Which Prototyping Machine?

Hello Everybody!

I'm thinking of getting a prototyping machine and would be very grateful for your opinions! Which do you prefer, milling machine or 3D-printer? And if anyone have experience with 3D-printers, which printer would you recommend?

Thanks!

Elina

Tags: prototyping machine

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Permalink Reply by pat schmidt on September 3, 2011 at 8:12pm

can you post a picture of your sword cutter bit from roland

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Permalink Reply by Christof Frank on September 5, 2011 at 4:03pm

Hello Pat!

Here is a link with a Picture - i haven´t found better Pictures in google, but if you want i can make a picture of mine tomorrow!

http://www.rico.pl/roland-frez-precyzyjnej-obrobki-koncowej-wosku-j...

Pat - also my cutters will arrive tomorrow. You told me that i shall use about 13mm/sec feed in Z axis - i tryed in srp player - but cannot find where i can just asdjust the speed in Z - can you pls tell me how that works?

Greetings - Christof!

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Permalink Reply by pat schmidt on September 6, 2011 at 5:15pm

I'm not sure where that is ask one of the other giys ,david, or tariq as I'd have to install it again to answer your question (I removed srp player from my computer as I didn't really need it) I use modelo 4 on my mdx15 ...you may want to let me know what your speeds and feed rates are before you start if you want so you don't break first thing

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Permalink Reply by Christof Frank on September 6, 2011 at 6:02pm

Hello Pat!

First i will try your recommendet 7000rpm and about 1200 feed - just finish cut! After that i will try Dimitris parameters 25000 and 800 - but i am quite sure, that this much speed is not necessary, but i will try and give here my results.By the way Pat - which scanlines should be used for just finishing cut? cut only X Lines or cut Radial AND X Lines?

I will just do the finish cut wit 0.03 step. the cutter will aproximately dive about 6 till 8mm into the full (green) wax - after that i will do the roto cut.

Before the roto cut, i will have to mill with a little ball cutter too for the support construction for the rotary cut. in this support construction are 3 tiny holes, which need to be milled for the rotary cut - cause on the small sqare clamp are 3 metal shafts, where these 3 holes hold the model in position. i am sure you know what i mean. i cannot imagine, that the conical taped end ball cutter can handle these holes too - because of the conical shape.

I allready have asked tariq whre to find in srp player where i can adjust the speed in z, but in srp player i can just adjust the spindle speed and the feed. not in mm/sec - just the feed, like 900 mm/min for example. so that means if i use your recommendet 1200 feed for cutting i will have about 20mm/sec - also in z and i do not know if the cutter will handle this too.

Hope someone can help me soon. hmmmmm another cam software? what do you recommend?

King regards - Christof!

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Permalink Reply by Dmitri on September 6, 2011 at 6:32pm

We use coolant to run more than 20,000 RPM

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Permalink Reply by pat schmidt on September 6, 2011 at 6:40pm

you might want to slow down the travel speed if your cutting 8mm for starting out ...900 is good or a little slower 750? so you don't break your bit at first.... scan line whatever you want I like to go in the longest direction if you do both it will take longer to mill ....also experement with the radial cuts and observe how they cut as you can use them for different applications sometimes if you like sofware ..I just use proto and modelo4 I can do every thing I need with those two for now

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Permalink Reply by pat schmidt on September 6, 2011 at 6:50pm

dmitri I don't want to tell you how to run your buisness but why not try slowing down your spindle speed to 7000 and using no coolent (as a experiment')..when you run the spindle that fast all the tool bit is doing is creating a 'mush' instead of a 'chip' and the bit is designed to make a chip not a powder... at the right speed you don't have to worry about 'melting the wax' or over working your mill by running the spindle so fast creating less wear on the mill itself...I tried the 'coolent' years ago and found out it's not necessary.....once in awhile if your doing extra small letters/deatail you might want a spray of coolent but nothing really to worry about ...

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Permalink Reply by Dmitri on September 6, 2011 at 6:55pm

Which machine are you using?

pat schmidt said:

dmitri I don't want to tell you how to run your buisness but why not try slowing down your spindle speed to 7000 and using no coolent as a experement'..when you run the spindle that fast all the tool bit is doing is creating a 'mush' instead of a 'chip' and the bit is designed to make a chip not a powder... at the right speed you don't have to worry about 'melting the wax' or over working your mill by running the spindle so fast creating less wear on the mill itself...I tried the 'coolent' years ago and found out it's not necessary.....once in awhile if your doing extra small letters/deatail you might want a spray of coolent but nothing really to worry about ...

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Permalink Reply by Christof Frank on September 6, 2011 at 7:15pm

Ok Pat - thanks - i will try. i will also mill on a huge cnc machine my own clamps in the near future - like the clamp on dimitri´s homepage.

When i have tried everything i will try modelo and protowizzard. i hope i can ask you then some question, i would really apreciate.

When you look on Dimitris homepage - they have a special clamp - i added a picture here!

Milling like this and doing up and down side cut, then rotate the arm with the a axis at 90 degrees an do the upper cut is really, REALLY a great idea!

I will try if that works in SRP Player, when i define my own clamp, but Pat could you tell me if prgramming a toolpath like this is possible with protowizzard or modelo?

@ Dimitri - i have a little bit of coolant here for the test with your parameters - enough for 2 or three models my dealer said but thank you for the advice! Very kindly from you!

Thank you very much everybody - Christof!

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Permalink Reply by pat schmidt on September 6, 2011 at 7:43pm

you can also just use just the 4 jaw clamp/vise to hold your wax slab..here's a picture of some extensions I made for holding xtra wide wax slabs but you don't need the 'long jaws' just something I made up for my needs as far as coolent you can use soapy water, or oil, wd40 anything slippery

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Permalink Reply by Christof Frank on September 6, 2011 at 9:23pm

Hi Pat!

Yes - about a clamp like this a allready thought about. So it is possible to run a roland jwx with one of your cam softwares und do this cind of cutting?

Greetings Christof!