy to use the laser cutter but realised that it is so important to go through certain steps in order for the machine to work accordingly, if you miss one of these steps out then essentially you can either cause damage to the machine or it will not cut out the material. I found the settings on the wall really helpful to refer to when setting up the 'pen' in order to determine the cutting power and speed, but I noticed that sometimes you would have to change the slightly because they were not always as powerful especially on thicker acrylic.
I also learnt today that it is so important and sensible to test the piece before you cut a design out. Sometimes it may not work how you expected it to, so rather then wasting material and time you can decrease the size of the design on 2D design and then create a model. I noticed that this really helped me because I then needed to alter the settings on the pen so that it engraved properly. Must remember to click RASTER. I learnt that the easiest way to determine Cut lines and engraving lines is to change the colours. For example
A few other things to remember ... the extraction fan MUST be turned on. I learnt that it can damage the laser if smoke appears and sometimes replacing mirrors and other parts will cost £3000 to replace.
Today I used the laser cutter for the first time after Dean's demonstration I felt as if I wanted to have a go to see if I was able to recognise the misconceptions and how easier they were to make as a new learner.
I found it relatively easy to use the laser cutter but realised that it is so important to go through certain steps in order for the machine to work accordingly, if you miss one of these steps out then essentially you can either cause damage to the machine or it will not cut out the material. I found the settings on the wall really helpful to refer to when setting up the 'pen' in order to determine the cutting power and speed, but I noticed that sometimes you would have to change the slightly because they were not always as powerful especially on thicker acrylic.
I also learnt today that it is so important and sensible to test the piece before you cut a design out. Sometimes it may not work how you expected it to, so rather then wasting material and time you can decrease the size of the design on 2D design and then create a model. I noticed that this really helped me because I then needed to alter the settings on the pen so that it engraved properly. Must remember to click RASTER. I learnt that the easiest way to determine Cut lines and engraving lines is to change the colours. For example
- CUT LINES (BLACK) - No raster
- ENGRAVING LINES (RED) - Raster
A few other things to remember ... the extraction fan MUST be turned on. I learnt that it can damage the laser if smoke appears and sometimes replacing mirrors and other parts will cost £3000 to replace.
Below are some images of work that I have designed and constructed using the Laser cutter. Some of which are pieces that I have used within the modules set this year and others which are examples of me exploring and experimenting various techniques and designs using the machine.
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Analysis of new gained knowledge and the next step
Before I started the course as previously mentioned the only experience I had in computer aid manufacture was watching a demonstration at school showing us what the Laser cutter was used for and how it worked. At the time I now realise that I did not however make the link that it was actually an example of CAM technology. As a result, I marked this area of the audit initially as a '1' meaning little knowledge or none at all. In retrospect, I do feel that this is a fair enough grade because now that I have had more time as the course has progressed, I have realised through the taught sessions and within my own engagement time within the workshops, that CAM machines goes beyond the laser cutter and also that it is quite a widespread area of Design and Technology. During my learning stages there have been times where I have been really successful and other moments where looking back now I know I can improve.
I felt that I have been quite successful at understanding and recognising the common concepts and transferable skills and principles that apply when using all of the CAM machines. I have learnt this through the demonstrations presented by Dean, my own independent research and within my own engagement. Once I learnt these principles I felt that it was a great deal easier not only to make these links but also understand how they actually work. This in turn has supported my development and learning time within this area of the audit but most importantly it will help me in the future for when I need to teach students this area of Design and Technology. In my opinion, being able to recognise such concepts will allow other students to develop their own understanding and make the transferable links, just like I have as a new learner within this time, in turn hopefully certain parts of the content will become a great deal clearer as well to pupils as a result of these principles.
I have found myself being able to spot such principles and similarities in a much faster way now as I have progressed during the course, perhaps it is because I know where to look for them or the fact that I have had other modules that have gone hand in hand with this area of the audit which in turn has supported my understanding.
The demonstrations with Dean on the CAM machines were extremely helpful and a great introduction to the basic functions of what they are used for and how they work. However, although I undeniably learnt new skills and an understanding for what they are all about I noticed that I was able to learn so much more whilst using the machines for myself. It is an obvious one perhaps but I have learnt so much more whilst using the Laser cutter and this has supported not only my learning and understanding but also has shaped my work as I have progressed. I have noticed that my designs and pieces of work have got a great deal better as I have become more competent and comfortable with using the machine itself with the software.
