‫جامعــــة األزهــر – غـــــــــــــــزة‬

Al Azhar University - Gaza

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

FINAL YEAR PROJECT – FYP1

Plasma Cutting Machine

Student Name:

 Ahmed M. Abdullah 20152916.

 Osamah A. Al-najjar. 20152337.
 Mohammed I. Al_abadllah 20152915.
 Asmaa A. Al-najjar 20154328.
 Noha I. Al_abadllah 20152937.

SUPERVIESD BY:

 DR. Alaa Abu zaiter

Febrayer 2020

SEMESTER II 2019/2020
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Praise and thanks to Allah first and foremost whose blessing enabled us to accomplish this
project.

We wish to express our deepest appreciation to our supervisor Dr. Alaa Abu zaiter for relentless
guidance, helpful suggestion, close supervision and moral encouragement to complete this task.

A special thank for our parents and to all our teachers we have had.

Our sincerely thanks for all those who helped us to complete this project even directly or
indirectly.

II
 Abstract

This project is used in industrial and manufacturing applications , the function of it is sheet metal
cutting using plasma in combination with CNC technology in order to produce a very precise
cuts in sheet metal up to 6mm thick.

Plasma which is the fourth state of matter is used to provide the cutting action which is in fact
melting metal in a very small and concentrated point.

the CNC technology provides the precision and accuracy by transforming the 3d modeled design
into numical values that can drive the machine axis holding plasma touch that cuts the metal
beneath it.

this machine can be used in manufacturing other industrial machines due to its accuracy which
can help in creating high quality parts.

III
Contents
Chapter 1................................................................................................................................................. 2
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 3
1.2 What is a Plasma? .................................................................................................................... 4
1.4 History of Plasma: .................................................................................................................... 5
1.5 Project Definition ..................................................................................................................... 6
Computer numerical control (CNC): .................................................................................................... 6
1.6 What is CNC plasma cutting machine? ..................................................................................... 7
1.7 Problem Statement: .................................................................................................................. 7
Chapter 2................................................................................................................................................. 8
LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................................................................................ 8
2.1 Introduction: ............................................................................................................................ 9
2.2 methods of metal cutting. ....................................................................................................... 10
2.2.1 CNC milling cutter. .................................................................................................... 10
2.2.2 CNC plasma cutter...................................................................................................... 12
2.2.3 CNC laser cutter. ........................................................................................................ 13
2.2.4 CNC water jet cutter. .................................................................................................. 14
General comparison between different solutions: ............................................................................... 15
Chapter3 ............................................................................................................................................... 16
DESIGN, COMPONENTS & FABRICATION ................................................................................. 16
3.1 Flowchart Design: .............................................................................................................. 17
3.2 3D model design: ............................................................................................................... 18
1) Frame:................................................................................................................................ 18
2) V-Rail: ............................................................................................................................... 18
3) Gantry: ............................................................................................................................... 19
4) Bearings : ........................................................................................................................... 19
3.3 Components: ...................................................................................................................... 20
3.3.1 Hardware components: ................................................................................................... 20
1) Bipolar Stepper motors: ...................................................................................................... 20
2) Open Loop - stepper drivers: .............................................................................................. 21
3) Machine body: ................................................................................................................... 21
Software components. ................................................................................................................ 25

IV
 1) Fusion360......................................................................................................................... 25
2) Mach3 ................................................................................................................................ 25
Circuit Design: .................................................................................................................................. 26
Chapter 4 .............................................................................................................................................. 29
EXPERIMENT ......................................................................................................................................... 29
4.1 COMPONENTS COLLECTIONS. ........................................................................................ 31
4.1.1 Electrical components:.................................................................................................... 31
1) Electrical Fan: .................................................................................................................... 31
2) Emergency switch: ............................................................................................................. 31
3) Control box: ....................................................................................................................... 32
4.1.2 Mechanical Components. ................................................................................................ 34
1) The machine body: ............................................................................................................. 34
2) The y-axis mechanism: ....................................................................................................... 35
3) The x-axis mechanism: ....................................................................................................... 36
4) The Z-axis mechanism: ...................................................................................................... 37
5) Z_axis driver: ..................................................................................................................... 38
Chapter 5 .............................................................................................................................................. 40
CONTROL & SOFTWARE ......................................................................................................................... 40
5.1 Functional Design Description. .............................................................................................. 41
Control circuits .................................................................................................................................. 42
5.2 Circuits Description. .............................................................................................................. 42
 THC :..................................................................................................................................... 42
 Mach3:................................................................................................................................... 43
Software: ........................................................................................................................................... 44
 Mach3 .................................................................................................................................... 44
Chapter 6............................................................................................................................................... 46
CONCLOUSION & REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 46
6.1 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 47
6.2 Future Work: ......................................................................................................................... 47
6.3 References: ........................................................................................................................... 48

