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Think
Design/Humancentric Tech |
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AnderBoat Models |
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Xof1 Solar Car |
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Urban Meliors, Inc. |
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CNCs in Modelling and Prototyping
A CNC tool can be used in many ways for prototyping,
reverse engineering and modeling. As a rapid prototyping tool, a
ShopBot can machine foam, wood, plastics, and aluminum to efficiently
create prototype and reproduction parts. With a CNC tool, you will
typically be doing "subtractive" prototyping, but it is a process that
lets you machine quickly in materials that are similar to the end
product. Large projects can also be done using additive "layering"
techniques which allow substantial models to be constructed even beyond
the machinable area of the CNC.
The sheer versatility of a CNC router in a
prototyping setting is nothing short of astounding. With a good CAD/CAM
package and a CNC router, it is possible to create master models with
the proper draft for secondary operations such as casting, vacuum
forming, sheet metal stamping and FRP composite construction. These
types of models are typically 2.5D, meaning that they don’t have
undercuts and can be completely machined on a 3-axis CNC on one side of
the material. In addition, advances in affordable hardware and software now give you
the ability to cut double-sided parts using 3 axes and carve true 3D
parts on a machine equipped with a
4th axis,
rotary indexer. The indexer can be used as a lathe to cut
simple profiled turnings or elaborate 3D parts and relief carvings,
giving many of the advantages of a 5-axis tool at a fraction of the
cost.
Mold Making
Aside from playing a key role in subtractive methods
of creating models, the CNC is also instrumental in preparing molds for
creating parts. Thermoset plastic parts can be created in conjunction with
a rotational molding machine. Masters can be created on the CNC, molded
and setup to produce thin-walled and hollow models not possible using a
subtractive strategy. A CNC router coupled with the proper mold making
equipment is a potent combination spanning many industries and
applications.
Reverse Engineering Processes
While ShopBot CNC routers excel at producing
accurate parts with speed and efficiency, they also excel when it comes
to reverse engineering an existing 2D or 3D part. Using a
ShopBot Digitizing Probe, existing
models can be digitized into a 3D point cloud and saved in the popular
3D DXF format. The digital version of the part can then be tool-pathed
to produce an exact duplicate, or transformed into an updated version by
modifying the scale or geometry to create the required part. Using the
optional rotary indexer, odd-shaped and cylindrical 2D & 3D parts can be
digitized a full 360° with the same straight-forward method as a
standard 3-axis tool equipped with a probe.
[Click here to learn about
doing 3D work with CNC.]
A few of the Companies Using ShopBots for Modeling or
Prototyping
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