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  #1  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 15:52
Alan_c
Just call me: Alan (#11)
 
Cape Town (Western Cape)
South Africa
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Now for some return on the investment...

Challenge for the week (actually it will take about a month at 8 hours per day). Machine a steak board from material supplied; outside cut to shape and a 3D ramp with groove to catch the juices without costing too much?

Attachment 6700
Finished steakboard before oiling (the client is doing the round over and sanding)

The original sample as supplied had a ramp machined with a ball nose cutter. the ramp runs along the length of the board from the surface down to a depth of about 10mm with a 30mm border around the edge of the board. Initial estimates of the cost to machine 900 of these was quite high as the 3D machining would be a slooow process, so I had to come up with another solution.

I decided to do the job in two stages, stage one would be the outside and groove at the end (actually the groove first of course) and stage two would be the ramp.

Attachment 6697
Left: Blank in position on Jig1, Centre: Slot and outside cut, Right: ramp cutting jig

To machine stage one required a fairly simple jig that held the board at the bottom edge and at the two corners that would be cut off. A vacuum would have been easier, but I don't have a sufficiently powerful pump. There are three cuts, #1 for the groove in two passes, #2 for the right side of the board from the bottom edge up to the handle and #3 for the left edge up to the handle both in two passes with an 8mm tungsten slot drill - speed 2000mm/min. Doing it this way in seperate paths prevents the corners breaking out as the grain changes direction. its a little slower but with a better end result. The hold down clamps are 20 x 5 mild steel flat held down by furniture screws attached to rumper nuts fixed in the jig from below. Cycle time about 4 min (I could shorten that if I make a better clamp system that locks down faster but there is a height restriction because of my dust foot)


To cut the ramp required a slightly more complicated jig. I decided to hold the work at an angle and just do a straight pocket cut in the area required. The ramp angles were calculated by doing a drawing in CAD of the section and then cut on the machine. Slots were also cut in the jig base for location purposes. There are two ramp supports and one edge locating fence. At the end of the ramps are hold down fingers as part of the jig and two toggle clamps with modified feet to hold the bottom edge down. Cycle time is also about 4 min but most of that is actual cutting as the toggle clamps make for very fast change overs. This is cut with a 12mm slot drill also at 2000m/min.

Attachment 6698
Ramp angle jig with edge locating fence in the background

Attachment 6699
Hold down fingers at the bottom of the ramps

Attachment 6701
Cutting the ramp with a pocket cut (this one is just trimming a mistake in depth setting, it is usually cut in one pass to full depth of 10mm)

The machine is running from 08:00 to 16:45 everyday with breaks at tea time and lunch time. What a pleasure to watch it racking up the Rands at every pass.

The Bosch router that I was a little concerned about at the start regarding heat is cool to the touch at the end of the day (hardly above ambient). The cooling fan produces an extremely strong blast of air that obviously aids in cooling. A cool tool means longer bearing life - I like it.

When cutting the ramp the X motors get quite hot to the touch, (not too painfull to hold but still within reason) the other two are only just slightly warm.

The dust extraction system is working very nicely, it does not put any strain on the Y car that I can see and follows the machine around like an obedient dog. I had to take it apart at the main pivot to remove a plug of wood slivers and fluffy offcuts this afternoon so I think I may have to change that elbow for one with a clean out panel. This is the first time it has happened but I think it is because of the pocket cutting of the ramp, it produces quite long wooly bits that get sucked up by the foot.
Attached Images
File Type: jpg stages of process.jpg (63.6 KB, 830 views)
File Type: jpg ramp.jpg (52.4 KB, 830 views)
File Type: jpg hold down fingers.jpg (43.4 KB, 829 views)
File Type: jpg finished board.jpg (43.5 KB, 830 views)
File Type: jpg cutting ramp.jpg (73.8 KB, 832 views)
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  #2  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 16:37
cncb
Just call me: Brian
 
Connecticut
United States of America
Sweet fixture Alan. The thing I've always loved about these machines is they are so raw and simple to the point that there are very few boundaries and the only limit usually is ones creativity in the process. While simple it shows if you can't find a reasonable program for the part think out side the box to find a simpler, better way to achieve the same results in less time.
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  #3  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 17:58
jhiggins7
Just call me: John #26
 
Hebron, Ohio
United States of America
Alan,

Nice work. Thanks for sharing. So how many steak boards can you cut in an 8 hour day...if it's not proprietary?
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  #4  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 18:07
domino11
Just call me: Heath
 
Cornwall, Ontario
Canada
Alan,
Excellent job. So how many are you able to do in a day? Im surprised the customer did not want a name or logo engraved in the board as well.
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  #5  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 22:02
hennie
Just call me: Hennie #23
 
Roodepoort JHB
South Africa
Gee, I didn`t know the MM can eat and have tea !Nice going
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  #6  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 22:35
Kobus_Joubert
Just call me: Kobus #6
 
Riversdale Western Cape
South Africa
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900, this sounds like 'WORK' Nice going
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  #7  
Old Tue 13 October 2009, 23:23
CAM Craft
Just call me: Sean D
 
Cape Town
South Africa
Nice order congrats. pity about all the clamping on off (painful). Job like that with my Makita 3612c (MM1) the bearings will need a change after 30-40 days wear and tear. After time the housing for base and topside for both bearings need replacement to reduce play and vibrations (6months). We keep a full spare armature, top bearing housing/locator and brushes on the shelf for a quick 20min change over before sending the old armature for a +-2week service.
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  #8  
Old Wed 14 October 2009, 00:17
Alan_c
Just call me: Alan (#11)
 
Cape Town (Western Cape)
South Africa
Send a message via Skype™ to Alan_c
I can do about 100 loadings a day which equates to 50 complete units per day. 900 units = 18 days without any holdups.

Hennie, thankfully the MechMate does not eat or drink but the operator seems to insist on it...can't understand why
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  #9  
Old Wed 14 October 2009, 01:30
hennie
Just call me: Hennie #23
 
Roodepoort JHB
South Africa
Alan, something that I have done the other day with the same thing of having to load and then restart is that I had the machine cut 3 of the same items along the y-axis.I had it cut 3 items and as the machine were at no 2 I reloaded the first one thus when it got to finish no3 and it went back to home I just started it again.It saved a lot of time.Talking about tea?I think it is time.
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