A year and a half after the launch
of the Profiler milling machine, it’s
time for a brief look back on this
project. What can this machine do,
and what experience have
its users acquired with it?
We also want to mention a
few tips and helpful hints
here.
The Profiler projected initiated by Elektor in cooperation
with Colinbus in January 2007 has proven to be an overwhelming
success. At last there was an affordable milling
machine available that could handle diverse jobs. Unfortunately,
this machine proved to be more difficult to build
and use that some of its purchasers expected. This led to a
few unhappy users, especially in the early days. However,
most users went to work enthusiastically and managed to
produce true works of art with their Profiler within almost
no time, which they exhibited on websites and in Elektor
forums for the whole world to see.
In this article, we want to summarise the experience of the
past one and half years and discuss a few important aspects
of using milling machines in general and the Profiler
in particular.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
What did we have in mind?
The Profiler is a robust machine that is suitable for relatively
substantial engraving and milling work. However, it has its
limitations, just like all other machines on the market. What
did people expect and what did they receive, what experience
did users have with machine tools, and how much
time were they willing to invest in making up for any lack
of experience? Many of the early purchasers clearly had
unrealistic expectations about how easy it is to use a milling
machine of this sort, and they were thus disappointed
with its capabilities or the results.
When we put together the Profiler kit, what we had in mind
was the following: the design and construction of the kit
must be clear, so that everyone with a bit of technical knowledge
could easily assemble the machine. The resulting machine
must be sturdy and sufficiently robust for machining
light materials, and accurate enough for standard engraving
work. In other words, it should be a general-purpose
tool for model builders as well as electronic hobbyists.
The kit idea had one major advantage: the price could be
reduced drastically. However, it had the immediate disadvantage
that the ultimate quality of the product was determined
by the builder. Within a few weeks after the launch,
it became clear that this was a major factor. For example,
quite early on there were a few dissatisfied customers who
couldn’t manage to put together a properly working Profiler,
even after many fruitless telephone conversations and email
communications. They were invited to visit the Colinbus
factory for personal assistance, and in most cases correct
adjustment or better alignment turned out to be the answer
to their problems. These users later proved to be the best
promoters of the Profiler kit.
substantial engraving and milling work. However, it has its
limitations, just like all other machines on the market. What
did people expect and what did they receive, what experience
did users have with machine tools, and how much
time were they willing to invest in making up for any lack
of experience? Many of the early purchasers clearly had
unrealistic expectations about how easy it is to use a milling
machine of this sort, and they were thus disappointed
with its capabilities or the results.
When we put together the Profiler kit, what we had in mind
was the following: the design and construction of the kit
must be clear, so that everyone with a bit of technical knowledge
could easily assemble the machine. The resulting machine
must be sturdy and sufficiently robust for machining
light materials, and accurate enough for standard engraving
work. In other words, it should be a general-purpose
tool for model builders as well as electronic hobbyists.
The kit idea had one major advantage: the price could be
reduced drastically. However, it had the immediate disadvantage
that the ultimate quality of the product was determined
by the builder. Within a few weeks after the launch,
it became clear that this was a major factor. For example,
quite early on there were a few dissatisfied customers who
couldn’t manage to put together a properly working Profiler,
even after many fruitless telephone conversations and email
communications. They were invited to visit the Colinbus
factory for personal assistance, and in most cases correct
adjustment or better alignment turned out to be the answer
to their problems. These users later proved to be the best
promoters of the Profiler kit.
The included software
Two software packages are included with the Profiler as
standard: ColiDrive [1] and ColiLiner. Both of them are
derived from professional programs that have more to offer
in terms of options and performance. The supplied versions
are so specifically aligned to the needs of typical
Profile users that every desirable function is available if the
user has a bit of skill. You can import drawings for milling
shapes and generate contours for milling prototype circuit
boards. This works quite well, as can be seen on many
user websites.
