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20/11/2019 PROJECT DATE 20/11/2019 PROJECT DATE 20/11/2019 PROJECT DATE 20/11/2019 PROJECT DATE 27/11/2019 PROJECT DATE 27/11/2019 PROJECT DATE 22/02/2015 PROJECT DATE 22/02/2015 PROJECT DATE 23/03/2015 PROJECT DATE

1. CNC BASICS

NAMES
CNC ESSENTIALS

LOCATION
CNC LAB

DATE
EVERY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY FROM 10:00

DURATION ONLINE
20 min

DURATION PRACTICAL
30-50 min

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS
KNOW THE CNC LAB
KNOW THE CNC ROUTERS
RHINO BASICS

SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
RHINOCEROS 7
RHINOCAM

LEARNING OUTCOMES
HOW TO PROGRAM A FILE WITH RHINOCAM, HOW TO SAFELY USE A CNC MACHINE

CHALLENGE
BALSA CHALLENGE

HAZARDS
COLLISION
FIRE
HARMFUL INHALATION

REMEMBER
ALWAYS WATCH THE MACHINE
WAIT BEFORE OPENING THE COVER

IF IN DOUBT, ASK FOR HELP

THE MACHINE AND IT'S PARTS: 

CNC stands for Computer Numerical Code. A CNC machine is one whose movement is controlled by a computer. In order to control the movement, a person will use a computer and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing/Machining) program to control, automate, and monitor the movements of a machine. The CAM program generates a code (G-Code) that is then fed into the machine and tells it how to move. Programming the path that the machine will follow is not an automated task, you will need to have some basic knowledge to do this.
The machine can be different types but the ones we use in the Lab are Mills.

WHAT THEY DO:

CNC machines can have several axes of movement, but the ones you will find in the Lab only have 3 (X, Y, Z). Using these 3 axes you can cut simple 2 dimensional shapes, or more complex surfaces when using all the axes simultaneously. The basic operations you will be taught first are pocketing and internal and external cuts.

WHAT THEY DON'T DO:

The 3 axis CNC machines cannot cut sharp inner corners nor do undercuts, and they cannot cut parts smaller than the diameter of the tool or deeper than its lenght.

MATERIALS + TOOLS

This is dependent on the machine and its extraction. The mini mills (Peter, Bernard,Daniel, Rem and Bjarke) have less power so cannot cut denser materials, they also have no extraction which means they can only cut soft materials like balsa and foam. The routers (Renzo and Norman) have a lot more power and extraction so they can cut MDF, Ply and foam.

Inside the template file there is a list (in the layers) of all the materials each machine can cut.

HAZARDS + CONTROLS:

There are three main hazards you need to be aware of as a user of the CNC machines in the Lab:

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