9 ms·

Kern Microtechnik: Accurate CNC Machines [video]

134 points by SQL2219 7y ago

madengr 7y ago
2 um accuracy; tools so fine that tool change air flow will break them; amazing. I could use this for machining mmWave components.
- colechristensen 7y ago
  I've been acquiring tools to fix/measure/improve cheap CNC mill and 3d printer, the $100 dial gague I picked has 10 µm as its smallest increment, you can just barely see a 2µm variation. The force the measurement tool imparts on the part and its support structure is more than that. The next steps are either carelessly blinding myself trying to build a laser interferometer or spending a ridiculous amount of money on more precise gagues.
  - new299 7y ago
    Sam’s lasers sells some refurbished HP laser interferometers on eBay (HP5517 head+the receivers). He has also worked with someone to supply open source software/counting electronics. My notes on the kit are here: http://41j.com/blog/2017/02/hp-interferometer-notes/ http://41j.com/blog/2017/02/hp-interferometer-notes/ You can often pick up the laser/receivers/optics quite cheap (few hundred USD). And then just use the software supplied by Sam. The Sam kit is tested which is nice (but it’s ~1000USD IIRC). Interferometers as used on high end CNCs often.
    - colechristensen 7y ago
      There is a cool effect where a laser reflecting back into itself will cause interference inside the laser diode and affect the power required to drive it in a measurable way and with it you can extract a surprising amount of information (distance, rotation, angle, speed, etc.) I was ... hasty ... with my first laser diode and burned it out in about 30 seconds. I like to tell myself the money wasted was spent on learning lessons. The second is coming in the mail. The upshot with this method is that it can be extremely low cost and give you access to write code that interfaces directly with physics instead of somebody else's device. The idea for hacking on these things comes from Ben Krasnow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdro-6u2Zg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdro-6u2Zg and several research papers.
      - jbay808 7y ago
        This is known as a self-mixing interferometer (as is explained in the video) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-mixing_interferometry https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-mixing_interferometry
  - YZF 7y ago
    The black matrix glass in an LCD is typically accurate to a few microns since it's made in a photolithography process. If you couple that with a microscope/camera (e.g. mounted where your tool usually goes) you can use that to calibrate your CNC mill across its work area with some machine vision software. This is probably going to be a lot cheaper and simpler than using interferometers and for any practical purpose should have better accuracy than what you can expect to ever get out of a regular CNC mill. I'm not sure if you can just buy those somewhere or you'd take a display apart or something along those lines...
    - madengr 7y ago
      Glass scales for DRO are relatively inexpensive. The Bridgeport EZ-Trak I bought at work uses them in the servo system. So getting static accuracy is probably not too difficult, but the dynamic accuracy is a whole different can of worms. I can’t remember who wrote the white paper, but it described “rounding a square”, and measuring how much tangential material was left over at the flats, as a test of dynamic accuracy.
      - jbay808 7y ago
        Even static accuracy is not so easy. The scales will measure the axis position. But when you move the table over to the other end of travel, the shifting weight tilts the knee, and now your cuts that were supposed to be parallel are not. None of the scales measure this rotation. Then, as the machine warms up, differential thermal expansion starts to twist things further...
    - colechristensen 7y ago
      My interests are more in general purpose tools for increasing accuracy, and perhaps using them to increase the accuracy of inaccurate tools through feedback systems. That is, throw out chasing perfection of rigidity, dimension, and flatness of a mill (etc.) Instead keep adding measurement and feedback until the precision of the machine parts doesn't matter. (or, continue to amuse myself and annoy my partner by making messes and spending my disposable income trying)
  - d-sc 7y ago
    What is your goal with improving the cnc machine? I’ve used a capacitive distance sensor to measure vibrations in the micrometers and nanometers. At that scale things get unintuitive pretty quickly. I doubt your motors and linear tables will be able to keep up with much precision beyond what you can measure with a cheapish digital caliper.
    - colechristensen 7y ago
      Eh. When I'm following my own drives I tend to build something up from basics and improve it's ability to do X until it reaches a certain level of usefulness and I get bored and move on because my goal was building the thing not ever actually doing anything in particular with it. That section of the journey appeals to me. Ultra-precise laser range finders scratch a particular itch. I so often have found myself wanting one and being unable to find something suitable to buy. Let's say, 1mm to 50µm precision at 1cm to 10m distances, in that ballpark. What could I do with it? * Characterize and quantify improvements in machine precision, most of what I do seems to be wild shots in the dark without some better measurement tools. * Add feedback mechanisms to machines – work around imprecise parts and close the loop with cheap and super-precise measurement tools. * Lasers. The key features are programability and range+precision.