However, the customer support department of Colinbus received
many questions, especially about the ColiLiner conversion
program, which converts Gerber files into contours
for the Profiler. The problems here had less to do with the
supplied software than with the complexity of the Gerber
standard. This format has a vast number of options and
variants. Besides using the prescribed apertures, makers
of PCB design packages can also use forms they create
themselves, and they can work with different units at the
same time. Given this situation, producing software that
provides the right conversion at the press of button under
all conditions is practically impossible. The problem
files that Profile users sent to the support department were
read in using a variety of Gerber viewers. Where one file
might work perfectly with viewers X and Y but not with A
and B, another file would work OK with A and B but not
with X and Y. However, most of the viewers and ColiLiner
had one thing in common: after a few minor adjustments
to the settings, the right PCB always appeared on the
screen. Unfortunately, adjustments of this sort require a
certain amount of knowledge of the Gerber format or suitable
patience. Once you have found the right settings for
your CAD software, all subsequent files can be imported
without any problems.
As the name suggests, ColiDrive is the software that you use
to drive the machine. Unlike what some people mistakenly
understood, it is not a CAM package with integrated control
functions. As with most CNC machines, the idea is that ColiDrive
receives machine code from a CAM package (ColiLiner
is an example of a CAM package, but as already mentioned
it is primarily designed for use in the electronics sector). Incidentally,
with many CNC machines the users must write their
own code, and this is also possible with ColiDrive.
As the number of delivered Profiler kits increased, it became
clear that there was a strong need for direct data import
capability. In hindsight, this is not surprising. Up until then,
ColiDrive had only been supplied to the professional sector.
In this sector, a machine is purchased for a particular
purpose, and buying CAM software specifically made for
this market is taken for granted. This is not the case with the
Profiler. For this reason, a few weeks after the launch we
decided to add an HPGL import function. As just about all
commercial CAD packages can export in this format, with
the inclusion of the import function it became possible to
engrave or mill any desired shape without having to use a
special CAM package.
Of course, you can do a lot more with real CAM software.
A lot professional CAM packages have a postprocessor for
ColiDrive. If you do not have this, it is very easy to write
one yourself.
How to improve your Profiler
When the Profiler was launched, the primary consideration
was to supply a sound machine. To ensure that its owner
could use also use it right away, the kit was completed with
a simple spindle motor and an MDF base plate. This is a
good solution for experimental use or simple milling work.
Depending on the objective, you can continue using the
machine with this configuration or acquire more professional
tools
The spindle motor included with the kit is suitable for milling
materials such as balsa wood and relatively soft plastics.
If you want to machine harder materials or do more
precise work, it is certainly worthwhile to invest in a better
motor. The fact that quite a few people were nevertheless
satisfied with the performance of the machine was a matter
of pure luck, since some of the motors had 0.01 mm
of play, while others had 0.5 mm. But as many people remarked
on the Elektor forum, the price performance ratio
was reasonable.
If you want something better, you must first ask yourself
what sort of work you want to use it for. Do you want to do
very nice, fine engraving, do you want a powerful motor
for milling hard metals, or do you want both? A truly professional
spindle motor is expensive – as much as several
times the price of the Profiler. It is thus questionable whether
such an investment is sensible.
Practical experience shows that an AC spindle rated at
around 500 watts is the most suitable. More powerful motors
are generally to large and too heavy for the Profiler.
Unlike most DC motors, AC motors of this sort are also affordable.
When looking for a motor, remember that it must
be designed for machine mounting. You can see this from
the steel mounting ring, which is used to attach the motor to
the machine, and which also usually houses the bearings.
The bearings must be suitable for machining use. Kress has
a suitable motor, which is actually a bit too heavy for the
Profiler, but the price is attractive. Colinbus can supply the
IAC-500, which is ideal in terms of weight and precision,
but it is it considerably more expensive. A variety of similar
products are available under various brand names, and we
recommend comparing them and carefully weighing their
pros and cons. For Profile users with deep pockets, there
is also the Jäger brand. These motors are very powerful
and highly precise, and they are very lightweight. The only
problem here is the price.
