CNC Milling in Model Making, Volume 2

Book excerpt: Portal milling machines allow large machining areas in relation to their dimensions and are therefore ideal for certain operations such as cutting out aircraft ribs, milling and drilling printed circuit boards or engraving signs. Depending on the machine size, portal milling machines can also be used for machining steel or grey cast iron parts. Even technical drawing is possible with such machines. In continuation of Volume 1 on the basics of CNC milling, Christoph Selig describes in the present volume the construction of a portal milling machine controlled by the "Mach3" software. In this challenging treatise, the author covers all questions and work steps, from the size of the machine and its intended use to the guides and axis drives, the milling spindle and the wiring, all the way to electronic commissioning. Even those who buy a portal milling machine ready-made will read this book with profit. Around 170 illustrations with photographs, drawings and screen examples as well as detailed information on manufacturers and suppliers of the required material supplement the text.