Submission Guidelines
Sheet size
Our machine accepts sheet material up to 2440mm x 1220mm. Our birch plywood is 2440mm x 1220mm and is available in thicknesses of 4, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 24 and 30mm. Stock availability is usually the next day but we will advise of potential delays.
CAD work
If you do not have the resource to prepare CAD files we can provide this service for you. You could submit scanned sketches with dimensions for instance; we would draw the shapes for you and return as PDF for your approval.
CAD file preparation
To avoid us having to pre-process your CAD files (and to make it cheaper for you) please ensure you follow the below guidelines. We can accept most standard CAD file formats in .dwg .dxf and .3dm. The model should be in millimetres, 1:1 scale.
Depending upon the material type and thickness we will select the most appropriate router bits for the job. Generally for material thicknesses of 12mm or under the router bit we use has a 4.76mm diameter, for material over 12mm in thickness we will use a 6.35mm diameter bit. We may use router bits of 12.7mm diameter if the sheets are really thick. The router bit diameter is important if you plan to have dog-bone detailing to remove internal corners – remember a circular router bit can’t give you square holes.
All shapes for cutting must be drawn within a rectangle that matches the size of the sheet material. This is usually 2400mm x 1200mm or 2440mm x 1220mm depending on its source. The sheet should be in landscape orientation with the bottom left corner at the x-y origin (0,0,0 coordinates). Components should be at least 3 x the diameter width apart from each other and 2 x the diameter width from the edge of the sheet, this reduces the risk of components moving while being milled. Spacing between components can reduce if the components are large, please check with us first.
Profiling: Shapes are either cut offset to the inside or the outside of lines, you will need to specify which. This is best done by naming the CAD layer:
PROFILE inside
PROFILE outside
Pocketing: For pocketing operations it is assumed that the pocket is always the inside of the shape unless you have a pocket shape within a pocket shape on the same layer, then the material between the two shapes will be removed. You will in addition need to specify the depth of the pocket through the layer name:
POCKET 4mm deep
POCKET 6mm deep
etc…
Hole pocketing: Holes can be drawn by a circle; you will need to specify the diameter of the hole and depth. We will either drill holes if we have the correct drill bit size (3.2mm, 4mm, 5mm and 6mm) or router them with are standard router bit sizes. Holes larger than 10mm diameter can be considered as ‘PROFILE inside’ as there is no difference to the operation. Group holes of the same size on the appropriate named layer:
holes 4mm dia
holes 5mm dia
etc…
Chamfering: We can chamfer edges with a 15, 30, 45 or 60 degrees angle with our V cutters. The tip of the V cutter will follow the drawn line, this can be followed by a profile cut on either the outside or inside to result in a chamfered edge. You will need to specify the angle and depth you require the chamfer to be made in the layer name:
chamfer 45deg 5mm deep
chamfer 60 deg 10mm deep
etc…
Engraving:
We can engrave text or other patterns onto the surface of the material with our V cutters. We can engrave along single line paths or within shapes at your requested depth. You should state the depth of the required engraving as the layer name:
engrave 1mm
engrave 2mm
etc…
3D milling:
Three dimensional CAD shapes can be milled through 2 or 3 step processes. The first step is called horizontal roughing where with a large diameter bit we cut away the majority of the stock very quickly leaving tolerance, the next step is parallel finishing where we cut to the shape at various degrees of overlap of the router bit, finally a third step of horizontal finishing with a smaller router bit may be applied to achieve a finer finish.
The maximum material height for our machine is 120mm and maximum cut depth from the top surface is 85mm. An understanding of the quality of finish will be required before we can set the toolpath. Smooth finishes are best achieved (and more economically achieved) post-milling by sanding.
Submit your Files
Please submit files through our DropBox Link. You must email us with your details after you submit your files because dropbox doesn’t give us your email address. Alternatively use the link contact us first through our contact page and we shall respond with our email address.