The base plate
A relatively thin MDF board is supplied with the Profiler for
use as the base plate. If you want something more robust,
pick up a piece of board at a builder’s merchant with a
thickness of 20 mm (it hardly costs anything), which will
provide the basis for an inexpensive but stable support surface.
If you want to invest a bit more, you can of course
buy a plate with slots for T-nuts or a vacuum table. Each of
these options has its own specific advantages, depending
on what kind of work you want to do.
A vacuum table is ideal for machining flat material and
films or for securing material without subjecting it to excessively
strong forces. A vacuum table is particularly suitable
for jobs with repeat parts. You can simply place the workpiece
against a stop on the table, switch on the vacuum,
and start machining. With a few accessories, you can also
have the vacuum table or dust extraction system switch on
automatically.
A T-slot table (see the lead photo) is ideal for clamping
relative bulky workpieces. Nuts with a built-in spring can
be slid into the slots and used with screws to secure clamps
and blocks. The spring nuts can be shifted in the slots,
which makes it very easy to clamp workpieces with different
dimensions.
Naturally, you can also use the Profiler to make your own
T-slot or vacuum table. However, you should bear in mind
that making a decent T-slot table is relatively expensive and
takes a lot of work. By contrast, making a vacuum table is
relatively easy.
Milling 2D, text and PCBs
Beside learning how to operate machine tools, programming
in G code and studying the properties of materials,
professional milling machinists in training spend a year
learning machining techniques. Naturally, the average
Profiler user does not have this knowledge.
Thanks to the user-friendly interface of the Profiler and modern
CAD/CAM packages, relatively inexperienced users
can also produce very nice results with CNC machines.
However, this does not mean that there is no longer any
need for some knowledge of machining techniques. Although
the user can usually have the machine do what
he wants, the machine does not always do what it is supposed
to do. In fact, it often doesn’t. Poor milling results
are usually not the fault of the machine or the software, but
instead almost always a consequence of incorrect settings.
Nevertheless, hundreds of users have shown that splendid
results can be obtained with a bit of patience and experimenting.
If you do something wrong and the Profiler gets
stuck, there’s no need to panic. It may complain, but it won’t
break. The message here is: try to find the best settings for
each machining operation.
Milling 2D shapes and engraving text
The Profiler is primarily constructed for milling all sorts of
2D shapes. Many users draw the shapes in ColiLiner, generate
the milling paths, and leave the rest of the work to
ColiDrive. ColiLiner is not a real drawing package, but can
still do quite a lot. For instance, you can use all standard
text fonts, and most drawings work out nicely. However,
if you want to use your own drawing package, simply export
the drawing as an HPGL file and import it directly into
ColiDrive.
Milling 3D shapes
The Profiler is not actually designed for 3D work. Nevertheless,
it can be used to make very nice 3D shapes. This statement
on our part drew a certain amount of criticism from
users, and some explanation is in fact necessary. With a
real 3D machine, the three axes are interpolated simultaneously.
This is not the case with the Profiler. Only two axes
can be interpolated at the same time, so the third one al-
ways comes afterward. It is thus possible to mill 3D shapes,
but the end result not as nice and it takes much longer. For
this reason, may people who like to make 3D forms first mill
the shape and then finish the piece by hand (sanding). The
final result looks surprisingly good.
Additional CAM software is necessary for 3D milling; it is
not included with the Profiler. For example, Colinbus can
supply DeskProto as an affordable solution. This package is
not especially suitable for 2D milling, but it is a very powerful
tool for making 3D models.
Milling PCBs
The Profiler is supplied with ColiLiner Lite (especially for Elektor
readers who would like to mill the occasional PCB). The
software supports reading in a Gerber or Excellon file and
then milling channels around tracks and pads. This isn’t as
easy as it sounds. As far as we know, there are only a few
software packages on the global market that can handle
this, and they are either very expensive or are only supplied
together with expensive milling machines.