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Table Of Figure:
Figure 1: CNC System Components. ....................................................................................................... 3
Figure 2: Plasma nozzle. .......................................................................................................................... 6
Figure 3: CNC Plasma Machine. .............................................................................................................. 7
Figure 4: CNC milling cutter ................................................................................................................. 10
Figure 5: CNC Plasma Cutter. ............................................................................................................... 12
Figure 6: CNC laser cutter. .................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 7: CNC water jet cutter ............................................................................................................... 14
Figure 8: Frame. .................................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 9: V-Rail. ................................................................................................................................... 18
Figure 10: Gantry. ................................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 11: Bearings. .............................................................................................................................. 19
Figure 12: Stepper motor. ...................................................................................................................... 20
Figure 13: Stepper drivers. ..................................................................................................................... 21
Figure 14: Machine body. ...................................................................................................................... 21
Figure 15: drive belts and poly. .............................................................................................................. 22
Figure 16: Mach3 interface board. ......................................................................................................... 22
Figure 17: limit switched. ................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 18: Power supply. ....................................................................................................................... 23
Figure 19: Air compressor. .................................................................................................................... 24
Figure 20: plasma cutting machine......................................................................................................... 24
Figure 21: Interface board pin outs. ....................................................................................................... 26
Figure 22: TB6600 Driver pin outs. ....................................................................................................... 27
Figure 23: Connections between the drivers and the interface board. ...................................................... 27
Figure 24: Electrical fan. ....................................................................................................................... 31
Figure 25: Emergency switch................................................................................................................. 31
Figure 26: latch circuit. .......................................................................................................................... 32
Figure 27: Electrical components. .......................................................................................................... 33
Figure 28: Machine body. ...................................................................................................................... 34
Figure 29: CAD design of y-axis gear. ................................................................................................... 35
Figure 30: Real design of y-axis gear. .................................................................................................... 35
Figure 31: CAD design of x-axis. .......................................................................................................... 36
Figure 32: Real desighn of x-axis........................................................................................................... 36
Figure 33: CAD design of z-axis. ........................................................................................................... 37
Figure 34: Real design of z-axis. ............................................................................................................ 37
Figure 35: driver connections................................................................................................................. 38
Figure 36: Driver Pcb. ........................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 37: driver board. ......................................................................................................................... 39
Figure 38: signal chart for project. ......................................................................................................... 41
Figure 39: THC Circuit.......................................................................................................................... 42
Figure 40: THC Pcb............................................................................................................................... 43
Figure 41: Mach3 Board. ....................................................................................................................... 43
Figure 42: RnRMotion plugin insertion.................................................................................................. 44

VI
Figure 43: RnRMotion Selection. .......................................................................................................... 45
Figure 44: Mach3 pins and ports configuration. ..................................................................................... 45

VII
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

2
1.1 Introduction

As the world develop in technology the need to form materials is increasing, metals for
example are used in all life aspects like construction , vehicles, machines, furniture and weapons.

There exist more than one way to form metals like welding, cutting, bending, punching and
casting, all the mentioned methods are important and each one is used for a specific reason , but
a lot of these methods requires a specific shape of sheet metal to be precut and there exists more
than one way to cut sheet metal some of them are manual and other are automatic of computer
driven, in manual cutting the tool itself may be powered by man or by external power sources
like electric or hydraulic sources.

