Homemade device for cutting foam plastic - buy or make it yourself? Homemade machine for cutting foam. Machine for working with foam.

Heat and sound insulating building materials on the market are presented in a wide range, these are foamed polyethylene, mineral and basalt wool and many others. But the most common for insulation and sound insulation is extruded polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam, due to its high physical and chemical properties, ease of installation, low weight and low cost. Polystyrene foam has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, high coefficient sound absorption, resistant to water, weak acids, alkalis. The foam is resistant to ambient temperatures, from the lowest possible to 90˚C. Even after decades, foam plastic does not change its physical and chemical properties. Polyfoam also has sufficient mechanical strength.

Foam plastic still has very important properties, this is fire resistance (when exposed to fire, polystyrene foam does not smolder like wood), environmental friendliness (since polystyrene foam is made of styrene, even food products). Fungi and pockets of bacteria do not appear on the foam. Practically perfect material for insulation and sound insulation during the construction and renovation of houses, apartments, garages, and even packaging for food storage.

In shops building materials foam is sold in sheet form different thicknesses and sizes. When repairing, foam sheets of different thicknesses are often needed. If you have an electric foam cutter, you can always cut sheets from a thick plate required thickness. The machine also allows shaped foam packaging from household appliances into slabs like the photo above and successfully cut thick sheets of foam for furniture repair.

The video clip clearly demonstrates how easy it is to cut polystyrene foam on a homemade machine.

When wanting to make a cutter for foam plastic and foam rubber, many are stopped by the difficulty of organizing the supply of supply voltage to heat the nichrome string to the desired temperature. This obstacle can be overcome if you understand the physics of the issue.

Machine design

The base of the device for cutting foam plastic was a sheet of chipboard (chipboard). The size of the slab should be taken based on the width of the foam plates that are planned to be cut. I used a furniture door measuring 40x60 cm. With this size of the base, it will be possible to cut foam plates up to 50 cm wide. The base can be made from a sheet of plywood, a wide board, and the cutting wire can be secured directly to the desktop or workbench.

Pulling a nichrome string between two nails is the limit of laziness home handyman so I implemented the simplest design, providing reliable fixation and smooth adjustment of the height of the string during cutting above the surface of the machine base.

The ends of the nichrome wire are attached to springs mounted on M4 screws. The screws themselves are screwed into metal posts pressed into the base of the machine. With a base thickness of 18 mm, I selected a metal stand 28 mm long, so that when fully screwed in, the screw would not extend beyond the bottom side of the base, and when fully unscrewed, it would provide a foam cutting thickness of 50 mm. If you need to cut sheets of foam or foam rubber of greater thickness, then it will be enough to replace the screws with longer ones.

To press the stand into the base, first a hole is drilled in it, with a diameter 0.5 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the stand. In order for the posts to be easily hammered into the base, the sharp edges from the ends were removed using an emery column.

Before screwing the screw into the rack, a groove was machined at its head so that the nichrome wire could not move arbitrarily during adjustment, but would occupy the required position.

To make a groove in a screw, you must first protect its threads from deformation by putting on a plastic tube or wrapping it in thick paper. Then hold it in the drill chuck, turn on the drill and attach a narrow file. In a minute the groove will be ready.

To prevent nichrome wire from sagging due to elongation when heated, it is secured to the screws through springs.

A spring from a computer monitor, used to tension the grounding conductors on the kinescope, turned out to be suitable. The spring was longer than required, so we had to make two of it, for each side of the wire fastening.

After preparing all the fasteners, you can fasten the nichrome wire. Since the current consumed during operation is significant, about 10 A, for reliable contact of the current-carrying wire with the nichrome wire, I used the fastening method by twisting and crimping. Thickness copper wire at a current of 10 A, it is necessary to take a cross-section of at least 1.45 mm 2. You can select the wire cross-section for connecting nichrome wire from the table. I had at my disposal a wire with a cross-section of about 1 mm 2. Therefore, each of the wires had to be made of two with a cross-section of 1 mm 2, connected in parallel.