The fact that the Profiler is supplied with this software does
not really mean that the Profiler is a true PCB milling machine.
This was already clearly stated in the first article.
However, the many links and photos that users sent us clearly
show that it is possible to mill good PCBs with this machine.
As we have received a lot of questions on this subject,
we want to address it here in somewhat more detail.
Milling PCBs is becoming increasingly popular. This is not
because it is better than etching, but instead because it is
faster and more environmentally friendly for one-off boards.
With a true PCB milling machine, you can easily mill five
tracks between the pins of an IC, which is more than good
enough for modern circuitry. If you want to get acceptable
results with the Profiler, it’s only logical to have a look at
how the pros do it: what tools do they use, and how do
they achieve such amazing results?
Fitting the PCB is an important factor. The best way to do
this is to use two small pins, since this way you can also
make double-sided boards (even with the Profiler). ColiDrive
is certainly not an obstacle here, since it is specifically
made for this and shows an imaginary mirror line on the
screen.
In practice, you start by drilling a hole with a diameter of
2.95 mm, located approximately in the middle of the X
axis and at the start of the Y axis. Press the first reference
pin in this hole [4]. Use a 3-mm dowel pin and ensure that it
protrudes by approximately 4 mm. Now drive the machine
bridge straight backward and drill a second hole approximately
20 cm away from the first one. Press the second reference
pin in this hole. Store the location data in ColiDrive
so the software knows the position of the reference line.
If you use a T-slot table, you can drill the holes in small
plastic blocks. You can then use all different sizes of PCB
material by sliding these blocks to different positions. To
avoid any misunderstanding, note that the idea here is to
mount PCB material on the machine and then mill one or
more PCBs in the material.
As you also have to drill holes in the PCB, you have to use
underlay material. Use a small board with a thickness of
2 mm for this – preferably a material that stays nice and
flat, such as MDF. In this material, drill two 3-mm holes with
exactly the same spacing as the on the reference board,
and then place it over the two reference pins. Do the same
thing with the PCB material. Note: single-sided PCB material
may be slightly bowed, and if it is, it must be held flat
with clamps or tape.
Now you have the material on the machine, and you can
start making the PCB. Drill the holes first, as otherwise thin
drills may break or thick drills may chew up the pads.
There’s not much that can go wrong during this process,
since ColiDrive always asks you to fit the right drill in the
holder. After all the holes are drilled, you can use small
conical milling cutters to the tracks. End mills are too fragile
for this work because the insulating channels are very
thin, and they also wear much to quickly. To ensure that no
residual copper is left, it is necessary to mill a little way into
the tough epoxy material, and this dramatically reduces the
life of the cutters.
Using conical cutters also has some disadvantages. In particular,
the milling depth must be controlled precisely, as
otherwise the width of the milled channel will vary, which
creates problems with fine circuit board tracks. Most Profiler
users solve this problem by first milling the base plate perfectly
flat. If the PCB material is then fastened securely and
held flat, the milling depth remains constant.
A better alternative is to use a floating cutter head. With
this arrangement, the spindle motor is mounted in a holder
that can move freely along the Z axis. The bottom ring
slides over the surface of the PCB and ensures that the cutter
– which is always at a fixed distance from the ring – maintains
a constant cutting depth in the copper. If you use this
arrangement, it doesn’t matter whether the material is flat
or bowed (within certain limits, of course) – the milled channels
will always have a constant width. As floating cutter
heads are usually adapted to the spindle motor that is used,
they are difficult to find as commercial products. However,
it’s fairly easy to make one yourself once you understand
the principle..
After the PCB has been completed, it can be milled out of
the base material. This is usually done with a 2-mm roughing
cutter. Do this at a very low feed rate, such as 5 mm/s,
since otherwise too much heat will be generated and the
tool will break.
