By adding a 4th axis,
the Rotary Module realizes more advanced CNC carving and laser engraving
on your Snapmaker 2.0 machine,
making it possible to create your projects in a new dimension.
In this video, we will show you how to CNC carve with the Rotary Module
by making a chess piece.
It will cover 5 steps,
including Secure Material,
Attach CNC Bit,
Set Work Origin,
Generate G-code,
as well as Start Carving and Remove Finished Work.
Before we start, you need to prepare the following tools and materials.
A vernier caliper or ruler,
screwdriver with H2.5 and H2.0 bits,
USB flash drive,
CNC safety goggles,
the pair of 14 mm and 17 mm open-end wrenches,
ER 11 Collet, ER11 Nut,
Calibration Card or a piece of A4 paper,
as well as the Straight Groove V-bit,
the chuck wrenches and the cylindrical Epoxy Tooling Board
that come with the Rotary Module.
Make sure the machine is powered off.
Install the CNC Carving Module and CNC Carving Platform on the machine
following the Quick Start Guide.
Choose the appropriate location on the Base to attach the Rotary Headstock,
and use four M4 × 8 hex socket head screws
to fix them together from the bottom of the Base.
Attach the Base along with Rotary Headstock
to the middle of the CNC Carving Platform
with ten M4 × 14 hex socket head screws.
To finish the assembly,
connect the cable for Rotary Module to the Addon-2 port on the Controller from behind the Z axis.
The Rotary Module is equipped with a 3-jaw Chuck and a Tailstock,
which support materials in various sizes.
The Chuck can do inward- and outward-clamping.
The inward-clamping is more adaptable to the material shape,
but diameter of the material should be no more than 60 mm.
Outward-clamping can be used to secure tubular materials,
supporting a maximum diameter of 136 mm.
But, to use outward-clamping,
do pay attention to the inside diameter of the material,
which should be between 20 mm and 100 mm.
If the material requires a switch to outward-clamping,
use one chuck wrench to hold the Chuck,
and the other to loosen the Scroll Plate counterclockwise
until the jaws can be removed from the channels.
Then insert the jaws back into the channels clockwise in the order of 1 > 2 > 3,
and turn the Chuck clockwise using chuck wrenches,
till the spiral inside the Chuck engages the teeth of the jaws.
Continue to tighten the jaws.
If the jaws close up together,
the installation is successful.
To switch back to inward-clamping,
the insertion sequence of the jaws should be 3 > 2 > 1.
Before fixing the material to the Chuck,
you should measure the length and diameter of the material for subsequent use,
with an accuracy of 0.1 mm.
Loosen the Chuck,
put one end of the material onto the 3-stepped jaws,
and make sure it is coaxial with the Chuck.
Turn the Scroll Plate clockwise to tighten the Chuck.
Be careful not to tighten the jaws too much,
or it may cause damage to the material.
During CNC carving,
the Tailstock can hold objects securely in place.
By screwing the Handwheel and the Set Screw,
you can adjust the Tailstock Center to fit the size of the material.
With the Tailstock installed,
the maximum material length is 70 mm for A250 Rotary Module,
and 170 mm for the A350 one.
If the material is overlength,
or its length or weight will not affect stability,
you can go without the Tailstock.
Anyway, if you need to use the Tailstock,
make sure to install it after the step of Set Work Origin.
Otherwise the CNC Carving Module will bump into the Tailstock in that step.
The Straight Groove V-bit
features long and sharp carving edges that can penetrate deep into the material,
and can therefore carve exquisite hollow objects.
First, tilt the ER11 Collet into the ER11 Nut until the collet snaps into place.
Insert the bit into the collet until the bit bottoms against the collet.
Twist the entire unit onto the shank of the CNC Carving Module,
and then tighten the nut using the open-end wrenches.
For 4-axis CNC carving,
the work origin is at the center of the material's front surface.
