Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

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Materials Today: Proceedings

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Fabrication of Cost-effective Three-axis portable mini-CNC milling

Machine
Bikram Bihari Barik, Arindam Mahanty, Soumyadeep Datta Majumder, Arindam Roy Goswami ⇑
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Techno International New Town, formerly Known as Techno India College of Technology, Action Area I, New Town, West Bengal 700156, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The utilization of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines in several industries are very popular for
Available online xxxx years due to the rapid growth of advanced technology. But, CNCs are inaccessible to vast communities
especially students as these machines are bulky as well as expensive. The present project aims to deal
Keywords: with the fabrication of an automatic mini-CNC milling machine that can move in all three directions
Mini-CNC and can able to drill holes on PCB (Printed Circuit Board), wood, plastic, and other soft materials at an
Arduino affordable price. The design used here is incorporated with an Arduino controller and a G-code sender
Stepper Motors
library for system operation. It is also reported on the work that the qualitative development of the elec-
G code
tronic equipment to operate a mini-CNC milling machine along with its related software. Here an attempt
has been made to develop a simple three-axis mini-CNC milling in a cost-effective way, especially for
educational purposes and it will also allow future research to improve process performance of different
machining operations like drilling, slot cutting, etc.
Ó 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Fourth International
Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2022.

1. Introduction to be replaced for carrying out different types of operations or if

CNC stands for Computerized Numerical Control. It brings the
automation scenario to the field of machining processes. This type
of machine can operate 24hrs non-stop for 365 days with minimal
need to switch off other than for maintenance purposes. Generally
programmed with machining codes (G-code &M code) according
to the design of the required product. Once the code is fed into
the machine we can repeat the process numerous times with min-
imal human labor, we can also alter dimensions and other small
features in the machine itself with less effort. Every CNC machine
needs to be upgraded with new software to incorporate new fea-
tures and increase the ease of use and efficiency of the machine.
Sound knowledge of designing software and machine code is
required to operate a CNC machine, but once an operator has mas-
tered this field, can supervise numerous machines at a time. Once
they have programmed, they can usually be left to work for them-
selves. A mini-CNC is a small, portable, and versatile machine that
can drill holes in different materials. The cutting tools are needed
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: roy.arindam.goswami@gmail.com, arindam.roy.goswami@tict.
edu.in (A. Roy Goswami).
a tool wears out we need to change it. Acquiring hands-on experi-
ence to operate a CNC machine and learning the process of gener-
ation of machining code is very useful for students for their
advancement in the industrial field. The present work revisits the
components of a CNC milling machine to develop a simple three-
axis mini-CNC milling in a cost-effective way for drilling holes on
PCB (Printed Circuit Board), wood, plastic, and other soft materials
as well as for educational purposes for growing interest on
advanced manufacturing to the learners.
2. Traditionally proposed systems
Many researchers approached and proposed systems in differ-
ent ways over the past few decades. In 1999 Tlusty J et al. [1]
showed a Parallel Kinematics Machining (PKM) with fixed-length
struts is possibly comparable to the conventional Cartesian
machine tools for particular applications. The advantages and dis-
advantages of serial and parallel mechanisms are also compared
qualitatively as well. In 1999 Tsai LW. et al. [2] introduced a design
methodology by using connectivity or degrees of freedom of a sys-
tem associated with the joints of the limb for a parallel manipula-
tor. In 1994 EL-Khasawneh BS et al. [3] mathematically showed

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.03.012
2214-7853/Ó 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the Fourth International Conference on Recent Advances in Materials and Manufacturing 2022.

