iBILD's Creative Floor Inlay

iBILD’s Creative 72” Compass Floor Inlay

iBILD, are specialists in the field of 3D laser digitizing services for one-off pieces and small production runs. Creating high definition scans of 3D reliefs & rotary models, like cabriole legs and ceramic maquettes, they also modify existing designs for customers using ArtCAM’s sculpting tools, generate toolpaths and provide other ArtCAM users with their manufacturing services.

With a diverse product portfolio they cater for a variety of industries such as jewellery, high-end architectural woodworking and the automotive industry.

One of their latest commissions to add to this portfolio was to create a challenging and weighty 72" diameter brass floor inlay for Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA.

Using the DXF file provided by the customer iBILD was able to quickly and easily import the design directly into ArtCAM. Due to the size of the piece the first task was to divide the design into 2 equal halves within ArtCAM taking into account the position of the lettering and image.

Once happy with the design, they were then able to create the machining toolpaths within the software. Using ArtCAM’s Area Clearance tool they calculated the toolpath to cut away the bulk mass of unwanted material followed by ArtCAM’s rest machining with consecutively smaller tools (1/4, 1/8 & 1/16" end mills), allowing the finer details of the design to be machined. ArtCAM’s flexibility meant that inside/ outside entry points for cutting could be selected, as well as creating angled ramps into the material to minimize the shock to the cutter & spindle. According to Brady Watson, owner of iBILD, these capabilities show why ArtCAM was “the right software for the job.”

Once the toolpaths were calculated the file was exported to their Shopbot machine in order to begin cutting. To create the design, they started with a sheet of brass weighing approximately 640 lbs and measuring 72X36" and 0.500" thick. To support the weight of the material on their Shopbot machine, a hydraulic lift table and some structural steel tubing were used to bolster the bed of the CNC.

However having never previously worked with naval brass, they encountered difficulty one foot into cutting with their 2-flute HSS end mill and turned to using a 4-flute titanium-coated end mill.

The unique sounds of machining brass, required getting accustomed to as they are completely different to other metals such as Aluminium, making ear and eye protection ever more vital. Brady remembers, how “I really had to observe each cut and make sure that everything was going OK, at every turn of the bit and every step-down. The amount of force required to cut this alloy of brass, meant that there was a high chance that I could push the tool too hard or too fast & lose position.”

At several thousand dollars per sheet, Brady chose to be more cautious and take more time whilst machining to make sure that the machinery wasn’t pushed to do more than it was designed for. He decided to restrict the step-down to about .015" per pass, and ran about .3 to 1.2 IPS depending on the size of the cutter and the area being cut out.

After machining the letters, the brass was then pre-heated to 100°F and the letters over-filled with resin. The resin had to cure on its own and then post-cured at 150°F for five hours to reach maximum hardness and durability before it was then sanded flat and painted with seven coats of polyurethane.

Brady believes that “It was the superior toolpath control that Pro & Insignia offers that helped me to get the job done right without worrying if it would turn out or not. I have been using ArtCAM for several years & the majority of my work has been in the area of 3D. I have tried many software packages, and if I had to choose one that could help me make just about anything on a 3-axis machine, it would be Pro - hands down!”

Brady continued to say, “This was a challenging project, but all in all, a real pleasure to do. To see the looks on people's faces when the crates were popped open was the real reward for me. I'm flattered to have been given this opportunity to come through for CNU”.

If you would like to know more about iBild go to: www.ibild.com