On the other hand where we are focusing the most, cutting is done automatically by computer
controlled machines AKA CNC machines computer control can be applied to most fields of
material forming, in cutting field there also exists many CNC cutting machines like CNC Milling
Machine and CNC Laser Machine, so in our report we will discuss the best options and go
through designing the chosen option from start to finish.

Figure 1: CNC System Components.

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To better understand the concepts of the projects several questions must be asked:

 What is a Plasma?
 how plasma produced?
 what types of plasma?
 What are the applications of plasma?
 What is plasma cutting machine?

1.2 What is a Plasma?

One common description of plasma is that it is the fourth state of matter. We normally
think of the three states of matter as solid, liquid and gas. For the most commonly known
substance, water, these states are ice, water and steam. If you add heat energy, the ice will
change from a solid to a liquid, and if more heat is added, it will change to a gas (steam). When
substantial heat is added to a gas, it will change from gas to plasma, the fourth state of matter.

On the other hand:

Plasma is a chemical reaction between electricity and matter in the presence of variable
current, intensity and direction, meaning that the material is considered conductive of electricity
in the case of high voltage and frequency.

This is what causes the atoms of matter to dissociate, forming an enormous energy capable of
boiling minerals.

1.3 Ionisation

If we add more energy to water, it vaporizes and separates into two gases,
hydrogen and oxygen, in the form of steam. By adding even more energy to a gas, we
find that its characteristics are modified substantially in terms of temperature and
electrical characteristics. This process is called Ionisation, the creation of free electrons
and ions among the gas atoms.

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 When this happens, the gas, which has now become a plasma, is electrically
conductive because free electrons are available to carry current. Many of the principles
that apply to current conduction through metals also apply to plasmas. For example, if the
current-carrying cross-section of a metal is reduced, the resistance increases. A higher
voltage is needed to force the same amount of electrons through this cross-section and the
metal heats up. The same is true for a plasma gas; the more we reduce the cross-section,
the hotter it gets.

In this historic review of the plasma arc process, we will follow the development of a
plasma arc with high speed gas flow which is, essentially, the "plasma cutting process.

1.4 History of Plasma:

In 1941, the U.S. defense industry was looking for better ways of joining light
metal together for the war effort and, more specifically, for the production of airplanes.
Out of this effort, a new welding process was born. An electric arc was used to melt the
metal, and an inert gas shield around the arc and the pool of molten metal was used to
displace the air, preventing the molten metal from picking up oxygen from the air. This
new process "TIG" (Tungsten Inert Gas), seemed to be a perfect solution for the very
specific requirement of high-quality welding.

While doing further development work on the TIG process, scientists at Union
Carbide's welding laboratory discovered that when they reduced the gas nozzle opening
that directed the inert gas from the TIG torch electrode (cathode) to the workpiece
(anode), the properties of the open TIG arc could be greatly altered. The reduced nozzle
opening constricted the electric arc and gas and increased its speed and its resistive heat.
The arc temperature and voltage rose dramatically. Instead of welding, the metal was cut
by the plasma jet.

In Figure 2 both arcs are operating in argon at 200 amps. The plasma jet is only
moderately constricted by the 3/16 inch (4.8 mm) diameter of the nozzle orifice, If the
same current is forced through a nozzle with an even smaller opening, the temperature
and voltage rise. At the same time, the higher kinetic energy of the gas leaving the nozzle
ejects the molten metal, creating a cut.

5
 Figure 2: Plasma nozzle.

1.5 Project Definition

Computer numerical control (CNC):

Computer numerical control (CNC) is a method for automating control of machine tools
through the use of software embedded in a microcomputer attached to the tool. It is commonly
used in manufacturing for machining metal and plastic parts.

With CNC, each object to be manufactured gets a custom computer program, usually
written in an international standard language called G-code, stored in and executed by the
machine control unit (MCU), a microcomputer attached to the machine.

Early in the process, engineers create a computer-aided design (CAD) drawing of the part
to be manufactured, then translate the drawing into G-code. The program is loaded onto the
MCU and a human operator performs a test run without the raw material in place, to ensure
proper positioning and performance. This step is important because incorrect speed or
positioning can damage both the machine and the part.

6
1.6 What is CNC plasma cutting machine?

