CS291I Assignment 6

In this assignment, I learned some of the basics of CAM by simulating a CNC mill in Fusion 360. I learned some of the software tools available, as well as a bit about the physical tools.

I started with the phone back example to try out the available tools. I followed the lecture example and used the same tools and toolpaths to start my attempt.

Like in the example, I started with a stock about the size of the model, and I offset the model below the top surface. I used the Face tool to remove the top material.

I then used 2D Adaptive Clearing and 2D Pocket to remove the material in the middle. I used the same idea as presented in the lecture to first quickly remove the bulk of the material, then removed the remaining material more precisely.

The final step for the first side was to remove the outside material using 2D Contour. I selected the lower edge to remove all the required material.

The next step was creating a new setup and flipping the model and coordinate system. Again I removed the top material with Face.

This side was different since it wasn't all flat surfaces. I used Adaptive Clearing then the Parallel tool to remove the material from the angles. I don't know if this was the right tool to use, but based on quick research and testing it seemed okay. I also used a ball head tool which I'm not sure is correct.

After trying the phone back, I decided to try to create my own model. Since I am a narcissist I wrote my own initials and a solid block. I just wanted to try out some less regular contours.

I first sketched the letters and extruded the material. This would serve as the desired final model if I were to actually fabricate with a CNC mill.

I then moved on to the manufacturing simulation. I started out similarly, and removed the top material with Face. Then I used 2D Adaptive Clearing and 2D Contour to removed the material surrounding the letters. I used a smaller tip for the 2D Contour to be more precise around the sharper turns.

I again used the smaller tip to run 2D Adaptive Clearing and 2D Pocket inside the letter A. Because of the scale of the model and the sharp interior turns, some material was left. I intentionally designed the letters without any corners since I thought this would be a problem. It turns out even without any corners, I still ran into the same issue.

This assignment was an interesting introduction to manufacturing with a CNC mill. It would have been fun to use a real mill!