Technical

Is it possible to make a coloured perforated panel with Image2Punch by using a photograph (your Lion example)?

The perforated pattern generated byImage2Punch can also be saved in a colour perforated pattern. The features to save it into a coloured perforated pattern will be released in the 2nd version.

 

I would like to buy your software (Image2Punch), but I discovered one problem: when I'm using the trial version, and converting the image to dxf punch file using the round tool, the Autocad shows a dot in each circle centre. This is very disturbing in Trumpf (Trutops Software)

My Question is: How can I avoid the centre dot in the circle? I just need the circles only.

By default, all Image2Punch perforated patterns have a centre point for each hole. However, this can be avoided by changing the output setting. You may click “Output File Preference” on the “File Menu”. Then, a dialog box is opened to let you select the type of output you like. If you do not want to have a centre point for each “hole”, you may click the button with a circle icon till the centre point of the icon is gone. Doing that, your DXF file will have no centre point at all after you generate.

 

We are one of the largest producers of perforated product in the UK and have been looking for this kind of software for sometime. Is it possible to isolate each tool on the dxf file?

For instance, if using a 6mm diameter punch and a 12mm diameter punch, could we have one drawing containing only the 6mm holes and another with the 12mm holes, without having to manually delete the holes?

We currently do this on Autocad by drawing each hole size using a different layer and switching layers on or off where required.

In the first version, the ability to separate each tool type into a different layer was not yet applied. Fortunately, this has been included in the 2nd version of both Image2Punch Pro and Genesis.

If you only use a primitive object such as hole, the quickest trick to separate them into different layers, or to delete them is;

  1. Select all holes
  2. Open the “Property dialog box “on “Tool menu”
  3. Click the “Quick Select Button” to open the quick select dialog box (usually this is located on the top right corner of this dialog box)
  4. From that dialog box, you can choose Circle, as object type, and then choose Radius or Diameter in the property combo box
  5. Then chose equal (=) as the operator
  6. Next, give the parameter value on the value box (for example if you want to delete the 6mm hole diameter, just type 6 in the value input box).
  7. Then, click ok and the particular circle size that you want to delete, or move into another layer, is selected

 

We are suppliers of perforated metal in Sydney, and are interested in your software. We use a contractor for our specialised punching – the machines are Strippit and Amada.

  1. Does your programme work with these machines?
  2. Are we able to do all the programming for them?
  3. Can your sample programmes to be used to try this software?
  4. Can this be programmed for a large image using several sheets of material – e.g. car park fascia? 

Basically, Image2Punch is used to produce a perforated metal pattern (in DXF format) as tooling layout for any turret punch software (eg. Jetcam, SMP/IP, Sigmanest or Amada software).

1) The output of the perforated metal pattern from the software will be compatible with your contractor’s turret punch machine as the output will be in DXF format, which I believe is a common input file for any CAD/CAM software.

2) Image2Punch, at this stage, is not a type of CAM software which produces NC code (or G code) for CNC machine. However, you could design the perforated metal pattern and create a DXF file, then give the file to your contractor for them to create the G code for their machine, and finally produce the perforated sheet metal

3) We have provided a sample demo in DXF file which can be used for internal (not commercial) purposes. Feel free to use them. The demo can be downloaded from our website. You can also download Image2Punch and try it. It can produce DXF file which has limitations only for 2000 tool hits. It also can be downloaded from www.image2punch.com

4) Yes you can. However, you will need Autocad or Autocad-cloned software to make it into several sheets. A sample illustration has been created and you can see them here. I also recommend separating the very large size perforated metal design into several sheets. This will make it much easier to manufacture the perforated metal sheets usred as car park fascias or swimming pool fences (preventing bowing and distortion).


There is “Minimum Clearance between Tools” edit box on “Selected Tool Dialog”. It seems this is parameter is for hole spacing. What does it mean? (Is it centre-to centre-hole? or edge-to-edge?)I was wondering if everything is in mm units.

Is there a way to work with just one tool punch imaging pattern? A variation could occur by only the spacing of the punching.

Yes, it is. It is the parameter for hole spacing is calculated from edge to edge of the holes.

If you use only a single tool punch, say using 10mm diameter, and specify 2.5mm as the minimum gap clearance, the centre to centre distance will be 12.5mm.

However if you use more than one tool punch, the centre to centre distance will be calculated by using the largest tool punch plus the minimum gap clearance. The minimum gap clearance will determine the hole spacing for the perforated metal design. You can always use only one tool to create perforated pattern design, which works very well if you want to illustrate shape into perforated pattern.

The DXF file generated by Image2Punch Pro will be in mm units. In the 3rd version, user is able to choose either to save in mm or inch unit.


I am an industrial designer at a sheet metal company in Sydney. This is my first experience with Image 2 punch and I have a few questions.

  1. We are quite concerned with sheet metal distortion and wearing out of tools through the punching. For example, the attached I2P file has approximately 14,000 punchings. On sheet metal this sheet will most likely distort and need rolling. I would like to hear about your experiences regarding sheet sizes, material thickness, tool sizes and number of punching.
  2. What is the cost involved if using Image2punch Genesis? I was also wondering if you have a price list or similar regarding the Genesis orders.

To answer your first question, punching 14000 holes onto a 2000 x 1000 mm sheet will create distortion. There is no way to fully eliminate the sheet distortion, but there are ways to reduce the distortion and make the job easier for both programmer and operator.

The simplest is just to design the perforated pattern with fewer holes in it by making a bigger gap and using a larger sheet. The second way is to divide the sheet into several panels which can be punched separately (this is illustrated by the perforated design sample for our perforated metal bus stop). The third way is to use cluster tools. These will dramatically reduce the distortion and make the punching job much easier. However, you may need to buy special tools and try to “map” the cluster tool location from the perforated pattern design. I do not know of any Turret Punch software that can convert a single tool into a cluster tool automatically. This means you will need to do it manually.

I am very concerned about the distortion and tool wearing in creating a massive perforated pattern design (eg. using more than 10000 toolhits). The automatic cluster tool recognition will be developed and implemented into Image2Punch Pro in future version. By implementing the cluster tool recognition, the distortion will be eliminated dramatically.

From my experience, a good rule of thumb is the tool size ideally needs to be 1.5 times bigger than the material thickness and the gap between the tools should ideally be 2 times bigger than the material thickness or 3mm, or whichever larger. However the material type must also be taken into account. You may need to check your Turret punch machine manual book for further information.

At present (up to Image2Punch Genesis version 2.0), the CAD conversion cost for 1 file will be 20 USD per transaction, the second file will be 10 USD and the next will be 5 USD per file. For more detail and update information, please visit the CAD service page on Image2Punch website.