Figure 3: CNC Plasma Machine.

A plasma cutting torch is a commonly used tool for cutting metals for a wide
variety of purposes. a plasma torch is an excellent tool for quickly cutting through sheet
metal, metal plates, straps, bolts, pipes, etc.

1.7 Problem Statement:

With the development of life and the development of the field of technology in its
various branches, such as the industrial and engineering fields, there appeared the need to
melt the metal for flexibility in its use in industry and its use as the human mind wants.

Engineering thinking went to create a metal cutting machine with accurate sizes
and sizes of its importance in a wide range of advertising, advertising, metal forming,
metal construction, decoration work, machinery manufacturing, ships, vehicles, and many
engineering industries.

1.8 Project Objectives:

1) Study the CNC technology used in industry.

2) create a CNC Plasma Cutter able to cut though 8mm thick metal.
3) develop a new CNC design for suited for plasma cutting.
4) mechanize a manual plasma cutter into a CNC plasma cutter.

7
Chapter 2
LITERATURE REVIEW

8
2.1 Introduction:

When we come to metal cutting it is usually found in the manufacturing field

where cost and quality is what matters the most, so the cutting machine must satisfy some
criteria for manufacturing, large production quantities requires a machine that can
withstand long working hours and maintain the same accuracy. The thickness and
material type are also some important aspects so the machine must be able to satisfy all
the various requirements.

Some special aspects are only achieved with a specified machines for example the
minimum cut width or no heat produced with the cut, these aspects can only be achieved
using high cost and precision machines.

Another aspects may not be concerned with the machine ability but the surrounding such
as the environmental effects which the whole world sights are looking for, or as the
operator health such as skin or eye damage.

9
2.2 methods of metal cutting.

Metal can be cut with traditional methods such as manual iron saw or powered
tools such as angle grinder, but to facilitate the processes there exists Automatic ways or
CNC cutting technology that includes the following :

2.2.1 CNC milling cutter.

Figure 4: CNC milling cutter

Milling is the process of machining using rotary cutters to remove material

by advancing a cutter into a work piece. This may be done varying direction on
one or several axes, cutter head speed, and pressure. Milling covers a wide variety
of different operations and machines, on scales from small individual parts to
large, heavy-duty gang milling operations. It is one of the most commonly used
processes for machining custom parts to precise tolerances.

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 Advantage:

 Machining is accurate.
 Time taken to perform a job is very less.
 Safe to operate.
 Number of operators required to operate a machine are reduced.
 No possibility of human error.
 Reliable.
 Even very complex designs can also be made.
 Low maintenance required.
 They are versatile.
 Uniformity in designs.
 They could run for all 24 hours a day.

 Disadvantage:

 They are costly.

 Trained operator is required to operate the machine.
 In case of breakdown a highly skilled professional is required to
solve the problem.

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2.2.2 CNC plasma cutter.

Figure 5: CNC Plasma Cutter.

Plasma cutting is a process that cuts through electrically conductive

materials by means of an accelerated jet of hot plasma. Typical materials cut
with a plasma torch include steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass and copper,
although other conductive metals may be cut as well. Plasma cutting is often
used in fabrication shops, automotive repair and restoration, industrial cutting
sees widespread use from large-scale industrial CNC applications down to
small hobbyist shops.

 Advantage:
 cutting Speed.
 Wide Range of Material and Thickness.
 Ease of Use.
 Multi-tasking.
 Safety.
 Economical.
Keeps Materials Cool.
 Disadvantage:

 Restrict the use of up to 160 mm (180 mm) for dry cutting and 120
mm for underwater cutting.
 The slit is slightly wider.
 Energy consumption is relatively high.
 Noise development is possible with dry cutting.

12
2.2.3 CNC laser cutter.

Figure 6: CNC laser cutter.

Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to slice materials. While

typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, it is also starting to be
used by schools, small businesses, and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing
the output of a high-power laser most commonly through optics. The laser optics
and CNC (computer numerical control) are used to direct the material or the laser
beam generated.

 Advantage:

 The production speed is higher.