Using the Laser cutter really has helped me to understand as well for myself how important the step by step process is and how each part can vital in order for the machine to work properly. It was also a nice way to see how the machine responds to the 2D design documents, and also to determine how different the designs look compared to how the Laser cutter creates it. I now feel so much more comfortable with using the machine and this has purely been down to me exploring it within my own time in the workshops.
Looking back I have realised that the notes that I made during the introductory session to the machines were awful! The notes did not make a great deal of sense, I seemed to have just jotted down certain words, not finished sentences properly and generally it did not seem to flow. Consequently, when I came to re-read the notes I was slightly confused which then ultimately put me at square one, which was knowing very little knowledge about the machines. It has made me realise now how important it is to make clear and concise notes during the sessions because when you are learning so much new content it is inevitable that you will forget some information being taught. Therefore, I feel that this would be a factor that has contributed to be being unsuccessful during my learning stages and I think as a result I really need to go away and buy a Dictaphone to help me refer back to the notes at a later date.
Another part of my learning that I would say has been a slightly unsuccessful is that I have not yet used the other CAD machines in the workshops. I do think that it is really important to explore these machines as it will help me learn so much more about how they function and what you can do with them. Ideally, I should have done this after Dean had introduced them to us because then all of the information I had learnt would have been fresh but I have not and as a result it is something I do regret, for that reason this is a unsuccessful part of my engagement.
My next step now in order to further my development and understand more within this area of the audit is mainly to explore and experiment with the other machines in the workshops, I want to at least have a go at one other CAM machine other than the Laser cutter and hopefully next year whilst I am in schools I can broaden my knowledge even further or have another go in the workshops at Uni.
__________________________________________________
Analysis of new gained knowledge and the next step
Before I started the course as previously mentioned the only experience I had in computer aid manufacture was watching a demonstration at school showing us what the Laser cutter was used for and how it worked. At the time I now realise that I did not however make the link that it was actually an example of CAM technology. As a result, I marked this area of the audit initially as a '1' meaning little knowledge or none at all. In retrospect, I do feel that this is a fair enough grade because now that I have had more time as the course has progressed, I have realised through the taught sessions and within my own engagement time within the workshops, that CAM machines goes beyond the laser cutter and also that it is quite a widespread area of Design and Technology. During my learning stages there have been times where I have been really successful and other moments where looking back now I know I can improve.
I felt that I have been quite successful at understanding and recognising the common concepts and transferable skills and principles that apply when using all of the CAM machines. I have learnt this through the demonstrations presented by Dean, my own independent research and within my own engagement. Once I learnt these principles I felt that it was a great deal easier not only to make these links but also understand how they actually work. This in turn has supported my development and learning time within this area of the audit but most importantly it will help me in the future for when I need to teach students this area of Design and Technology. In my opinion, being able to recognise such concepts will allow other students to develop their own understanding and make the transferable links, just like I have as a new learner within this time, in turn hopefully certain parts of the content will become a great deal clearer as well to pupils as a result of these principles.
I have found myself being able to spot such principles and similarities in a much faster way now as I have progressed during the course, perhaps it is because I know where to look for them or the fact that I have had other modules that have gone hand in hand with this area of the audit which in turn has supported my understanding.
The demonstrations with Dean on the CAM machines were extremely helpful and a great introduction to the basic functions of what they are used for and how they work. However, although I undeniably learnt new skills and an understanding for what they are all about I noticed that I was able to learn so much more whilst using the machines for myself. It is an obvious one perhaps but I have learnt so much more whilst using the Laser cutter and this has supported not only my learning and understanding but also has shaped my work as I have progressed. I have noticed that my designs and pieces of work have got a great deal better as I have become more competent and comfortable with using the machine itself with the software.
Using the Laser cutter really has helped me to understand as well for myself how important the step by step process is and how each part can vital in order for the machine to work properly. It was also a nice way to see how the machine responds to the 2D design documents, and also to determine how different the designs look compared to how the Laser cutter creates it. I now feel so much more comfortable with using the machine and this has purely been down to me exploring it within my own time in the workshops.
Looking back I have realised that the notes that I made during the introductory session to the machines were awful! The notes did not make a great deal of sense, I seemed to have just jotted down certain words, not finished sentences properly and generally it did not seem to flow. Consequently, when I came to re-read the notes I was slightly confused which then ultimately put me at square one, which was knowing very little knowledge about the machines. It has made me realise now how important it is to make clear and concise notes during the sessions because when you are learning so much new content it is inevitable that you will forget some information being taught. Therefore, I feel that this would be a factor that has contributed to be being unsuccessful during my learning stages and I think as a result I really need to go away and buy a Dictaphone to help me refer back to the notes at a later date.
