blinktbi
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 5:20 pm
Location: Charleston, SC
Contact: Website

Laser and CNC

I am new to 3D printing and we purchased a ZMorph VX 3-in-1 printer, laser, CNC device. It comes with a really lousy slicer and it almost unusable, so I am going to try Simplify 3D. My question is, has anyone tried using Simplify 3D for any laser cutter, laser etcher or simple CNC? I saw a post from 2016 of someone asking, but there weren't any replies.
New ZMorph VX 3D Printer, Laser cutting and etching and CNC.
TheBum
Posts: 177
Joined: Fri May 18, 2018 11:13 pm

Re: Laser and CNC

Simplify3D isn't designed for CNC or laser. It's strictly for slicing solids. A lot of times, the tool you use for design will have the capability of generating the tool paths you need for CNC or laser. I know Fusion 360 does.
blinktbi
Posts: 3
Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2019 5:20 pm
Location: Charleston, SC
Contact: Website

Re: Laser and CNC

OK, thank you. I am new to Solidworks, so I will look into using it to get the Gcode for laser and CNC. Appreciate the info.
New ZMorph VX 3D Printer, Laser cutting and etching and CNC.
greybeard
Posts: 178
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:23 pm

Re: Laser and CNC

Yes, you can use Simplify for Laser and CNC movement, if you have a setup to do it and know how/what you’re doing.
But, Simplify won’t generate the Gcode to do it. It only does what the Gcode tells it to do.
Thus, you need to generate the Gcode either by Hand coding or by using other software (preferred).

I have done it with both Simplify and Repeater to confirm this but I have a CNC machine so, it was only a demo (though I designed fixtures to attach to the Extruder to hold a Dremel tool for show&tell...).

Summary:
• The Gcode for 3d printing is not the same as the Gcode for laser/CNC.
• You’ll need to Generate the Gcode either by Hand coding it (easy example below). Or, generate the Gcode using a program that does it (such as FreeCad).
• If your 3d-printer /other-machine has a Laser or Milling head attached to the Extruder, then Yes, you can use Simplify to control it too.

Example below is simple hand-coded Gcode demo using Simplify to ‘Preview’ Gcode [File>Preview Gcode]

The Hand-Coded Gcode:
G90
G21
G28
G1 Z25.0 F500
G1 X25.0 Y100 F1000
G4 P4000
G1 X100 Y110
G1 X25 Y110
G4 P2000
G1 X100 Y110
G1 X25 Y110
G1 X100 Y100
G28
M84

Previewing in Simplify Click image to see video, I hope
Attachments
gcodeShow.mov.gif
3D Print Parts
https://www.thingiverse.com/Still_Breathing/designs
greybeard
Posts: 178
Joined: Mon Mar 02, 2015 1:23 pm

Re: Laser and CNC

Added the following video of Simplify running Gcode for Milling a test block of wood.

Gcode generated in FreeCad and I did not fuss about where to place the block so, it’s not on the bed...

[EDIT - ADDED:]

Useful Tip:

Gcode files often have different filename extensions. But, all are simply ‘Text’ files.

For Simplify to recognize the file, it must have a .gcode extension.

Thus, after ending up with a satisfactory gcode (however you generated it), simply change the filename extension and Simplify will load it...
Attachments
gcodeMilling.mov.gif
3D Print Parts
https://www.thingiverse.com/Still_Breathing/designs
User avatar
Daniel-J
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2020 12:48 am
Location: Adelaide

Re: Laser and CNC

It all depends on the quantity and what exactly you will have to do behind this machine. If you get in the way of printing, you will have to bear the costs all the time. For example, I buy a new machine again and try different ones, but they break down sooner or later. Now I'm looking at this page with reviews, I haven't tried the models that are shown there, but maybe you will be interested in them. While I'm looking at the information about them myself.
viewcart
Posts: 4
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:22 pm

Re: Laser and CNC

No one is positively reviewing them because none of them work well. It's unfortunate but it's true. The reason is not due to "no one has done it right" it's that it is physically impossible to build a single machine that does everything well. It's like trying to make a race car and a tractor out of the same system and just swap out the engine- they're all fundamentally different designs that require fundamentally different things. You CAN make one system that does them all- but you will trade performance of one unit for performance from another unit.

There are very, very few applications that would be a good choice for one of these systems, and shooting for low cost isn't one of them.

In short:
-CNC machines absolutely need rigidity which absolutely needs large amounts of mass and very stiff actuators.
-3D printers absolutely need high speeds (compared to CNC machines) to be useful, which absolutely means lightweight components.
-Laser cutters can operate fast or slow, but they require very tight alignment and lots of space for a laser tube, with clear pathways for mirrors and a contaminant-free workspace. If you want to engrave, you'll need high speeds thus light components.

You're probably thinking you can just use huge motors with stiff components to make a machine that can CNC mill well and 3D print stuff- you CAN, but motors that big and fast are VERY expensive.

You're also probably thinking that the laser and the 3D printer have similar requirements, and that's KIND of correct, BUT the laser tube really puts a kink in things. If you're willing to accept much less performance, you can use a diode laser (about 2 W instead of 40 W) which is much smaller but obviously much less capable- again, you're accepting crappy laser performance for the possibility of using the same XY gantry.
citopi12
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2022 7:13 am

Re: Laser and CNC

Also wanted this. Got detailed discussion from comments. Thanks to you guys and community.

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