 A wide range of materials are cuttable without damaging them.
 It’s a more affordable option compared to CNC machines.
 It’s compatible with any vector software like AutoCAD (DWG) or
Adobe Illustrator (AI).
 It doesn’t generate waste like sawdust.
 It’s very safe to use with the right equipment.

 Disadvantage:

 Thicker materials are more difficult to cut or require very low

speeds.
 Higher density materials like glass can’t be cut.

13
  It burns the edges of any material you want to cut.
 Some materials, like plastic, can produce toxic emissions.
 Production speed aren’t always consistent, depending on the
material thickness and density.
 Some laser cutters consume a lot of energy, increasing the
production cost.

2.2.4 CNC water jet cutter.

Figure 7: CNC water jet cutter

is an industrial tool capable of cutting a wide variety of materials using a

very high-pressure jet of water, or a mixture of water and an abrasive substance.
The term abrasive jet refers specifically to the use of a mixture of water and
abrasive to cut hard materials such as metal or granite, while the terms pure water
jet and water-only cutting refer to water jet cutting without the use of added
abrasives, often used for softer materials such as wood or rubber.

 Advantage:
 Use of green technology.
 Cuts almost any material.
 Less Heat.
 Extremely Accurate.
 Disadvantage:

14
  Cutting Time.
 Orifice Failure.
 Greater Thickness , Less Accuracy.
 Starting Costs.

General comparison between different solutions:

Comparison
Type CNC cost power accuracy Maintenance risk Environment total

milling cutter 3 4 5 2 4 4 22
plasma cutter 5 4 3 4 4 3 23
laser cutter 1 1 4 2 3 3 14
water jet cutter 1 2 3 5 5 5 21
Table (1): general a comparison.

Table1: gives a general a comparison between different types of CNC cutting each
method is given a total score based on different criteria.

15
 Chapter3
DESIGN, COMPONENTS & FABRICATION

16
3.1 Flowchart Design:

Any CNC process starts as an idea and ends up as a part of manufacturing process, the
following flowchart represents the general steps of CNC design.

17
3.2 3D model design:
The machine parts where approximated and roughly sketched, then 3D modeled
using Fusion360 after that the parts where assembled together and the joints between
parts where determined.

1) Frame:

Figure 8: Frame.

The main body on which all parts are installed, such as Gantry, motors and V-Rail.

2) V-Rail:

Figure 9: V-Rail.

v-rails are used as a linear guides on which the gantry (Y-axis) and X-axis can
slide on with the help of ball bearings, they are simple and robust and allow the
movement in only one direction.

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3) Gantry:

Gantry tip.

Figure 10: Gantry.

It moves on the x axis and has the y axis” V-Rail” and plasma tip Portable on it.

4) Bearings :

Bearings and frame.

Figure 11: Bearings.

Coupling device for fixed and mobile parts to facilitate movement.

19
3.3 Components:

3.3.1 Hardware components:

1) Bipolar Stepper motors:

Figure 12: Stepper motor.

A stepper motor, also known as step motor or stepping motor, is a brushless DC

electric motor that divides a full rotation into a number of equal steps. The motor's
position can then be commanded to move and hold at one of these steps without
any position sensor for feedback (an open-loop controller), as long as the motor is
carefully sized to the application in respect to torque and speed.

Bipolar motors have a single winding per phase. The current in a winding needs
to be reversed in order to reverse a magnetic pole, so the driving circuit must be more
complicated, typically with an H-bridge arrangement (however there are several off-the-
shelf driver chips available to make this a simple affair). There are two leads per phase,
none are common.

Hint:

In our project we use motors nema 23, It is consumed by current 3.3Amber and
works with a operating voltage 30V.

20
 2) Open Loop - stepper drivers:

Figure 13: Stepper drivers.

Stepper motor driver is an electrical device that allows controlling the

stepper motor precisely, and supplies the required current and operating sequence
to it. Open loop systems have no feedback device to monitor speed or position of
the motor. Instead, the distance to be traveled from the current location is divided
into a number of precise, incremental steps by the machine control.

3) Machine body:

Figure 14: Machine body.

The body is the metal frame that holds all the parts of the machine together, the
gantry style is used because of its rigidity and simplicity the gantry is considered the x-axis
while the bed is the y-axis.

