Want a CNC panel cutter and controller for your lab, hackspace, or workspace? James Koehler of Canada built an NXP Semiconductors mbed-based system to control a three-axis milling machine, which he uses to cut panels for electronic equipment. You can customize one yourself.
Panel Cutter Controller (Source: James Koehler)
According to Koehler:
Modern electronic equipment often requires front panels with large cut-outs for LCD’s, for meters and, in general, openings more complicated than can be made with a drill. It is tedious to do this by hand and difficult to achieve a nice finished appearance. This controller allows it to be done simply, quickly and to be replicated exactly.
Koehler’s design is an interesting alternative to a PC program. The self-contained controller enables him to run a milling machine either manually or automatically (following a script) without having to clutter his workspace with a PC. It’s both effective and space-saving!
The Controller Setup (Source: James Koehler)
How does it work? The design controls three stepping motors.
The Complete System (Source: James Koehler)
Inside the controller are a power supply and a PCB, which carries the NXP mbed module plus the necessary interface circuitry and a socket for an SD card.
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The Controller (Source: James Koehler)
Koehler explains:
In use, a piece of material for the panel is clamped onto the milling machine table and the cutting tool is moved to a starting position using the rotary encoders. Then the controller is switched to its ‘automatic’ mode and a script on the SD card is then followed to cut the panel. A very simple ‘language’ is used for the script; to go to any particular (x, y) position, to lift the cutting tool, to lower the cutting tool, to cut a rectangle of any dimension and to cut a circle of any dimension, etc. More complex instructions sequences such as those needed to cut the rectangular opening plus four mounting holes for a LCD are just combinations, called macros, of those simple instructions; every new device (meter mounting holes, LCD mounts, etc.) will have its own macro. The complete script for a particular panel can be any combination of simple commands plus macros. The milling machine, a Taig ‘micro mill’, with stepping motors is shown in Figure 2. In its ‘manual’ mode, the system can be used as a conventional three axis mill controlled via the rotary encoders. The absolute position of the cutting tool is displayed in units of either inches, mm or thousandths of an inch.
Click here to read Koehler’s project abstract. Click here to read his complete documentation PDF, which includes block diagrams, schematics, and more.
This project won Third Place in the 2010 NXP mbed Design Challenge and is posted as per the terms of the Challenge.
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