Please cite this article as: B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al., Fabrication of Cost-effective Three-axis portable mini-CNC milling Machine, Materi-
als Today: Proceedings, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2023.03.012
B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al.
that if the Jacobian matrix or inverse Jacobian matrix loses rank,
the mechanism loses its mobility or rigidity and the corresponding
configuration is called a kinematic singularity or an actuator singu-
larity. In 1999 Pierrot F et al. [4] showed that PKMs have garnered
much attention in the machine tool research area because of their
inherently high structural rigidity and low inertia. Several proto-
types including the Triaglide by ETH and HexaM by Toyoda have
been reported to have comparable performance to conventional
machine tools. In 1998 Kargert A et al. [5] showed that by con-
straining the joint type, infeasible design candidates can be
removed at conceptual design. One of the most critical challenges
in the design of PKMs is that of actuator singularities in the
workspace.
In 2013 Y. Ertekin and R. Chiou [6] fabricate a Mini CNC Mill and
FMEA analysis has been done to ensure different failure modes of
the machine. They mostly take care of an economical product that
can stimulate students to enhance their learning in the relevant
field. In 2016 K.J. Madekar et al. [7] showed the fabrication of
low-cost CNC machines which is used to reduce the cost and com-
plexity of the machine. Work deals with the design of an automatic
mini-CNC machine which is used especially for PCB (Printed Circuit
Board) drawing and drilling. They used ATMEGA 328 controller in
an Arduino for fabrication. In 2017 khan, T.A et al. [8] examined the
working of a three-axis CNC machine with a wireless (Bluetooth)
and wired connection. The machine not only cuts the material
but also designs and plots figures on the workpiece.
In 2021 S. M Ali et al. [9] attempted to design and analyze the
aforesaid prototype for educational purposes by using Arduino
with a TI MSP430 microcontroller to reduce the cost and self-
testing has been done to meet industrial standards.
In May 2022 Diwakar et al. [10] focused on building a three-axis
CNC machine whose different parts are 3D printed and designed in
AutoCAD. The machine moves in X, Y, and Z directions with the
help of stepper motors. The overall cost of the machine is
decreased by using 3D printed parts which made the design strong
as well as stress-free. A recent study by J. Kumar et al. in 2022 has
been done to build the same by using additive manufacturing pro-
cess which will lower the cost though the overall cost approxima-
tion is much higher[11]
3. System design and discussions
In this project, a fully functional three-axis compact CNC proto-
type using Arduino UNO can perform manufacturing operations
like drilling, milling, and cutting. The tool will be rotated using a
fixed drill bit assembly rotating with a constant rpm. Using a step-
per motor fixed with frames to control the movement of machi-
nes X, Y, and Z in their respective direction. The frames are made
up of soft wood and the tool post is made of plywood. The basic
movement of the CNC machine will be done using the lead screws
attached to each gantry namely X, Y, and Z. Each lead screw rota-
tion will be precisely controlled by the three stepper motors and
it forms an integral part of the machine movement. As compared
to industrial Milling machines here the bed will not move and
the whole process will solely be done by the movement of the tool-
post which will move in all three directions. Fig. 1 shows the frame
used for the present design. In this project, the microcontroller
used is Arduino UNO compatible with a V3 CNC shield which will
operate stepper motors along with their drivers through com-
mands. Now, the stepper motor will rotate and move the gantry
as per the command given by the user to the Arduino. For the soft-
ware part here we use the Arduino IDE where the initial test has
been done with shortcodes. After that for ease of controlling a
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Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx
Fig. 1. a. Side Frame, b. Base Frame, c. Tool Post, d. Assembly of the three.
library was installed named ‘‘GRBL” where all the commands for
controlling the movement, step size, reset, stop and rewind, etc.
were defined and fed in the form of a combination of short
alphanumerical commands. Here, the cutting tool used is a fiber
body assembly along with a spindle and the tool, which are assem-
bled to a motor, powered by an AC-DC adapter that draws current
directly from the 240 V AC socket available in our workplace.
Power to the motors is stepped down from 240 V AC to 0.66 V
DC corresponding to the rated phase current of our stepper motor
(NEMA 17 JK42HS40-1704) which is 1.7A, with the help of the cor-
responding circuit. In SMPS the power from the main board i.e.,
240 V AC is converted and stepped down to 12 V DC which is used
to power the CNC Shield and it operates in a power supply range of
12–36 V DC. Fig. 2 shows different views of the present model.
Again, this power supply is brought down with help of A4988
stepper motor drivers. The potentiometer present at the top of
the drivers can increase or decrease reference voltage (V ref ). The
formula used to find out V ref is.
V ref = I  8  Rsense.
Here, I = rated current to the motors which is1.7A in the present
case.
Rsense = current sense resistor.
Fig. 3 represents assembled model of a three-axis mini-CNC
milling machine along with the drilling operation. The electric drill
kit used here is designed for grinding and cutting soft material. The
drill bit can be changed easily for different operations. The opera-
tion can be simulated in Autodesk Fusion 360 software before the
real operation which is also shown in Fig. 3. c. As per the design
consideration, the working bed cannot move here, only tool can
move in all three required directions. Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 represent
the process flow diagram and schematic connection diagram of
the present model in detail respectively.Fig. 7.
In Table 1, some existing models of three-axis portable mini-
CNC milling machines are given with specifications, use cases
along with local prices received from different manufacturers. It
is important to note that the price of a machine can vary with time
depending upon several factors. So, the listed price is as per the
current data available to give more clarity for comparison pur-
poses. Table 2.
It is noteworthy to mention that the present design and fabrica-
tion help to achieve an economical machine with an overall budget
below INR. 5,000, which is the least so far. The details of the com-
ponents and cost of the present model are listed in Table 3.
B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al. Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 2. a. Side View, b. Top View, c. Front View of three-axis mini-CNC milling machine d. Bearing with guide rods.