A manual for using the Profiler to make PCBs is available on
the Colinbus website at www.colinbus.com. For instance,
it describes how you can make double-sided PCBs, despite
the limitations of ColiLiner Lite. Be sure to download it – it’s
certainly worthwhile.
in G code and studying the properties of materials,
professional milling machinists in training spend a year
learning machining techniques. Naturally, the average
Profiler user does not have this knowledge.
Thanks to the user-friendly interface of the Profiler and modern
CAD/CAM packages, relatively inexperienced users
can also produce very nice results with CNC machines.
However, this does not mean that there is no longer any
need for some knowledge of machining techniques. Although
the user can usually have the machine do what
he wants, the machine does not always do what it is supposed
to do. In fact, it often doesn’t. Poor milling results
are usually not the fault of the machine or the software, but
instead almost always a consequence of incorrect settings.
Nevertheless, hundreds of users have shown that splendid
results can be obtained with a bit of patience and experimenting.
If you do something wrong and the Profiler gets
stuck, there’s no need to panic. It may complain, but it won’t
break. The message here is: try to find the best settings for
each machining operation.
Milling 2D shapes and engraving text
The Profiler is primarily constructed for milling all sorts of
2D shapes. Many users draw the shapes in ColiLiner, generate
the milling paths, and leave the rest of the work to
ColiDrive. ColiLiner is not a real drawing package, but can
still do quite a lot. For instance, you can use all standard
text fonts, and most drawings work out nicely. However,
if you want to use your own drawing package, simply export
the drawing as an HPGL file and import it directly into
ColiDrive.
Milling 3D shapes
The Profiler is not actually designed for 3D work. Nevertheless,
it can be used to make very nice 3D shapes. This statement
on our part drew a certain amount of criticism from
users, and some explanation is in fact necessary. With a
real 3D machine, the three axes are interpolated simultaneously.
This is not the case with the Profiler. Only two axes
can be interpolated at the same time, so the third one al-
ways comes afterward. It is thus possible to mill 3D shapes,
but the end result not as nice and it takes much longer. For
this reason, may people who like to make 3D forms first mill
the shape and then finish the piece by hand (sanding). The
final result looks surprisingly good.
Additional CAM software is necessary for 3D milling; it is
not included with the Profiler. For example, Colinbus can
supply DeskProto as an affordable solution. This package is
not especially suitable for 2D milling, but it is a very powerful
tool for making 3D models.
Milling PCBs
The Profiler is supplied with ColiLiner Lite (especially for Elektor
readers who would like to mill the occasional PCB). The
software supports reading in a Gerber or Excellon file and
then milling channels around tracks and pads. This isn’t as
easy as it sounds. As far as we know, there are only a few
software packages on the global market that can handle
this, and they are either very expensive or are only supplied
together with expensive milling machines.
The fact that the Profiler is supplied with this software does
not really mean that the Profiler is a true PCB milling machine.
This was already clearly stated in the first article.
However, the many links and photos that users sent us clearly
show that it is possible to mill good PCBs with this machine.
As we have received a lot of questions on this subject,
we want to address it here in somewhat more detail.
Milling PCBs is becoming increasingly popular. This is not
because it is better than etching, but instead because it is
faster and more environmentally friendly for one-off boards.
With a true PCB milling machine, you can easily mill five
tracks between the pins of an IC, which is more than good
enough for modern circuitry. If you want to get acceptable
results with the Profiler, it’s only logical to have a look at
how the pros do it: what tools do they use, and how do
they achieve such amazing results?
Fitting the PCB is an important factor. The best way to do
this is to use two small pins, since this way you can also
make double-sided boards (even with the Profiler). ColiDrive
is certainly not an obstacle here, since it is specifically
made for this and shows an imaginary mirror line on the
screen.
In practice, you start by drilling a hole with a diameter of
2.95 mm, located approximately in the middle of the X
axis and at the start of the Y axis. Press the first reference
pin in this hole [4]. Use a 3-mm dowel pin and ensure that it
protrudes by approximately 4 mm. Now drive the machine
bridge straight backward and drill a second hole approximately
20 cm away from the first one. Press the second reference
pin in this hole. Store the location data in ColiDrive
so the software knows the position of the reference line.
