Cutting out a rectangle

[iMac1943]

I have no idea where on this forum I have to ask my question.
I have textile on big roles. I have a table with vacuüm to hold the textile on place. With a cutterknife I have to cut out a rectangle (to make sheets for beds).
Is this easily to do with cad - cam - cnc? What exactly do I need, which programs?
Thanks for answering

[Clive]

Hi iMac1943

Your 'cutterknife', I presume this is a machine of some sort?

If so, quite simply you need to determine what file formats the 'cutterknife' software will accept to run your job.

Most Vinyl/paper/card/ laser machines will have their own software to print the jobs as it were and amongst the common file formats would be dxf or svg for cad.If your software will run from dxf/svg/dwg then you should be able to run your machine direct from QCAD, from QCAD you would choose your print destination - in this case your 'cutterknife' machine.

I do exactly the same when printing jobs to laser cutters or paper/card cutters like Silhouette Cameo or Cricut machines using dxf file format.

Please detail some more about the machine you will use.

Clive

[iMac1943]

Thank you for your answer.

Give me 1 hour, I'll come back here with more details.

Luc

[iMac1943]

current situation

IMG_1528 copy.jpg (176.77 KiB) Viewed 14681 times

This is the current situation (see fig 1)
we have to pull the fabric over the table, switch on the vacuum. We then have to measure length and width we need and with a cutter as shown here we cut the fabric to the right size.

Screen Shot 2016-02-14 at 13.24.28.png (55.7 KiB) Viewed 14681 times

This is a lot of work and we believe it can be done automatically with CAD, CAM and a table adapted for the job.
Do you think this is possible and what do we need.
If possible we like to work with programs that work on Mac.
Thank you for replying.
Luc

[Clive]

Hi Luc

I see you are using a hand held Eastman Ultronic industrial cutter, Eastman have already got automated systems available ... but at a cost, so I'm guessing you want to develop a lower cost version - right?

You need to work with a local engineering firm to develop something, a computer controlled device could do the work to drive the cutter along X and Y axis.

The end device would then need software to send files/G-code to the machine.

QCAD could be used to design and send files to the machine, at this stage Andrew (the owner/developer) of QCAD could be consulted for further advice.

Clive

[Husky]

Hi Luc,

yes, this is of course something what could be done with a cnc maschine. But before investing a lot of money there should be a cost-benefit analysis.
Just a couple question like ....
We are talking about 500 bed shieds or about 100,000 bed shieds each month,
We are talking about just one size or about all possible bed sizes?
How important is the time factor? A cnc maschine which is only able to cut one sheed at a time makes not really sense. In the industry they are cutting stacks of 50+ fabrics in one go ...
etc. etc. etc.

... We then have to measure length and width we need and with a cutter as shown here we cut the fabric to the right size.
This is a lot of work and we believe it can be done automatically with CAD, CAM and a table adapted for the job.

Why you are not just using a cutting guide like a frame to skip this measurement task? Maybe you are also able to cut more than one sheed in one go. Is this handheld cutter able to cut 5 sheed's at ones? If yes think about a hold down system and just cut around the guide. I'm pretty sure that will save you a lot of time ...

[iMac1943]

Hi Husky, thank you for your reply. And what you are asking and suggesting is 100% correct. It concerns a small company, they cut maybe 10 pieces per day. Two sheets, one cut. As you see it's really small business.
I told the owner that it is a bad idea, but he doesn't want to listen. That's why I need agruments. He likes to build 'things', but I think that he doesn't know what the cost will be for the software, the hardware and the learning cost.
I think you never had this kind of conversation here on the forum. But I am glad you replied to me very correctly.
We keep in touch.
Luc

[iMac1943]

Hi Clive, thank you for your triple. What do you think about my answer to Husky?

Regards,
Luc

[Clive]

What do you think about my answer to Husky?

I think what Husky said is common sense, that's why I said that Eastman already have automated systems available, what would be the point of reinventing the wheel - unless you can improvise like what Husky says!

Bye the way, the thing about common sense is that it's not that common

[iMac1943]

Tomorrow I have a meeting with my boss concerning his proposal to cut fabric by CNC. I am convinced that it is a bad idea because the quantity to be made per week is very low.
As Husky said: one have to start a cost-benefit analysis. That is always the first thing one has to do. I'll ask him how many bed sheets he want to make per day, per week. I guess it's about 10 per day.
Then I'll ask what the production cost is now, how long it takes to make 1 sheet. I'm not sure he knows the answer. After that I'll ask him what he thinks the cost will be for the new machine and what the time will be to cut 1 sheet. That must be compared to the present cost. I really think he will be surprised.
I must be well prepared.
Of course, he's the boss, he has the money.
I'll come back here within a few days and tell you whether I still have my job

[iMac1943]

Common sense won.
Back to where we were. Let's say you have to cut 30 pieces per week and you want to cut them all on one day, but you have different sizes. Pointing out the sizes takes most of the time. Cutting goes quick.
I was thinking, can one work with 4 laser beams that project 4 lines on the textile? 4 beamers above the tabel, 2 fix as zero on the x axe and y axe and 2 movable.
What you think?

[Clive]

I was thinking, can one work with 4 laser beams that project 4 lines on the textile? 4 beamers above the tabel, 2 fix as zero on the x axe and y axe and 2 movable.
What you think?

Too advanced Luc, maybe Q from 007 James Bond could help you with that idea or maybe NASA - no seriously this would not be cost effective and not even available in industry for what you want, not to mention the enormous cost to develop something like that.

Clive

[iMac1943]

I don't know. A simple laser from Bosch costs 53 euro (http://www.bosch-quigo.com/gb/en/product/the+quigo.html)
2 are installed fix (the zero x and zero y)
2 others are movable (on a rail above the table).
Let's say that on the table there is a ruler. You must be able to position the movable laser to the required dimension.
You can start cutting with the hand machine.

I guess that now the most time goes into measuring. Taking a ruler and a pen or pencil, drawing on the fabric and then starting cutting.
In my proposal, all the laser does is 'showing the way'.
Is it a bad idea for cutting 30 or 50 pieces per week?

[Clive]

Hey Luc, I see, I thought you meant for the cutting, now I understand. Well I guess it could work!

[iMac1943]

Thank you Clive.
Seen the small quantity needed per week, it has no sense to invent something expensive. I think that 4 cheap lasers will help to decrease the time for setting up the sizes.
Regards,
Luc