4 and 5 Axis CNC Controllers for CNC Foam Cutting

I quite often get asked if I use a particular controller board for CNC foam cutting So I thought it would be useful to make a video showing what you can use.

For CNC foam cutting you will need a minimum of 4 axes. 5 axes foam cutting is also possible with a rotary table

There are several to choose from and I have used most during my foam-cutting journey. A few will only work with specific software

So in this video, I’ll explain the different types of controllers which IMO are suitable for hobbyists.

Check the website for full details on CNC foam cutting plans and a free e-book.

Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:06 PC Controller vs MicroController.
07:59 Arduino Uno and CNC Shield V3.00
15:07 Arduino Mega 2560, RAMPS and MKS GEN L
23:46 32-bit Microcontrollers
34:39 Recommendations

[ZuNunchaku]

really great video. I have another information from what you said in this video that might you miss.
1. arduino mega based (including mks board) can do 5 axis too. 27:43
2. the cheapest 32bit controller is ESP32 with NCFluid firmware, and it has wifi or bluetooth. 29:33
3. jedicut (skin property) and grblugru (wing creator on extras menu) has kerf setting (skin thickness) 33:25

hope it helps. cheers

[edisoncamilo]

Fantástico tirou minha dúvida mais uma vez

[Nic-xwsj]

Thanks Keith for your explanation, again very usefull and well done. You mention in the end of the video a guy in South Africa who made a automatic wire tensioning system, do you have any more info on this?
I'd rather not use the "bow style" tensioner as it takes lots of space and I want to be able to dismount and compactly store the foamcutter when not in use.

[ZaidPirwani]

Thanks for the detailed tutorial

Can we use the mega and ramps with dev foam cnc for 5 axis work? And can dev foam cnc upload firmware to mega/ramps combo

[chiefdreambig]

I have a Demand Products CNC foam cutting "Twister" with a 5 foot hot wire. I have having trouble with my controller, but if it goes bad, it will cost $4, 000-$5, 000 to replace the controller. Do you know of a MUCH cheaper alternative controler than will operate my "Twister"? Thanks.

[tablettone]

Hello Keith, for Arduino UNO with shield v3, what script should be used to control the 4 stepper motors? greetings

[Sagamore]

Hello. Could you build 5 axes CNC foam cutting, pls?