Try here: http://cetic.swan.ac.uk/surfs/products/index.htm
I’ve been working wit them on developing their beta version. It should be available to the general public soon.
thanks tom, i had tried writing these guys but no answers yet, cheers.
When it is available, I think it will be exactly what you are looking for. It’s very intuitive and easy to work with.
look forward to it…
Dear Feral and speedneedle, the software and CNC machines that I have can produce any fin shape, size and foil. Recently I foiled a 35 inch high 3/4" marine ply for a client as a feature. I have produced fibreglass, timber, aluminium single or double sided foils, set or FCS and also carved molds out of Teflon based - PE (great non stick capabilities).
I use the same machine that cuts my surfboards and everything else, a Shopbot.
My machine, ready for work is up for sale at $40,000au, includes all bits and pieces, includes vac pump and hold down system, dust collection. This little puppy will satisfy all of your inventive desires as it has done for me.
I myself am heading for another company outside of the board industry to play with a 7axis robotic arm.(YeeeHa)
If interested PM
regards
KR
hey Ken , your machine sounds like the hell deal , i would highly recomend it for Dave …
last time i spoke to Dave his head was dreaming about all that stuff …
i think you will get a shock at how ineffective 7 axis is …
you can get right down to the finest detail on the rail with 3 axis …
7 axis is a nightmare , the number crunching and math is mind twisting …
7 axis is actually slower than 3 , because the inertia of the cutting head has to be considered …
unless design and cam software is set up for plus 5 axis , its also a night mare …
there is the argument that more axis is good because it presents the cutting head at a more favourable angle , but the other side of the coin is ,design a cutter that presents at a favourable angle …
3 is more than enough for boards , 5 does everything and more on boards plus other goodies …
7 is just complicating the whole process …
but , have fun , knowing what you achieved with your current machine , playing with this new one will be right up your alley , even if it doesnt translate into surfboards , your gonna have a ball because of the challenge it presents …
hey Ken , you made a comment about 2 years ago , your a prophet man , it all came true …
good luck , hope your not leaving boards for good , as i hear pretty good comments about your work …
regards
BERT
Hey Bert, yep, 3 axis is all that you need for shaping boards and for a lot of the other stuff as well.
By the pics it looks like FW are using Kuka’s, I will be using the same machine except I have asked for the 7th axis to be a 2M diam rotary table. I will be mainly sculpting oversize models for the themeing industry, should be hell fun.
I will still have my other Shopbot to work along side the big fella and a Wintech as well.
Sorry but I knew that it would’nt last with FW, they are not in it for the same reason as underground shapers.
Funny how I havn’t met you yet, the Goldie board industry isn’t that big.
I will always make boards, I have too many ideas and personal theories to asses.
regards
KR
Quote:
…… I myself am heading for another company outside of the board industry to play with a 7axis robotic arm. ……
I’m curious…3 degrees of freedom in translation…3 more in rotation…what’s the 7th degree of freedom? mtb
Hey MTB, the robot itself is 6 axis but the software can calculate an extra axis, so I am adding the rotary table as the 7th axis instead of floor track(basically a vertical lathe).
KR
I use Pro/E and a MultiCam 3 Axis CNC router. Here’s a clip of the machine making a pass
while taking off .020" to true up a balsa skinned 5-9 kite surfboard.
http://www.impact3d.com/000_0002.MOV(2.9M)
And a picture showing how nicely it’s cleaning up the epoxy that bled through when I was
bagging on the skin. I’m making lot’s of passes so I don’t need to sand much.
For what I do, I prefer this machine over a dedicated shaping machine since it can do
so many other components. Things like fixtures, plastic pieces, pockets for fin boxes, flat
panels, molds and a whole lot more. A tool changer and an easy way to set the home is
essential. Or you’ll spend forever dinking with setup instead of making cuts.
You need to learn some 3D surfacing skills to truly design and model fins and boards in
CAD. Surface modeling is a discipline within CAD that focuses on creating smoothly flowing
3D models that exhibit a high degree of curvature continuity. Water likes that.
-Hein