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Thread: My CNC Embroidery Machine

  1. #1
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    My CNC Embroidery Machine

    It was my objective for this year to make a computer control embroidery machine, and almost on software side i have 100% success... The rest is interfacing the hardware with a Normal low-cost sewing machine, that is a piece of Cake for me...

    Actually, Anybody who knows embroidery, knows that the software used for embroidery stuff is not producing Gcode like we are using for our CNC MAchines..Each vendor has specialised embroidery formates and they are very hard coded (I know well)...
    The Following are the few Formates that Embroidery machine uses..
    Brother *.pes
    Tajima *.dst
    Viking *.hus
    Melco *.exp etc

    Okay, so what i did is made a software (I am a Visual Basic Programmer) that generate a Gcode not only for embroidery but also for Quilting machines... and By Embroidery means a real embroidery Gcode including all types of stitches a commercial embroidery machine can make......

    The following images represents a sample of the Lady in Sophiesew program...I exported in DST format..and generated Gcode... The output is Perfect in NCPLOT...

    Now we can say that we are able to perform embroidery work with our Mach3 /EMC/Kcam controlled CNC...

    For setails about the efforts i have made you can see the thread at CNCZone..This thread is almost 0ne year Old, but the last couple of weeks were very productive... Read from Page No.12 upto page No. 13 and you will see How close we are for a very very low cost CNC Embroidery Machine..
    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...=57404&page=12
    Attached Images Attached Images

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Khalid Khattak View Post
    It was my objective for this year to make a computer control embroidery machine, and almost on software side i have 100% success... The rest is interfacing the hardware with a Normal low-cost sewing machine, that is a piece of Cake for me...

    Actually, Anybody who knows embroidery, knows that the software used for embroidery stuff is not producing Gcode like we are using for our CNC MAchines..Each vendor has specialised embroidery formates and they are very hard coded (I know well)...
    The Following are the few Formates that Embroidery machine uses..
    Brother *.pes
    Tajima *.dst
    Viking *.hus
    Melco *.exp etc

    Okay, so what i did is made a software (I am a Visual Basic Programmer) that generate a Gcode not only for embroidery but also for Quilting machines... and By Embroidery means a real embroidery Gcode including all types of stitches a commercial embroidery machine can make......

    The following images represents a sample of the Lady in Sophiesew program...I exported in DST format..and generated Gcode... The output is Perfect in NCPLOT...

    Now we can say that we are able to perform embroidery work with our Mach3 /EMC/Kcam controlled CNC...

    For setails about the efforts i have made you can see the thread at CNCZone..This thread is almost 0ne year Old, but the last couple of weeks were very productive... Read from Page No.12 upto page No. 13 and you will see How close we are for a very very low cost CNC Embroidery Machine..
    http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...=57404&page=12
    Khalid,I

    INCREDIBLE! You are the man Khalid!!!! You never stop amazing me. Thanks for sharing this.

    Guy
    Thinking outside the box is one thing, being able to accomplish what you think of, is another.

    Software Rhino 3.0 & 4.0, Corel 12, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, Parts Wizard, Visual Mill 5.0 & 6.0, Rhino CAM/Art, Claytools, Microsoft Word, Notepad.
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  3. #3
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    keep up the good work
    Hardware - Shopbot PRSstandard 48x96 with PC router.
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  4. #4
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    Thanks Guy and Mike..
    Soon I will show you the Practical stuff.... I will start constructing the Frame for Embroidery Machine by the coming weekend... And belive me , I can't see anything that can hinder us to a full fledge low-cost solution for industrial embroidery...

    The Professional machines comes with smaller Hoops and You have a design size Limitations , but in our case we can make a design as long as we can ... Offcourse the width is restricted to 9" Arm of Machine...

    Thanks for comments.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Khalid Khattak View Post
    Thanks Guy and Mike..
    Soon I will show you the Practical stuff.... I will start constructing the Frame for Embroidery Machine by the coming weekend... And belive me , I can't see anything that can hinder us to a full fledge low-cost solution for industrial embroidery...

    The Professional machines comes with smaller Hoops and You have a design size Limitations , but in our case we can make a design as long as we can ... Offcourse the width is restricted to 9" Arm of Machine...

    Thanks for comments.
    Khalid,

    That 9 inch arm houses a shaft that connects to the drive mechanism for the sewing needle iteself. Why not cut the housing and extend the shaft?

    Guy
    Thinking outside the box is one thing, being able to accomplish what you think of, is another.

    Software Rhino 3.0 & 4.0, Corel 12, Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator, Parts Wizard, Visual Mill 5.0 & 6.0, Rhino CAM/Art, Claytools, Microsoft Word, Notepad.
    Access to Hardware CAMaster 510 ATC w/4th Axis 8' Lathe, Kitako 10 Spindle CNC 4th Axis Carving Machine, Polhemus FastScan and LDI Surveyor 3500 Laser Scanners, Sensable Haptics.

