Week 3 : Computer Controlled Cutting

Global Lecture held 8 February, 2017.

Let's get physical!

Making physical things, that is.

Simple cutting is a fundamental processing technique that is often one of the first steps in making even the most complex of objects. This week, we focus on moving (a cutting tool) along a line. Lots of things do this: scissors cut out patterns of fabric to make a suit, a cutting blade can make nice sharp cuts in cardboard along a pencil line. We can make the process more complex by having a computer remember the line (rather than sketching it out with fabric chalk or a pencil line), this also makes the process far more accurate.

A lot of the complexity has to do with how your machine cuts, and, based on that, where exactly you tell the machine to go. A blade splits material - no material is destroyed - but a laser burns material - a small, but significant part, disappears in a cloud of smoke. This "missing material problem" can be handled in out head quite often, or a computer program can help to tweak the shape of the path that the machine cuts along (granted we give some extra information to this program), and/or this "problem" can be used toward a design.

This week we are going to play around with splitting and burning (vaporizing) material, using simple CAD/CAM programs we are going to experiment with ways to design with them.

The general goal is to learn a simple CAD -> CAM -> MC toolchain and to see the imperfect nature of translating from the computer to material.

This week, in keeping with some fairly simple processing techniques, nicely exemplifies the trinity of design. An object is a complex gravitational system where the singular force of gravity is replaced by material, and geometry, and process -- when one changes, the other two must change as well.

See our notes.

~ Vipul & Henry

Evaluation

Global Criteria

Local Requirements

1. Make a multi-color vinyl sticker for something... extra credit given to the "best one" :-)
2. Find a cool [new] material or process. Bring in a tagged sample.

The Plan

1. Work as a group to vinyl-cut some slick stickers for our laptops.
2. Work as a group making some simple, laser-cut, metal press-fit joints.
3. On your own laser-cut a simple kit... though extra credit given to the "coolest"

Labs This Week

Lab on Vinyl Cutting

Held 8 February, 2017.

Topics to cover / rough agenda

1. Quick crash course (20 min)
2. Design and exploration time (during global lecture)

Lab on Laser-Cutting

TBD

Topics to cover / rough agenda

1. Laser-Cutter Tutorial (60 min)
   1. Locations and contacts
   2. Safety
   3. Software and process walkthrough
2. Group Exploration : choose
   1. make a simple, snug slotting T
   2. make a re-useable snapping T