Machinist's Edge

The Feed Rate Calculator page displayed on an Asus ZenBook Duo 14. The primary screen shows an illustration of an end mill next to some form input fields; the second screen shows four saves for different end mills.

Description

Machinist's Edge is a collection of calculators and charts created for the RISD Industrial Design Metal Shop's CNC milling machine. These tools improve the operation experience and reduce calculation errors.

Visit Machinist's Edge
Date
2022-10 to 2023-02
Colors
  • warm white
  • black
Media
  • UI/UX design
  • development

Challenge

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The Tormach PCNC1100 milling machine in the RISD Industrial Design Metal Shop.

Operating a CNC milling machine is a complex and demanding process that requires the operators to perform a series of measurements, calculations, and cross-checks. This process can be slow and error-prone.

A collection of end mills for the CNC milling machine, varying greatly in height and shape.
A half-inch ball end mill that is being measured on a flat marble surface with a height gauge.

User interviews determined that the following four tools would greatly improve operator efficiency, reduce errors, and improve overall safety:

Feed Rate Calculator iconThe flutes of an end mill cutting along some material.Feed Rate Calculator
Calculates the spindle speed and feed rate for a specific end mill performing either a drill or mill operation on a certain material. End mill profiles can be saved.
Tool Length Calculator iconTwo construction lines marking the distance between the tool holder and the start of the end mill’s flutes.Tool Length Calculator
Calculates various lengths of a tool based on provided measurements. Tool profiles can be saved.
Chart iconG- & M-code Charts
Searchable charts containing descriptions of common and shop-specific G- and M-codes for cross-checking and troubleshooting.
Chart iconTap & Clearance Drill Sizes
Searchable chart containing tap/drill and clearance hole diameters for different screw sizes.

Design

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The tool length calculator page displayed on a MacBook Pro 16 in light mode.
The G- and M-code charts page displayed on a Pixel 6 Pro in dark mode.
The feed rate calculator page displayed on a Pixel 6 Pro in light mode.

The design of Machinist's Edge is large and comprehensible, providing operators with unmistakably clear information.

The feed rate calculator page displayed on a Surface Pro 8 in dark mode.
The tool length calculator page displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro in dark mode.
The save section of the tool length calculator page displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro in light mode.
The tap and clearance drill sizes page displayed on a Surface Pro 8 in light mode.

Erros

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The tool length calculator page with a should length error displayed on a Nothing Phone (1) in dark mode.

Error prevention is one of the major goals of Machinist's Edge. Regardless of the screen size, errors are always clearly marked and instantly recognizable at a glance.

The feed rate calculator page with a cutter diameter error displayed on a MacBook Pro 16 in dark mode.
The feed rate calculator page with a cutting feed error displayed on a Nothing Phone (1) in dark mode.
The tool length calculator page with a base-to-should length error displayed on a Nothing Phone (1) in light mode.
The tool length calculator page with a shoulder length error displayed on a Surface Pro 8 in light mode.

Status

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A OnePlus 7T Pro on a workbench displaying the tool length calculator page in dark mode.

Machinist's Edge is currently in open alpha. The project is open source and may see more development in the future.