Hi shootingarts,
You seem to have answered your own question: if you have a machine that already uses the principle and it's working for you, then "copy" the design into an automated cutter.
On the gizmo you have does the cutting head follow the cam via spring pressure, or is the cam grooved so that it both pulls and pushes the cutter? The grooved method seems like it might allow some "slop" to enter into the equation; but, depending on what you are cutting, the spring method might require a lot of tension. I guess for inlays the cutting dosn't require that much force.
A cams mechanical advantage will change relative to the follower, so you'll need enough torque for the "worst case" cam position. An interesting solution might be to use a servo motor to drive the cam via a belt (no slip) with a healthy reduction.
The biggest problem is sizing: this wouldn't seen to be something that would scale too well beyond a few inches. Neat idea though.
Lance |