Once the work origin is set,
the machine knows the X, Y, Z and B coordinates of the material,
and then the position of the carving area.
First, turn on the machine and upgrade the firmware.
Firmware above V1.9.0 can be upgraded to V1.12.0 or above
on the Touchscreen via Wi-Fi.
Go to "Settings",
select "Firmware Update > Check for Updates > Update Now".
Tap "Complete",
read the safety instructions and walk-through,
and go to the Home Screen.
There are two ways to set work origin.
You can either use the Origin Assistant,
or do it manually before you start carving.
Here we'll introduce the first one.
Tap "Toolbox > Origin Assistant",
and type in the material length and diameter measured.
Make sure there is no gap between the jaws
and the material in their contact surface,
and that you haven't installed the Tailstock to the Base.
Tap "Next".
Select "Straight Groove V-bit".
Next, the toolhead will move to near the material.
Follow the instructions to move the bit to the exact positions shown on the screen.
Then tap "Set" to confirm the X, Y, Z and B coordinates one after another.
Make sure you and any viewers have put on your CNC safety goggles,
Put the calibration card or A4 paper between the CNC bit and the material.
Move the toolhead to where the bit's shank slightly touches the top surface of the material.
You should feel slight resistance when you pull out the card,
and see it wrinkled when you push it forward.
Tap "Set X1", and set X2 in the same way.
When setting Y origin, you need to move the shank next to the front of the material.
And for Z origin, it should be the tip that touches the top surface.
Finally, turn the material to a certain degree if needed,
and tap "Set B" to finish setting work origin.
If the CNC bit bumps into the machine when you are setting work origin,
turn off the machine immediately or press the Emergency Stop Button.
Download the latest Snapmaker Luban from Snapmaker's official website
to upgrade it to V3.14.0 or above,
open the software and go to CNC G-Code Generator.
Select "4-axis" in "Job Type",
and input the material length and diameter.
Go to the Case Library, find the test file, and click "Load".
or upload a model file in STL format.
The canvas in the software represents the side spread area of the cylindrical material,
within which you should put your model and adjust its size, orientation, and position.
Note that the highlighted part represents the actual clamping area of the jaws.
To avoid the toolhead bumping into the jaws,
do not place your model beyond that area.
Use the default parameters in "Configurations" and click "Process".
Select "Straight Groove V-bit" under "Carving Tool",
and again, use the default parameters in "Configurations".
Tick "Auto Toolpath Preview" to check the carving path,
and click "Simulate" to preview the finished work.
Click "Generate G-code" and "Export G-code to File" to save the G-code file to your USB drive.
Insert your drive into the Controller.
Tap "Start" on the Home Screen,
or select "File" in the APP List Screen,
and tap "USB" to open the G-code file in your drive.
Preview the file and tap "Ready".
Again, make sure you and any viewers have put on your CNC safety goggles,
and tap "Next".
As we've already set the work origin through Origin Assistant,
here we don't need to set it again manually.
So, swipe left on the Touchscreen,
and tap "Run Boundary" to preview the work area.
If the work area is not ideal,
adjust Y or B offset to reset the corresponding origins and run boundary again.
If you need to use the Tailstock,
you can now choose the appropriate location on the Base to install it,
and tighten it with two M4 × 10 hex socket head screws.
Then, use the H2.0 screwdriver bit to loosen the Set Screw on the Tailstock Center,
and turn the Handwheel to adjust the length of the center,
until it presses against the central point of the material's front surface.
Adjust the Tailstock center to align the groove on it with the Set Screw,
and tighten the Set Screw.
Now, tap "Start" to begin carving.
When you finish, clean the dust with a vacuum.
unscrew the ER 11 Nut along with the bit,
remove the Tailstock,
Use the chuck wrenches to loosen the Chuck,
and remove the finished work.
That's all for this video.
For laser engraving with the Rotary Module,
please continue to watch our video tutorial:
How to Use Laser Function with Rotary Module.
Thank you for watching!