The 3D CNC milling is one of the great unknowns in the sector and, at the same time, one of the great possibilities offered by determinades fresadores, as long as we have the right software programmes.
Did you know that 3D milling is not exclusive to 5-axis machines? Do you know which software allows you to mill in 3D? We will talk about this and much more below, all of which can be applied to wood and other materials.
For 3D machining, your best solution is a 5 axismilling machine. This is an interpolated 5-axis machining centre with optimised control, designed for the most demanding processes requiring maximum precision and in three dimensions.
The Z-axis travel can be raised up to 900 mm, making it well suited for large-scale surface processing and especially suitable for processing curved 3D surfaces.
The theory tells us that to machine in 3 dimensions you need a 5-axis machine. However, you can achieve results very similar to a 3D part with a 3-axis milling machine.
The secret to achieving reliefs that give the appearance of 3D lies in "playing" with the Z axis. This opens up a wide range of possibilities, both in wood and in other materials, as long as you have the necessary milling cutters and tools, as well as software that allows you to do so.
With the software that comes as standard with the 3-axis CNC milling machine, we are not going to be able to make this "game" of the 3D axis, as it is usually very limited, but there are alternative softwares that can be used to make real works of art. Some of them are:
Medio Design is one of the clients that has relied on Pérez Camps for 3D CNC milling to create several of its works.
One of them was a meeting table for the new offices of a well-known yoghurt company located in the Casa Sayrach in Barcelona, a late modernist building, considered the last relevant building of this style. The design of the table is by the architecture studio External Reference.
This is a circular table with a large diameter of 2.50 m, which allowed the inclusion of a central element inspired by yoghurt foam.
This piece was made by pouring liquid acrylic resin (Solid Surface casting) into a mould specially designed and manufactured for this purpose. The positive was then 3D milling with a CNC milling machine to refine its finish and then polished by hand.
This liquid acrylic resin technique is unprecedented in furniture. It is normally used for sanitary ware such as bathtubs, sinks, etc.
For the rest of the worktop, a homogeneous and forceful image was sought with Corian®, due to its satin and noble appearance, similar to that of a polished stone or even marble.
The foot of the table was made of 100% okume plywood board board glued in successive layers and 3D milled.
The finish was in translucent white lacquer in the form of a patina, to leave the wood grain visible.