If not known electrical parameters nichrome wire, then you must first try to connect a low-power electrical appliance, for example a 200 W light bulb (current will flow about 1 A), then a 1 kW (4.5 A) heater, and so increase the power of the connected devices until the nichrome wire of the cutter heats up to required temperature. Electrical appliances can also be connected in parallel.

The disadvantages of the latest connection scheme for a nichrome spiral include the need to determine the phase for correct connection and low efficiency (coefficient useful action), kilowatts of electricity will be wasted.

Heat and sound insulating building materials are presented in a wide range on the market, including polyethylene foam, mineral and basalt wool and many others. But the most common for insulation and sound insulation is extruded polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam, due to its high physical and chemical properties, ease of installation, low weight and low cost. Polystyrene foam has a low thermal conductivity coefficient, a high sound absorption coefficient, and is resistant to water, weak acids, and alkalis. The foam is resistant to ambient temperatures, from the lowest possible to 90˚C. Even after decades, polystyrene foam does not change its physical and chemical properties. Polyfoam also has sufficient mechanical strength.

Polystyrene foam also has very important properties, such as fire resistance (when exposed to fire, foam plastic does not smolder like wood), environmental friendliness (since polystyrene foam is made of styrene, even food products can be stored in containers made from it). Fungi and pockets of bacteria do not appear on the foam. An almost ideal material for insulation and sound insulation during the construction and renovation of houses, apartments, garages, and even packaging for food storage.

In building materials stores, foam is sold in the form of plates of different thicknesses and sizes. When repairing, foam sheets of different thicknesses are often needed. If you have an electric foam cutter, you can always cut sheets of the desired thickness from a thick plate. The machine also allows you to turn shaped foam packaging from household appliances into plates, as in the photo above, and successfully cut thick sheets of foam rubber for furniture repair.

The video clip clearly demonstrates how easy it is to cut polystyrene foam on a homemade machine.

When wanting to make a cutter for foam plastic and foam rubber, many are stopped by the difficulty of organizing the supply of supply voltage to heat the nichrome string to the desired temperature. This obstacle can be overcome if you understand the physics of the issue.

Machine design

The base of the device for cutting foam plastic was a sheet of chipboard (chipboard). The size of the slab should be taken based on the width of the foam plates that are planned to be cut. I used a furniture door measuring 40x60 cm. With this size of the base, it will be possible to cut foam plates up to 50 cm wide. The base can be made from a sheet of plywood, a wide board, and the cutting wire can be secured directly to the desktop or workbench.

Pulling a nichrome string between two nails is the limit of laziness for a home craftsman, so I implemented a simple design that provides reliable fixation and smooth adjustment of the height of the string during cutting above the surface of the base of the machine.

The ends of the nichrome wire are attached to springs mounted on M4 screws. The screws themselves are screwed into metal posts pressed into the base of the machine. With a base thickness of 18 mm, I selected a metal stand 28 mm long, so that when fully screwed in, the screw would not extend beyond the bottom side of the base, and when fully unscrewed, it would provide a foam cutting thickness of 50 mm. If you need to cut sheets of foam or foam rubber of greater thickness, then it will be enough to replace the screws with longer ones.

To press the stand into the base, first a hole is drilled in it, with a diameter 0.5 mm smaller than the outer diameter of the stand. In order for the posts to be easily hammered into the base, the sharp edges from the ends were removed using an emery column.

Before screwing the screw into the rack, a groove was machined at its head so that the nichrome wire could not move arbitrarily during adjustment, but would occupy the required position.

To make a groove in a screw, you must first protect its threads from deformation by putting on a plastic tube or wrapping it in thick paper. Then hold it in the drill chuck, turn on the drill and attach a narrow file. In a minute the groove will be ready.

To prevent nichrome wire from sagging due to elongation when heated, it is secured to the screws through springs.

