Replicator Presents… CNC Milling

by Joseph Flaherty on January 27, 2009

3D printing gets all the glory, but CNC mills can produce objects that are higher quality, made of more materials, and often produced much faster. Mass customization is possible today using “subtractive fabrication” technology and the following videos demonstrate some of the capabilities of these tools

Michaelangelo was said to have been able to visualize his completed sculptures in rough blocks of marble. This CNC mill takes that concept to its programmatic extreme freeing a bust of Beethoven in an unyielding and highly enjoyable process.

This video is similar to the Maestro’s but gives a close up view of the process. Another major benefit of subtractive fabrication, compared to 3D printing, is scale. This bust and the one of Beethoven would not be possible given the size of build chambers on existing 3D printers.

The Craftsman CompuCarve is a CNC mill intended for the serious hobbyist. It costs about $2000 and lets you carve into a variety of materials. Like the CNC sewing machines sold by Brother this tool can produce products at a level of quality nearly indistinguishable from mass produced goods. The lacking component is accessible software that allows laymen to create attractive objects easily.

The CNC milling process is pretty straightforward and this video shows a piece of wood being carved from start to finish. Note the shot of the tool’s guide paths being displayed on screen. Mills achieve high resolution by using ever finer cutting bits to smooth a surface. Given enough time a current generation mill can produce nearly perfect results. In the world of 3D printing, Mass customization enthusiasts must wait for mechanical and chemical breakthroughs to achieve similar resolution.

This mill cracks a fourth dimension by adding smell to the aesthetic experience. It burns (actually, it is more of a non-enzymatic browning) the bread to create an image and causes a Maillard reaction which is responsible for the delightful aroma.