Homemade plotter from a printer. Homemade CNC laser engraver from stones and sticks

Plot plotters are devices that automatically draw drawings, pictures, diagrams on paper, fabric, leather and other materials with a given accuracy. Models of equipment with a cutting function are common. Making a plotter with your own hands at home is quite possible. To do this, you will need parts from an old printer or DVD drive, certain software and some other materials.

Making a small plotter from a DVD drive yourself is relatively simple. Such a device on arduino will cost much less than its branded counterpart.

The working area of ​​the created device will be 4 by 4 cm.

To work you will need the following materials:

• glue or double-sided tape;
• solder for soldering;
• wires for mounting jumpers;
• DVD drive (2 pcs.), from which the stepper motor is taken;
• Arduino uno;
• servo motor;
• microcircuit L293D (driver that controls motors) – 2 pcs.;
• solderless breadboard (plastic base with a set of electrically conductive connectors).

To bring your planned project to life, you should collect such tools:

• soldering iron;
• screwdriver;
• mini drill.

Experienced electronic DIY enthusiasts can use additional parts to assemble a more functional device.

Assembly steps

The assembly of the cnc plotter is carried out according to the following algorithm:

• using a screwdriver, disassemble 2 DVD drives (the result is shown in the photo below) and take out the stepper motors from them, and from the remaining parts select two side bases for the future plotter;

Disassembled DVD drives

• the selected bases are connected using screws (having previously adjusted them to size), thus obtaining the X and Y axes, as in the photo below;

X-Y axes in assembly

• The Z axis is attached to the X axis, which is servo drive with holder for a pencil or pen, as shown in the photo;

• attach to the Y axis a square measuring 5 by 5 cm made of plywood (or plastic, board), which will serve as the basis for the stacked paper;

Paper base

• assemble, paying special attention to connecting stepper motors, an electrical circuit on a solderless board according to the diagram presented below;

Electrical connection diagram

• enter code to test the performance of the X-Y axes;
• check the functioning of the homemade product: if the stepper motors are working, then the parts are connected according to the diagram correctly;
• load the working code (for Arduino) into the CNC plotter made;
• download and run the exe program to work with G-code;
• install the Inkscape program (vector graphics editor) on your computer;
• install an add-on to it that allows you to convert G-code into images;
• configure the work of Inkscape.

After this, the homemade mini plotter is ready for use.

Some nuances of work

The coordinate axes must be located perpendicular to each other. In this case, a pencil (or pen), fixed in the holder, should be able to move up and down without problems using a servo drive. If the stepper drives do not work, then you need to check whether they are connected correctly to the L293D chips and find a working option.

The code for testing the X-Y axes, the operation of the plotter, and the Inkscape program with an add-on can be downloaded on the Internet.

G code is a file containing X-Y-Z coordinates. Inkscape acts as an intermediary that allows you to create plotter-compatible files with this code, which is then converted into the movement of electric motors.

To print the desired image or text, you will need to first convert it into G-code using the Inkscape program, which will then be sent for printing.

The following video demonstrates the operation of a homemade plotter from a DVD drive:

Plotter from printer Plotters are classified according to various criteria. Devices in which the carrier is fixed motionlessly by mechanical, electrostatic or vacuum means are called tablet

. Such devices can either simply create an image or cut it out, if they have the appropriate function. In this case, horizontal and vertical cutting is available. The media parameters are limited only by the size of the tablet. Cutting plotter

• another name for a boat. It has a built-in cutter or knife. Most often, images are cut out by the device from the following materials:
• plain and photo paper;
• vinyl;
• cardboard;

various types of film.

You can make a flatbed printing or cutting plotter from a printer: in the first case, a pencil (pen) will be installed in the holder, and in the second, a knife or laser.

Homemade tablet plotter

• To assemble the device with your own hands, you will need the following components and materials:
• Arduino (USB compatible) or microcontroller (for example, ATMEG16, ULN2003A), used to convert commands from the computer into signals that cause the movement of the actuators;
• laser power 300 mW;
• power unit;
• gears, belts;
• bolts, nuts, washers;
• organic glass or board (plywood) as a base.

The laser allows you to cut thin films and burn wood.

The simplest version of a tablet plotter is assembled in the following sequence:

• make a base from the selected material, connecting structural elements with bolts or gluing them;

• drill holes and insert guides into them as in the photo below;

Installation of guides

• assemble a carriage for installing a pen or laser;

Carriage with holes for guides

• assemble the fastening;

Mount for marker

Locking mechanism

• install stepper motors, gears, belts, obtaining the structure shown below;

Assembled homemade plotter

• connect the electrical circuit;
• install software on a computer;
• put the device into operation after checking.

If use Arduino, then the programs discussed above are suitable. The use of different microcontrollers will require the installation of different software.

When a knife is installed to cut film or paper (cardboard), its penetration depth should be correctly adjusted experimentally.

