: Getting ready to mill



Mar 10, 2009

Getting ready to mill

The process of setting a file for milling includes what I had described in previous posts plus the use of Modela Player 4, a software that communicates directly with the Roland 650, a CNC machine capable of milling wood, plastic and soft metals.

So here is the procedure from the very beginning:

Whenever the 3D model is ready, we export it as STL file by selecting the items to convert and creating a mesh. STL is the language that VisCAM View and Modela Player 4 understand.

Once we have an STL file, VisCAM View helps us validating it to be sure the model is ready for CNC.

Now we can load the file with Modela Player 4 and program it for milling.

We set the orientation of the model and the coordinates in X,Y and Z.

We set the total depth of the model so the machine gets a better reference of dimensions.

Then the surface characteristics are established.

When the machine knows how to do the rough mill, we should establish the finishing mill, that will give us a more accurate surface so the sanding process will be easier.

It is important to highlight that this milling is going to be done over MDF soft wood, and the models obtained will work as negative molds to be thermoformed using specific plastics, either PET or polystyrene.

posted by Ricardo @ 10:06 AM

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