  6. #6
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    Its in my Future Plan..But , How you read my mind... I will soon Join a mechanic of these simple Machines and will see How can we cut and extend...
    The Arm and the Base of Machine is connected through shafts and Bobbin is Sync. with the Needle... We have to precisely cut and extend each part to make the whole machine Functional... I am also thinking of adding a stepper motor on the wheel..It will help us avoiding lot of hassles with photo transistors and a DC motor...

    I will see if the Stepper can give a good turn (High RPM) to the machine, and if the RPM is stable without loosing steps then it would be a good solution.. Else, I have to go to the second option of adding 24V DC motor , a photo transistor to keep track of Needle...

    Today I bought the Belts, Motors from a scrapped Printer Shop...Tomorrow i will bring some Aluminum Profile, Day after tomorrow I will Purchase the simple sewing Machine...and within a week i will make it functional, Because I simply can't wait to see it working....
    Last edited by Khalid Khattak; 12-22-2009 at 12:51 PM.

  7. #7
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    could you drive the bobbin with a stepper, or servo/photo cell as well? and just ditch the linkage.
    Hardware - Shopbot PRSstandard 48x96 with PC router.
    Software - Aspire 2.5, Partworks, Cut 3D, Photo V-Carve
    Open Source/Free - Inkscape, Open Office.

  8. #8
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    Very Nice thoughts Mr.Schwartz... If the linkages removed then we can just run the Needle portion of Machine above the cloth and the Bobbin portion below the cloth..and both portions will be separated mechanically... Very great idea..It means that we have unlimited space for embroidering... We have just to Synchronize the Needle stepper motor and Bobbin stepper motor...
    I must say you are a genius..

    Thanks

  9. #9
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    I am currently Planning to Make a simple GUI for the embroidery application... I plan to add following functionalities

    1- The User will open the industrial standard embroidery format (DST) file
    2- The File will be read and displayed in Picture Box with some information (Total No of stitches, Height and width, No. of Colors etc.)
    3- User will be given a choice to add some special G&M code at Top and Bottom of the Gcode (Like G21/G20, G90, G64, M30) ..Here I need your Inputs

    4-On the basis of selection the Gcode will be generated in the Right textbox.


    Any Suggestion at this time?
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  10. #10
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    Added some more functionality...

    1- You can add extra informations in Gcode Header
    2- You can simulate the design now
    3- Gcode was refined and readable. For Fast stitching The Z1 was added into new line in rapid move.... Added M7 and M9 for lighting up/Off the bulb during changing the thread in the needle.
    4- Added Zoom in/Zoom Out function

  11. #11
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    The Program Can generate Gcode for CROSS-STITCH

    I hope with the help of You all i would able to put some more good things in this program, prior to Beta release it.. Releasing the Beta version now is not that important as nobody including myself has built hardware for it to operate...

    Yesterday I completed the drawings...Today , I hope, I will receive the Machine Foundation wooden structure and Off-course a low-cost Manual Sewing machine... I purchased aluminum Profiles and cut as per the dimension...

    Today , Late, I will able to post some Hardware Pictures... Software is further extended and Thread Thickness has been added along with Scroll bars for Complete viewing of generated Drawing in Picture Box..Yesterday I added the functionality to Generate Gcode for CROSS-STITCH..

    I am really enjoying the project, and keep watching here... I am 200% sure the thing will work... :-)
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  12. #12
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    Finally i am in position to post some pictures of hardware of my Embroidery Machine... Their are 04 major parts in the hardware:
    1- Sewing Machine Support Structure (MDF and Wood)
    2- X/Y- Carriage ( Mostly Aluminum , few parts CS)
    3- My Controller Box
    4- Sewing Machine

    Day before Yesterday, I completed The X/Y- Carriage and Yesterday my complete day spent on the controller box..This time i am using PIC based controller... Actually, The Controller box got damaged during Flight.. The Transformer Loosen and left it place from the foundation screws and rolled over on the Modular Cards.. I have removed the broken/damaged components and now it has to be checked for integrity...

    The sewing Machine Wheel is removed and some components/Linkages were disabled for embroidery work..
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  13. #13
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    Yesterday installed the carriage and repair and tested the controller cards..
    Attached Images Attached Images

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Khalid Khattak View Post
    Yesterday installed the carriage and repair and tested the controller cards..
    Very nice looking setup. Thanks for posting pictures of your progress.
    You are one amazing inventor.
    Jim J.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]Camaster Cobra 408 working table size 48 x 98
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  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by James Jaragosky View Post
    Very nice looking setup. Thanks for posting pictures of your progress.
    You are one amazing inventor.
    Jim J.
    Thanks Jim...Yesterday I tested the controller card and the machine was dry run without Hoop and cloth.. All the moves machine make were in my favor
    Keep watching

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