A spring from a computer monitor, used to tension the grounding conductors on the kinescope, turned out to be suitable. The spring was longer than required, so we had to make two of it, for each side of the wire fastening.

After preparing all the fasteners, you can fasten the nichrome wire. Since the current consumed during operation is significant, about 10 A, for reliable contact of the current-carrying wire with the nichrome wire, I used the fastening method by twisting and crimping. The thickness of the copper wire at a current of 10 A must be taken with a cross-section of at least 1.45 mm 2. You can select the wire cross-section for connecting nichrome wire from the table. I had at my disposal a wire with a cross-section of about 1 mm 2. Therefore, each of the wires had to be made of two with a cross-section of 1 mm 2, connected in parallel.

If the electrical parameters of the nichrome wire are not known, then you should first try to connect a low-power electrical device, for example a 200 W light bulb (a current of about 1 A will flow), then a 1 kW (4.5 A) heater, and so increase the power of the connected devices until the nichrome The cutter wire will not heat up to the required temperature. Electrical appliances can also be connected in parallel.

The disadvantages of the latest connection scheme for a nichrome spiral include the need to determine the phase for correct connection and low efficiency (coefficient of efficiency), kilowatts of electricity will be wasted.

Polystyrene foam is universal material. Used in construction (insulation), production (repair) household electrical appliances, interior design, advertising. One of the main characteristics of the material is density. The higher this indicator, the stronger the material. However, this greatly affects the price.

When using material as a filler for wall insulation, the loosest structure is usually chosen (due to low cost). However, loose foam is difficult to process - when cut, it crumbles heavily, creating difficulties when removing debris.

The knife for cutting foam must be thin and sharp, but this does not prevent the edge from breaking. Even if you work outside, flying small balls clog environment.

That's why professional builders foam is cut using nichrome wire or a hot plate. The material is fusible, despite fire safety.

Important! When choosing insulation, pay attention to the characteristics. It should say “self-extinguishing.” Such foam is perfectly cut using temperature, but in the event of a fire it will not become a source of combustion.

An industrial foam cutting machine can process sheets of any size and cut the material both across and along the massif.

However, cutting polystyrene foam at home does not involve such volumes and sizes. At repair work In your home (or garage), a compact thermal knife is quite enough. It can easily cope with both linear cutting and shaped fitting of slabs when laying in areas with complex shapes.


Any tool has a cost, and there is always an opportunity to save on your purchase.

DIY tools for cutting foam plastic

The guillotine is perfect for linear cutting. Only the impact will not be mechanical, otherwise a lot of debris will be formed. We use proven technology - cutting foam plastic with a heated tension string.

Required materials

• Nichrome (tungsten) thread
• Power supply, preferably regulated
• Any construction materials: timber, metallic profile, pipe, for making a tension frame
• Furniture drawer guides.

On a table, workbench, or other flat surface, install vertical racks for attaching the guillotine. Using furniture guides, we secure the cutter frame so that it moves without distortion. Both sides must move in sync.


The most important part of the cutter is the wire mechanism. The first question is: where to get the material. Nichrome can be purchased in stores selling radio components. But since we are striving for a shareware design, we will look for an alternative.

1. Old soldering iron. Models made in the USSR, designed for 36-40 volts, can be found in any home workshop. The heater winding is an excellent donor for a nichrome guillotine. True, the length of the wire is no more than a meter.
2. Iron with a classic spiral heater. The wire is thicker, suitable for linear cutting. Shaped cutting is acceptable, with low accuracy requirements.
3. Spiral heaters from a hair dryer or fan heater. The principle is the same, they are not suitable for precise cutting.

note

Tip: When straightening the spiral, do not pull the wire along the spring. Loops may appear and the thread will break. It is better to unwind the turns as if from a spool of thread. You can put a spiral on a nail or pencil and pull the wire across the turns.