      - d-sc 7y ago
        Cool! Here’s a couple thoughts I have, forgive me if you already have these in mind. Feedback and Controls: I’ve found that feedback suddenly made a lot more sense and seemed less mysterious once I understood the math behind it. This is the textbook I used: Control System Engineering - Nise And these videos were particularly helpful: https://www.youtube.com/user/ControlLectures https://www.youtube.com/user/ControlLectures Regarding Precise Measurement: It’s hard, something that might not look moving to the naked eye might be vibrating back and forth several uM. I’ve heard that lasers are subject to error from the atmospheres but I’ve never used them myself. Good luck!
  - Accujack 7y ago
    If you look, there's an excellent paper on an academic team that did a low cost construction project on a small mill for micromachining. They achieved very high accuracy with fairly ordinary components. Here's one link to the project: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwivooDh3dLjAhUXLs0KHR7gD48QFjACegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeer.asee.org%2Flow-cost-micromachining-development-and-application-for-engineering-and-technology-education.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3WvJzVKOiMUBBtQM3JRaYV https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&c...
hlieberman 7y ago
For a slightly more accurate CNC lathe and grinding machine (1 micron) that can be made "at home": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrVdoOhu1Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrVdoOhu1Q
- ineedasername 7y ago
  Yeah, that seems to be for values of "at home" that only includes the homes of expert CNC machinist with access to someone to write custom software for it. Otherwise, the accuracy is impressive, though it doesn't seem to approach the level of automation seen in the Kern machines.
  - jbay808 7y ago
    Yes, this is not any ordinary person in any ordinary home. His home also happens to be a world class prototyping facility. I don't think Dan is interested in more automation though. It typically only pays off for big production runs, especially compared with how fast he is.
- ohazi 7y ago
  Dan Gelbart's other videos on prototyping are also definitely worth watching.
nodesocket 7y ago
Why is it that Germany makes the best industrial machines and industrial manufacturing?
- adrianN 7y ago
  There is a strong market for such machines in Germany.
- ofrzeta 7y ago
  I am not saying they don't but in German machine shops I have worked a lot of machines were of Japanese origin such as Okuma or Mori Seiki.
  - zaarn 7y ago
    IIRC from when I did metal work, that's mostly because the Japanese vendors deliver more machines per year. German manufacturers generally don't make that many machines, one because they're used for a LONG time (I learned milling on a machine from the 60s in 2015), two because they are complicated to build. You can't easily order 100 high quality mills from a german shop.
- Quequau 7y ago
  Because they have an extensive framework of public policies to foster these kinds of industries.
- usrusr 7y ago
  If you want a cultural difference vs America to point a finger at: low ambitions. Even the most talented don't necessarily shy away from modest markets that could never buy them their own private island. Industrial machines is a high value market, but the total growth potential isn't so big. With a typical European medium business (this is really not limited to Germany at all), if it achieves exceptional success in its particular field, chances are that it won't try too hard to leverage that success for growing aggressively into other fields, eventually losing focus on their core business. High specialization like Kern is achieved by sticking to what you do best and trying to get even better at it, not by trying to become a billionaire. Americans, by comparison, would be more prone to handing over the core business to the management equivalent of a maintenance coder and moving on to the next bigger opportunity.
defterGoose 7y ago
Big fan of NYCCNC, and have been anticipating this video for awhile since he first mentioned it. Too bad it's not as in-depth as some of their other factory tours. Clearly Kern has some secrets they're not keen on letting slip. Check out their Starrett tour: it's one of my favorite videos on all of YT. https://youtu.be/T7JqXbm-Nwo https://youtu.be/T7JqXbm-Nwo
- perryh2 7y ago
  Thanks. I just spent over an hour watching a variety of videos on YouTube about CNC.
kev009 7y ago
I've been pretty bummed on "tech" lately because software is such a shit show so this was impressive and inspiring, both the machines and the seeming quality and focus of the employees.
- ChuckNorris89 7y ago
  Yeah, everybody is rooting for advancements in hardware/mechanical until they see the salaries this field pays. I'm surprised the field is advancing at all seeing app kiddies can walk home with more $.
