Embedded Files
Milling the Circuit Board
I thought that the latest version of the CEB press controller was version 4 which requires a custom milled or etched controller board. https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/CEB_Press/Manufacturing_Instructions/Detroit_Fab_Lab_Solenoid_Driver_v4
Version 2: the design for milling is not available, only etching
Version 3: the design does not appear to have been completed
The files for this board design (https://github.com/dwiel/ose-cebpress-controller-board/tree/master/dwielcode/board) appear to be in .png, .brd, .cmp, .lst, .net, .pro, .sch, and .lib formats and I believe they were designed in the KiCAD program. In addition, I believe the files OSE provides for milling are intended for a milling machine that uses a TEENSY 2.0 microcontroller however the milling machine that Scharf bought uses an arduino. The files they provide for the TEENSY are in: .emp, .mdc, .mod, .bak, .bck, .dcm, .emp, and .lib formats and the GRBLcontrol and LaserGRBL programs which Scharf's milling machine uses cannot open these. The Grblcontrol (Candle) program can open various G-Code files such as .nc, .ncc, .ngc, and .txt files and the Laser GRBL program can open GCODE files, raster image files, and vector image files.
From doing some googling it appears that FlatCAM can generate GCODE files but I am not sure how to open up the files that OSE provided in FlatCAM. I believe that I will need to open the OSE KiCAD files in KiCAD, save the Gerber files, open those in FlatCAM, and save a GCODE from FlatCAM. It looks like there are many places online which describe how to generate a gerber from KiCAD and to generate a GCODE in FlatCAM such as this page: https://muut.com/i/flatcam/usage:how-to-generate-g-code. However I think we will need to poke around in these programs a bit to learn how to use them.
Therefore, assuming that I understand the situation correctly, it appears that we can need to be able to convert the KiCad files to a GCODE so the GRBL software in the milling machine can use the OSE files.
Since I am not familiar with these programs I am unsure how much time I should invest getting to understand these programs versus getting frustrated trying to steamroll my way to using a program that I don't understand and at what point do I just give up for now and just see if I can get someone else to mill a board for me.
After looking back at the CEB press controller board it doesn't look like version 4 is the latest version (https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/CEB_Press_Controller_Genealogy). Version 4 required a custom milled circuit board. The latest CEB press that has been prototyped is version 17.08 (https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/CEB_Press_v17.08 ) which uses CEB press controller 17.08 (https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/CEB_Press_Controller_v17.08). This controller does not appear to require a custom milled circuit board. We need to check if there is sufficient documentation to replicate this machine. In addition, it appears that they are working on a soil mixer (https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Soil_Mixer_2019) that attaches to the CEB press which operates off of a separate controller (https://wiki.opensourceecology.org/wiki/Soil_Mixer_2019/Controller) but it isn't clear to me if this controller requires a custom milled circuit board. The design for each of the modules for the soil mixer is not complete but they are scheduled to complete a prototype this summer.
To better understand the electronics, we need to better understand how the arduino works and I have bought a book and a kit to study it better
Scharf and I were thinking that we would first try modifying the log splitter to press CEBs before building a dedicated press. I found someone else who tried something similar here: https://www.instructables.com/id/Brick-Press-from-a-Block-Splitter/. I need to design/build this modification.
Here is a link to a sketchup drawing of the log splitter to design the CEB press adapter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16QL_L8f_Spho7kzxo86PhxcAkiz4QWYN/view?usp=sharing. I will take this design from simple to more complex in three phases:
Design it to press bricks
Design for easy loading of material
Design for easy removal of bricks
We should consider bolting a nylon liner to the form to give the bricks a smoother finish.
Step 1: Design to press bricks
Alternative #1
This alternative can be used to build 4" x 6" x 8" bricks
The form is held in place with squares welded on the back which align with the squares welded on the back of the log splitter as well as the angled plate between the form
The form consists of 1/4" thick steel and I'm not sure if this steel is sufficiently thick
Alternative #2
A second alternative I came up with provides more support from the form moving sideways by allowing the bottom to move along the track similarly to the wedge attachment on the log splitter
I can see this possibly creating a problem by not allowing the form to fully compress and it could prevent a smooth surface at this joint between the plates at the bottom of the form
I think that this alternative is more likely to create problems than to fix a potential problem regarding a lack of support along the forms and therefore I favor alternative #1
Step 2: Design for Easy Loading of Material
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