The principle of operation of the frame is shown in the diagram

The wire cutter must be electrically isolated from the frame. Therefore it can be made of metal. It is important to ensure constant tension on the wire. When heated, nichrome expands, adding up to 3% in length. This causes the string to sag.

Regardless of great amount insulating materials (which, by the way, is constantly growing), as well as the growing popularity of mineral wool, polystyrene foam still occupies a leading position and has no plans to give it up. If you plan to insulate the floor in an apartment or basement, then cutting polystyrene foam can be done quite well with the help of available tools, but if we are talking about significant volumes or unusual tasks, then a special device is needed - a machine for cutting foam plastic.

Foam cutting machine

Classification of machines

On modern market Such machines are presented in a fairly wide variety. In this case, you can purchase a special unit for laser cutting or, alternatively, try to make something similar yourself.

By the way, all machines are conditionally divided into the following categories:

• portable units (vaguely reminiscent of a knife);
• CNC units;
• for slicing crosswise or horizontally.

Design features and principle of operation

Even though the machines exist in a wide variety of modifications, the principle of operation of all of them is generally the same. The edge, heated to a high temperature, passes through the foam layer in the required direction, like a hot knife through butter. In most cases, fishing line is used as such an edge. In the most simple models there is only one such heating thread, while in more advanced devices there can be several of them at once (up to six strings).

Note! If you plan to cut molded elements, then Special attention Care should be taken to determine the length of products that can be processed.

As an example: the SRP machine, which is also used for cutting the described material, is equipped with strings over 2 meters long, and in one pass it can cut about 12 linear meters. meters of material.

Specialized machines and their prices

Often, polystyrene foam is used not for insulation or soundproofing of buildings, but for the production of advertisements or in interior design. This is possible thanks to the use of special machines designed for figured cutting. What is typical is that with the help of such equipment it is possible to process material simultaneously in 2 or even 3 projections. If desired, you can produce the most complex elements, such as gears, chess, miniature models of cars, various figures, and any decorative ornaments.

Below are the most popular devices on the domestic market, as well as the average market price for them.

FRP-01

This unit owes its enormous popularity to the simplicity of its design and versatility. It is possible to produce molded elements, figures and letters for signs, insulating boards, and so on. The operation of the device is controlled by computer program included in the kit.

The approximate cost of the unit is 110-115 thousand rubles.

FRP-01 machine for cutting foam plastic

SRP-K "Kontur"

Another great model that allows you to make various parts facade finishing and formwork for pouring mortars. The control in this case is manual, but the power consumption is relatively low (about 150V), and it is very convenient to transport.

The average market value is somewhere 42.5 thousand rubles.

Self-production of cutting machine

There are a number of ways to build a machine for cutting foam plastic - from the simplest (hand tools) to the extremely complex ones. Let's look briefly at each of them.

Method one. Hand cutting polystyrene foam

1. The simplest and at the same time available method- This is cutting material with a knife. It is important that the knife used for this has serrations and is lubricated with automotive oil before starting work (this will reduce noise production and optimize the procedure itself). It is also worth noting that this is the slowest of the methods, so it is only advisable in the case of a small volume of material.
2. You can also cut foam plastic with a hot string. To do this, hammer in a couple of nails, stretch a nichrome wire between them and connect the power supply to it. The main advantage of this method is its high speed (one meter is cut in 7-8 seconds) and a neat cut. But there is also a significant disadvantage: such a procedure is harmful to human health.
3. The third method is known as cold wire cutting. In this case, a steel string is used in the same way as a two-handed saw blade. This method quite productive.
4. In the same way, you can cut foam using a regular hacksaw.
5. Finally, there is also a professional hand tool, finished reminiscent of the hot string mentioned above, only more refined. If you have such a tool, the work is done efficiently and quickly; it is possible to use shaped attachments.

