Mill Bath for Carbon Fiber Processing

Inroduction

Carbon fiber processing and cutting results in dust particles that are harmful to the human body. To combat this, mill baths are used when processing carbon fiber. The carbon fiber panel is submerged in water which is used to trap the dust particles that are released during processing. The dust filled water can then be disposed of when the processing is finished

Part List

All parts needed for this tutorial can be found in a labelled drawer in the toolbox in the Student Design Hub.

In this drawer you should find:

• Mill Bath

• Spacer, plastic

• Washer M6

• Nut M6

• Support Magnet

• Tube

• Stop valve

• Tube Connection

Fixing and Setting Up the Mill Bath

To securely fix the mill bath to the bed of the CNC Machine both the bed and the bottom of the mill bath will be covered in tape and connected using an adhesive. The tape is used to avoid messing up the both the bed and the mill bath.

Cutting Setup

• Screw the plastic spacers onto the threaded bolts located in the Milling Bath

• Use the provided support magnets to clamp smaller workpieces

or to provide additional support during the machining.

• Place the workpiece onto the plastic spacers

• Clamp the carbon fiber using the washer and the M6 nuts.

• Connect the tube to the tube connection and the stop valve and make sure the stop valve is closed

• Then fill the mill bath up with water until the water level is about 10mm above the carbon fiber part.

Processing

Processing the carbon fiber requires knowledge using the X-Carve CNC machine. Review the CNC Machining tutorial to familiarize yourself with the machine. Each process will look different depending on the design but here are some best practices and general knowledge tips to keep in mind:

• Bit Size: The bit size depends on the post process requirements, The X-Carve can take a 1/4 and 1/8 inch bit.

• The X-Carve DeWalt 661 spindle has speed options from 1 to 6 which translate to 16,000 RPM to 27,000 RPM, respectively. Option 1 is the most suitable spindle speed required to cut the carbon fiber, the other options are considered too fast.

• When zeroing the machine make sure to take into consideration the point in which the cutting starts from as that is where you will place the router

• Put the bit as close as possible to the carbon fiber you are trying to process before you start cutting to make sure it correctly feeds in and out of the carbon fiber plate

Clean Up

• Use the wet and dry vacuum cleaner to suck out the water in the mill bath or just drain it out into a container using the stop valve.

• Use the wet and dry vacuum cleaner to remove any dust on your part and clean the surface of it.

Additional Suggestion

• When taping the bottom of the mill bath and the bed, try layering one portion of the take of the previously laid tape. It makes removing the tapes at the end easier.

• Use of gloves are recommended as handling processed carbon fibre can lead to cuts and injuries.

• Make tabs in the 3D Model to avoid it falling of the carbon fiber sheet and into the water while it is cutting.