Hot Wire FOAM ​Cutter

Sponsored by David Johnson, an RC airplane hobbyist, my team and I developed a machine that can cut very complicated shapes, such as RC airplane wings, from various types of foam.

 

It features two 2-axis planes of motion, with an option to adjust the distance between them. A nichrome or steel wire is heated with an electric current and cuts the foam via melting the desired path through it.

 

The team consisted of Hunter Warren, Abraham Wright, Jonah Brooks, Seth Nelson, and myself. Project oversight was given by professor Bryan Lewis