ABOUT




We wanted to make a machine which not only involves a process of making but also evolves a process to the next stage, we discussed the ideas as to what to make, what mechanism to adopt and what function to have.
Well, we didnt plan to proceed designing from function of the machine or axis, rather our focus was on mechanism we want to try our hands on.

So we went ahead discussing around 10 ideas like:
1. 3 in 1 CNC
2. Handheld Cnc
3. Whiteboard cleaning
4. 5 axis
and their possibilities in terms of learning, time and man power.
Finally, we decided to go for Light Art Machine, in which we plan to include X Axis , Y Axis. Our discussion with all instructors (Subirji , Suhasji, Supriya ji and other team members) , they concluded that in these 3 weeks we should be able to learn 3 prime skills :
1. Computers
2. Microcontrollers
3. Motors

and our team added 3 more things to our learning curve:
4. Learn different mechanism
5. Assembling
6. Try our hands on making it remote controlled through 3D space Mouse or XBOX 1 Controller

We went ahead sketching a rough mechanism with subirji (one of the teachers in Vigyan and ashram and an amazing person to discuss ideas) , to understand where should we draw a limit, as our team consists of people who want to cross a limit of imagination.



DETAILS

WE (Mahavir, Nishtha and Jatin), started sketching out design, figurng out its possibilities like positions of axis, functions (if it can be used for other purposes), how to hold workpiece, gap between the bed and axis, how to set the origin etc.

We referred 3 machines to understand the mechanism:
1. Sherline CNC mill
2. Roland Modells
3. Ultimaker 3D printer
We went ahead discussing its dimensions and at what scale we plan to build it.

Design and Assembly

Using Katia We designed 2 Axis in which we have X axis, Y axis. We started by discussing the possibilities of different Axis , from sketching to improvising to dimensions, we all discussed and spent 3 days working on its prototype. We used few handheld tools due to unavailability of fabrication tools. Therefore, it was an intense period to understand pressfits when you doing them manually.
Followed it with finalising a mechanism in which we will have X axis movement , Y axis.

Electronics

Using Arduino Uno , and Motor Drivers with Stepper Motors.
This week, we also started working on electronics by using Arduino, we used servo motor and stepper motor to understand the working and difference. In Machine Design week, we tried using the improvised Satshakit by Mahavir and Nishtha. We first tried programming satshakit with arduino uno but we were not able to make the motors move. So we went ahead just trying programming Satshakit with a LED blink, it did happen. So we were sure that board is working well. Then we thought to eliminate Arduino and use Satshakit with FTDI cable. We soldered the FTDI cable so that we are able to connect it to the laptop. Installed FTDI drivers FTDI Drivers
Still we were not able to achieve it, so we tried running our motors with Arduino at last moment.

Programming

Using Universal Gcode Sender creating gcode. We will be using Marlin as our Firmware and also using Pronterface to generate our Gcode.
We are yet to figure out programming.

TEAM

Our team skills are totally into designing , Product Functionality and Application specific, we all aim to learn electronics and programming through this Project. We all plan to work on all the skills of this project from designing, electronics, programming. We havent segregated anything concrete because we plan to do that this week after working together and knowing each other's strengths.



Mahavir | Brain Stormer

Took tasks of Designing the machine organically, work on the media graphics of the project, and most importantly will play a key role in programming and he is the brain stormer of the team.

Nishtha Kaushik | Electronics and Presentation

Took task of Documentation for the team, Electronics, Team management, Website Deisgn and application study of the machine. Also, will be working on "XBOX 1 Controller" to assimilate it in our project.


Jatin Pal Singh Parmar | Hands on Master

He knows about every machine in the lab, how it works and what it does. He took the task of Designing our first prototype with Mahavir and Iteration 2 for Digital Fabrication.

Prateek | Assembly

Assembly Master. Took charge of arranging for all components required and Drawings along with Jatin.

MACHINES USED TO MAKE A MACHINE

Machines we used in the process of making machine starting from manual, hand held machine to CNC's, 3D printers, Laser cutter etc.

Machines used in Tata Center for Technology and Design
1. Dewalt Scroll Saw
2. Horizontal grinder
3. Bench wise
4. Meter saw
5. Oscilloscope
6. Vernier Calliper
7. Magentic Drill
8. Bent Saw
9. Makita Drill
10.Stanley Hammer
11. Laser Cutter
12. Arduino Uno
13. Stepper Motors
14. Servo Motors
15. Satshakit
16. Cuboid Satshakit



















Our objective for making this machine was to make it a 3-axis Wood Carving machine, but as we finished everything off in the machine, like Assembly and everything, and after testing the X-Y Axis movement, then we figured that we were still lacking behind in the End Effector to put in our machine as we were not able to procure any specific Tool Holder and even any good Motor to use for Tool Movement. Then we decided to shift to another End Effector which would be just a Torch or Laser attached on the Y-Axis where our Motor was suppose to be attached. So what we did was that we used GRBL Fireware for operating the X-Y Axis and will be feeding it with a G-Code of a 2D design through G-Code Generator, the Torch or Laser attached on the Y-Axis moves and traces the 2D design feeded to it and we can see the motion of the Laser.


Motor Driver Connection from Internet

We searched about Motor Drivers connections on internet and found many things related, the Image below shows how we connected the motor driver and motor for making the motors run accordingly.

Connection of Stepper motor which we sourced from Internet for attaching the motor to motor Driver board using the Arduino and to make multiple motor work together is shown in the image below.







GRBL Firmware and Universal G-code sender for Running Machines

Grbl is a free, open source, high performance CNC milling controller written in optimized C that will run on a straight Arduino. For making our machine work we used GRBL firmware and for making G-Codes, which is the most important codes for making the machine do what it is suppose to do, we used Universal G-Code Sender. The video below shows the testing of axis movement using the firmware and second video shows how how finally we made the G-Codes using the firmware and universal Gcode sender and made the machine move and perform the desired work of Light Art using GCodes.




Files to Download:

GRBL Files Download



Trial and Error

After assembling all the parts together like Motor Driver, Arduino, Laser Light, Universal Gcode Sender, we tested the machine's movement in all the axis and first set the Origin accordingly. First for testing we just made a simple code of a stright line and witnessed the movement, it worked exactly fine, this was the first trial for us just to check the response the motors with GCodes generated. Then for the second trial we used the Camera also to capture the movement of Light through the Gcode. This time we used a proper design to test, with all the axis movement included. Later as we started performing the Light Art we got an error saying the Bed Size is Small and the Speed is Slow, basically we were having the concept of Wood Carving first which later got to Light Art Machine that is why we were having some Small Bed size issues and as for the Light Art Machine the light should move fast to get traced for the design feeded into it via gcodes which aslo showed the error. We then worked on the issues and made the Final Prototype of the Machine with a Video showing the design traced by the Laser on the machine.




Final Video of the Machine

After various trials and errors we again feed the same design converting it to GCode and traced the Laser pointer making the design. We captured the Laser pointer from a camera tracing the design and processed it after the operation. As we used the Universal G-code Sender for sending the G-Codes to the machine for operation, the sender also showed the Final Processed time taken for performing the operation. The image below shows the operation of Universal Gcode sender.





Laser Tracing the 2D File

We gave a 2D design to the Machine to trace via G-Code using G-code Generator to make g-codes.





The video below shows the final working video of the Light Art Machine.



File to Download:

.STL file from which GCode was Made