The 3018 simply means 30cm x 18cm dimensions of theīed, without the spaces, cm and x, just the travel on the X and Y axis. There are other suppliers selling under the same name of 3018, 3018-PRO These, while lookingĪnd sounding the same will differ in the details, the router motherboard being different, if an adjustable collet is fitted to the Spindle. A lot of information is anecdotal and based on reading the forums and from the internet.īut I do hope this series is useful for anyone using any hobbyist CNC router for the first time. 5W Laser.Īny comments or specific examples refer to my SainSmart Genimitsu 3018-PRO using the Grbl system, although a lot does apply to other models, yours may be different.
Now It’s 30+ pages because as I keep on learning there is more to add!Ī while ago I decided to take the plunge and I purchased a SainSmart Genimitsu 3018-PRO with a 2.5W 450nm Laser module and a full set of bits from SainSmart. My apologies for this but when I started this was a series of five pages of notes I had made when starting out as a total novice. If you are a novice this is for you, if not then there may be bits of interest, if you know what you are doing any comments would be welcome! (My thanks to Anthony Drake for pointing this out) Corrected the section “Changing the direction of movement on an axis” which had instructions for the X and Z axes reversed.Updated and expanded due to learning and understanding more as I progress.Expanded and added Examples for coordinate systems.Added Assembly hints and post assembly checks.Tried to make it a bit less rambling and more linear.Stripped out the Laser bits into a separate document.CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) Process.Some background and terms – (In no particular order).$110, $111 and $112 – Maximum speed of movement on the Axis.$30 and $31 – Max and Min Spindle Speed (RPM).Key Router settings affecting setup of your machine.Changing the direction of movement on an axis.Are the axes connected correctly and move in the correct direction.Part of a series by Graham Bland Contents The offline controller comes with a 1.8” touch screen and buttons that let you jog and run the CNC router.Introduction to CNC for a Total Novice Getting Started You can copy the G-code onto a memory stick and insert it into the offline controller to run G-code straight from the controller. You can use it to control the CNC router without a computer. There is also an offline controller provided with the kit. You can connect the controller to your computer using the USB cable that comes with the kit. You can use the controller to operate a 3-pin or 2-pin laser module or a spindle and 3 stepper motors. The controller runs on GRBL 1.1 firmware, a robust and easy to configure firmware for CNC machines, and is widely used.
The driver can handle up to 4A of current which allows you to upgrade your stepper motors without having to upgrade the drivers.
The controller uses 4988ET stepper drivers that are known to be reliable. 3018-PRO uses the V2 CNC control board made by SainSmart and was a popular choice for DIY CNC builds until SainSmart released the upgraded control board used on the 3018-PROVer.