CNC Router cutting acrylic / Quoting

[IPS_Direct]

Looking for help with pricing CNC routing - Just installer our first 5x10 APEX cut and router. The cutting is pretty easy to qoute but the routing is the brick. My question is: Is there software that can preflight an art file to determine the cutting time? I have already determined my minimum charge and hourly rate.

 

[kovo.drs]

Hello, we have CNC router from Raptor Technologies with Mach4 software for controlling and Vectric CNC software. I can recommend both for milling machine. This Vectric can determine the cutting time.

 

[Magman]

We have a 5x10 cnc router . It was on a Mach 3 controller. I let some folks talk me into a handheld controller-- and now the x y & likely Z need to be adjusted via the NK15 G2 (Which is a china unit). There is a setting called P Equivalency that you adjust for x y z -- and I can't seem to find a formula that lets me zero everything in. Basically a pulse is generated for every 1mm of movement of the spindle down the x y and z axis's. I measured 20 inches or 508mm then move the spindle via handheld control to the 508mm mark. I adjust the number 0.005220 for the x axis to something like 0.005180 and then move the end mill center to the 508 mm mark and it's like 508.335 or something like that. I then run it out to a mark at 1456mm and its off even more. Any one have experience calibrating via this controller?

 

[JBurton]

First problem: in corel, if you convert an object to a curve, you can read the length of the line in properties. Figure out how you will step through any given material, feed rate, passes, then divide the length of curve by feedrateXpasses. That should give you minutes. Then add tons of time for generating art files, loading the machine, changing a broken bit, and eventually you'll have a number that probably doesn't pay enough, but is cheap enough to keep the customer happy.

Second problem: sounds like what most refer to as steps per inch. Usually it's something more like 5,000 steps/ 1 inch. Send pictures of where you are looking at these values. Also calculate the highest distance your router will go, and check it with smaller values. Doing 20" will likely still generate an error of .005", which you can't much perceive, but at 12', that becomes nearly a sixteenth of an inch.