Features of cutters for processing plexiglass on cnc

Briefly about milling

Preparation for milling consists of several stages:

1. Creation of a file with the required part in vector format.
2. Correction and loading of this file into the machine by the CNC operator.
3. Securing the workpiece to be processed on the desktop.
4. Starting the machine.

The milling process consists of multiple passes of a cutting tool (milling cutter) on a workpiece. The number of passes depends on many factors, such as: the thickness of the workpiece being processed, its hardness, the type of cutter, the type of processing (roughing or finishing), there are often cases of milling a workpiece, leaving allowances that are cut in one pass at the finishing stage of milling.

Milling is used where high accuracy of the product is required and when it is impossible to achieve the desired result by another method of processing.

Due to the operation of the cutter, the following tasks can be performed:

• chamfer;
• cut a groove;
• make curvilinear cutting (both through and deaf).

The main advantages of plexiglass

Very high strength and resistance to mechanical damage is a necessary quality for outdoor advertising, since expensive structures are always on the street and come under a large number of negative influences.
With the help of programmable CNC machines, the process of plexiglass milling in Moscow is quick and easy. At the same time, the accuracy of work and the quality of the final result does not decrease, and therefore the creation of even complex patterns, elements and decorations does not take much time and does not cost too much for the customer.
The material has a high light transmittance even in a dyed state. This figure reaches 90%, which makes it possible to actively use all kinds of lighting for decoration.
Plexiglas is reliable, safe and durable: the material is not damaged by temperature or humidity drops, or other external factors.

Possibilities

Milling organic glass is a mechanical type of processing. The main work is performed by a special cutter. It is a tool that rotates during use. In this case, the workpiece is also in motion. Manufacturing of parts from other materials is carried out in a similar way. Unlike laser-cut parts, milling has a number of advantages.

With the help of milling, you can make:

• cutting - this type of turning can be easily carried out with other tools, but with the use of milling, additional grinding is not required - the part is initially obtained with smooth edges and an edge;
• production of volumetric parts - the cutter is able to manufacture parts with shapes of any complexity thanks to a program that can carry out sampling;
• engraving - the corner cutter has a tip designed to make depressions of different sizes, due to which a pattern can be formed;
• creation of light effects - mechanisms installed at an angle are capable of creating angular shapes that form an unusual refraction of light.

Cutter control methods may differ depending on the model and application. But instruments equipped with a numerical control system are among the most popular.

Specificity of plexiglass milling

Using a milling machine, you can perform the following methods of processing workpieces from sheet organic glass:

• Cutting sheets. Of course, this operation can be done on other equipment with the help of other tools.But milling after its use does not require subsequent grinding of the cut surface - the edges and edge of the sheet are smooth;
• Volume milling. At the same time, defects in the form of cracks and chips that can spoil the workpiece do not arise even when making the most complex curly cutouts. This is possible due to the transitions to the optimal rotation speeds and feed rates, which are monitored and implemented also in automatic mode at various work areas;
• Angle cutter engraving. This processing method makes it possible to obtain various graphic and text images on the surface of the sheet. These are very common operations for products in all of the listed business areas;
• Performing processing to generate lighting effects. The lighting mechanisms installed at one or another angle are capable of creating refraction of light with various effects. Milling the ends of the workpiece should provide appropriate mounting options for these devices and proper indicators of light transmission by the sheet after machining.

A separate specificity of organic glass allows processing with a milling machine. At the same time, it solves a number of problems that arise when processing material on equipment of other types.

In particular, plexiglass containing chlorine must not be cut with laser cutting machines. Under the high-temperature effect of the beam, the material begins to emit toxic compounds that are dangerous to human health into the surrounding space.

Processing machine

Modern equipment provides processing of both flat and spatial surfaces. Typically, acrylic plastics are first milled and then bent. Therefore, the most widespread are console machines - with a working table.

The sheet of material is fixed to the console. Milling cutter - finger, inserted into the milling headstock manually or automatically. Control can be manual, automatic or CNC.

Specifications

According to the type of movement of the table and the milling head, the machines are made into 4 groups:

• vertical milling - the working table moves in the horizontal direction - longitudinal and transverse, the milling head moves only vertically;
• console-milling - the table moves in all three directions, and the working tool is stationary;
• in longitudinal-milling, the table moves in the longitudinal direction. The headstock moves in the transverse direction, and the movable crossbar on which it is fixed - in the vertical direction;
• universal - the working table moves along the X and Y axes, and the spindle head - along the Z axis. The difference with the first option is the vertical position of the console.