If you use a T-slot table, you can drill the holes in small
plastic blocks. You can then use all different sizes of PCB
material by sliding these blocks to different positions. To
avoid any misunderstanding, note that the idea here is to
mount PCB material on the machine and then mill one or
more PCBs in the material.
As you also have to drill holes in the PCB, you have to use
underlay material. Use a small board with a thickness of
2 mm for this – preferably a material that stays nice and
flat, such as MDF. In this material, drill two 3-mm holes with
exactly the same spacing as the on the reference board,
and then place it over the two reference pins. Do the same
thing with the PCB material. Note: single-sided PCB material
may be slightly bowed, and if it is, it must be held flat
with clamps or tape.
Now you have the material on the machine, and you can
start making the PCB. Drill the holes first, as otherwise thin
drills may break or thick drills may chew up the pads.
There’s not much that can go wrong during this process,
since ColiDrive always asks you to fit the right drill in the
holder. After all the holes are drilled, you can use small
conical milling cutters to the tracks. End mills are too fragile
for this work because the insulating channels are very
thin, and they also wear much to quickly. To ensure that no
residual copper is left, it is necessary to mill a little way into
the tough epoxy material, and this dramatically reduces the
life of the cutters.
Using conical cutters also has some disadvantages. In particular,
the milling depth must be controlled precisely, as
otherwise the width of the milled channel will vary, which
creates problems with fine circuit board tracks. Most Profiler
users solve this problem by first milling the base plate perfectly
flat. If the PCB material is then fastened securely and
held flat, the milling depth remains constant.
A better alternative is to use a floating cutter head. With
this arrangement, the spindle motor is mounted in a holder
that can move freely along the Z axis. The bottom ring
slides over the surface of the PCB and ensures that the cutter
– which is always at a fixed distance from the ring – maintains
a constant cutting depth in the copper. If you use this
arrangement, it doesn’t matter whether the material is flat
or bowed (within certain limits, of course) – the milled channels
will always have a constant width. As floating cutter
heads are usually adapted to the spindle motor that is used,
they are difficult to find as commercial products. However,
it’s fairly easy to make one yourself once you understand
the principle..
After the PCB has been completed, it can be milled out of
the base material. This is usually done with a 2-mm roughing
cutter. Do this at a very low feed rate, such as 5 mm/s,
since otherwise too much heat will be generated and the
tool will break.
A manual for using the Profiler to make PCBs is available on
the Colinbus website at www.colinbus.com. For instance,
it describes how you can make double-sided PCBs, despite
the limitations of ColiLiner Lite. Be sure to download it – it’s
certainly worthwhile.
Handy milling tips
If you read milling tips on the Web or consult professional
literature, you often obtain information about using large
milling machines to machine materials. The Profiler is not
a large milling machine, and it must be used in a different
manner.
In the first place, you use smaller tools with the Profiler. Unless
you are working with very soft material, a 6-mm cutter
is already quite large. Given that you are working with
relatively small tools, it is often advisable to use a fairly high
feed rate (the rate of travel for milling) and restrict the cutting
depth. It is thus better to mill somewhat faster but not
too deep. If you follow the suggestions listed below, your
milling work will look a lot better.
How to mill: As we just mentioned, keep the cutting
depth fairly shallow – the quality degrades quickly with
increasing depth. Mill clockwise on inside curves and anticlockwise
on outside curves. This yields the best appearance
on the final product.
Which cutters: Cutters are available with one, two, three,
or four flutes. This refers to the number of cutting edges
around the circumference of the cutter. Each type has its
own properties. Single- and double-flute cutters are used
for most jobs with the Profiler. Triple- and quad-flute cutters
are primarily used for hard alloys, and the Profiler is not
suitable for these materials.
Single-flute cutters are primarily used with wood and plastics,
but nowadays they are also used with aluminium, due
to the use of stronger cutter materials. Single-flute cutters
enter the material better and have better chip removal than
double-flute cutters.
