Building a Tiny CNC Router for Making Circuit Boards
a year ago
- #Electronics
- #DIY
- #CNC
- Built a tiny CNC router with a working volume of 106 x 104 x 20 mm, capable of making FR4 circuit boards and cutting aluminum.
- Compared CNC milling to other PCB prototyping methods, highlighting pros and cons like speed, cost, and convenience.
- Designed the CNC router with specific goals: 100 x 100 mm working area, 15 mm working height, and compatibility with standard tooling.
- Used 2020 aluminum extrusion for the frame, with MGN12H linear rails for X and Z axes, and two for the Y axis.
- Implemented belt drives for X and Y axes for simplicity and zero backlash, with 0.9-degree stepper motors for increased stiffness and resolution.
- Described the spindle setup using an ER8 collet extension rod, brushless outrunner motor, and angular contact bearings.
- Modified an Ender 3 3D printer board for control, addressing issues with end-stop inputs and stepper driver settings.
- Used bCNC for G-code sending, highlighting features like height-mapping and manual tool-change support.
- Converted KiCad designs to G-code using pcb2gcode, noting some tool-path generation issues.
- Explored work-holding methods and shared examples of circuit boards and materials cut with the CNC router.
- Provided a cost breakdown (~£300) and reflected on the project's value beyond financial justification.