Video - Cutting polystyrene foam with nichrome

Method two. Homemade machine on the table

Be that as it may, cutting polystyrene foam manually, even using one of the tools mentioned above, is quite difficult. The material may burst or crumble, nothing can be done about it. A hot string partially solves the problem, but what if the amount of work is too large? There is a solution - you can build a stationary cutting machine at home.

First, everything necessary is prepared. To create such a device you will need:

• a large table (ideally, each side should be at least 2 meters);
• a string characterized by increased resistance (if you have an old electric heater, it can be removed from it);
• iron springs, which are characterized by low electrical conductivity;
• laboratory transformer (LATR), which converts 220-volt current into 24-volt.

In addition to this, you will also need a string height controller. It could be, say, a pair of beams, and it is between them that the cutting string along with the holder will move.

Note! A transformer is not always required. Depends this moment solely on what material is used in the manufacture of the thread. And if it is chrome-plated, then a current of 220 volts can also be used. Although we note that when working with such power, you must strictly adhere to safety rules, otherwise the consequences can be very dire.

If the foam cutting machine operates on only 24 volts, then there can be no danger to the body. You simply won’t feel such a current, and after an accidental injury you just need to rinse the affected area of ​​skin with water.

Let us also remind you that if foam plastic is cut with hot metal, toxic substances will inevitably be released. For this reason, work must be performed exclusively in a special mask, and the room must be well ventilated; otherwise you can get poisoned. Although it is preferable to carry out cutting outdoors, this can only be done if you have your own yard.

To make it more convenient for you to assemble the structure from prepared parts, we have provided below a detailed diagram of the future machine.

Equipment necessary for the production of foam plastic Previously, we talked about the equipment that is necessary for the production of polystyrene foam; in addition to this article, we advise you to read this information

Method three. Homemade machine (in the absence of a suitable table)

If you do not have a table of suitable dimensions, you can make a base for the unit from plywood, regular board or chipboard. The algorithm of actions in this case should be as follows.

Preparing everything you need

The operating principle of the machine described above is also based on the use of hot metal. If you run a hot wire over the material, it will be easy to cut, and the cuts will be perfectly even. In the workflow, in this case you will need:

The cutting element will be a nichrome spiral. As already noted, it can either be purchased or removed from the old heater. Typically, the thickness of this spiral can vary between 0.5-1 millimeters, although it will be better if it is 0.7 millimeters. As for the length, it depends on the dimensions of the material that will be cut.

Note! An important element is a laboratory transformer. If you don't have one, you can make something similar from an old transformer and a device for charging car batteries.

There is another option - you can take a power supply from a PC, where 12 volt wires (black and yellow) are connected to the spiral.

For a homemade machine, an output voltage of 7-12 volts is sufficient. Another important point: The thickness/length of the filament should be adjusted to match the voltage. If the heat is too high, the thread may even burst. At the same time, if the heating is weak, the cutting procedure will noticeably slow down.

Finally, the power source can be the car battery itself. This is useful in cases where there is no electricity.

Direct assembly

Below is step-by-step instruction assembly of the unit.

Step one. We take a nichrome thread and attach it to the springs. We put the springs themselves on M-4 screws, and accordingly we screw them into the prepared racks.

Step two. We pre-press the iron racks into a chipboard sheet, tabletop, plywood (or another surface that will serve as a base for a foam cutting machine). The thickness of the base, as well as the height of the racks, should be determined by the needs of the user. With a base thickness of 18 millimeters and a support height of 28 millimeters, the screw, being completely screwed in, will not be able to penetrate through the base; on the contrary, being completely unscrewed, it will be able to cut material 50 millimeters thick.

Note! If in the future we need to cut thick sheets, we will remove the small screws and screw in longer ones instead.

Step three. We make holes in the base for pressing. It is important that the diameter of these holes is approximately 0.5 millimeters smaller than the diameter of the rack itself. Next, using a hammer, we drive the posts into the holes, but pre-process sandpaper sharp end edges (this will greatly simplify this procedure).