Double-flute cutters are the best choice for milling plastics
and non-ferrous metals. They produce a smoother finish
and wear less quickly. They are also often used for a final
polishing round.
Cooling: Cooling is almost always necessary [5]. The type
of cooling depends on the material to be machined. As it
is not possible to use liquid-stream cooling with the Profiler,
the following tips can be helpful.
Copper, bronze, brass and aluminium can be cooled quite
well with methylated spirits. Thin oil is also good for cooling
aluminium. You can use a small brush or plant sprayer to
apply the liquid. A couple of handy youngsters remodelled
a paintbrush and fitted it to the machine.
Spindle speed: With plastics, the result is strongly dependent
on the feed rate and spindle speed. A high spindle
speed can be used for milling metals, but this is often inadvisable
with plastics. With a high spindle speed, the plastic
melts and sticks to the tool, and everything gets stuck.
Although many people may not believe it, the feed rate is
often too low. A lot of heat is generated if the cutter moves
slowly through the material, and this causes problems. If
nothing else works, try cooling with compressed air.
Solid-core board (such as Trespa) can be milled very nicely,
but it causes a high rate of tool wear. Always enter the material
very slowly, because the highest rate of cutter wear
occurs during plunge cutting.
Always use single-flute cutters for milling polystyrene and
foams. Cooling is rarely a problem with the correct machining
speeds. If cooling is necessary, you can only use air.
Securing the tool and workpiece: Always insert the
tool as far as possible into the holder. Tools that extend a
long way create troublesome vibrations. The work table
must be flat and stable. The T-slot table (optional accessory)
is very suitable for this purpose. The workpiece must
be held firmly so no vibrations can occur and it cannot slip
(which is much worse). Use clamps to secure the workpiece
firmly in place. Spray-on glue and double-sided tape are
good options for thin or light materials.
Applications
Many enthusiastic users have sent photos, drawings, and
stories about the various applications they have found for
the Profiler. Many of them came from departments of large
companies that use the Profiler as a platform for experiments,
but they also came from many hobbyists and selfemployed
persons. Some examples:
- A large cosmetics company used two Profilers to fill more
than 800,000 bottles.
- Several users drill hundreds of PCBs every day with the
machines.
- A builder of architectural models created a model of an
entire neighbourhood in a month.
- A user in the diamond business uses three Profilers to
measure and check diamonds.
- A lot of users employ the Profiler for potting and
dispensing…
- ...or for ultrasonic cutting of plastics.
- A toy manufacturer uses it to produce all of its new
models.
- And of course, there are hundreds of hobbyists who make
incredibly nice things, such as lifelike cockpits (hi Hessel),
miniature cars, microscopic components, splendid jewellery,
clocks, and very fine printed circuit boards.
As you can see, everything is possible with this milling machine
if you just put some time and effort into it. Check the
Profiler forum on the Elektor website for even more ideas,
tips and reports on user experience.
stories about the various applications they have found for
the Profiler. Many of them came from departments of large
companies that use the Profiler as a platform for experiments,
but they also came from many hobbyists and selfemployed
persons. Some examples:
- A large cosmetics company used two Profilers to fill more
than 800,000 bottles.
- Several users drill hundreds of PCBs every day with the
machines.
- A builder of architectural models created a model of an
entire neighbourhood in a month.
- A user in the diamond business uses three Profilers to
measure and check diamonds.
- A lot of users employ the Profiler for potting and
dispensing…
- ...or for ultrasonic cutting of plastics.
- A toy manufacturer uses it to produce all of its new
models.
- And of course, there are hundreds of hobbyists who make
incredibly nice things, such as lifelike cockpits (hi Hessel),
miniature cars, microscopic components, splendid jewellery,
clocks, and very fine printed circuit boards.
As you can see, everything is possible with this milling machine
if you just put some time and effort into it. Check the
Profiler forum on the Elektor website for even more ideas,
tips and reports on user experience.
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