  - ratsmack 7y ago
    This was my industry for 40 years and I got to watch it die.
  - mysterypie 7y ago
    You made me curious. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov): - Metal and Plastic Machine Workers make $17.35 per hour or $36,080 per year - Machinists and Tool and Die Makers make $21.61 per hour or $44,950 per year - Software Developers make $50.77 per hour or $105,590 per year Employees at a top notch company like Kern Microtechnik probably make more than the machine worker average aboves, but then software developers at FAANG make more than the developer average as well. It's sometimes astonishing that there isn't more correlation between skill and craftsmanship and how much you get paid.
    - ChuckNorris89 7y ago
      The imbalance is not just in take-home salaries but in the barrier of entry as well. You can't just get into the field by being a self-taught mechanical or electrical engineer without investing the time and $ in attending a proper university but you can call yourself a software "engineer" after a boot camp and start making $. The only advantage of these fields though is that you can (still) find work in your 60's as a gray beard while if you're in web dev, hopefully, you have moved far enough up the ladder or made fuck you money until your 60's because I don't expect to see many graybeards doing React in the future.
opwieurposiu 7y ago
Once you get down to below 1/1000 of an inch or so, you start to notice that metal is really like playdough. it squishes out in all directions when you clamp it, it springs back when you cut it. it is never exactly the same shape after it has been handled. Just another thing that adds to the difficulty of super high precision work.
- sansnomme 7y ago
  What do you use to observe such phenomenon? Optical microscopes?
  - mrob 7y ago
    Often using a dial indicator. A rack and pinion converts the linear to rotary motion, and gears magnify the rotary motion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicator_(distance_amplifying_instrument) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicator_(distance_amplifying... tubalcain has a good video showing how they work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6D3YTx7iU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6D3YTx7iU
  - jbay808 7y ago
    You can use an optical flat. Interference fringe patterns will tell you how a surface that was cut perfectly flat on a machine becomes bowl shaped when you unmount the part. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_flat https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_flat
- robomartin 7y ago
  Yup. I often refer to aluminum as “rubber” when chasing that last few thau while machining. I do this to remind myself and others to have the right perspective and expectations when approaching things at this scale. Just because the machine displays four digits after the decimal point it doesn’t mean you can actually cut at that level.
gundmc 7y ago
Really incredible machines. Additive manufacturing has gotten all of the hype lately because it's new and quickly developing, it's equally exciting to see cutting edge developments in traditional subtractive manufacturing.
rkagerer 7y ago
What do one of these machines cost? What's the "build volume"?
injidup 7y ago
If you want to work on software in this industry then check out https://www.moduleworks.com/join-us/ https://www.moduleworks.com/join-us/ Moduleworks develops algorithms for many of the CAM platforms that target machines like KERN develops.
SQL2219 7y ago
I am burned out on software, would love to be a machinist. But I am not interested in huge pay cut. I am thinking about building a machine shop in my garage.
- abakker 7y ago
  I did this, it's awesome. I recommend it.
- dekhn 7y ago
  I did this. Lots of fun. I switch between software and "hardware" in my garage. I work mostly with wood, but also aluminum and acrylic.
- paddy_m 7y ago
  I took a side job in a machine shop over the winter.I was loading parts in and out of CNC machines, doing a little setup, cutting metal, made one fixture, and a lot of floor mopping. I thought the manual labor was going to make me appreciate the cushy desk job work that I normally do, but I absolutely loved working in the shop. I wrote an email to friends and family about, hit me up via my email in my profile and I'm happy to share it with you. I'm trying to find a similar part-time apprentice position in NYC where I live now - any suggestions?
heyalexej 7y ago
Found out about them through Nick and Josh Hacko of https://www.instagram.com/nicholashackowatch/ https://www.instagram.com/nicholashackowatch/. They use a wire EDM made by Kern to manufacture watch parts. If you're into this kind of precision, https://www.instagram.com/robinrenzetti/ https://www.instagram.com/robinrenzetti/ and https://www.instagram.com/stefan_gtwr/ https://www.instagram.com/stefan_gtwr/ are great to follow.
slowhand09 7y ago
I'm just disappointed that TechShop went bankrupt. At one point I wanted to open a facility in the Balt/Washington corridor. I figured there'd be a lot of people wanting to learn those skills, and an accessible location. They opened a franchise in Crystal City, VA (DC) but all closed in 2018. It was a a mega-makerspace with classes to learn all theses technologies.