Another part of my learning that I would say has been a slightly unsuccessful is that I have not yet used the other CAD machines in the workshops. I do think that it is really important to explore these machines as it will help me learn so much more about how they function and what you can do with them. Ideally, I should have done this after Dean had introduced them to us because then all of the information I had learnt would have been fresh but I have not and as a result it is something I do regret, for that reason this is a unsuccessful part of my engagement.
My next step now in order to further my development and understand more within this area of the audit is mainly to explore and experiment with the other machines in the workshops, I want to at least have a go at one other CAM machine other than the Laser cutter and hopefully next year whilst I am in schools I can broaden my knowledge even further or have another go in the workshops at Uni.
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Further Development
Today myself and Kelly used the router to create some simple engraving pieces with acrylic. I did mentioned for my further development that I wanted to explore other types of CAD software and for this reason I thought it would be appropriate to include this as part of my development.
Like all of the software that I have used so far I was able to identify that this programme uses the same principles and concepts of using X, Y and Z axis. It also goes through a step by step process of setting up your piece which in turn prepares it to be workable on the machine. For instance, you adjust the settings on the software of your material so that the recognises the sizes for example. During the time when myself and Kelly were stuck we found the help files really useful as a guide and as a result it supported our learning. We were unsure initially as to what the step over was, but through the help files we now know the step over is the amount the tool overlaps each cut in order to get a smooth finish.
Today myself and Kelly used the router to create some simple engraving pieces with acrylic. I did mentioned for my further development that I wanted to explore other types of CAD software and for this reason I thought it would be appropriate to include this as part of my development.
Like all of the software that I have used so far I was able to identify that this programme uses the same principles and concepts of using X, Y and Z axis. It also goes through a step by step process of setting up your piece which in turn prepares it to be workable on the machine. For instance, you adjust the settings on the software of your material so that the recognises the sizes for example. During the time when myself and Kelly were stuck we found the help files really useful as a guide and as a result it supported our learning. We were unsure initially as to what the step over was, but through the help files we now know the step over is the amount the tool overlaps each cut in order to get a smooth finish.
Once we had finished setting up the software and decided which image we wanted to use on the machine we then started to set the machine up accordingly. It made me realise that although these steps are different depending on each machine, every CAM machine will need to be set up in stages which are so important to get correct.
I learnt that it was important first to take off the protective layer of plastic and then stick it down to the vac bed using double sided sticky tap. I recognise that it is vital to remove any dust from the bed in order for the plastic to be securely in place. Also I understand now that it is important to do this so that it spreads the load securely so the material does not snap and also so that it does not move around whilst the mill is cutting out the material.
The mill bit is the most important and will determine how your piece is going to end up the smaller the mill the finer the piece will be in terms of detail. Rob taught us quite a nice little analogy today to help us remember this principle he said - you don't want to use a huge felt tip to draw a small picture or fine image. This really helped to put things into perspective and made me realise how vital this is. We decided to use a 3mm straight mill and I understand now that straight refers to the type of cut it gives whereas a chamfer mill piece will cut at an angle.
A principle that we learnt today was that the mil must always be sharp as you do not want to damage the material or the machine and if it is not sharp it is not going to give a high standard cut that you want. When changing the drill bit we learnt that the line on the drill bit indicates how far you put the mill in and that the collet keeps the mill piece tightly in place.
I understand now why the simulations are so important before cutting your piece out. They determine whether or not there will be any faults during the process or if the tools are going to cut the piece wrong.
The first example did not go too well and we realised that we should have inverted it so that everything white turned to black and black to white or in other words it reversed everything. Also the depth in which it was cutting was too deep so we went back and changed those measurements as well to see the results on our next try.
Overall it has been a really insightful experience using this machine and I am pleased that I have had the chance to develop my understanding and learn a new piece of equipment. It has certainly opened my mind up to ideas for project that pupils can do in schools and with that I have learnt more about how I can use this machine within my designs and work.
Today myself and Kelly had another go at exploring the router, we wanted to have a look at the differences between using wood instead of plastic to engrave an image. We noticed that the same standard principles applied, you needed to measure the material, tape the material to the vac bed and put the extraction on, so we learnt that these are generic procedures that you go through.
We also understood how important it was to change the material on the software so that it was aware of what it was cutting. Also because the wood was thicker we wanted to change the depth to see how much of a difference this would make to the image.
First of all we tried to engrave a picture using MDF however although it produced a nice picture we felt that it did not give as much detail as if could have. For this reason we decided to compare the difference by using hard wood instead.
