2 axis foam cutting.

[venomx999]

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.

...

[miljnor]

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.

[venomx999]

I tried Mach. The conversion process takes a 2d drawing as a weird zig zag puzzle... got me all puzzled. lol

[erase42]

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.

[erase42]

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,

[damae]

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!

[damae]

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?

[Rico55]

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?

[damae]

Originally Posted by Rico55 ... 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

[slipery]

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

[harley4ever]

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.

[damae]

Originally Posted by harley4ever 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?