Fig. 3. a. Assembled three-axis mini-CNC milling machine, b. Machine in drilling operation, c. Simulations of the operation on Autodesk Fusion 360.

The design used in the present model has the movement of
the tool only. Bed movement is restricted here due to making
the product economical. A wide range of motion of the tool is
available in this design. The dimension of the product is around
380  400  450 mm3. Self-testing has been done with this pro-
duct to drill a printed circuit board (PCB) with a drill bit diameter
of 2 mm as shown in Fig. 5 and it is passed with average preci-
sion. To increase the accuracy of the product an optical encoder
can be installed and that much accuracy can meet the industrial
need.

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B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al. Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 4. Process Flow diagram.

Fig. 5. a. Drilled hole on a PCB (marked by arrow) b. Drill bit of 2 mm.

4. Description of components & cost 2. Arduino UNO as a microcontroller.

3. CNC Shield
The main components used to develop the models are as 4. Three A4988 stepper motor drivers
follows. 5. Switching Mode Power Supply (SMPS)

1. Three three-phase hybrid bipolar stepper motor (NEMA17 Fig. 6 shows the V3 CNC shield and SMPS used. Some other mis-
JK42HS-1704) is used with a 1.8° step angle and a holding tor- cellaneous components are drill-bit, chuck, steel rods, lead screws,
que of 3.7 kg-cm. Motor specifications are listed below. bearings, couplings, nuts and bolts with washers, M seals, motor

4
B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al.
Fig. 6. Schematic Connection Diagram. a. Stepper motor with its driver, b. three stepper motor with microcontroller.
clamps, bed wood, jumper wires, etc. Table 3 depicts the cost esti-
mation of the current model. It is seen from Table 3 that the esti-
mated cost for the fabrication of a mini CNC milling machine is
below INR. 5000 which is affordable as well as cost-effective for
any small-scale drilling operation like drilling on PCB, wood, plas-
tic, and other soft materials, and also to showcase any school-level
or undergraduate laboratory set-up for growing interest in the
advanced manufacturing field to the learners. It allows tackling
the smaller jobs with ease. The current product is also suitable
for slot-cutting operations by changing tools.
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Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx
Hence, the cost of the product is well under the target level and
can be feasible to replicate for other institutions as well.
5. Conclusion
The present work represents the development of a cost-
effective three-axis vertical mini-CNC milling machine that is suit-
able for drilling holes on PCB, wood, plastic, and other soft materi-
als as well as slot cutting operation. The work also focused on the
B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al. Materials Today: Proceedings xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 7. a. V3 CNC shield along with A4988 stepper motor driver which is attached with heat sink b. SMPS.

Table 1
Comparison of the existing machine and their price.

