CAD, CAM, CNC

Important: The basic prerequisite for using the workshops at Bauhausstraße 9d is always a workshop introduction! If you only want to digitally produce a workpiece without using the workshop in any other way, this is also possible without a workshop introduction. 

The CAD/CAM/CNC milling workshop is one of the central workshops of the Faculty of Art and Design and is therefore available to all students on the Fine Art, Fine Art Education (Secondary School), Product Design, Visual Communication and Media Art and Design degree programmes. The CAD/CAM/CNC milling workshop is integrated into the wood, plastics and modelling workshop complex in the Bauhausstraße 9d workshop.  

General use
The CAD/CAM/CNC milling workshop is closely linked to the modelling workshop in terms of both space and equipment. Therefore, Jacob Lettl (CAD/CAM/CNC milling) and Matthias Henkelmann (modelling) are available to you for technical advice and support, both theoretical and practical. They provide advice and assistance in all aspects of digitally controlled machining and production technology as well as digital 3D capture.

In order to realise your project successfully, we recommend that you contact the employees in the workshops as early as possible. Only then can the various methods, work steps and options be taken into account during production. Timely planning on your part enables the employees in the workshops to deal with the projects in detail so that you can complete your work in good quality by the desired deadline.  

CAD and 3D scanning / CAM / CNC
CAD and 3D scanning / CAM / CNC describes the process: from the creation of digital, three-dimensional objects (CAD and 3D scanning), through the programming of milling paths (CAM) to the production of the objects by means of milling (CNC). 

The milling process is a subtractive manufacturing process in which material is removed from a blank by milling or drilling until the desired shape is worked out of the material. This process can be used to produce various components such as furniture elements, templates, reliefs, models, moulds, etc. from a wide variety of materials. 

The basis for the manufacturing process is digital data, which is either generated using CAD programmes or obtained by 3D scanning of objects. This data is a prerequisite for the mentioned process and must be supplied by the students.

Processable materials
The following materials are suitable for CNC milling:

• Plastics
• wood-based materials
• Composite materials suitable for milling
• Aluminium (only special alloys) 

Technical conditions
The workshop has a 5-axis, synchronously controlled CNC milling machining centre with a machining area measuring 2 metres x 1 metre x 1 metre. A 3D scanner is also available. A 3D printer for ABS filament printing and a 3D resin printer can also be used.

We recommend
The following things are helpful for the successful realisation of your work:

1. speak to the employees in the workshop regarding your project at an early stage.
2. bring sketches, drawings, pictures, objects and/or digital data to the meeting so that we can get the best possible idea of your project.
3. suitable for digital data transfer:
   *.IGS for NURBS-based surface data
   *. STL for polygonal surfaces
   *.DXF or *.DWG for pure curve data
4. writing the milling programmes, setting up, operating and monitoring the milling work is carried out by the workshop employees. 

Costs and invoicing
Costs are incurred for material and milling processing based on the time the workpiece is processed on the CNC system (calculation of an hourly rate). When you collect your component, you pay the corresponding amount using the TOSKA payment system.