Milling and turning machines are produced for different purposes. Their design, drive power, control method can be very different.

• Mini milling machines - designed for home workshops, also used for educational purposes. Available with both manual and numerical control, which greatly expands the capabilities of the home craftsman.
• Desktop - designed for individual use, but in fact they are successfully used in small industries.
• Vertical milling - production equipment with a large number of possible operations.

Large format - designed to work with bulky material.

Advantages

• No microcracks - machining with a cutter does not form stresses on the edge, which eliminates chips and the risk of material cracking during bending.
• The ends are smooth when cutting. If necessary, the edge can be made transparent, similar to laser cutting.
• Milling is the only way to get exactly a volumetric image, and not just engraving, because the milling cutter allows you to choose the material.
• The thickness, depth, and configuration of the grooves are not limited.
• The milling machine allows you to cut sheets with a large thickness - up to 40 mm.
• Mechanical cutting does not affect the chemical composition of the material. Some types of plexiglas - foamed, PVC, contain chlorine. Under the influence of high temperature, a chemical reaction begins with the release of chlorine, which completely excludes, for example, laser processing. The rotational speed of the cutter does not give such a temperature: it is completely safe to engrave the material.

Milling cutter and feed rate

The best results are obtained with small diameter cutters but with high rotational speeds. The latter depends on the power of the device and the size of the cutter itself.

On mini-machines, the rotation speed is 400 rpm, on large-format universal equipment - up to 24,000 rpm.

The feed rate, that is, the speed at which the arm travels, is determined by the type of operation, line thickness and depth. So, for cutting and sampling, the feed is made at a speed of 5–6 mm / s, for engraving - 1–2 mm / s. These values ​​vary within wide limits, since the complexity of the picture has no less influence on the speed.

An important factor for ensuring high speed of work is cleaning the working surface from milling dust and blowing cold air.

Laser method

The design of the equipment is not much different from a milling machine, but the working tool here is a laser beam up to 0.1 mm thick. Laser treatment has both advantages and disadvantages.

• The laser beam allows you to cut and engrave material with a minimum thickness, which is not possible with a mechanical milling cutter. On the other hand, a thick sheet for machines with a power of 60-120 W, and there are most of them, presents a problem.
• Cutting and execution of the pattern are extremely accurate, mechanical errors in this case are excluded.
• The ends are sharp and transparent after laser treatment. However, there is a special technology that allows you to get smooth edges with a laser.
• Line width and depth are limited. The fact is that the laser does not select the material as a cutter, but cuts thin longitudinal lines until they form a wider one - the shading method. It is unprofitable to obtain wide and deep strips in this way.
• The laser must not process material that can be deformed or chemically reacted under the influence of temperature.

Methods

Milling cutting of organic glass should be performed only by professionals using special equipment, milling machines. A milling machine is a special professional device with which you can cut and engrave plexiglass.

Currently, there are several types of milling machines.

CNC milling machine

This model is the most popular and demanded. This is primarily due to the peculiarity of the equipment - the ability to create in advance, using the program, taking into account the key parameters, a model of the product. After that, the machine will automatically do all the work.

The CNC machine is characterized by the following parameters:

• positioning accuracy;
• the size of the working surface;
• spindle power;
• cutting speed;
• the speed of free movement.

The parameters of each machine may differ, they depend on the model, manufacturer and year of manufacture.

There are several types of CNC milling machine:

• vertical;
• cantilevered;
• longitudinal;
• broadly versatile.

Milling machine for 3D cutting

This model of the machine differs from others in the ability to perform 3D cutting of material. The cutting element is positioned by software in three different dimensions, axes. This cutting feature makes it possible to achieve a 3D effect. On an already finished product, it looks very impressive and unusual.

All milling machines are classified by purpose:

• mini milling - used in everyday life or in the learning process;
• desktop - such machines are most often used in small production in limited space;
• vertical - this is a large industrial equipment that is installed in workshops, characterized by high cutting speed and long time of continuous operation, high productivity.

By the type of movement of the working surface, machines are of certain types.

• Vertical milling. It is characterized by horizontal movement of the desktop. Carries out rip and cross cuts.
• Console-milling. The cutting element remains stationary, but the working surface moves in different directions.
• Longitudinal milling. The movement of the working table is longitudinal, the cutting tool is transverse.
• Widely versatile. This model of the machine is considered the most popular, since the movement of the working surface and cutting are performed in different directions, which are predefined in the software.

