FAQ

Of course you can! Our milling machine is always happy to receive visitors and possibly a further development of itself. As we built our milling machine ourselves, we can tell you a lot about all the individual components and how they work together.

We all didn't know that either before we looked into it.

You'll find us right here. The best way to reach the CNC area is via the backyard of the building complex, which also houses a coffee roasting plant. The large sliding gate to the courtyard is usually open. If this is not the case, you can easily bypass it via a ramp to the right. The wood workshop and CNC area are located behind a door next to a small seating area. However, this door is always open, at least when the workshop is open. You'll find it!

Konglomerat e.V. has set itself the goal of promoting projects in the fields of urban and spatial development, community building, sustainable management and environmental education. In this context, we support craft, cultural, artistic and social projects with technical and organizational know-how. In particular, the association is committed to the development and conception of community workshops of all kinds in order to empower and support users in the collaborative implementation of projects of all kinds.

Of course we can!

  • CAD: This means "computer-aided design" and stands for "computer-aided design". In the engineering sector, programs specializing in this work are used for product development, among other things. However, it is also possible for non-professionals to get started relatively quickly. When implementing a project, it really helps to have a virtual model available, as you usually haven't thought of all the challenges. You can find an overview of the programs we recommend in the Technology section.
  • CAM: This abbreviation stands for "computer-aided manufacturing". Once you have finished designing your component, the milling machine still needs to be taught when, where, how deep, with which milling cutter and at what speed it should mill. The CAM software calculates all these parameters and uses them to create the so-called G-code, a text file that is easy for the machine to read and contains all the important information.
  • CNC: This stands for "computerized numerical control". This means that the machine is not told by hand where to mill or laser, but all of this information is controlled from a PC. This software reads the G-code, which comes from the CAM program, and forwards it to the machine to ultimately produce the workpiece.

This means that our Ingeborg can mill two-dimensional contours at different heights. You can imagine this as being similar to the contour lines of a mountain range in an atlas. We can easily create this approximation with Ingeborg. However, if you want to have an exact image of all the slopes, that would be a three-dimensional model. As the name suggests, this would be a case for the 3D printer and would overtax our milling machine. Of course, it is still possible to produce three-dimensional objects, such as a table, completely on the CNC milling machine using plug-in or screw connections.

This means that the possibilities and limitations of CNC technology are taken into account when designing the product. For example, a CNC router cannot be used to cut rectangles with "sharp corners" from a panel. This is because the milling cutter has a certain diameter and therefore the corners will always have a slight radius. This is particularly important if you intend to insert two components into each other. But there is a solution for everything.