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The AutoRout The idea for the AutoRout was born while watching a pen plotter in action. Beefing up the frame and replacing the pen with a Dremel tool seemed easy enough to do. It wasn't, but eventually the first prototype was built. Looking it over, the decision was made to redesign it so that it could be built without a milling machine or welding equipment, and finally so that it could be made by a student supplied with detailed instructions. The size of the machine was set at about 23" x 23" with a working area of 12" x 12", and a weight of roughly 10 pounds. The chain drive permits the working area of the machine to be increased by simply using longer steel tubing and more chain. The largest machine so far has a working area of 24" x 36". It is recommended that you start out with a standard size machine to learn how to set it up and its operating characteristics.
 Figure 1 Figure 1 shows the original 2 1/2 axis machine with 4 identical legs supporting the steel tubing that holds the frame together and guides the carriages.
 Figure 1A Figure 1A this is the 3 axis AutoRout beginning a pen plot.
 Figure 2 Figure 2 shows a complete 2 axis carriage. This one has been modified to work with larger rails. The tool holder is on the left in the photo.
 Figure 3 Figure 3 is a photo captured from the instructional video showing the drillpress setup for making the four legs. The legs are made using a simple jig that is described in detail in the manual and needed to ensure that the holes in each leg are drilled exactly the same height from the bottom.
 Figure 4 Figure 4 shows how the hangers are made that support the tool carriage. Both the video and manual give details on how and why they should be made this way.
 Figure 5 Figure 5, like Figures 3 and 4, is captured from the instructional video. It shows how two of the holes in the aluminum angle material are drilled to make the tool carriage. While the AutoRout is a deceptively simple machine, clearances on the bearings are about 5 thousandths of an inch (.005") -- the thickness of an average hair. That tolerance has to be held on the up/down stroke of the tool holder, the "Y" travel of the tool carriage, and the "X" travel of the main carriage. This accuracy is obtained merely by following the detailed instructions in the manual. While the accuracy of the AutoRout has never been measured, anyone who has seen it at the yearly Cabin Fever Expo Model Engineering Shows can attest to its repeatability. The same plot was repeated 20 or more times and the single pen line just got darker. The AutoRout was not designed to be a high quality plotter, but it turns out to be an accurate machine that a careful student can build. The 80 pages of manuals describe in detail all the steps necessary in building the AutoRout, and the drawings are shown in the text and repeated in the back of the book. Names and addresses of the parts suppliers are also given. The nearly 4 hours of video show each operation and how it is performed. It's not a "This Old House" overview on how something is made, but a detailed demonstration of how things can be done and a description of why it's being done. The video is narrated as if the viewer were an apprentice being individually instructed. No electrical/electronics drawings or descriptions are given as that part is straightforward and there has been plenty written about it and how it's done.
Vocational
Education and the This is a project-based curriculum for training in the field of advanced manufacturing processes. The program focuses on two areas.
The result is a solid, accurate, computer controlled tool capable of running a Dremel type motor cutter. The output from any standard computer-aided design (CAD) program can be executed by the AutoRout. Vocational education in Computer Numeric Control (CNC) of production is particularly timely, reflecting current government and industry goals. Since industrialization it has been understood that certain basic industries such as the design and production of ball bearings, gears, optics, and associated machine tools are essential to economic strength. A highly trained work force is likewise essential to these operations. Recently, increases in productivity have been central to growth, with low inflation, in a tight labor market for skilled workers. One of the largest single factor in these gains has been the increasing application of computer control to the machines of production. Two thirds of industrial output in the US currently involves some form of computer control of tools. Industrial education in this field is essential. The Diversi-Tech AutoRout Program is designed to address all the training objectives associated with these goals as well as an additional one: the need to tinker around. Independent involvement with technology is the wellspring of innovation in America. We believe that much of the creativity in the software industry and many others is due to a playful use of high-end skills by individuals with the independence to apply them in innovative ways. Unfortunately, traditional vocational education has often not had the status it deserves. Students with natural aptitude have too often been viewed as academically lacking in terms of the conventionally oriented curriculum. The Diversi-Tech program is only one of several possible approaches to involving such students, but it is a versatile one. Throughout the course the emphasis is on developing skills applicable to other projects. For students who have mastered the basics of machine shop safety, this course will teach many of the techniques used by experienced machinists. Included in the instructions necessary for fabrication are broadly applicable lessons on layout, accurate duplication of parts, spring winding, drilling, tapping, tool setup, and alternative techniques. A carefully written, fully illustrated manual sets out a clear, step-by-step approach. The accompanying four hours of close up video allows students a detailed view of operations which would be difficult or unsafe to observe otherwise. The AutoRout is fabricated from off the shelf, stock items. A complete list of suppliers is included. We believe the use of this type project in vocational training is the preferred method to engage those with mechanical/technical aptitude. A sense of purpose and accomplishment develop as the work progresses. The AutoRout is exceptional because it engages the student in the field of modern CNC technology and the result is a durable and useful tool. As a training system it can be adapted to a team approach incorporating work in electronics and software development in addition to machining skills. The integrated video and written materials allow presentation of shop skills to a full classroom rather than to a handful of students clustered around a machine tool. The knowledge gained in building the AutoRout can build careers as well as a strong economy. Pricing
Custom Made Machines While the AutoRout was initially designed to be built by students, there have been requests for pricing on completed machines. Each machine is hand built after its order is received, so customizing one usually means just adding more materials to make it longer, higher, etc., so the added cost is minimal. The standard machine has a work area of 12X12 inches, is mounted on a MDF (very stable pressed wood) base, has a small Dremel tool holder (Dremel motor tool not provided), a pen and holder for plotting, three 60 in. oz. stepper motors and an electronics driver package. The cost is $2500.00 plus shipping. For experimenters, the standard machine can be purchased minus the stepper motors and electronics package for $2000.00 plus shipping. |