General > General Technical Chat
CNC machining metals.
harps:
Hello there.
I am hoping to find a popular cnc free software program, equivalent to how Eagle is to PCB design.
When i learnt how to make circuit boards, I used Eagle and it was great because there were detailed youtube tutorials online and it was free,
After the Gerber files were made I sent them to a company and it arrived at my doorstep at a very reasonable cost. It was a great journey to take.
I believe it was thanks to one of Daves videos that I found eagle many years ago.
The 3d objects I hope to cnc are small, under 10x10x10cm. I am not 100% sure which metal? I would like titanium, but the cheapest to start with
might be best, just in case I make a mistake. lol. Also only in very small quantities, one off's or just pairs at a time.
Thanks for any help : )
sokoloff:
If it’s hobbyist work, I’d use Fusion360 and stop there. (It’s free-as-in-beer for hobbyists, just like Eagle.)
I spent a lot of time in OpenSCAD for modeling for 3D printing and still use it for some extremely simple parts, but wished I’d switched to Fusion earlier. It includes CAD and CAM functionality.
Mecanix:
Manufacturing metals require a machine-tool (mill, lathe, etc). Its supportive controller software (hmi), CAM capabilities and other post-processors comes next. PS. You need to be experienced to machine TI. Not that's its more difficult than any other materials; it is extremely hazardous in term of work-hardening e.g. end-mill shattering, machine stalls/crashes, sparks igniting 'extremely dangerous' fires (seen a titanium fire before?!), etc etc. I'd recommend AL alloys before any others to begin with.
If you want to learn solid modeling (CAD) then that is a whole other area on its self. If the end goal is to be able to manufacture your own parts I'd recommend to get familiar with CAM and understand the limitations of modern NC machine-tools (so to be able to model parts that are able to be machined down-stream).
harps:
--- Quote from: sokoloff on September 11, 2020, 02:39:27 pm ---If it’s hobbyist work, I’d use Fusion360 and stop there. (It’s free-as-in-beer for hobbyists, just like Eagle.)
I spent a lot of time in OpenSCAD for modeling for 3D printing and still use it for some extremely simple parts, but wished I’d switched to Fusion earlier. It includes CAD and CAM functionality.
--- End quote ---
Thank you, I shall check out fusion360. Sounds cool. nice one :-+
harps:
--- Quote from: Mecanix on September 11, 2020, 05:05:54 pm ---Manufacturing metals require a machine-tool (mill, lathe, etc). Its supportive controller software (hmi), CAM capabilities and other post-processors comes next. PS. You need to be experienced to machine TI. Not that's its more difficult than any other materials; it is extremely hazardous in term of work-hardening e.g. end-mill shattering, machine stalls/crashes, sparks igniting 'extremely dangerous' fires (seen a titanium fire before?!), etc etc. I'd recommend AL alloys before any others to begin with.
If you want to learn solid modeling (CAD) then that is a whole other area on its self. If the end goal is to be able to manufacture your own parts I'd recommend to get familiar with CAM and understand the limitations of modern NC machine-tools (so to be able to model parts that are able to be machined down-stream).
--- End quote ---
Hi my hope is to design a part but have an expert/company do the maching from the file.
Thanks, i am glad you mentioned to read up on limitations of what the tools can do...I shall do. And I assume from this, how to keep a design cheap to produce also, by not trying to do things that are too complex for a machinist. Kind of like sticking to single or double-sided circuit boards, before going multilayer.
thank you
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