Just one Q arising in my mind. Why can t we build our own EPS or Thermocol Model here in India, I know in today's time cost of Thermocol kit is nothing. but still WHY CANT WE. IN this forum we are designing new scratch built models using only thermocol. depron etc. mostly 3D type. WHY can t we make profile plane molds here and start manufacturing locally. there are many companies who make thermocol packaging materials. WHY can't WE make. What we need is just the Molds. Planes like easy star, E-Starter, Cubs and Cessna are very popular here.....there might be many.... So WHY CANT WE.

hey i am making a yak - 54 from epp will probably give it to sai uncle for him to do anything he wants with it or even mass produce will post details later as just started

subbu

Where did u get EPP foam?

You remind me...........i have to send Navigation light to Mr. Sai.........

Packing in which we send our models I presume

yes you are right sai uncle

i have about 20 metres of it and i think i will use balsa for reinforcement


subbu

But isn't that a very flexible sheet - how is that used for making models.

Imagination can achieve a lot
 

Actually I have one from you when I got the Malibu. Most likely it will need to be used only as a skin over a wing/tail frame. Not at all sure how it can be made stiff and taut though. I was looking out for some depron and thought this might be usable, but don't want to spend time building a frame first.

If you have built a wing with this sheet pls let us know or post the pics so that we can do the same/similar.

interesting never saw this posting, so why can't we manufacture foam models in India or is it to early for such a venture

sai what are your comments on this

sahil

Worried that the Chinese would do it cheaper 

well, if we can mass produce then may be we have a chance but i was thinking is there sufficient demand in India to start of with

sahil

Mass production of only thermocol models is not the only thing...plastic parts and accessories are also important....that can be done easily here since we Indians are know best to do  "Jugaar Technology"  ...not to make much complicated......

off course 

I guess the hobby itself having legalities in the country makes such a venture difficult. Apart from that, Foam Molding machine is much costlier for the low volumes expected to sell in the country. Unless the factory mass produces and (?) exports the Kits like China, Casting machine is infeasible.

BTW, building a CNC Foam cutting machine is much viable option! After I make my first foamie by hand(and fly) I am planning to take that project using old Dot Matrix (160 Col). I am not good in Fine Art(drawing /cutting etc) and so a 'robotic' help would be great. Phase II would be to have an attachment to cut Balsa with Dremel wire saw attachment. But a Car and my own apartment (with a garage) should be higher in my list to keep all these rig!  

http://www.8linx.com/cnc/newdesign.htm

I know there are people from many fields of engineering (mechanical/Computer) are doing RC here. We can come together and make such a CNC machine city/club wise ( as packaging of kit is another industry!!) . Members can time share the machine and cut plans on the fly!!

Entrepreneurs like Mr Sai/Mr Sanjeev can easily put some investment (I guess max Rs 20K + computer they already have) and build such mean machine, good for making 50 kits / day easily! They can also provide custom cutting service- send the DFX/PDF and get the kit delivered at your door step. This model makes much sens, provided we modelers at least get the kits at price comparable to HK (locally produced na! no Shipping/Customs middlemen)  >

Bangalore RC flier interested in the CNC project may join me

Fine. How about SELLING that many, even in a month ?

We just don't have enough volumes to reach "critical mass" and the benefit/viability of economy of scale/numbers that are needed for a business proposition.

yes u are right

but there can be one more possibily that a small scale cheap machine is made and that will be good

can we use a printer setup with a cutting tool progrrammed in such a way that the setup that shifts the printing tool[cartridge/toner etc.] and pushes the paper forward ,both to control the position of the cutter and thus cut various material

Totally agree with Ankur/Sushil. I am quoting the maximum run you can do with these comparatively inexpensive machines (remember, even Semi-pro commercial variants of these cost over $15000-20000 ie Rs 5-8 Lack). I have already highlighted the volume dilemma. Mr Sai is anyway making Moss kits, with rig like this, he can easily make more complex plans. This may be good for a decent club setup, medium enterprise like few LHS, and useless people like me (who like to build them to kill time   ) and not just for the value proposition. Even India did not need a Chandrayaan mission, when half of its population is so poor. Just touching the baseline.  
DIY is mostly costly than commercial stuff, but as they say sometimes 'Journey is more enjoyable than the destination itself'


<Folks I hope I am not Hijacking yet another thread. This is pretty much related topic to the original post>

YES you young chap!! And you have all the time to do that, with Kapil Sibbal uncle removing much burden of 10th class boards, which was first nightmare of adolescence for many of us here.

Search for "DIY CNC" and you would find loads of result on google. You can visit your local Computer AMC/repair guy and ask if he has DMP (Dot matrix printer) in his junk yard. Buy a couple of 'Carriage' of the printer along with the Dolly, rail, stepper motor, motor driver Board(ones with big MOSFET/Transistors) and the SMPS. Please note for Drilling/Engraving routing, you can do with 2 of such carriage, but for foam cutting, you need 4 .
New printers still cost 6-8 K and desi people often use salvaged printers for parts. So not sure how much each printer may cost you. I may be going to my local computer junk market and post indicative prices.