The above design can be improved by adding automation. Parts according to parameters will need to be selected empirically, based on those available. Some may need to be purchased in addition.

Both considered options for plotters can be made independently, as long as you have the old unnecessary equipment and desire. Such cheap devices are capable of drawing drawings and cutting out various images and shapes. They are far from industrial analogues, but if you need to frequently create drawings, they will greatly facilitate the work. Moreover, the software is available online for free.

Hello, in this article I will show and tell you how to make a CNC laser machine on which you can make various engravings on wood, plastic and leather.

For this project we will need:
Arduino nano microcontroller
Two CD drives
Two drivers for A4988 stepper motors
Laser (in my model it is 200nm and 200MW)
Mosfet module on IRF520
Connecting wires
Bread board
Terminals
Metal corners
Set of nuts and cogs

From the tools:
Soldering iron
Screwdriver

To protect your eyes:
Protective glasses

Let's quickly go over the components. Let's start with the brain - the microcontroller. In addition to Arduino nano, you can also use other models of this microcontroller.

The A4988 stepper motor driver is also important. With it we can control the engine, set micro steps and their speed. Also in the A4988 driver you can adjust the micro pitch of the motor: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16.
To configure it, you need to pull pins ms1 ms2 ms3 to the plus in a special order (shown in the table).

Let's look at the main characteristics.
Supply voltage: 8-35 V
Micro step mode: 1, 1/2, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16
Logic voltage: 3-5.5 V
overheat protection
Maximum current per phase: - 1 A without radiator; - 2 A with radiator
Size: 20 x 15 mm
Without radiator: 2 g

Now let's look at the connection diagram.
ENABLE – enable/disable the driver
MS1, MS2, MS3 – contacts for setting micro step
RESET - chip reset
STEP - generation of pulses for motor movement (each pulse is a step), motor speed can be adjusted
DIR – setting the direction of rotation
VMOT – power supply for motor (8 – 35 V)
GND – common
2B, 2A, 1A, 1B – for connecting motor windings
VDD – microcircuit power supply (3.5–5V)

We also need to discuss driver calibration. This is done using a micro potentiometer on the driver. This potentiometer regulates the current supplied to the motor. Different motors have different current consumption, so we need to decide on our motors. There are two ways here: quick and not very correct and long and correct. You can find information about your stepper motor on the Internet based on the model of your CD drive. There is a high probability that this method will not yield any information. Or you can use a simpler method. Turn the potentiometer counterclockwise until the end, connect the motor through a simple Arduino program and gradually turn the potentiometer clockwise until the motor starts running. Our goal is to keep the engine running and not skip steps. Don't worry about the engine getting too hot. This is normal, because the operating temperature of the stepper motor is 40 - 45 °C.

Calibration code:

//simple connection of A4988 //reset and sleep pins connected together //connect VDD to 3.3V or 5V pin on Arduino //connect GND to Arduino GND (GND next to VDD) //connect 1A and 1B to 1 coil of stepper motor //connect 2A and 2B to stepper motor coil 2 //connect VMOT to power supply (9V power supply + term) //connect GRD to power supply (9V power supply - term) int stp = 13; //connect pin 13 to step int dir = 12; //connect 12 pins to dir int a = 0; void setup() ( pinMode(stp, OUTPUT); pinMode(dir, OUTPUT); ) void loop() ( if (a< 200) // вращение на 200 шагов в направлении 1 { a++; digitalWrite(stp, HIGH); delay(10); digitalWrite(stp, LOW); delay(10); } else { digitalWrite(dir, HIGH); a++; digitalWrite(stp, HIGH); delay(10); digitalWrite(stp, LOW); delay(10); if (a>400) // rotate 200 steps in direction 2 ( a = 0; digitalWrite(dir, LOW); ) ) )

Let's move on. Let's talk laser. Lasers differ primarily in power. It depends on it whether you can burn on light types of wood or whether the machine can only process dark materials. In my model, I used a low-power laser, but lasers of higher power are sold in the same body. I would not advise you to take large lasers with radiators, because their mass is much larger and stepper motors that are not designed for this load can overheat and fail.

Don't forget to protect your eyes and buy safety glasses. You need to choose glasses based on the wavelength of your laser.

We will also need a MOSFET IRF520. You can simply purchase a mosfet and the necessary harness for it, or buy a ready-made module.

Well, now, when the main points have been discussed and all the components have been prepared, we can begin assembly.

First of all, let's look at the device diagram:

These schemes are absolutely identical. Pay attention to the laser power supply. Your laser may be a different voltage.

I highly recommend starting assembly on a breadboard. After assembly, install the software. Go to the website http://lasergrbl.com/en/, go to the download tab and download the laserGRBL program.

Then go to GitHub and download.