Step four. Before screwing a screw into the rack, take some suitable tool and cut out a small groove under its (screw) head. To do this, we clamp one end with a screwdriver, put a file under the head and initiate rotation. What is this groove for? First of all, in order to secure the wire motionless, otherwise it may move during the adjustment process.

Step five. We fix the wire: first to the springs, and only then to the screws themselves. This is necessary so that it does not sag, heating up and, accordingly, elongating somewhat.

Step six. Having finished with all the fasteners, we take the nichrome wire and fix it. The fastening method we use here is called “crimp twisting”: it allows you to create the most reliable contact between the current-carrying cable and the wire. It is also important that the cross-section of the copper cable is at least 1.45 mm².

Step seven. We remove the insulating layer from the ends of the cables by approximately 2 centimeters. We wind the copper conductors onto the wire where it is already attached to the springs. Using pliers, hold one end of it tightly and wrap it around the conductor. This winding allows for maximum wire-to-wire contact area, and when the machine finally starts working, the connections will not overheat.

Step eight. Next, we make a tap of the conductors conducting electricity, in the form of a loop, so that in the future it becomes possible to regulate the foam cutting procedure. In addition, we make holes in the base and pass wires through them so that they do not get tangled during operation. After that, we fasten them on the other side using staples.

Note! Experts advise laying the cables together and twisting them, forming a not too tight bundle. In this case, they certainly won’t get confused.

Step nine. We solder the terminals to the ends of the wires that will be connected to the energy source being used.

So, the foam cutting machine is almost ready. Note that the design created according to the above scheme is quite sufficient for the conditions home use. Moreover, if desired, it can also be used as a device for figure cutting expanded polystyrene.

Video - Creating a device for cutting polystyrene foam

1. During the cutting process it is required average speed foam movement. If it moves too quickly, it will most likely crumble, and if it moves too slowly, the ends of the sheets will begin to melt.
2. If the work is carried out in an area without electricity, then you need to connect 3 9-volt crowns together and use them as an energy source. In this case, the machine will be able to operate for approximately 35-40 minutes.
3. Use for this car batteries undesirable, since they, despite the slight voltage, also differ great strength current that can damage the string. And it’s also good if it simply bursts, because it may happen that hot metal splashes out.
4. The foam that will be used to insulate the bath must be thick. Moreover, thick material is easier to produce (and it is not particularly popular), which means it will cost less than thin material.

During construction and finishing works The question arises of how to cut foam plastic so that it does not crumble. For this they use special tools and techniques that are selected based on size foam board. These cutters can be purchased at a store or made independently. To make an instrument with your own hands, you do not need special knowledge or skills.

DIY nichrome cutter

The foam is cut with a string heated to +120…+150°C and melts the material. Thanks to this, the cut is even and the foam does not crumble. Such devices are equipped with a nichrome thread through which electricity is passed. You can make a simple cutter with your own hands. It differs from the machine in its portability and compactness, so the heating temperature of the nichrome wire cannot be adjusted on it.

Required tools and materials

To make a cutter with nichrome wire for cutting foam, you will need the following tools and materials:

• small wooden block;
• screwdriver and drill;
• 2 pencils;
• 2 pieces of copper wire;
• round nose pliers;
• hot melt glue or PVA;
• insulating tape;
• battery connector;
• switch;
• 1 m wires;
• soldering iron;
• nichrome thread.

The latter is sold in a radio parts store. It can also be taken from old heating elements from a hair dryer, boiler, boiler, etc.

