Cutting non-machinable materials; i.e. soft foam

[ted@actionfab.com]

Has anyone been successful cutting soft materials with a shopbot? Materials like soft foams can't be machined, but are often cut with a reciprocating knife. Has anyone hooked up a reciprocating knife head with a shopbot with good results? Any other cutting methods that might work?

[Brady Watson]

Ted,
The shopbot is ideal for cutting soft and hard foam. If you are referring to the 1-5lb foam range, it cuts it cleanly.

-Brady

[paco]

Ted-
You can see the result of foams (insulating kind) machining on my WWW site at http://www.cooptel.qc.ca/~usinum/products2_english.htm
...unless you are speaking of another kind of foaming like thoses that are use for protecting delicate device in cases which I plan to test soon but did'nt yet... do anybody did?!?!?

[gerald_d]

Ted, I have toyed (in my mind only) with 2 alternatives for routing:
1. Freeze the foam with liquid nitrogen
2. Clamp/compress the foam between wood boards and cut right through the wood and foam.

The CNC machines for cutting textiles have the reciprocating knives, but they are normally 4-axis machines. The 4th axis rotates the knife to keep it tangential to the direction of cut. Example (http://www.assyst-us.com/products/cam.shtml)

What does a laser do to soft foam "rubber"?