134 points by SQL2219 7y ago

2 um accuracy; tools so fine that tool change air flow will break them; amazing. I could use this for machining mmWave components.

colechristensen 7y ago
I've been acquiring tools to fix/measure/improve cheap CNC mill and 3d printer, the $100 dial gague I picked has 10 µm as its smallest increment, you can just barely see a 2µm variation. The force the measurement tool imparts on the part and its support structure is more than that. The next steps are either carelessly blinding myself trying to build a laser interferometer or spending a ridiculous amount of money on more precise gagues.
- new299 7y ago
  Sam’s lasers sells some refurbished HP laser interferometers on eBay (HP5517 head+the receivers). He has also worked with someone to supply open source software/counting electronics. My notes on the kit are here: http://41j.com/blog/2017/02/hp-interferometer-notes/ http://41j.com/blog/2017/02/hp-interferometer-notes/ You can often pick up the laser/receivers/optics quite cheap (few hundred USD). And then just use the software supplied by Sam. The Sam kit is tested which is nice (but it’s ~1000USD IIRC). Interferometers as used on high end CNCs often.
  - colechristensen 7y ago
    There is a cool effect where a laser reflecting back into itself will cause interference inside the laser diode and affect the power required to drive it in a measurable way and with it you can extract a surprising amount of information (distance, rotation, angle, speed, etc.) I was ... hasty ... with my first laser diode and burned it out in about 30 seconds. I like to tell myself the money wasted was spent on learning lessons. The second is coming in the mail. The upshot with this method is that it can be extremely low cost and give you access to write code that interfaces directly with physics instead of somebody else's device. The idea for hacking on these things comes from Ben Krasnow https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdro-6u2Zg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdro-6u2Zg and several research papers.
    - jbay808 7y ago
      This is known as a self-mixing interferometer (as is explained in the video) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-mixing_interferometry https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-mixing_interferometry
- YZF 7y ago
  The black matrix glass in an LCD is typically accurate to a few microns since it's made in a photolithography process. If you couple that with a microscope/camera (e.g. mounted where your tool usually goes) you can use that to calibrate your CNC mill across its work area with some machine vision software. This is probably going to be a lot cheaper and simpler than using interferometers and for any practical purpose should have better accuracy than what you can expect to ever get out of a regular CNC mill. I'm not sure if you can just buy those somewhere or you'd take a display apart or something along those lines...
  - madengr 7y ago
    Glass scales for DRO are relatively inexpensive. The Bridgeport EZ-Trak I bought at work uses them in the servo system. So getting static accuracy is probably not too difficult, but the dynamic accuracy is a whole different can of worms. I can’t remember who wrote the white paper, but it described “rounding a square”, and measuring how much tangential material was left over at the flats, as a test of dynamic accuracy.
    - jbay808 7y ago
      Even static accuracy is not so easy. The scales will measure the axis position. But when you move the table over to the other end of travel, the shifting weight tilts the knee, and now your cuts that were supposed to be parallel are not. None of the scales measure this rotation. Then, as the machine warms up, differential thermal expansion starts to twist things further...
  - colechristensen 7y ago
    My interests are more in general purpose tools for increasing accuracy, and perhaps using them to increase the accuracy of inaccurate tools through feedback systems. That is, throw out chasing perfection of rigidity, dimension, and flatness of a mill (etc.) Instead keep adding measurement and feedback until the precision of the machine parts doesn't matter. (or, continue to amuse myself and annoy my partner by making messes and spending my disposable income trying)
- d-sc 7y ago
  What is your goal with improving the cnc machine? I’ve used a capacitive distance sensor to measure vibrations in the micrometers and nanometers. At that scale things get unintuitive pretty quickly. I doubt your motors and linear tables will be able to keep up with much precision beyond what you can measure with a cheapish digital caliper.
  - colechristensen 7y ago
    Eh. When I'm following my own drives I tend to build something up from basics and improve it's ability to do X until it reaches a certain level of usefulness and I get bored and move on because my goal was building the thing not ever actually doing anything in particular with it. That section of the journey appeals to me. Ultra-precise laser range finders scratch a particular itch. I so often have found myself wanting one and being unable to find something suitable to buy. Let's say, 1mm to 50µm precision at 1cm to 10m distances, in that ballpark. What could I do with it? * Characterize and quantify improvements in machine precision, most of what I do seems to be wild shots in the dark without some better measurement tools. * Add feedback mechanisms to machines – work around imprecise parts and close the loop with cheap and super-precise measurement tools. * Lasers. The key features are programability and range+precision.
    - d-sc 7y ago
      Cool! Here’s a couple thoughts I have, forgive me if you already have these in mind. Feedback and Controls: I’ve found that feedback suddenly made a lot more sense and seemed less mysterious once I understood the math behind it. This is the textbook I used: Control System Engineering - Nise And these videos were particularly helpful: https://www.youtube.com/user/ControlLectures https://www.youtube.com/user/ControlLectures Regarding Precise Measurement: It’s hard, something that might not look moving to the naked eye might be vibrating back and forth several uM. I’ve heard that lasers are subject to error from the atmospheres but I’ve never used them myself. Good luck!
- Accujack 7y ago
  If you look, there's an excellent paper on an academic team that did a low cost construction project on a small mill for micromachining. They achieved very high accuracy with fairly ordinary components. Here's one link to the project: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwivooDh3dLjAhUXLs0KHR7gD48QFjACegQIARAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fpeer.asee.org%2Flow-cost-micromachining-development-and-application-for-engineering-and-technology-education.pdf&usg=AOvVaw3WvJzVKOiMUBBtQM3JRaYV https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&c...