Homemade foam cutter

A homemade cutter is designed for minor work. It is not possible to cut an entire sheet of polystyrene foam with it. To cut foam plastic at home, you must:

1. IN wooden block make 2 holes 10-11 cm long. They should match the diameter of the pencils. You need to step back 1-1.5 cm from the edge. The recess should be slightly deeper than half the block to fix the pencils. Thanks to this distance, you can cut a sheet of foam plastic of almost any thickness.
2. Glue both pencils into the holes using hot glue or PVA.
3. Make a small hole in the top of each pencil for the copper wire.
4. Bend the copper wire with pliers so that small rings are formed at its ends. After this, install it into the holes in the pencils.
5. Glue the battery connector perpendicular to the wooden block. Additionally, it will act as a handle.
6. Glue a switch onto the block so that you can turn off the power to the string.
7. Then connect 2 wires to the connector. After this, connect to the switch, and then output each to a separate pencil. To prevent the wire from sagging and interfering with work, it is fixed with electrical tape. To ensure reliable connection quality, you need to solder the wires to the connector. Connections must be insulated using heat shrink tube or electrical tape.
8. Remove the braid from the second end of each wire and screw it to the copper wire. Solder the connection.
9. Thread the nichrome thread into rings of copper wire and secure to them. The string should be pulled tight between the pencils. When heated, it stretches and sags a little. The stronger the tension, the less sagging.
10. Insert batteries into the connector and start cutting foam sheets.

This way you can make a simple device for cutting foam plastic with your own hands. And another option for manufacturing the machine, see the video:

Do-it-yourself foam cutting machine

Cutting machines the more convenient it is that the cutting thread is fixed in them and only the foam needs to be moved. This allows for increased precision of movements. During manufacture you will need the same tools and equipment as in the previous case.

First you need to make a table that represents wooden base with small legs. The table must be level and smooth to prevent deformation of the foam. The dimensions of the base are chosen arbitrarily. A block is screwed perpendicular to the tabletop, and a wooden crossbar is attached to it at an angle of 90°. Then it is necessary to strengthen the structure with a jumper.

An angular ruler marks the place where the filament will go. If the surface is fairly flat, this can be done using a plumb line. To do this, a self-tapping screw with a wide head is screwed into the end, and a thread with a load is wound onto it. A hole with a diameter of 6 mm is drilled in the selected location. To prevent the string from burning the wood, a plate made of textolite or metal is installed. The material should be placed flush with the surface.

A wire is threaded into the hole, the lower end of which is put on a self-tapping screw. The screw is screwed in next to the hole. The length of the spiral should be such that when heated it turns red. Since when high temperatures the wire lengthens, it is necessary to use a compensating spring to avoid sagging. A spring is attached to the top self-tapping screw, and a nichrome thread is attached to it.

An energy source is connected to the ends of the thread, which can be a battery with a voltage of 11.7-12.4 V. To regulate this indicator, a thyristor regulator circuit is used. The regulator can be taken from electric grinder. You can also control the tension using a spiral on a polystyrene foam cutting machine.

This spiral is mounted on a wooden block to which the upper edge of the filament is attached. Connects to the wire in series. Its function is to lengthen nichrome thread and, accordingly, a decrease in voltage. This can be achieved by changing the connection location to the nichrome spiral. How less distance, the more the thread heats up and the more the foam melts.

If a transformer is connected to the machine, it must be galvanically isolated. In this case, a transformer with taps must be used.

For smooth and even cuts you need to make a guide rail. It is made from a block or any other smooth material.

With the help of such a simple machine, you can cut foam plastic with your own hands. Additionally, you can make various devices. During repairs, you can make a miter box with your own hands or a tray that will help you cut the material evenly at the desired angles.

3D foam cutting technology

Expanded polystyrene products have become widely used for marketing and decorative purposes. Company logos are made from polystyrene foam, names, various figures, decorative elements, etc. are cut out. Therefore, 3D cutting has gained wide popularity. Using polystyrene foam allows you to save money and at the same time get a high-quality and durable product.

Volumetric cutting is carried out on special machines. They cut the material using long strings or a laser and allow you to give the foam any shape.

Shaped cutting of foam plastic

Figure cutting of polystyrene foam is carried out on special machines. Some of them are equipped with CNC. When working on the machine, the thickness of the foam sheets does not matter. However, for simple cutting, you can use a simple DIY cutter.