Copy-milling machines are indispensable where it is necessary to manufacture parts in full accordance with the existing template. At the same time, the equipment will equally cope with the production of a small or impressive batch of wood products. Just like a CNC milling machine, this device is used in large-scale production, therefore it is popular both in private workshops and in large woodworking plants. Copy-milling units are capable of producing a product that is fully consistent in shape and size with the original sample, which is achieved by automatically moving the cutter along a predetermined path. The main advantage possessed by the copy-milling machine is the high speed of processing of parts, regardless of size and configuration.
Scope of application
A copy-milling machine, also known in the professional environment as a duplicarver, is equally used for the manufacture of volumetric or flat objects from wood, and its operation is similar to the operation of equipment equipped with a CNC system. Individual samples make it possible to process wood blanks using a copier, which is a three-dimensional model.
An engraving machine, often used in the carpentry sphere, which includes a copying mechanism in its design, is usually used to solve the following problems:
- drawing all kinds of inscriptions, logos and curved contours;
- wood carvings;
- engraving shaped profiles;
- the formation of patterns and faces on different planes.
Given that copy milling machines easily cope with the creation of decorative parts of complex configuration, such equipment is often found in furniture manufacturing.
Functional Features
The design and filling of the copy-milling machine allows to achieve high speed of work when machining even complex parts. The main element of such units is a mill. The cutting tool, in addition to the formation of wooden parts, is also used when working with metal products. The cutter cuts out the necessary part along the contour or surface, which is initially defined by the copying mechanism. Communication between the cutting element and the control system for the correct execution of the process here occurs using hydraulics and pneumatics. Most often, household woodworking machines of this type are equipped with a mechanical system for feeding the workpiece and controlling the structural units.
A flat template, a previously created reference model, various contour drawings or photocells are used as a copier, and a sample is selected depending on production features or at the request of the master. Template samples are made of any material, whether it is plastic, wood or metal. Focusing on the requirements of the modern carpentry sector, many manufacturers complete copy-milling machines with a CNC device, which turns the unit into a universal device. The copy-milling machine operates according to the following principle: a template is installed to which the controller is connected, and by means of a communication mechanism, the set figure parameters are transmitted to the cutting element.
Types of equipment
Depending on the type of drive installed on the machine, the equipment is divided into the following types:
- pantograph on wood for milling, showing two or three-dimensional work;
- universal pantograph with a swivel sleeve, which in most cases is installed in a vertical position;
- machine for accelerated processing of workpieces with multiple spindles;
- mechanical, hydraulic or electronic feed device;
- a machine with a photocopy machine that defines the path of the milling cutter.
Also, copy-milling machines are classified by the degree of automation of the workflow, and the more additional options are present in a particular model, the higher its price tag. It is worth noting that the template method of cutting wood initially implies automatic observance of the trajectory of the torch, so the installation of CNC here is absolutely not necessary and, rather, is a tribute to new technologies that have established themselves as the most effective.
Can I create a copy-milling device myself?
Today, there is no shortage of machine tools in the carpentry equipment market, but their rather high cost does not always allow a homemaker to purchase such an assembly. The device will pay off with its intensive use no earlier than after 5 years, and even then on an industrial scale. Now that you have familiarized yourself with the characteristics of pantographs and know what it is and where it is used, you can try to make a copy-milling machine yourself. Of course, the handicraft device is inferior in terms of productivity to factory models. Also, the masters do not recommend remaking the usual milling cutter into a copying unit, but are advised to assemble from scratch.
Before making a machine, they select a suitable assembly scheme, usually including several required elements:
- work surface;
- table support;
- milling head.
Changing the milling mode is carried out by adjusting the height of the countertop. The milling head is driven by an electric drive, while the equipment is often equipped with a speed controller. Pantographs can be made of wood, although this option will not be highly accurate due to the loop connection of individual elements, which is characterized by backlash. As for the metal drawing machines, they can function on various scales, but cannot cope with the manufacture of bulky products.
Unfortunately, milling on a home-made copy machine does not always allow you to get perfectly accurate dimensions of the part, in addition, the finished product can have significant flaws. Such negative consequences are primarily due to vibration of the working surface, which is almost impossible to neutralize. It is also not always possible to avoid various flaws at the time of changing the direction of movement of the torch. In addition, there is an internal tension of the wooden workpiece, which leads to its curvature.
Taking into account the shortcomings of homemade work, the only significant advantage of which is the affordable price of components, it is recommended to resort to its help exclusively for creating similar parts in the framework of narrow-profile production.