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Lego Technic CNC Milling Machine

This is the code and the building instructions for a Lego CNC Milling Machine that I constructed in 2016. It cuts out a 3D Model from a oasis foam. The 3D-resolution of the cut-out-3D-model is comparabile with a 5mm-Voxel represenation of the model.

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Demonstration Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYAj9Uz0zNU

Explanation Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myIkMpsWyjk

Usage

Lego building instructions

First you need to build the machine. You can find the instructions as a Lego Digital Designer File in the /lego digital designer directory or you can simply follow the uploaded PDF A list of parts and bricks you need is at the end of the pdf.

Software for converting a 3D Model into Data

In the next step you can convert your 3D Model into a file of numbers. The program is written in the Blender Game Engine and the last Blender Version that supported the Blender Game Engine was Version 2.79b. The blender file is /Datenberechner.blend You can exchange the green 3D Model with your Model. Make sure to name your model "Gube". For the program to work you need to make a Save.txt file and configure the path to the file on line 25 and 35. After that you can click into the 3D Viewport and hit P to start the game engine. The game engine will then convert your model to Data. This process might take up to half of an hour.

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Software for the EV3 Brick

The programm is written in Small Basic with the EV3 Basic Extension. An installation and tutorial guide you can find here in this YouTube series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myFKfOA4XbQ The Small Basic Code file you can find under /EV3-program/EV3-program.sb Here you also have to replace the path with your directory to the Save.txt

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After the Save.txt is finished, you can then connect your EV3 Brick to your PC and run the Small Basic script. The cutting process should then take about 3 hours.

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