Project Overview CNC Introduction Applying CNC Designing for CNC CNC Manufacture Open Design for CNC Challenge Total VEX Robotics manufacture

LESSON 02

Lesson 02 Starter Learning objective: Understand how CAD leads into CAM, and the ways in which planned design contributes to successful manufacture. Link CAD/CAM to CIM and the way in which computer numerical control links all areas. Modern teaching of the design and engineering curriculum makes use of techniques that match the global industries the product leading products. VEX as a platform has developed and evolved to integrate the physical making into a virtual environment, and back out as 3D printed and fabricated parts. This is the very ethos of how CAD/CAM works in the engineering and design world. Key words: CAD, Library, heat processes, acrylic, MDF, profile, forming.

Applying CNC What is CAD? Key benefits are: Accuracy Storage of design ideas (not physical) Repeatability of a job Reduced human intervention The option to automate design to manufacture Ease of editing work Flexible approaches to work Reduced planning and development time Online collaboration within software Key drawbacks are: The need for skilled labour High specification equipment and computers Higher tolerance outcomes need greater inspection What is CAD? Computer Aided Design is used to create, modify and communicate design ideas. It is the use of computers to aid design. Computers, input devices, and software are all elements, and the process has a number of key benefits. Task Consider the use of computer aided design over conducting tasks by hand. What do you think the benefits are? Make a list. Extension CAD can link into systems including EDI, PDM and JIT. Research these terms and consider how these might link to CAD/CAM

Applying CNC What does CAD software look like? Depending on your platform of choice, CAD fundamentally works on the same elements no matter what brand you select. These are the key elements: A tool bar A virtual 2D/3D environment A modelling tree/history Datum planes (X, Y & Z) Modern leading software will also have: - Rendering options - Simulation reports - Animation outputs - Cloud based file storage - Industry wide file types

Applying CNC What is CAM? Computer Aided Manufacture is the use of computer aided design files to manufacture products and parts using computer controlled machines, using CNC (computer numerical control). It has three elements: - inputs - processes - outputs A typical input is the software used to create and develop the parts G-code. A typical process would be software that converts the CAD data file into tool paths for the machine to follow. A typical output would be the machine carrying out the work, such as a laser cutter, 3D printer, plasma cutter, milling machine or lathe.

Applying CNC What do CAM parts look like? Numerical controlled machines (CNC) can achieve something called high tolerance in the making of a part, which is essentially an identifier for CAM made parts. The cutting tool provides half of the potential to achieve accuracy, and the ability to control the tools movement with servo motors the other half, it is their combination controlled by software that will lead to higher levels of accuracy (less errors in measurements), and therefore increase the level of tolerance. Tolerance is what the physical measurement of a part can be if it is not 100% accurate, expressed as a percentage. A measurement that is + or – 5% can increase or decrease by that percentage of the original “perfect” measurement. Task What else might identify a CAM part? - material? - shape? - size? - finish?

CAD CAM QA/QC STOCK CONTROL RAW MATERIALS SHIPPING Applying CNC What is CIM? Computer Integrated Manufacture is the manufacturing approach that places computers at the heart of every stage of the production line. Computers conduct the work of humans, and make decisions that progress the production of a product forward, monitoring and feeding back the stages and any issues to a human, who might oversee the whole process remotely. From CAD, through to CAM, the planning of production through to delivery, including every element of stock control, shipping, QC and QA, will be managed with computers at every stage. Task: What would a computer do at each of the following stages? How would it do this action (what physical methods could it use to move data from the real world into the virtual world? CAD CAM QA/QC STOCK CONTROL RAW MATERIALS SHIPPING

Applying CNC Planning a physical production line using CIM Production planning task You are going to map out the production line for a VEX robotics steel part. The following stages need to be designed. You can either complete this as a drawing task, model making task, or use CAD. 1. Sheet steel arrives on a truck to the site, is offloaded, and enters the system using a scanning in EPOS system 2. The material moves to the appropriate place in the workshop to be cut into smaller parts via plasma cutter 3. Parts are rescanned and distributed to specific areas of the workshop for forming (bending) and finishing 4. Finished parts are centrally packed into kits (a clawbot kit) and packaged with marketing printed media 5. The boxes of VEX kit are packaged into shipping boxes and shipped off site in a truck.

Applying CNC Physically measure VEX parts Measuring task Take VEX parts out and lay them on the table. Take each in turn and drawing each out with some level of accuracy (roughly the right scale) With a set of Vernier callipers and a micrometre, take measurements of all aspects of the part, and annotate these onto the drawing you have created. At the bottom of your page, propose what the key dimensions are in order for multiple VEX parts to be able to assemble together. What do you think the tolerance % is for these parts?

Lesson 02 Plenary As a class, let us consider the following questions? A. How are all CAD packages similar (what features do they share)? B. How can you identify CAM made products over hand made products? C. What does computer integrated manufacture offer to companies? D. What key terms link CAD, CAM and CIM?

Lesson 02 Summary Today you have: Learning objective: Understand how CAD leads into CAM, and the ways in which planned design contributes to successful manufacture. Link CAD/CAM to CIM and the way in which computer numerical control links all areas. Today you have: Explored CAD and the structure by which CAD packages work Learnt about planning CAD to make CAM successful and consistent Developed knowledge about CIM and the elements that affect modern manufacture