Tutorials or Training in setting up Illustrator files for cutting with Mastercam

[CJH]

Hi all,

I new to Mastercam so I don't have enough expirience with it to directly address the concerns that have risen from one of our depts here at work. I posted a similar message over at the eMastercam site, as well.

Our graphics department has recently requested to get some sort of training in setting up illustrator files for us to cut on our router in the shop. We've had some success in this but it takes a little work to get right. A project was done about 6 months ago, where one of our programmers had to cut a bunch of graphic panels that were shaped like people, having a printed image on them.

A few issues were run into in getting this complete. It turned out the graphics when printed didn't quite match the clipping path created in Illustrator for cutting on the router. So after the files were turned over to the shop, the vector files needed a bit of editing in Rhino3D to make the vectors match the actual printed graphic, due to some distortion in the printing process, then the cutting began.

It all worked out well in the end, but our graphics dept sees the intermediate step as unecessary, and feels the files should be able to be brought right into MC and ready to cut. I tried to explain to them that no matter where the file comes from either 2D or 3D there is always the possibility that it may need some editing on the shop end to make things work.

They are requesting to get some sort of training that will better help them prepare the files for us programmers. We've thought about bringing in someone from one of our other offices that deals with similar types of work. But in that they are not using Mastercam. They have a propritary software that came with their Gerber Router. So I thought I would pose the question to the forum and ask for some help.

Does anyone know of any tutorials or customized training options that would address this? I've been to the basic MC class so far, and need to attend the more advanced classes, and it seems to me that the regular classes wouldn't address this issue for our graphics dept.

Any help you guys can provide would be useful.

Thanks,

Chris

[Action-KAT]

Hi CJH
not sure about Mastercam or how it works, I am a signmaker by trade in the grahics dept.
not sure what problem you are having with matching your print to cut files, are they just flat shapes cut out or 3D shapes.
how are the prints being produced (inkjet, sovent or UV)
if you are using inkjet printers on say Vinyl media they do stretch.
If you post a little bit more info of the process & materials used sizes ect I may be able to help if I can
KAT

[CJH]

Hey Kat,
Thanks for replying to my inquiry. I'm flying at this a little blindly since this was not my specific project to begin with. We have a "work around" for this issue on the CNC programmers end that seems to be fine, I'm just trying to honor the request made by our graphics dept to me in conversation. I had to hunt back through the old emails from work to find out any info on this.

I don't specifically remember what type of stock the images were printed on. I belive they were just a heavy weight paper that had an adhesive backing on it. I don't remeber if this adhesive was applied after the fact or if the paper had it already. But I do know that the prints were made by inkjet process, and then had a thin layer of polycarb laminated over the top. They were 2D images that were cut out after being mounted to 3/4 inch sintra.

Here is a general overview of the process:

Selected images were processed in our graphics dept in illustrator creating a clipping path for the CNC programmer to use. Then the images were printed via inkjet printer. While this process was happening the CNC prog. cut rough oversize blanks for the images to mounted to. This was done by removing unwanted geometry in Rhino3D. Then rotating the geometry so the alignment marks are accurately placed along the horizontal and vertical to match an alignment jig on the router. The rough shape was cut to encompass the alignment marks and the clipping path geometry, and handed off to the graphics dept.

Then after reciving the final blanks with the images applied, the parts were measured and the clipping and registartion marks were adjusted to match the printed graphic on sintra stock, via Rhino3D. The process seems to be a little easier using Rhino than trying to adjust things in Mastercam. Since there are really no issues with reading in the files from Rhino into MC this process seems to work.

Then the parts got cut and finished. Where our graphics dept sees and issue is having to use Rhino as an intermediate step to get to the programming in MC, and cutting on the router.

I don't really see this as an issue. As a programmer/operator I'm used to having to do some file prep on the back end to get ready to run the machine. I've been doing a little research into this and it seemes like a common problem that there are work arounds for.

I have actually seen a system that scans the finished print and will create a CNC program that will match the print. We're not looking to introduce another software into our mix since we already have 3 CAM softwares in house as it is. I'm just trying to validate our process and find out if there any tutorials or training out there for our graphics folks to make them happy.

I think in the end we have a process that works we just need to set a clear list of roles that each dept needs to adhere to. Like the graphics dept. should be responsible for the prep of the files and printing, and then the shop guys who program the CNC equipment take the files and then do their work. the problem is finding that common ground and outlining the responsibility.

Thanks for any help you can give.

Chris

[Action-KAT]

Hi Chris

Seems you have the problem sorted just like you say "honouring the request"

I think the problem will be when laying the prints onto the finished cut panels, there will always be some stretch so you will have problems with the fit.
We use do use software that allows for distortion in the printing and corrects this, so we print then lay up the square panels then cut out the panels using the software thus eliminating any stretch.
This is the software www.icutvision.com, used with an optical eye cutter.
Before we had the above setup we would print the image with a square box around the print, cut the panel the same size as the square then lay the print to the panel.
You can now see any stretch in the printing
Then we have a square panel we now know the size of to set on the router, this allows us to position the panel on the bed knowing where the clipping path will cut to the square box.
The router should be capable of cutting a single line in any program so no need to complicate things, makes me think the artwork in illustrator is fine just the process.

I could be misunderstanding your problem but if you are just cutting a panel to an image outline the clipping path should be fine from illustrator.
I hope I have been of some use
KAT

[CJH]

Hi Kat,

You undersood the issue just fine. The icutvision software you referenced was the exact system I was looking at. Apparently this is a relatively sommon issue with cutting 2 printed graphics. Now that i now this I can relay the findings to our graphics people and we work on a sytem that will give us the results we need. I appreciate the help and the validation on what I was thinking.

Chris

[Action-KAT]

Hi Chris
glad I could help nice to give something back on this forum instead of just taking
I can say the i-cut software works great the only problem you need a router with a camera for it to work,
We use a Zund with a router head & camera.
This would mean more expense so you could use the manual way I have used in the past which isn't perfect but workable,
this shifts the problem to the fitting as there isn't much more you can do to the artwork side to make it work other than routing after the print is laid.
any way again glad I could help
KAT