How to buy CNC machines for plexiglass milling

If you decide to buy equipment for the manufacture of products from this material, Mirtels will offer you the best option for such equipment, since the production of engraving machines is our specialization, appreciated by numerous satisfied customers. Having familiarized yourself with the Daedalus series of CNC machines, you will almost certainly find what you are looking for with almost one hundred percent probability.

Read the technical specifications of the equipment carefully. If necessary, do not hesitate to consult with our managers, who are ready to answer any questions in a form convenient for the client - by phone, e-mail, and so on. They will also announce prices for the entire range of this and other Mirtels equipment.

Benefits and types

Plexiglas milling on CNC machines ensures high quality and speed. Using a milling cutter with these devices, you can make large parts. But the use of such equipment creates other advantages:

• minimal risk of material damage by milling;
• the possibility of milling plexiglass containing chlorine;
• the ability to create mirrored edges.

A CNC milling machine has more functions than laser processing. There are several types of milling machines. They are divided according to the principle of operation on a router and purpose.

By the principle of operation, the devices are divided into:

• vertical;
• console;
• longitudinal;
• broadly universal.

By design, turning units are divided into:

• mini-milling - used for household purposes, or training (milling a small number of products);
• desktop - designed for individual use or small production;
• vertical milling - used for industrial purposes.

The devices have similar operating modes, but may differ in the package bundle. During their operation, it is recommended to have experience in setting up machine tools with a CNC system.

Subtleties of CNC milling MDF

One of the many positive qualities of MDF is its high manufacturability. This material is easily milled, chips do not appear on the surface and, subject to certain conditions, has a long service life. Many products can be made from MDF, but mainly this material is used in the furniture industry (milling of MDF facades on CNC) precisely because of the qualities listed above.

MDF is excellently used for 3D milling of recesses of various sizes, through holes and other curved shapes. An important advantage is also the fact that dust is emitted during processing, and not wood chips, which means that even the smallest elements after milling MDF on CNC will not have the slightest chip.

Milling of MDF by CNC is performed with spiral 1-start cutters with removal of chips downward, and 2-start spiral compression cutters of various diameters. The spindle speed when milling MDF ranges from 18,000 to 21,000 rpm, depending on the thickness of the workpiece and the required cleanliness of the cut.

Milling

The cutter for plexiglass should have a sharp or medium sharpening angle. The workpiece is fixed on the work table using special clamps. The mechanism allows manufacturing at high speed.

Surface treatment is carried out in two stages:

• at the first stage, roughing is performed with a milling cutter: the pass is 5 millimeters, the cutter is a single-fluid end cutter, the speed is average;
• at the second stage, finishing processing is carried out with cutters: the pass is 3 millimeters, the cutter is spherical end cutter, the speed is high.

For plexiglass processing, a low feed rate is required, since it deforms under the influence of high temperatures that occur during the operation of the milling tool. The feed is adjusted depending on how strong the workpiece is. At high feed, processing of low strength material will result in damage and defects.

CNC milling machine has several milling modes. The mode is selected depending on the parameters of the workpiece material. It is possible to minimize the occurrence of chips and defects by using a vacuum table. The machine must be reliably grounded as dust generated during part manufacturing can generate static electricity.

Glass processing on a milling machine

Replacing broken glass is not difficult, you just need to cut the canvas of the required size with the help of a glass cutter and install it. It may not be a good cut the first time, but after a few tries you can cut the glass sheet perfectly. This is all great, but what if you need to cut out a glass of complex shape or just make a hole in it?

For this, a CNC milling machine with the correct parameters and the selected tool is best suited. All you need is a diamond cutter or glass drill, a high-speed spindle, a low feed rate and a fairly large amount of coolant.

CNC glass milling does not require special equipment. Even a small Chinese-made CNC engraving machine, which costs about $ 800 on Aliexpress, is enough. Fasteners are also required to fix the glass on the machine table, but if you wish, you can make it yourself.

Plexiglas milling on CNC machines: modes and cutters

For processing plexiglass, it is necessary to use cutters with a sharp or medium sharpening angle. Moreover, you cannot use tools that were previously used to work with hard materials - certain types of wood, metal alloys, and so on.

