z-axis 300mm deep

[berridos]

Hi everybody
I wanted to build a cncmilling router to mill styrofoam blocks of the sizes 2000x1000x300mm. I have been told that reaching and effective z-axis milling depth of 300mm is impossible or not reasonable. Could someone teach me otherwise or was that advice a good advice?
Thanks and regards

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[Jim Dawson]

I don't see a problem with a 300mm Z depth. The machine only needs to be designed for the work. Styrofoam is an easy material to machine so minimal machine loading.

[mactec54]

Hi everybody
I wanted to build a cncmilling router to mill styrofoam blocks of the sizes 2000x1000x300mm. I have been told that reaching and effective z-axis milling depth of 300mm is impossible or not reasonable. Could someone teach me otherwise or was that advice a good advice?
Thanks and regards

For a foam cutting machine 300mm is not that much at all 500mm Plus would be normal for a machine like this you will have to build / design it for the loadings it will see when cutting at those depths of Z axis travel but for foam cutting you only need a light frame compared to cutting wood plastic aluminum

[berridos]

Thanks for the inputs. I have a hard time trying to understand how for example i can mill the sides of an eps block 300mm deep, without hittingg the upper corner of the block with the structure of the z-axis moving down. Are there 300mm milling bits? I would appreciate if you could share a machine that could drill that deep to use it as an inspiration. Rotation of the zaxis is out of my reach.

[mactec54]

Thanks for the inputs. I have a hard time trying to understand how for example i can mill the sides of an eps block 300mm deep, without hittingg the upper corner of the block with the structure of the z-axis moving down. Are there 300mm milling bits? I would appreciate if you could share a machine that could drill that deep to use it as an inspiration. Rotation of the zaxis is out of my reach.

To drill that deep you can buy drills that long, or make your own, that would mean you would need a 600mm or more Z axes, to mill the sides and down that deep you would need a 90 degree head or the spindle mounted at 90 degree what size / diameter drill something like this may work for you there are many just do a search on the web you might fine something better to your needs

[berridos]

i am very grateful for your orientation. In another cnc forum i was discouraged as beeing impossible to mill deeper thn 150mm. Will start the search machinery knowing the thing exists. Thanks.

[awerby]

I've never seen 300mm endmills. Drills certainly get that long, and that's what you initially seemed to be talking about, but milling is another matter. I suppose you could source some hardened steel rod and grind away half the diameter at one end; that would be able to mill foam, but I wouldn't try it on anything harder.

[berridos]

These ones look sweet:
W 1015 SpeedMaster - IWD GmbH
Need to ask on monday the min requisites the spindle motor should have to use those drills in 400mm length.

Can i mount this ball screw twice for the x axis horizontally without support (2920mm)?
https://www.sorotec.de/shop/Ball-scr...--2920-mm.html

I would love to have the option to be able to use this machine also to cut up to 20mm wood patterns, making the router polivalent.
The goal is definitly not to build a professionally durable machine, but a nearly professionally precise machine for foam and sometimes wood.

[mactec54]

These ones look sweet:
W 1015 SpeedMaster - IWD GmbH
Need to ask on monday the min requisites the spindle motor should have to use those drills in 400mm length.

Can i mount this ball screw twice for the x axis horizontally without support (2920mm)?
https://www.sorotec.de/shop/Ball-scr...--2920-mm.html

I would love to have the option to be able to use this machine also to cut up to 20mm wood patterns, making the router polivalent.
The goal is definitly not build a professionally durable machine, but a nearly professionally precise machine for foam and sometimes wood.

So if you have a tall machine for your foam milling / routing, then you could have an adjustable table, or just a table you could mount higher up in the main frame, so you do not have to have to use the long Z axis travel this would keep it more stable for cutting wood

[berridos]

Yes, maybe an exchangable z-axis alltogether and lifting the floor.

[peteeng]

Hi Berridos - spiky ceramic burrs are used a lot on EPS. This also gives you the side clearance you want. Haven't looked at this site closely but I have seen very long versions of this type of cutter. Peter

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[rodw]

Some people use hot wires with CNC machines to shape foam. I think there needs to be custom kinematics. Maybe Linuxcnc has an example config.

[berridos]

Hi Rod I already build a 4 axis cnc hotwire cutter a couple of years ago. It works fine but has it drawbacks i would like to overcome this time. the projection of the two x axis can only be linear and the wire cuts a pretty large hole and drags behind. But maybe i jump back to this option if i encounter to manny problems with milling.