hlieberman 7y ago

For a slightly more accurate CNC lathe and grinding machine (1 micron) that can be made "at home": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrVdoOhu1Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFrVdoOhu1Q

ineedasername 7y ago
Yeah, that seems to be for values of "at home" that only includes the homes of expert CNC machinist with access to someone to write custom software for it. Otherwise, the accuracy is impressive, though it doesn't seem to approach the level of automation seen in the Kern machines.
- jbay808 7y ago
  Yes, this is not any ordinary person in any ordinary home. His home also happens to be a world class prototyping facility. I don't think Dan is interested in more automation though. It typically only pays off for big production runs, especially compared with how fast he is.
ohazi 7y ago
Dan Gelbart's other videos on prototyping are also definitely worth watching.

nodesocket 7y ago

Why is it that Germany makes the best industrial machines and industrial manufacturing?

adrianN 7y ago
There is a strong market for such machines in Germany.
ofrzeta 7y ago
I am not saying they don't but in German machine shops I have worked a lot of machines were of Japanese origin such as Okuma or Mori Seiki.
- zaarn 7y ago
  IIRC from when I did metal work, that's mostly because the Japanese vendors deliver more machines per year. German manufacturers generally don't make that many machines, one because they're used for a LONG time (I learned milling on a machine from the 60s in 2015), two because they are complicated to build. You can't easily order 100 high quality mills from a german shop.
Quequau 7y ago
Because they have an extensive framework of public policies to foster these kinds of industries.
usrusr 7y ago
If you want a cultural difference vs America to point a finger at: low ambitions. Even the most talented don't necessarily shy away from modest markets that could never buy them their own private island. Industrial machines is a high value market, but the total growth potential isn't so big. With a typical European medium business (this is really not limited to Germany at all), if it achieves exceptional success in its particular field, chances are that it won't try too hard to leverage that success for growing aggressively into other fields, eventually losing focus on their core business. High specialization like Kern is achieved by sticking to what you do best and trying to get even better at it, not by trying to become a billionaire. Americans, by comparison, would be more prone to handing over the core business to the management equivalent of a maintenance coder and moving on to the next bigger opportunity.

defterGoose 7y ago

Big fan of NYCCNC, and have been anticipating this video for awhile since he first mentioned it. Too bad it's not as in-depth as some of their other factory tours. Clearly Kern has some secrets they're not keen on letting slip. Check out their Starrett tour: it's one of my favorite videos on all of YT. https://youtu.be/T7JqXbm-Nwo https://youtu.be/T7JqXbm-Nwo

perryh2 7y ago
Thanks. I just spent over an hour watching a variety of videos on YouTube about CNC.

kev009 7y ago

I've been pretty bummed on "tech" lately because software is such a shit show so this was impressive and inspiring, both the machines and the seeming quality and focus of the employees.

