13 Dec 2018

 

Little Machine Shop Clamping kit CAD model for CNC fixture design.

LMS Clamping kit model 

The more involved and complex I dive into the world of CNC machining I realize the real need to model the fixture for the part to be designed and modeled into the process. With these models added in I can check my clearances and if the tool or machine will clash with the fixture. The clamping kit I have is from Little Machine Shop: https://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=5491&category=11. I think I might have seen the same or similar set at Harbor Freight. 

Files for the Solidworks 2018 CAD model is available over at GrabCAD: https://grabcad.com/library/lms-clamping-kit-for-cnc-1

3D printed jigs and origin/reference points.

For the most part and up until now I've been setting the origin at the center top of the part and use that as reference when setting the zero of all axis on the machine with the tool in place. While that worked for a while, it became useless when that point itself gets machined and I lose the reference point. Something I should've thought of long ago is to use my 3D printer to print out a jig and set a work-offset point that is off the part. This makes it much easier to consistently align the tip of the 3D printed point and a centering tool on the machine or when zeroing after a tool change. These 3D printed jigs also provide great repeatable accurate points when working on multiple parts, I run the same cycle/tool on multiple parts reducing the number of tool change needed when multiple parts need to be made.

Edit: Yea the 3D printed reference points did not work out so well, too much flex. 3D printing certain soft jaws worked really well for certain types of parts so long as they stayed within or near the bounds of the vice. 

 

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Last modified on Friday, 05 July 2019 22:30