21
 drive belts and poly:

Figure 15: drive belts and poly.

Long rubber toothed belts and toothed pulleys used to transmit motion from the
motors to the axis.

 Mach3 interface board:

Figure 16: Mach3 interface board.

Parallel port I/O break out board designed for Hobby CNC, Routers and
Motion controller , This Board is an easy solution to driver stepper Motor driver, AC
Servo (with Step-DIR Driver) and DC servo (with Step-DIR Driver), The Board is
compatible with various CNC software specially made for LPT port data out. The
board has been tested with MACH3 CNC software. All outputs are buffered, all
inputs are optical isolated and can be used as emergency switch, limit switch and
home switch.

22
 limit switched:

Figure 17: limit switched.

Switches used to determine the travel end/limit of the axis.

 Power supply:

Figure 18: Power supply.

Power supply is used to power all element of the machine like the steppers and
Mach3 board.

23
 Air compressor:

Figure 19: Air compressor.

A compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by

reducing its volume. An air compressor is a specific type of gas compressor.
Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can
transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces
the volume of a gas. Liquids are relatively incompressible; while some can be
compressed, the main action of a pump is to pressurize and transport liquids. It is an
essential component for plasma machine, since compressed air is what actually turns out
into plasma used for cutting.

 plasma cutting machine:

Figure 20: plasma cutting machine.

In simple terms, a plasma cutter is a tool that can cut through various types of
electrically conductive materials, namely metals such as steel, copper, brass, aluminum
and others. It does this by creating a high-temperature, electrical channel of ionized gas,
which is known as plasma. There are different types of plasma cutters from small, hand-
held machines that are used by home hobbyists to large, automated CNC cutters used by
various industries.

24
Software components.

1) Fusion360

Fusion 360 is a very popular CAD program used to model and simulate
projects and components, it is very easy to use and has a lot of great features, in our
project the mechanical designing process was carried out using this program.

2) Mach3

25
 Mach3 turns a typical computer into a CNC machine controller. It is very
rich in features and provides a great value to those needing a CNC control
package. mach3 works on most Windows PC’s to control the motion of motors
(stepper & servo) by processing G-Code, while comprising many advanced
features, it is the most intuitive CNC control software available. Mach3 is
customizable and has been used for many applications with numerous types of
hardware.

Circuit Design:

Our project uses more than one components connected together, the
connection must be done carefully otherwise the machines will not work as
intended , the first step to connect components together is to define their pin out.

Figure 21: Interface board pin outs.

26
  TB6600 Driver pin outs:

Figure 22: TB6600 Driver pin outs.

-The following diagram represents the connection between the interface board and one driver.

Figure 23: Connections between the drivers and the interface board.

27
-The following diagram shows the connections between all electronic parts with the interface
board.

28
Chapter 4
EXPERIMENT

29
After a long study for the different systems and design a various design and study their
power safety and degree of defray. Now it is time to move to the real world and converts
it from soft to tangible, as shown in this chapter.

Experiment:
This chapter will include explanation of the mechanism of the project, this will be
followed by talking about each component used in details, and it will also talk about
testing steps and experiments which are done to find the suitable components to be used.
The software, the implementation of the electronics and interfacing will be shown. It is
important to start testing component by simulation to facilitate the implementation of the
final circuits through using simulation software.

The experiments are organized to many main parts which are:

The electrical Fan.

The emergency switch.
The control box.
The machine body.
The y-axis mechanism.
The x-axis mechanism.
The z-axis mechanism.
The Plasma machine.

30
4.1 COMPONENTS COLLECTIONS.
4.1.1 Electrical components:

1) Electrical Fan:

Figure 24: Electrical fan.

Four 220V electrical fans were used to reduce the temperature when the need
arises.

2) Emergency switch:

Figure 25: Emergency switch.

This switch is used to stop all motors from moving. it shuts down the systems and
turns the machine off without damaging it.

31
3) Control box:

The control box is where all the electronics are connected together, it consists of the
main on/off circuit, power supplies, drivers and mach3 board, … etc.
The control box is organized as a high voltage and low voltage sides, the side in
which the latch circuit is applied to supply and cut the mains voltage to the power
supplies and fans, the low voltage side in which the mach3, THC, drivers and lcd
and connected .

