As mentioned before the primary focus of Patricchio's Prototypes is the development of rapid prototypes and parts using the Sherline/FlashCut CNC machine shop.

I completed the SolidWorks Basics course at Quest Integration in Post Falls, Idaho in March as part of my work in getting my CAD skills up to date.

CAD Programs Available: Currently I am using Autodesk Fusion 360 as my go to 3D CAD/CAM program. Draftsight is my primary 2D CAD program which has all the same functions as Autocad. I also continue to use BobCAD and have my license of Geomagic 3d.

My Mechanical and Civil Engineering Consulting drawing experience involved the design and drawing of HVAC and Plumbing systems, concrete walls and foundations, and some steel structures in Autocad, with some Alibre 3D work.

My Production Mechanical Engineering Autocad drawing experience at Bay Shore Systems involved the following: Setting up finished production parts and cutting templates drawings for the inventory system, including assigning parts numbers, names and bills of materials; All Kanban Card drawings and Kanban Card Index drawings for the lean manufacturing system; All production drawing sets for all custom built machines which was the overwhelming majority of machines produced; Most promotional drawings for the sales department to primarily to prove a particular machine desired by the customer can be built; The templates for the MTC Pronest Program which drove the Esab CNC waterjet/plasma cutter. This includes making the CNC cutting programs which cut out all parts on the Esab CNC waterjet/plasma cutter.

The CNC machine shop is now fully functional. I completed atutorials and exercises for BobCad Version 19 and have made numerous m and g programs, that work with FlashCut Version 1.4. Programs have been developed by importing files from Autocad Lt, and now DraftSight, or making the drawings themselves in BobCad.

Currently I am using BobCAD Version 20 and am getting familiar with BobCAD V24 which is a big change from the earlier versions of BobCAD.

Tool paths are developed in BobCad's drawing module, then converted to M and G code in the CNC module. The programs saved to floppy disks and brought down to the basement for the laptop computer's use. This particularprogram will allow the user to instantly generate a cutting program with hundreds to thousands of lines of code depending on the sophistication of drawing. My current skittle pin program has 194 lines of code alone. This makes cutting process extremely fast vs. the manual method. BobCad Version 19 can make M and G code for just about any cnc system including Haas machines.

M and G code is the language of CNC. It tells the automated cutting system where to send the cutter to the piece of stock loaded in a lathe, milling machine or any automated cutting machine. It also determines the feed rates for rapid movement and cutting. Cutting pass depth determination is also part of the CNC function. The FlashCut system also has numerous premade M and G code or cycle subprograms to perform common functions such as drilling bolt circles and drill pecking to keep a drill bit from clogging.

The FlashCut 1.4 program works with a laptop computer. The floppy disk is loaded in the laptop computer which instructs the CNC controller module which in turn makes the drives function on the desired machine tool axis.

As mentioned before, my shop has hardware to give the system the capability to be manually operated with a Sherline Wettroth Digital Readout Module to guarantee accuracy.

This Digital Readout addition also allows the CNC operator to confirm the location of the cutter as displayed on the computer screen.

The system will make rough cut passes on steel parts up to 0.020 inches deep at over 5 inches per minute using high speed steel cutters. Rapid manual tool change capability has been added to the system to speed up multiple parts manufacture. Carbide cutters are also on hand for harder materials. With wood, one can set the system at top speed for feed and turning.

If you have any small projects we can discuss it further by calling (509) 448-8133 or E-mailing me at patsprotos@gmail.com.