We take out the grbl folder from the archive and archive it. This will be our library for Arduino. Add this library to the Arduino IDE and open the grblUpload example. We connect the Arduino to the computer and upload this code.

The laserGRBL program is easy to use and five minutes of Google is enough to figure it out.

If the circuit on the breadboard is assembled, the motors respond to commands and the program works, you can proceed to the final part of the project - assembly into the case and soldering.

Often modelers and other handicraft lovers have to face the task of designing their products. Self-adhesive film of various colors is ideal for such purposes. This design significantly improves the appearance of homemade models. To make design elements look neat, it is best to cut them out not manually with scissors, but on special equipment with software - a plotter. Using this device, various drawings or drawings are reproduced, for example, on paper. Purchasing such a device in a store is expensive and not always advisable, since you can easily make a plotter with your own hands.

Flatbed plotter from an old printer

A plotter in which paper or other media is fixedly fixed, called tablet. This is a relatively simple design, the capabilities of which are limited to working in the vertical and horizontal directions.

Draw a drawing, a picture or cut out a specific pattern for scrapbooking - all this can be done using a flatbed plotter. He might be like printed and cutting

– it all depends on the working tool attached to the device. For printing devices this can be a pencil, fountain pen, marker, and for cutting modifications it can be a knife or laser. Such devices work with various working surfaces:.

cardboard, paper, different types of films

Important! The format of the materials used depends solely on the dimensions of the manufactured tablet, which, in turn, are determined by the length of the shafts used during assembly.

Required materials and tools

• Having an old printer in the house provides almost all the spare parts needed to make a plotter with your own hands. First of all, it is necessary to disassemble the inkjet or laser device and select the spare parts necessary for the new product:
• stepper motors (2 pcs.);
• guide shafts;
• power unit;
• carriages;
• gears;
• belt;

bolts, washers, nuts, glue for assembly. In addition to the parts obtained from the printer, it is necessary to prepare the material for the product body (organic glass or plywood) and the control board. As the last suitable for Arduino

(Arduino) with USB connectivity. You can also use another microcontroller, such as ULN2003A or ATMEG16. Arduino has built-in processor and memory

, with the help of which you can set the operation algorithm of any electrical appliances. For those who like to design various electronic devices, this control platform is a good find. there are about 20 contacts, to which you can connect various kinds of sensors, routers, lamps and other electrical equipment. Another advantage of Arduino is the ability to expand by adding additional boards with new functionality.

Advice! To convert a printer into a plotter, you must first prepare a screwdriver, knife, drill and soldering iron so as not to be distracted during the assembly process. You also need a small saw with a blade for plexiglass or plywood.

Device assembly algorithm

The plotter is assembled in the following sequence.

The final stage of putting the plotter into operation is connecting electronics and installing software. Drivers that Arduino can run on are freely available on the Internet.

Important! If the home plotter was intended to be a cutting plotter, it is necessary to experimentally adjust the depth of immersion of the tool into the workpiece material.

Homemade plotter based on DVD drives

You can make a homemade plotter using stepper motors and guides from DVD drives. If there are no old disk drives left at home, then they can be purchased very cheaply at any radio market, because devices for reading CDs are already an outdated attribute of computer equipment. The working area of ​​such a device will be relatively small - 4*4 cm.

Preparing for assembly

For work you will need to prepare the following parts and materials:

• 2 DVD drives;
• servo motor;
• 2 L293D chips for controlling stepper motors;
• solderless breadboard;
• installation wires;
• Arduino board;
• bolts, nuts, solder and other fastening materials.

To make a plotter from a DVD drive, you need the same set of tools as to assemble a product from a printer.

Sequence of plotter manufacturing

The assembly process begins with the old drives being disassembled and the necessary components for the manufactured unit being selected. The device being created will require a stepper motor and drive panels, which will serve as the side bases of the plotter.

Advice! The circuit assembly should be carried out in accordance with the diagram presented above. Particular care must be taken when connecting stepper motors.

After assembling the chain it is necessary test the assembled electrical appliance– when loading the test code, the engines must start. Otherwise, you should check the connections with the circuit drawing, correct the errors and retest.

For final preparation for work, CNC (CNC) products download the working code for Arduino and run the program to work with it.

Then they install and configure a graphic editor compatible with the existing software.

Important! The best option for a graphics editor is the widely used, free and professional program Inkscape. It works successfully on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. All necessary programs available for download on the Internet

. If the installation was completed correctly, the self-made cnc plotter is ready to perform its functions.

Conclusion

The proposed options for manufacturing home plotters can be easily improved through greater automation if desired. Thanks to this, it is possible to achieve greater productivity if necessary. You can also equip your homemade plotter with a Bluetooth module and provide a wireless connection between the device and your computer. To improve the design of a homemade product, you need to use blanks specially made on a machine for the body instead of improvised means. Such improvements will not have a large impact on manufacturing costs.

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