 High voltage side:

It uses an on/off switches which are normally open and normally closed switches
in combination with an emergency switch to control a contactor which supplies
voltage to the load (power supplies which supply power to drivers and motors).

Figure 26: latch circuit.

 Low voltage side:

It consists of all the low voltage components such as power supplies, drivers,
mach3 board and THC, the power supplies are 24v 100w each and connected in
series to get 48v to supply the drivers, the maximum voltage for the drivers is 52v
and we choose 48v becouse as voltage increases the dv/dt in the motor decreses
which enhances the perfirmance of the motor.

32
 The THC:

The THC controls the z-axis becouse it is responsible for the hight of the torch but
still uses signals provided by the mach3 board.
The x-axis and y-axis are driven directly from the mach3 board becouse no
modifications are required unlike the case of the z-axis.

The dc low voltage circuit is explained in details in chapter 3.

 Z-axis driver:

This driver is different than the y-axis and x-axis drivers becouse z-axis is the
smallest load so smaller motor and smaller driver are used, th driver is A4988
which is a 2A stepper motor driver, the driver is not ready to connect the wire to it
so a special pcb was designed to ease the connectons between it and the motor and
signal wires.

Figure 27: Electrical components.

33
4.1.2 Mechanical Components.
1) The machine body:

The machine body was made according to design above with some differences and
improvements such as:

 Industrial linear guides were used instead of angle beams.

 15*15 mm square beam is used in the gantry instead of 8*8 mm square beams to
increase stability.

Gear box is added to y-axis & z-axis to increase the torque.

Figure 28: Machine body.

34
2) The y-axis mechanism:

It is the mechanism responsible for moving the gantry in the y-axis in which a lot of
load exists so we designed a mechanism using a modified aluminum gear.

Figure 29: CAD design of y-axis gear.

Figure 30: Real design of y-axis gear.

35
3) The x-axis mechanism:

The x-axis is very light yet it uses a relatively powerful motor hence, no gear was
required.

Figure 31: CAD design of x-axis.

Figure 32: Real desighn of x-axis.

36
4) The Z-axis mechanism:

The z-axis mechanism is a lead screw and a linear bearing but since the z-plate is a bit
heavy we used a gear reduction to move the axis with a smaller motor.

Figure 33: CAD design of z-axis.

Figure 34: Real design of z-axis.

37
5) Z_axis driver:

Figure 35: driver connections.

38
 Figure 36: Driver Pcb.

Figure 37: driver board.

39
 Chapter 5
CONTROL & SOFTWARE

40
This chapter will include a signal chart which will be used to explain the mechanism of the
project, this will be followed by talking about each component used in details, and it will also
talk about testing steps and experiments which are done to find the suitable components to be
used.

The software, the implementation of the electronics and interfacing will be shown.

It is important to start testing component by simulation to facilitate the implementation of the

final circuits through using simulation software.

5.1 Functional Design Description.

The project aims Create a CNC Plasma Cutter able to cut though 8mm thick metal.
The below figure shows the signal chart that illustrating the process.

Figure 38: signal chart for project.

This flow charts show how signals are passed through various system components.

41
Control circuits

5.2 Circuits Description.

This section talks about the circuits design and describes the basic components of CNC
machine. The circuits is composed of the following components:

 THC.
 Mach3 serial board.

THC :

It a controller used to adjust the torch hight keeping a fixed distance between the
torch nozzle and the work piece with the help of plasma machine circuitry and it
controls the z-axiz instead of the mach3 board becouse it holds the torch.

Figure 39: THC Circuit.

42
 Figure 40: THC Pcb.

Mach3:

Figure 41: Mach3 Board.

The mach3 serial board is the main board of the machine, it reads the commands sent by
the computer to turn on an on/off output device (plasma machine in our case) or
transforms them into pulses for the required axis and reads the input signal from the
machine sensors and sends these signals back to computer to process them.

43
Software:
Mach3 :

Mach3 is an advanced CNC controller for DIY. You can also run this software on
Industrial machines. It runs the G-Code on Windows PCs.