ChuckNorris89 7y ago
Yeah, everybody is rooting for advancements in hardware/mechanical until they see the salaries this field pays. I'm surprised the field is advancing at all seeing app kiddies can walk home with more $.
- ratsmack 7y ago
  This was my industry for 40 years and I got to watch it die.
- mysterypie 7y ago
  You made me curious. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov): - Metal and Plastic Machine Workers make $17.35 per hour or $36,080 per year - Machinists and Tool and Die Makers make $21.61 per hour or $44,950 per year - Software Developers make $50.77 per hour or $105,590 per year Employees at a top notch company like Kern Microtechnik probably make more than the machine worker average aboves, but then software developers at FAANG make more than the developer average as well. It's sometimes astonishing that there isn't more correlation between skill and craftsmanship and how much you get paid.
  - ChuckNorris89 7y ago
    The imbalance is not just in take-home salaries but in the barrier of entry as well. You can't just get into the field by being a self-taught mechanical or electrical engineer without investing the time and $ in attending a proper university but you can call yourself a software "engineer" after a boot camp and start making $. The only advantage of these fields though is that you can (still) find work in your 60's as a gray beard while if you're in web dev, hopefully, you have moved far enough up the ladder or made fuck you money until your 60's because I don't expect to see many graybeards doing React in the future.

opwieurposiu 7y ago

Once you get down to below 1/1000 of an inch or so, you start to notice that metal is really like playdough. it squishes out in all directions when you clamp it, it springs back when you cut it. it is never exactly the same shape after it has been handled. Just another thing that adds to the difficulty of super high precision work.

sansnomme 7y ago
What do you use to observe such phenomenon? Optical microscopes?
- mrob 7y ago
  Often using a dial indicator. A rack and pinion converts the linear to rotary motion, and gears magnify the rotary motion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicator_(distance_amplifying_instrument) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indicator_(distance_amplifying... tubalcain has a good video showing how they work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6D3YTx7iU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6D3YTx7iU
- jbay808 7y ago
  You can use an optical flat. Interference fringe patterns will tell you how a surface that was cut perfectly flat on a machine becomes bowl shaped when you unmount the part. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_flat https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_flat
robomartin 7y ago
Yup. I often refer to aluminum as “rubber” when chasing that last few thau while machining. I do this to remind myself and others to have the right perspective and expectations when approaching things at this scale. Just because the machine displays four digits after the decimal point it doesn’t mean you can actually cut at that level.

gundmc 7y ago

Really incredible machines. Additive manufacturing has gotten all of the hype lately because it's new and quickly developing, it's equally exciting to see cutting edge developments in traditional subtractive manufacturing.

rkagerer 7y ago

What do one of these machines cost? What's the "build volume"?

injidup 7y ago

If you want to work on software in this industry then check out https://www.moduleworks.com/join-us/ https://www.moduleworks.com/join-us/ Moduleworks develops algorithms for many of the CAM platforms that target machines like KERN develops.

SQL2219 7y ago

I am burned out on software, would love to be a machinist. But I am not interested in huge pay cut. I am thinking about building a machine shop in my garage.

abakker 7y ago
I did this, it's awesome. I recommend it.
dekhn 7y ago
I did this. Lots of fun. I switch between software and "hardware" in my garage. I work mostly with wood, but also aluminum and acrylic.
paddy_m 7y ago
I took a side job in a machine shop over the winter.I was loading parts in and out of CNC machines, doing a little setup, cutting metal, made one fixture, and a lot of floor mopping. I thought the manual labor was going to make me appreciate the cushy desk job work that I normally do, but I absolutely loved working in the shop. I wrote an email to friends and family about, hit me up via my email in my profile and I'm happy to share it with you. I'm trying to find a similar part-time apprentice position in NYC where I live now - any suggestions?

heyalexej 7y ago

Found out about them through Nick and Josh Hacko of https://www.instagram.com/nicholashackowatch/ https://www.instagram.com/nicholashackowatch/. They use a wire EDM made by Kern to manufacture watch parts. If you're into this kind of precision, https://www.instagram.com/robinrenzetti/ https://www.instagram.com/robinrenzetti/ and https://www.instagram.com/stefan_gtwr/ https://www.instagram.com/stefan_gtwr/ are great to follow.

slowhand09 7y ago

I'm just disappointed that TechShop went bankrupt. At one point I wanted to open a facility in the Balt/Washington corridor. I figured there'd be a lot of people wanting to learn those skills, and an accessible location. They opened a franchise in Crystal City, VA (DC) but all closed in 2018. It was a a mega-makerspace with classes to learn all theses technologies.