FlatCAM_automation

FlatCAM process TCL automation script - automate KiCAD gerber processing into GCODE files for CNC PCB milling.

FlatCAM version required: https://bitbucket.org/marius_stanciu/flatcam_beta/src/Beta/

• overwrite TclCommandAlignDrill.py with the included file in this repo

Structural convention - using default KiCAD naming setup :

• default PCB layers stack
• F-Cu holds front copper layer
• B-Cu holds back copper layer
• *Eco1.User" holds front engraving layer (for engraved texts, etc...)
• *Eco2.User" holds back engraving layer
• *Edge.Cuts" holds cutout shape

Script conventions & parameters :

Script tries to detect automatically when processing one-sided or two-sided boards (two sided if *B-Cu file loaded correctly into FlatCAM). KiCAD's output plots must be present in <project_dir>/gerber/ directory.

Parameters:

• kicad_name "rflink_shield" - KiCAD project name (also directory holding the project)

• kicad_path "/mnt/code/kicad/" - kicad projects path (base), resolving to kicad_path+kicad_name (eg. /mnt/code/kicad/rflink_shield/)

• output_path "/mnt/gcodes" - output path for resulting gcodes, resolving to output_path+kicad_name (eg. /mnt/gcodes/rflink_shield/)

• track_z_cut -0.07 - track isolation engraving depth

• isolation_overlap 0.5 - track isolation multipass (2 passes) overlap

• annot_z_cut -0.05 - annotations engraving depth

• track_xy_feed 300 - engraving speed in mm/s

• z_feedrate 100 - z_plunge speed in mm/s when engraving

• mirror_axis "Y" - two-sided board mirror axis (X=up/down or Y=left/right)

• shallow_hole_diam_front 0.3 - diameter-encoded shallow holes - drilled to 0.5mm depth with 0.6mm drill typically

• shallow_hole_diam_back 0.35 - the same, just for back layer of PCB

• shallow_hole_depth -0.5 - how deep drill the shallow holes

• thruhole_z -1.8 - how deep to drill through-holes (typically PCB thickness + 0.1mm)

• cutout_z_cut -1.8 - the same for cutout job

• cutout_cut_per_pass 0.9 - for multipass cutout - partial pass cut depth

• cutout_feedrate_xy 120 - how fast to cut out

• cutout_feedrate_z 80 - z-plunge speed for cutout

• align_holes_depth -6 - how deep to drill alignment holes, much deeper than usually - adjust to your spoil board

• align_holes_dia 1.5 - alignment holes diameter

• spindle_rpm 1000 - spindle rotational speed

• spindle_dwell 2 - spindle spin-up wait time before job

Drilling diameter conventions :

• 0.30mm drills - make shallow (0.5mm depth, typically 0.6mm dia) holes on front layer
• 0.35mm drills - make shallow holes on back layer

Results files naming convention :

**[No][M?][TOOL][DESC].nc **

[No] - files are numbered - they should be processed in following order on CNC machine [M?] - if M present - denotes mirrored layer (back side process) [TOOL] - 3 character tool code, eg. 45V - 45 degree V-bit engraver, 1D5 - drill 1.5mm, 1F0 - Flat bit 1.0mm [DESC] - file description

USAGE:

1. Import script to empty project in FlatCAM (File->Scripting->Open script)

2. Adjust variables/parameters/paths according your needs

3. Push "RUN"

4. Check results

5. Don't forget to save your script with modified variables for future use