And it creates a sophisticated control system to control the activity of motors and
generators. There are many features in this software, but it also user friendly. It is also
applicable to the steppers and servos.

Among all the CNC control software, Mach3 is the handiest and user friendly software.
Mach3 is the third version of the software Mach. The founder of Artsoft Art Fenerty first
developed Mach software.

One can easily customize Mach3 software in their machines. The machines and
components running in any industry can be in control of one PC with the help of Mach3
software.

To use the serial mach3 board a special plugin must be used which is RnRMotion plugin.

It must be iserted in the progarm file location in a file called plugins:

Figure 42: RnRMotion plugin insertion.

44
After the plugin is inserted it must be choosen to be used at the first time the program is
opened:

Figure 43: RnRMotion Selection.

Now the pins and ports must be configured and according to the manufacture of the
mach3 serial board:

Figure 44: Mach3 pins and ports configuration.

After this the setting is almost done after some fine tuning is the settings the program is
ready to be used.

45
 Chapter 6
CONCLOUSION & REFERENCES

46
6.1 Conclusion:

Most of the project objective of building a plasma cutting machine was achieved. The
project built is now able to receive the user designs, analyze them and make the decision
of movement accordingly.

Working on this project makes us discover new technologies and techniques, and enlarge
our scope in mechanics, force analysis, design, simulation programs electrical and
programming.

Although most of the project objectives were achieved, the project faced some problems
that we were able to solve some and others were left for future work.

6.2 Future Work:

The project requires some parts to be added such as:

1) plasma generating machine.

2) air compressor.
3) touch off mechanism.

47
6.3 References:

[1] https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=1061&fbclid=IwAR0d76hO8bCv83WXK
RBb4sK7W1Qp2-Nwxy9FY0ogRAnCSeSDD8y8Z0T7GSo
[2] https://www.thefabricator.com/thefabricator/article/plasmacutting/plasma-cutting-then-
and-
now?fbclid=IwAR3USVuQOyBQp12UdmY5a_VBVgX2tJVSGwYMiflQfsd82EvVH7Y
ygiiA9JA
[3] https://www.esabna.com/us/en/education/blog/what-is-a-cnc-plasma-cutter.cfm
[4] https://www.livescience.com/54652-
plasma.html?fbclid=IwAR2aD7JIQdNIFlKt99sB0BcoA1tNNwTg56LkoH2MZfKguWr3
u9U5tiRxu8c
[5] https://www.cnc.com/what-is-a-cnc-water-jet-cutter-and-how-does-it-
work/?fbclid=IwAR2D9ilQ93HTc0OrXe17LWSBV6ompcnvDN0RAGVVjmgnRP5tRD
GOk63c1fE
[6] http://www.vandf.co.uk/tooling/what-is-laser-
cutting/?fbclid=IwAR16naZLngiXshuhEggAKqfJsBQRKmISQf_E9Su5JR_IuH_SYWk
HA-Ks1Vw
[7] https://www.esabna.com/us/en/education/blog/what-is-a-cnc-plasma-
cutter.cfm?fbclid=IwAR0n14mF2K29yDPDty5NFjubmx9-
UhCpvoFCocWxXmLJJGfpuRgEwS5dRj4
[8] https://all3dp.com/2/what-s-a-stepper-motor-driver-why-do-i-need-it/
[9] https://learnmechanical.com/milling-
machine/?fbclid=IwAR1j5X7dcCPmw8YjWesFPIBgPYcDHP4XYQPUyr0nYhcLMgnoj
WrN5yP4Tfo
[10] https://www.cnc.com/what-is-mach3/
[11] https://learn.adafruit.com/all-about-stepper-motors
[12] https://www.quisure.com/blog/faq/how-does-an-emergency-stop-button-work
[13] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numerical_control
[14] https://www.acorn-ind.co.uk/insight/poly-v-belts/insight/poly-v-belts/
[15] https://valariearthur.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/the-basic-air-compressor-parts-and-
their-functions/
[16] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limit_switch
[17] https://www.techopedia.com/definition/1756/power-supply

48