Sl. Model Model name Manufacturer Specification Price Application

No. (INR.)
1. CNC3018plus Annoytools Size:300x180x60mm, Table Size: 300x180mm, Material: 10,100 Wood, PCB
Aluminium, Stepper motor: Nema17/23 42/57BYG, Screw:
T8anti-backlash nut, lead 4 mm, Spindle hole diameter:
52 mm

2. CNC 3018 Pro Roboticsdna Working area: 30x18x4.5 cm, Frame size: 42x35x27 cm, 16,000 carve wood, plastic,
Max 3 Axis Spindle: 775,spindle motor (12–36 V) 24 V:10000r/min, acrylic, PCB CCL, soft
Desktop DIY Material: Aluminum Alloy, Screw rod: T8 screw rod, lead metal like copper and
Mini 4 mm, Step motor: nema17 42 stepper motor 1.3A,0.25 N.m, aluminum
Power supply: 24 V 5.6A power adapter (input voltage 110–
240 V), Software: GRBL controller, Supporting file: G-code,
Processing accuracy: About 0.2 mm
3. CNC 3020 Mini Roboticsdna Material: Aluminum Alloy + Plastic, Power Current: 110– 15,500 Plastic, wood, acrylic,
DIY CNC Router 240 V, AC Power Output: 24 V 5.6A, Engraving Area: PVC, PCB
30x20x4.5 cm, Frame Size: 38x 31x22cm, Countertop Size:
30  20 cm, Spindle Motor: model 775 24 V: 8000 rpm,
Stepping Motor: 3.4 cm(length) 1.33A 12 V 0.25Nm(torque),
Drill: Tip 0.1 mm 200, diameter 3.175 mm, Software: GRBL
4. 3axis mini CNC TwoWin CNC Software: GRBL, Frame Material: Aluminum, PVC, Plastic, 12,500 PVC, PCB, Wood
2417, DIY store Working area: 240x170x65mm, Frame size:
430x430x330mm, Power supply: 12 V 5A, Drill bits diameter
3.175 mm, Positioning accuracy: 0.04 mm

5. 3 Axis 2418 Bombay Material:Aluminum Alloy, Frame Size: 330  340  240 mm, 16,000 PCB, PVC plastic
Mini DIY CNC Electronics Working Area: 240  180  40 mm, Software: GRBL, Spindle:
Machine 775 motor(12–36 V),24 V: 7000r/min, 36 V: 9000r/min, Step
Motor:1.3A 0.25 N.m, Power Supply: 24 V 5.6A

6. CNC DIY 1610 Pincore Software: GRBL control, Construction: Aluminum + plastic, 17,000 Plastic, wood, acrylic,
Mini CNC Technologies Working area:160 X 100 X 40 mm, Frame size: PVC, PCB and other soft
Machine India Pvt. ltd. 260  240  220 mm, Spindle: 775 spindle motor (12–36 V) materials
24 V: 7000r/min, 36 V: 9000r/min, Step motor: 1.3A 0.25 N.m,
Wire rod: T8, Power Supply: 24 V 5.6A (110 V 240 V)

Table 3
Table 2 Estimated cost of the project.
Specification of stepper motor used in the present model.
Item Name & Quantity Price (INR.)
C specification
Arduino UNO  1 840
Step Angle 1.8° CNC Shield  1 150
Temperature Rise 80℃ max A4988 Stepper Motor Driver  3 90  3 = 270
Ambient Temperature 20℃+50℃ Mini-drill bit with chuck 950
Number of Phases 2 Stepper Motor  3 450  3 = 1350
Insulation Resistance (MX) 100 MO Min.,500VDC SMPS (Power Converter)  1 300
Insulation Class Class B Jumper wire  14 70
Max. radial force 28 N (20 mm from the flange) Miscellaneous 350
Max. axial force 10 N Total 4280/-

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B.B. Barik, A. Mahanty, S.D. Majumder et al.
easy fabrication of a simple three-dimensional model, which can
be used as a basis for further investigation and study. Present
design and fabrication help to achieve an economical portable
mini-CNC milling machine with an overall budget below 5,000
INR. which is the least so far excluding the cost of different
machine tools for different operations. The model proposed here
is pedagogically more suited to the needs of students to achieve
better learning outcomes within any undergraduate laboratory
set-up. This work can be extended further to adopt other machin-
ing operations to meet the industry standard in near future.
Data availability
The data that has been used is confidential.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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