MTE 240-46

Project 1
Presented by:
Yussuf Sherif Fathallah
(20180985)
Submitted to:
DR. Hossam El Din Ramadan
Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................3
Introduction .........................................................................................4
chapter 1 ...............................................................................................5
Chapter 2 ..............................................................................................5
Chapter 3 ..............................................................................................7
Chapter 4 ............................................................................................10
Conclusion ..........................................................................................11
References ...........................................................................................12

Figure 1 CNC plotter 3D design ...........................................................5

Figure 2 CNC plotter views ..................................................................6
Figure 3 stepper motor ..........................................................................6
Figure 4 mini servo................................................................................7
Figure 5 Arduino UNO..........................................................................8
Figure 6 shield and heatsink ..................................................................8
Figure 7 connection of the electrical components ................................9
Figure 8 IDE ........................................................................................10
Figure 9 Easel ......................................................................................11
 Abstract

This project shows how to design and build plotter machine based on
the open-source hardware and software. The Arduino plotter machine
has been dependent on the principle of Computer Numerical Control
with limited area depends on the motion X, Y and Z axes. The
objectives of this project are to design the Plotter and to develop
open-source software for controlling the machine. Basically, the
system of this plotter machine is modelled by solidworks software to
work with three axes stepper motors (as X, Y and Z axes), these three
stepper motors are controlled by shield for movement (X, Y and Z
axes).
 Introduction

The evolution of the technology of using CNC has made it easier to

build such small projects with low cost to serve in making detailed
products easily. As the fast-growing development of technology and
manufacturing, Industrial requirement such as good and high
precision quality has helped in developing the CNC machine plotter
all of those can be achieved through machines that can be controlled
by computers such as Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine.
Plotters are generally used to make 2D plots where it is digitally
controlled by a computer, Arduino or a microcontroller. This 2D plots
CNC machine can be replaced by higher specific laser sources
which can be used for cutting of different materials of different
strength in 3D plots. The 2D plotter is designed to record and plot
two-dimensional data on a rectangular coordinate system. In computer
numeric control Arduino Uno, microcontroller and motor driver is
used which is capable of processing logical instruction interfaces with
computer. A CNC plotter machine is a 3D controlled 2D plotting
machine which uses a pen to draw text or image on any given solid
surface. The coding for the CNC system which is G-code
programming. G-code is a function to tell the machine to move to
various point at the desired speed, control the spindle speed and turn
on and off at various positions. Meanwhile, low cost and easily
controlled function of the Arduino system contributed on simplifying
the building circuity of microcontroller in the 2D potter.
 chapter 1
systems of the CNC plotter

First the plotter has 3 degrees of freedom where the pen can move up
and down in the Z axis and the pen is free to move along 2D plane X-
Y axis. The pen is controlled by mini servo motor for upward and
downward movement. Two bi-directional motors are used in which
each motor is used for the X axis and the Y axis. Second there are
three systems for the CNC plotter which are mechanical system
design, electronics system wiring and computer software tools.

Chapter 2
Mechanical system design:
The structure of CNC plotter machine has been designed and
modelled in solidworks software with desired dimensions and all parts
of CNC machine will be achieved before implementation the
hardware of actual CNC plotter machine. Before starting the design,
there are many steps of criteria that must be explained. Length of
travel mean the linear movement of stepper motors that controls X, Y
and Z axes. The left-right motion is controlled by X axis stepper
motor, front-back motion controlled by Y axis stepper motor and the
will pen go up and down by Z axis stepper motor controller. The
following figures show a concept design for CNC plotter machine by
solidworks.

Figure 1 CNC plotter 3D design

 Figure 2 CNC plotter views

The main components of the plotter are two stepper motors and a mini
servo (moves the pen in Z-axis) where these as said before control the
movement of the machine in the three planes which are shown in the
figures below:

Figure 3 stepper motor

 Figure 4 mini servo

The power exerted from the motors is transmitted by timing belt and
pulleys to move the pen across the three axes.

Chapter 3
Electronics system and wiring

This section will discuss the electronic parts and wiring which is
needed for designing and building the CNC plotter machine. So, the
main electronic component required are Arduino UNO R3, CNC V3
Shield with A4988 Driver Module with Heatsink for Arduino, stepper
motors, mini servo motor, D.C. power supply, pen holder, to serial
adapter.

Arduino Uno R3:

Arduino Uno is microcontroller based on ATmega328P Atmel AVR

family microcontroller. which is an open-source software and
hardware design and manufacture a single of microcontroller. It has
14 digital I/O pins and 6 Analogue inputs can be sampled using on-
chip ADC. By using open source, the Arduino can be programmed. It
also has 6 PWM outputs multiplexed on to the digital I/O pins. Figure
5 below shows the Arduino Uno R3 circuit.

Figure 5 Arduino UNO

CNC V3 Shield with stepper Driver and Heatsink for Arduino:

The Arduino CNC Shield makes it easy to get your CNC projects up
and running in a few hours. It uses opensource computer code on
Arduino to control 4 stepper motors using 4 pieces of A4988 Stepper
Motor driver breakout board, with this CNC shield and Arduino Uno,
can be build project including CNC routers. The purpose of this CNC
shield to control on the three axes (X, Y and Z axes) of CNC plotter
machine, meaning control on the stepper motors and the mini servo
motor. The shield and heatsink are shown in figure 6 below:

Figure 6 shield and heatsink

Stepper Motor and mini-Servo:

The digital pulse stepper and servo can be converted into the
movement of the pen with respect to the X, Y, Z axes directions. The
stepper motor is a brushless motor that distributes full rotation in
several equal steps. The stepper motor in figure 3 has the property of
converting several drives to a specific increase in the position of the
column. The servo motor rotates and push parts of a machine with
precision. Servos are mainly used on angular or linear position and for
specific velocity, and acceleration. Each pulse from the Arduino
moves a column through a known fixed angle. This machine has used
two stepper motors and servo with pulleys and three timing belts. The
output of the motor will be in the form of the rotation of the pulley by
the belt with respect to the X, Y and Z axis.

Circuit and Wiring:

The wiring of the various components of electronics system is

represented in Figure (7). The microcontroller of Arduino board is
connected to the computer system through the USB serial port. The
Stepper Motors and the servo motor are connected with CNC shield
driver board. D.C. Power supply is provided for all the components of
electronics system.

Figure 7 connection of the electrical components

 Chapter 4
Computer and software tools

Arduino IDE:
The open-source Arduino Software (IDE) makes it easy to write a
code and upload it to the board from the following site (
https://www.arduino.cc ). It is simplified C/C++ functions language-
based programming which can be downloaded with a rich set of
library functions. After downloading and installing it on pc it can
write the program by C language. After that the code can be uploaded
on the Arduino. Figure (8) shows Arduino software IDE.

Figure 8 IDE

Easel software:

As to make the CNC plotter machine plot and write it needs software
tools to design the graphs and then convert this graph to G-code for
the CNC machine to operate and understand G language, this tools
can be achieved by easel software tools, the dimension of the material
must be set and set Bit to 0.15 mm because Z axis is pen. Through
this software can be set positions of X, Y and Z axes, also can control
the speed of CNC machine mm/min from feed rate as shown figure
(9).

Figure 9 Easel

Conclusion

The concept of a low-cost plotter machine has been discussed in this

research, where it is easily controlled by the computer. This machine
can be easily transported and assembled everywhere as required. The
board size of this device can be about 40X40 cm. Stepper Motor will
run on this standard for board size. If there is an increase in the size or
length of the lead coil, it will be free to make the large size of the
design on paper.
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