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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    105

    2 axis foam cutting.

    All the software recommended in here are for a 4axis system. Is there one for a simple 2Axis system ?

    *UP/DOWN = Y
    *LEFT/RIGHT = x - foam block placed on this plane.

    ...
    Live life like you never see another day

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Posts
    1880
    mach3 will work for simple movements and there is probably a way to get it to work for the 4 axis stuff but It would take a little thought to make that work.
    thanks
    Michael T.
    "If you don't stand for something, chances are, you'll fall for anything!"

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Posts
    105
    I tried Mach. The conversion process takes a 2d drawing as a weird zig zag puzzle... got me all puzzled. lol
    Live life like you never see another day

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    314
    any two axis software or controller can run a foam cutter, you would need to either slave the left and right side axis together, or its sometimes possible to run 2 drivers on the x and y axis. mach would work great, but you would probably want to use another software to create the g code. there are other reasons to stuck with software made for foamcutting, for example, venom, your zig zag is the software choosing pretty much at random what small area it is going to cut next, unlike a mill or router, the machine cannot just lift the tool and move to another spot. once it starts the wire is always in the foam traveling to each area to be cut out. what a foamcutting software will do is allow you to number each area, and create a start as well as a depart on each closed area. this allows the wire to cut one half of each area on the way in, and cut the other half on the way out, this makes for less unwanted cuts in the surface. Ill post a couple pictures in a few minutes to illustrate.
    Lemon Curry??

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Posts
    314
    pics, one shows the random zig zag that the computer chooses, the other shows a planned cut path. the blue color is cut when the wire is heading in from its start point, and the green is cut on the way back to the start. the outer rim is only one color since it is the final cut with its start and depart in the same location, it could have just as easily been part of the green half of the cut. normally the wire would have to start from the outside and go in, not start in the middle and work outward for the obvious reason that the wire cant start already inside the foam. For some reason I couldnt get the drawing to move from having its center at 0,0,
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails untitled.JPG   untitled1.JPG  
    Lemon Curry??

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    476

    2D foam cutting software

    Nice illustration, erase42.

    So if Mach is not well suited to 2D foam cutting, let me pose a question to all those foam cutting experts out there:

    Which foam cutting software would be best suited for a pure 2D foamcutting machine? (In other words, a simple 2 axis machine, not a 4-axis machine with slaved drives.)

    I'm building such a machine with some parts that fell into my lap, nice THK rails and ballscrews -- overkill for a foam cutter, but I have the parts. Got a G540 on its way to run it.

    Any help will be greatly appreciated!

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    476

    Rephrase

    My G540s are going to be here in a few days, so I'm getting the rest of the machine sorted out in preparation.

    Therefore I am hoping to entice some answers, discussion, or even speculation out of you guys by offering a picture of my machine... what I have built so far.

    You're probably thinking that it looks strange -- and you're right! It is not designed to cut large blocks or airplane wings. This machine is purpose-built to cut 2" sheets of pink foam into 2.5D shapes. So the bow will have a 22" throat, but only a 6" span of wire.

    Primarily, I'll be using this to make:
    1. Simple lost-foam patterns for investment casting
    2. Forms for use in making concrete countertops
    3. Cutting letters and shapes to make signs

    Ok, was that enough to entice someone to speculate about what software I could use for strictly 2D cutting? Could I, for instance, use 4-axis software, but only connect two axes? If so, what software would be best?
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails foamy work in process.jpg   foamy work with bow.jpg   foamy work with foam.jpg  

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    36
    Damae,
    I am planning something similar to what you are doing, only on a smaller scale, as an attachment to my 3-axis router. I don't see why you can't use almost any good 3-4 axis software to create countour tool-paths to cut foam, as long as you plan your entry and exit paths carefully. I am making a smaller-throated bow to attach to my router mount and enter in at a fixed z-height for cutting 1.5-2" foam for some of the same applications as you. How are you holding the foam for cutting?

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    476
    Quote Originally Posted by Rico55 View Post
    ... How are you holding the foam for cutting?
    I plan to weld a few cross-bars onto the frame. the foam pieces will simply be clamped to the cross bar with a spring clip similar to these:

    http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92874

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    17
    I am looking at using mach3 for my foam cutting but early days yet (still to make my. I found I had a similar problem to you with the zig zag patttern imported into lazy cam but found that an "auto clean" got rid of most of the fast tracks. But then found that the free version is limited to only 50 g code steps. Now looking at using "sheet cam" wich looks like it will do the job nicely.
    Cheers mal

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    496
    Try Dolphin Cad Cam. I have a buddy that does almost exactly this type of work. He loves dolphin. I do as well but I use it on my mill & hor lathe.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    476
    Quote Originally Posted by harley4ever View Post
    Try Dolphin Cad Cam. I have a buddy that does almost exactly this type of work. He loves dolphin. I do as well but I use it on my mill & hor lathe.
    Is he using the EDM package? It looks like it would do the job, but lists at $1500. Ouch.

    LazyCAM Pro is $75, but in "semi-permanent beta," according to the Machsupport site.

    SheetCAM looks like a decently affordable way to go. Which module would you use for foam cutting? It looks like the Plasma/Laser module would be closest, but does it understand foam cutters so that it is logical about how it connects toolpaths?

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Posts
    496
    Damae I am 99% sure it is the edm package. $1500? Don't worry about that. They help hobby users out to the extreme. I dont want to say exactly what I paid for my license, but lets just say it was a fraction.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Posts
    476

    Foam cutter is finished!

    I finished building the foam cutter earlier this year and finally got around to using it in my metal casting hobby - to make foam patterns and gating.

    I recorded a few youtube videos in case anyone is interested:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDlZ8b3crc"]YouTube - DIY Foundry: Lost foam + Petrobond Casting[/ame]
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RTyS5ga_nk"]YouTube - DIY Foundry: Demolding Foam+Petrobond Experiment[/ame]

    If you like the video, I would appreciate if you rate it =)

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Posts
    116
    So what software did you end up using?
    Just increased my count by one.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Posts
    0
    try to edit some change x with y in g code , z no need change to 0

  17. #17
    CUTCNC Guest
    we offer flatbed foam board cutter plotter

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