If not impossible, this project is challenging for a school kid like you. But I know many like you can do amazing things (Subu, Pickle6 for example). You can well show this as your 12th project and I bet, you may win City level prize or even state level, as I have seen Engineering Grads in my IIT days doing such projects for their final year!

well i m of icse board so i have to give the 10th board exams

and 6-8k is the cost of a a laser printer
 a old dot matrix will cost rs 2-3k and new smps will abt 400rs
but mixing them all together is difficult

since i have to study a lot for this and the nxt year i dont have enough time and thus not into some serious aeromodelling or robotics even those simple things wihch i know frm class 6th[didn't know how to do it at that time] but no time to do so,even i know exactly what to do!

sorry the price was of a new one[dot matrix printer]
an old one will cost even less and i have a a old inkjet nonworking because of no printing supplies

but  as mentioned earlier i have no time

i expect i m  not hijacking the thread if yes please pardon me to do so

good start ankur,
i think u can do this thing, u have enuf knowledge of computers at this little age 
i can help u to maximum, lets start this project:
converting a dot matrix printer into a cnc cutter 

<Ankur, you can always 'Modify' your own post instead of posting new, well you can't delete a post I guess>

DMPs are hell of workhorse and a  new 160 column DMP would cost no less than 7K
http://www.npithub.com/product/pt_view.php?pcatid=96

All the best for your Pre-test/Sent-up Ankur (myself ICSE ' 96).

actually AFTER thinking a lot i found that it is not so simple

Can a robot be made for this purpose?
I mean to say something like a line follower robo with a cutter attached andis used to cut thermocol/foam but drawing/printing/sticking printed lines which can be interpreted by the robo and when we place it it starts moving on that line ultimately giving clean cut

Is it possible?
Hows the idea?

A simple printer of any type can't just be converted into a cnc
since printer , as per i know the cartridge section continualy move horizontally so just attaching a cutter is not enough or u'll be ending in a piece of material in infinite  parts lol

This is what i think what needs to be done if we want to create a cnc from a inkjet/dot matrix printer:-

thats all
 
howz the idea

also the modified printer[cnc] should work vertically not horizontally so the thing[the plan we give it to make] is cut easilly
to make it more easier i would tell it to suppose that we are making some pattern on a peice of paper
our hand first draws a single line till the end and then goes to the starting point of the second line to  draw  it
if we go horizontally it is not possible
we want the printer to also function in a similar manner
it will cut one line/curve then go back for the next

U CAN understand the working of a ordinary printer in these pages
http://e-articles.info/e/a/title/How-Does-a-Printer-Work-~-The-printing-process-~-Types-of-Printers/
http://www.tech2u.com.au/training/tech2u/introcomp/images/printer02.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_printer

more links
http://www.eioba.com/a17657/how_does_your_printer_work
http://computershopper.com/feature/how-it-works-inkjet-printer
http://scien.stanford.edu/class/psych221/projects/06/justinsp/laservsinkjet.html
http://www.imaging.org/ist/resources/tutorials/inkjet_printer.cfm

if u don't have the time to read then just go through the pics u'll understand what i wannna say

As far as i am concerned i think the whole electronic setup will not cost more than 4000rs and to me i dont think there is any need of any old printers when the new things are present and available at the pretty cheep rates.to me these are all the things that we need.

1.Four Axis Isolated Stepper Motor Interface using Parallel Port Rs2000
2.four stepper motors each costing RS 400=RS 1600
3.some of the aluminium channels let it be Rs 500
AND A FREE INTERFACING SOFTWARE ONE LIKE GMFC PRO OR SOME THING OF THE SAME TYPE.

but since i am a new one to this, so i may be wrong too so i would like the forum members to give there valuable comments.

i think u r correct to some limit but i don't understand how will they lead to the cutting of the material

i went to a local computer store today and found the rates of old used printer
here are they:-
old working dmp/inkjet:-1000 rs
old non worrking dmp/inkjet:-500 rs
old working laser printer:-2500 rs

Might be a wrong question here . What are those  liquids which on mixing they expand into foam . And where the could be get in india ?
So that i could mould complex plane structures.

@tanmay.mathur,
You would have build the mould first 
Ahmedt brought this from Saudi Arabia, not tried yet...

EPP and EPS casting is a pretty simple process of expanding the required  granules between inside the casting mould with application of controlled  heat.

You just need to design required casting mould for mass production. Any of the electronic item packing mould casting setup can be converted to RC model casting setup with required casting mould.

In 2D it can be done simply using a marking CO2 laser. A 30 W CO2 laser can comfortably cut 50 mm foam at high speeds (in excess of 100 mm/sec)

3D .....hmm. Can't control the laser's depth with the needed precision

I need the expanding chemical  which could be bought in India without burning pockets