stone cnc machine

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:24:02 -0400 - Posted in 4100 hp toner





The CNC saw can break the engineered stone slab

Cutting engineered stone on a CNC saw can cause the slab to crack due to high tension inside the slab. There are a couple of simple rules you have to follow to prevent the slab to chip or even crack.

Engineered stone is not real stone. It is a man made product and consists mainly quartz and resin which in other words is crushed stone and chemicals. This ingredients getting mixed together and poured into a slab form. This process creates tension inside the material which can cause the slab to crack during cutting.

Every brand and color of engineered stone reacts different while cutting. It even comes down to certain batches, some crack and others don’t.

It is very important to do the first few cuts correctly and there will be no problems. The more pieces you have cut out of the slab the less likely the slab will crack anywhere.

Follow this simple rules

  • Do not plunge cut – always start your cuts from outside of the slab
  • Do not stop your cut just shy of the end of the slab, cut all the way through
  • Keep the blade sharp by running the blade through sandstone offcuts
  • If you do a lot of mitre cuts the cutting edge of the blade will get worn more on one side which causes the blade to run off. You can fix this with a 36grit stone and your hand grinder

Some CNC programmers and operators facing a problem with the CAM software they using. The CAM software is so automated that they can not influence the way the machine is going to cut and whoever made the CAM program did not consider engineered stone.

One of our competitors came to us recently to ask for advise as he knew that we running our CNC bridge saw for much longer then he does. He said he has got this new CNC saw which was so simple to program but can not cut engineered stone without cracking the slab or at least chipping a corner. He was very frustrated and was already thinking of getting rid of the machine and buy a manual saw instead.

After a while of talking we figured out that the CNC machine and the saw blades are not the problem but the CAM software. This software is so simple that there is no way to manually control the cutting. There are lot more things wrong with this particular software but that is food for another article.

This is a short video showing the simulation of cutting a engineered stone slab using the CAM software WCAM2K.

What I used to do. . .
Before I found design software I was in the stone ages. I would actually hand lay out a template on a piece of paper. Then cut it out. Next, I would tape the design onto a piece of steel and trace around it with a Sharpe Marker. Finally, I would cut out the piece I wanted.
No matter what, it was never exact. There would always be something wrong. Things like wavy lines, gouges and “unique parts” were the norm. Measurements were never as exact as I would have liked either. That usually caused some fit-up issues, followed by some grinding. If you know anything about fabrication, grinding is the enemy of your time.
Why use Design Software?
I knew there had to be a better way so I found some design software to try out. Yes, it does take some time to learn. Think about it, like anything else in life, something that is worth it takes some time. This is also the situation of taking one step backwards to move ten steps forward.
Here are some advantages of using Design Software:
Saved file you can use over and over
Transfer the design to others
Can use exact measurements
Repeatability in design
Here are some disadvantages of using Design Software:
Cost money
Takes time to learn
May not be the quickest way of making something if it is a “One Off”
My Definition of Design Software
If you are an engineer, you will probably consider CAD Software as design software. That is true. But what I am talking about here is “Creative” Design Software. These software packages are used by creative types for print, web design and logo design. This software is great for creating designs that flow and are artistic in some way.
Design software can be boiled down to what it is good at. If you want to make a square with a hole in it or a triangular gusset, then CAD type design software works great. If you want to cut out a Cowboy on a Horse, then “Creative” Design Software is the only way to go.
Here are some examples of work for “Creative” Design Software:
Plasma Art
Router Art
Signs
Engraving
Every CNC machine has quirks that you need to learn. Every CNC machine has a different working envelope. Every CNC machine is just a little bit different then the rest of them. It is in your best interest to learn your machine before you put it to work.
Generally, with a CNC machine, we are machining something. While machining, “chips” are being thrown off. Sometimes at a very rapid speed. Here is where safety glasses, face shields and material barriers come into play. Use them! The machine doesn’t know you are standing there. In the words of every boxing ref before a match, “protect yourself at all times!”
Every CNC machine has quirks that you need to learn. Every CNC machine has a different working envelope. Every CNC machine is just a little bit different then the rest of them. It is in your best interest to learn your machine before you put it to work.