What are all the broad "parts" of a CNC set up?
Here's my take, please correct me
Base frame — the big metal bit that sits on the floor that everything else is mounted on
Water bath — holds the water to cool the work
Slats in a frame — might actually be attached to the base frame if no water bath and the workpiece sits on top of this (and does it act as an earth?)
Fume hood or extractor fan — to take smoke and fumes away
Rails — The bits that the moving parts operate on
Gantry — the bit that moves and has the torch attached to it
" " — the bits that make the gantry move — what are they called, regardless of their type of operation
Then I assume all of these movement things have various motors and sensors?
Then there must be something that controls the motors? So I assume a box full of electronics and software so it does what you want. Is this called a controller? I assume it can control x, y, and z movement and speed and amps? It would have sensors to know how far the torch is from the workpiece? Does it do anything else?
Then I assume there must be a computer and software program that gives the controller box all your instructions in terms of cutting patterns.
However, I am unsure whether the software in what I am calling the controller box is the same as what directs the cutting pattern. Some example names of the common software would help me to understand. Where do Sheetcam and Fusion360 fit into this?
Design program — software to design a cutting pattern e.g. I know of Inkscape, but what are some other common ones. This generates a DXF file that the controller can understand, or maybe the in-between software understands and then tells the controller.
And of course, there is the actual plasma cutter, which is a box of something, with a lead and a torch, which can be a machine torch or a hand torch. It has consumable tips, electrodes, but does it have anything else in it - is it just electrically driven or does it also have gas???
What are the types of movement operation that can be used for the gantries — I have seen there is "rack and pinion", what else?
What have I missed? What are the proper names for these things?
Thanks very much
