Development of Offline Mini CNC Milling Machine for Wood Carving

Abstract

This research aims to design and develop a small CNC milling machine for wood carving with an offline system, and to determine the efficiency and evaluate the quality of the developed CNC milling machine. The development process followed a 7-step technological approach.
The results showed that the developed CNC milling machine has a unique feature of being able to work offline without requiring a connection to a computer. It has a machining area of 350x350x120 millimeters and a structure made of aluminum sheets. The machine uses an 800-watt, 24,000 rpm water-cooled spindle motor with a cooling pump. It is driven by stepping motors and ball screws on all three axes. The machine employs a robust system for securing the workpiece, wires, and cutting tools. The control system is managed through a Mach3 board and a 7-inch touchscreen, utilizing the ArtCAM software for design and workpiece creation. The efficiency tests of the machining movement along the X, Y, and Z axes, as well as the actual machining tests on various shapes, revealed that the average deviation was at an excellent level. The quality assessment by 5 experts found that the overall quality was at an excellent level, with an average of 4.71 and a standard deviation of 0.44. The developed small CNC milling machine for offline wood carving demonstrates high efficiency, ease of use, and precision. It can be practically applied in the wood carving production industry, reducing the steps and time required for computer system preparation, lowering costs, increasing production capacity, and enhancing the quality and competitiveness of wood carving products. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of knowledge in production technology and automatic control for the Thai industrial academic sector.