Primarily, we wanted to use a hard wood because we thought it would produce a better standard of engraving due to its density, however we were wrong and noticed that the grain of the wood ruined the affect of the quality and as a result MDF actually won over the general appearance and standard of it.
If I do this again I should really try and practice around with the brightness and contrast of the picture, because this is going to impact and determine the final outcome.
Once we had a go at experimenting and using wood we then decided to have a look at how the machine would cut out foam. Initially, we started to prepare the blue styro foam until we realised that in fact it was not going to be suitable at all as it is too soft and also we knew that it would melt the material due to the friction from the mill piece or drill bit. Perhaps an easy mistake to make but important to always remember.
Therefore, we used the green coloured foam which was a great deal harder in texture and the right material for the machine to cut. We created a simple 3D drawing using solid works but this time we wanted to use text instead of an image just to see how it would react and appear.
The text as you can see did not come out as we hoped. We had already changed the drill piece so we knew that wasn't the problem and then soon realised that it was down to several problems.
The mill piece was too thick to cut and shape the detail of the writing, if the material and image was perhaps bigger then it would be fine but because the piece was set so small to cut it did not come out how we wanted it. Good factor to have experienced though because we did not really know this to begin with - to be fair we did learn through Rob during the image engraving that in order to get the best detail you would need to use a finer mill piece because if you want to draw a detailed picture you would use a felt tip ! We did not put this into consideration even though we had already learnt this before.
To further our experiments we wanted to then move on to creating a 3D shape using the machine. We started to design something on solid works which was good actually because I found out a few tips whilst exploring the software more. We designed a circular 3D piece but when we set it up on the machine whilst the simulation was running the machine informed us that the tools were going to collide because the depths were inappropriate. We then went back to change the shape but for some reason the machine did not want to cut it because of the shape and depths of the piece.
It was the end of the day so we felt that it was something we could come back to however if we do not get a chance to fix it at least we learnt and now understand how important the simulation is within the process as it will not only tell you if your piece is going to work but also it insures that the machine will not get damaged.
These stages can be see in the pictures that we captured below.
We also understood how important it was to change the material on the software so that it was aware of what it was cutting. Also because the wood was thicker we wanted to change the depth to see how much of a difference this would make to the image.
First of all we tried to engrave a picture using MDF however although it produced a nice picture we felt that it did not give as much detail as if could have. For this reason we decided to compare the difference by using hard wood instead.
Primarily, we wanted to use a hard wood because we thought it would produce a better standard of engraving due to its density, however we were wrong and noticed that the grain of the wood ruined the affect of the quality and as a result MDF actually won over the general appearance and standard of it.
If I do this again I should really try and practice around with the brightness and contrast of the picture, because this is going to impact and determine the final outcome.
Once we had a go at experimenting and using wood we then decided to have a look at how the machine would cut out foam. Initially, we started to prepare the blue styro foam until we realised that in fact it was not going to be suitable at all as it is too soft and also we knew that it would melt the material due to the friction from the mill piece or drill bit. Perhaps an easy mistake to make but important to always remember.
Therefore, we used the green coloured foam which was a great deal harder in texture and the right material for the machine to cut. We created a simple 3D drawing using solid works but this time we wanted to use text instead of an image just to see how it would react and appear.
The text as you can see did not come out as we hoped. We had already changed the drill piece so we knew that wasn't the problem and then soon realised that it was down to several problems.
The mill piece was too thick to cut and shape the detail of the writing, if the material and image was perhaps bigger then it would be fine but because the piece was set so small to cut it did not come out how we wanted it. Good factor to have experienced though because we did not really know this to begin with - to be fair we did learn through Rob during the image engraving that in order to get the best detail you would need to use a finer mill piece because if you want to draw a detailed picture you would use a felt tip ! We did not put this into consideration even though we had already learnt this before.
To further our experiments we wanted to then move on to creating a 3D shape using the machine. We started to design something on solid works which was good actually because I found out a few tips whilst exploring the software more. We designed a circular 3D piece but when we set it up on the machine whilst the simulation was running the machine informed us that the tools were going to collide because the depths were inappropriate. We then went back to change the shape but for some reason the machine did not want to cut it because of the shape and depths of the piece.
It was the end of the day so we felt that it was something we could come back to however if we do not get a chance to fix it at least we learnt and now understand how important the simulation is within the process as it will not only tell you if your piece is going to work but also it insures that the machine will not get damaged.
These stages can be see in the pictures that we captured below.