CNC 3018 & 55mm Extension to foil cutting Plotter

Extension of the milling machine for cutting foils

There are 3 versions available

One suitable for the 3018 CNC series and one for use of 500W spindle motors with a diameter of 55mm. Now a long version is also available when the Z-axis is higher as with the TTC450 milling machine.

It is possible to plot foils with a milling machine after a small modification. A plotter is nothing else, instead of the milling motor, the plotter is guided by the drag knife. With the appropriate software, such as Estlcam, it is possible to operate the milling machine as a plotter.

I need a drag knife holder and a suitable cutting knife for this. These are available in different angles of 30°/45° or 60° degrees. For the standard foils I use a drag knife with 45°.

The drag knife (see picture) I have has the dimensions:
Height: about 55mm and a diameter of 12mm for a blade size of 23x2mm.

As the cutting blade is made of metal, the automatic height sensor can be used to adjust the z-axis.

Adapter for the drag knife

To attach the drag knife to the milling machine, a suitable adapter is necessary. I designed this with FreeCAD and produced it with a 3D printer. The first cutting attempts worked right away.

Base for plotting

I have screwed a 5mm thick wooden plate onto the aluminum profile of the milling machine. I attached a cutting mat to it to be able to cut the foil on it.

Mounting the bracket

The mounting is very simple. Insert the bracket with the built-in drag knife from above into the 3D printed bracket and fix it with the two M3 screws.
Remove the milling motor from your milling machine and insert the complete holder from above into the holder of the milling motor and fix it with the screw on the side.
Set the cutter height

Prepare everything for plotting. Lower the knife until the knife tip just touches the foil. Zero the height. I then add 0.2mm depth when cutting to cut through the film without cutting the backing material of the film.

Have fun with the rebuild.