As a rule, in most cases, when solving specific production problems, working with a sheet of a workpiece made of organic glass is performed in two stages:

1. Rough. The size of the pass is up to 5 mm, the processing speed is average. In this case, a single-start end mill is used;
2. Finishing / finishing. It is usually carried out with a ball-shaped end mill. The pass size is up to 4 mm, the processing speed is high.

The optimum feed rate is approximately 1000 mm / min. At large values, the risk of breaking the tool is very high. At lower values, the material may darken at the cut site due to heating.

We also recommend using the trailing feed during the milling process. The depth of cut should be chosen small - up to 4 mm for roughing and up to 2 mm for finishing. The frequency of rotation of the cutter should be optimally within the range of 11-12 thousand revolutions per minute.Maintaining these parameters when milling plexiglass, you will get the optimal quality of the ends of the workpiece at the point of contact with the tool.

Peculiarities

Plexiglas is a vinyl material. Get it in the synthesis of methyl methacrylate. Outwardly, it is a transparent plastic material, which is considered completely safe for human health and has excellent physical and technical characteristics. It is very easy to process.

Plexiglass milling is one of the main methods of material processing. It is applied when organic glass:

• outdoor or interior advertising, packaging, advertising structures are produced;
• the interior, racks, showcases are made out;
• decorations are created.

The biggest advantage of such processing is the ability to perfectly and effectively remove chips from the material, thereby achieving a perfectly flat surface of the product. This method is characterized by high cutting speed and clean cuts.

Milling solves many seemingly impossible tasks:

• cutting;
• creation of volumetric parts from material;
• engraving on glass - you can create recesses, form a pattern, an inscription;
• adding light effects - cutters are installed at a certain angle, thus creating light bends

Peculiarities

The most popular in the processing of organic glass are CNC milling and lathes. Devices of this type have a whole range of advantages, due to which the workpieces are accurate and of high quality:

• the probability of an error while programming a pattern is minimal;
• it is possible to process small parts;
• the task is executed at high speed.

When working on a lathe-type milling machine, the productivity indicator increases three times. When completing a task, a well-designed program is required. The program is developed depending on how complex the task at hand is.

The positional program will allow you to carry out the simplest types of tasks. If it is necessary to create complex shapes, a contour-type program is used. If organic glass requires engraving, a combined program is used. It combines the features of the two previous programs. When manufacturing parts of the highest complexity, a multi-circuit program is used.

CNC machines equipped with a special table for work are more expensive. But the capabilities of such units are higher. With numerical control, operator intervention during operation will be minimal.

Processing process and applications

At the beginning of the work, the cutting profile is matched with the graphic layout, due to which the maximum precision in work is achieved. Physical surface milling begins only after complete reconciliation, when there is confidence in the accuracy and quality of the result. If deep processing of thick glass is necessary, the machine will have to walk over the surface several times. The work is done in several stages so as not to damage the material and prevent the formation of chips, cracks and other damage. Milling of plexiglass leaves no carbon deposits and achieves almost absolute precision.

In the advertising field, plexiglass is most often used:
For decoration of exhibition, presentation and retail premises;
For the production of advertisements of various formats: both indoor and outdoor;
To create showcases, stands, shelves;
In the design of premises: both exterior and interior.

Modern equipment allows you to order even single copies of something made of plexiglass, thanks to which there are practically no restrictions on the flight of imagination. The order of milling in a large batch, of course, will affect the reduction in the processing cost of each part.

The cost of the services provided

The cost of the finished product consists of the costs of developing a layout or drawing, manufacturing and final processing of the product. The cost of the material used in the manufacture of the order. Cutting material: cutting meter from 30 rubles, cutting thick materials or extra strong materials - from 50 rubles for each meter of passage.

Completion of the customer's layout from 500 rubles, development of a model from 500 rubles, a finished model from our database - 50 rubles.

2D processing is calculated from the length of the model vector. The cost of a meter of a vector when milling is 140 rubles, a cut over 100 meters of a vector - a 5% discount.

3D processing of the model is formed as follows: a minute of machine operation is 30 rubles, t is the time spent on roughing and finishing the product. Price = t x 30 rubles.

The company's craftsmen will carry out high-quality grinding, polishing, painting, decoration. Price for 10 cm square: grinding - 2 rubles, painting 1 layer - 3 rubles. (taking into account the material), decoration - from complexity, not less than 30 rubles.

3D CNC milling in Moscow and Moscow region:
metal, wood, plastic, facades + 7 (915) 009-00-50