AS220Labs

IntrototheCNCRouter
BasicsTerminology&Understanding
CNC(ComputerNumericalControl)istheprocessofusingcomputercodetocontrol
amachine.
CAD(ComputerAidedDesign)isacomputerprogramthatallowsyoutodesignyour
physicalparts.Thiscanbeforboth2Dand3Dparts.
CAM(ComputerAidedManufacturing)isacomputerprogramthatdirectlycontrols
andgivesinstructionstoamachine.
ThebestwaytothinkaboutthesetermsisthattheCADprogramdesignstheinstructions
fortheCAMprogramtosendtotheCNCmachine.
CNCRouterisaspecifictypeofCNCmachineforcuttingandengravingvarious
materials.Thismachineusesamillingtooltofabricateparts.
MillingToolisthespecificcuttingtoolthatattachestothemachine.Therearevarious
typesoftools,eachoneisintendedforadifferentapplication.

Figure1.ARouterTool
ThisisthetoolholdingassemblythatattachestotheCNCRouter.There
arethreemaincomponentstothisassembly.
1. Collarthreadsontothespindle,securestoolandcollettothemachine.
2. Colletspringcontainerthatholdsthetools,itlocksintothecollar.
3. Tooltheactualcuttingtoolwhichisplacedintothecollet.

Toolpathisaninstructionforthemachinetofollowtocreateapart.OneprojectontheShopBot
mayinvolvemanytoolpaths.OnewaytothinkabouttoolpathsishowGoogleMapscreate
instructionsforyoutofollowwhendrivingtoadestination.Yourprojectistogettoyour
destinationandonelineiteminthedirectionsisanalogoustoonetoolpathinaproject.Wewill

discusstoolpathslaterinthecourse.

ApplicationsofCNCRouting

Cabinetmaking
Furniture/Woodworking
Signmaking
Boatbuilding
InstrumentMaking
Manufacturing&Production
Interior&Creative
Printmaking
ArchitecturalMillwork
Construction
MachiningAluminum
Prototyping&Modeling
Exhibits
Education

TheShopBot
PRSstandard9648CNCRouter
TotalCuttingArea:96"x48"x6"
StepResolution:.0006

TableOrientation

Design
Youwilldesignyourprojectfileswithavectordesignprogram.Inkscapeisanopensource
vectordesignprogramthatwewillbeusingforthisworkshop.Vectorsareanimportantconcept
inCNCandDigitalFabrication.Vectorgraphicsuseamathematicalformulatorepresenta
shapeorobject.
Remembertheformulafortheareaofacircle? r2 ?
No?Okay,wellsufficeittosaythatvectorgraphicsareallcomposedofcomplicated
mathematicalformulaslikethisone.Thisallowsthegraphicstoscaleindefinitelyandhave
infiniteresolution,thisisanimportantqualityofvectors.ThinkofvectorsasGPScoordinatesfor
yourmachine,withoutityoumachinewouldhavenoideawheretogoorwhattodo.
TherearemanydifferenttypesofVectorDesign/CADprograms,hereafewpopularprograms:

Inkscape(Free)
AdobeIllustratorCS6($20/month)
AutoDeskAutoCAD($4,195)

Ifyouhaveneverdesignusingacomputerbefore,werecommendthatyouuseInkscape,
becauseitsfree,andjustasusefulastheotherprogramsthatcostmoney.

Toolpaths
Afteryoufinishdesigningyourfile,youwillexportthefileasaPDFformattedfile.Wehave
foundthatwhenworkingwithInkscapeorIllustrator,PDFsworknicelywiththeShopBot
Software.

PartWorks
TheprogramthatwewillbeusingintheLabstocreateToolpathsiscalledPartWorks.Thisis
softwarespecifictoonlyShopBotmachines,sowemustusethistocreateamachinableor
CAMfilethattheShopBotcanunderstand.
Therearethreemainstepsyoumustdobeforeyoucansendyourfiletothemachine.
1.SetupMaterialInformation
Inthissection,youwillspecifythesizeofyourmaterial(ex:4x8xplywood).Thisisavery
importantstep,andistheonlywayforthemachinetoproperlycutoutyourfile.Youwillalso

specifywhereyouwillZerothemachineout(eitheracornerorthecenter).
2.ImportandCheckVectors/CloseOpenVectors
Aftersettingupyourmaterial,youwillimportyourvectors(storedinthePDFfileyouvecreated).
Placethemwithinyourdocument(material),makesureallthepartsareplacedontheareaof
yourmaterialandnotoutside.Youwillalsochecktoseeifyouhaveanyopenvectors,Iwillgo
overthislaterinthecourse.
3.ProgramToolpaths
Thisisthefinalstep,youwillnowselectyourvectorsandspecifyoneofthefollowingtoolpaths.

Profileprofiletoolpathsareforcuttingalongaline,usuallytocutoutapartfromyour
material.

Pocketpockettoolpathsareusedtohollowoutorrouteaclosedareainyourmaterial.

DrillingdrilltoolpathswilldrillholeswhereyouhavespecifiedeitheracircleoranX.

AfteryouvecreatedyourParthWorksfile,youllbeabletorunapreviewofyourjob.Thisisa
veryimportanttomakesureyourpartsmachineoutcorrectly.Thisyourlastcheckbeforeyou
runyourjob,sodoublecheckeverythingandcloselyexaminethepreview.

Manufacture
YouwillsaveyourPartWorksfile(.crv),butthisisnotwhatwillbesenttothemachine.Youwill
needtoexportaShopBotPartFile(.sbp).Thisisthemachinegcodefilethatiscomposedof
instructionsforthespecificmachine.AllCNCMachinesusesomeformofgcodefilestorun
jobs,buttheydifferbasedontheManufacturerandCAMsoftwareusedtooperatethemachine.

ShopBot
ShopBotistheCAMsoftwarethatweusetocontrolthemachinedirectly.Thisishowwemove
themachinearoundthetable,zerooutonourmaterial,andrunourjob.Onceyougettothis
step,youwillhavetogothroughthefollowingchecklist.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

TurnOnMachine(RedSwitch)
ZeroX&YAxistoYourMaterial
LoadToolintoSpindle
ZeroZAxiswithZeroPlate
MakesureRouterTableisclear

6. TurnonSpindlewithKey
7. TurnonDustCollector
8. LoadPartFileandStartJob