Difference between revisions of "Equipment/CNC Router"
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The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the equipment, organising maintenance, training others to use it, and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the CNC Router are: | The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the equipment, organising maintenance, training others to use it, and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the CNC Router are: | ||
Revision as of 01:53, 12 May 2013
Equipment / CNC Router
On Order, Not yet installed : Our 1200x1200/4'x4' CNC Router
Contents
Summary
A CNC router is a computer controlled shaping machine. These are related to the hand held router. Instead of hand held routing, the tool paths can be controlled via computer numerical control. It is a computer-controlled machine for cutting various hard materials, such as wood, composites, aluminum, steel, plastics, and foams. It is one of many kinds of tools that have CNC variants. A CNC router is very similar in concept to a CNC milling machine. The CNC router is controlled by a computer. Coordinates are uploaded into the machine controller from a separate CAD program
- Capacity: 1200 x 1200 x 120mm
- Rate (X,Y): 6000mm/min (Max) 5000mm/min (Working)
- Rate (Z): 30mm/sec
- Spindle Speed: 4500 to 24000rpm
- Mechanical Precision: 0.01mm
- Spindle Power: 1.5KW Variable Speed, Water-cooled
- Blade Diameter: min 3.175mm, max 12.7mm
- Order Format: HPGL, G code, u00, mmg, plt
- Control System: DSP with USB connection
Here are some examples we've made on the Model Mill (please add a photo of yours any time you do a job!)
Using the CNC Router
...
Owners =
The Owners are those who have volunteered to be in charge of the equipment, organising maintenance, training others to use it, and generally being a point of contact. The current Owners of the CNC Router are:
- Stephen Woolhead
- Chris Abri
- Mark Mellors
Original Requirements Notes
- CNC Controlled
- Minimum 4' x 4' cutting bed
- It was generally concluded whilst 8' x 4' would be attractive, it may have limits in terms of floor space and also materials storage and handling - storing and moving 8' x 4' sheets on to a flatbed machine is a pretty impractical task in a full workshop, and certainly not a 1 man job.
- We concluded we could store a lot of sheet material in 4' x 4' and 600 x 900 for the router and laser respectively (and for general use), making storage much more tractable and avoiding the need to cut down such large sheets.
- decent software
Maybe a Vacuum bed
- Would make jobs quicker to setup (except vacuum beds sometimes require a custom 'mask' cutting to cover all the unused holes)
- avoids risk of hitting clamps/bolts
- Will be more expensive (new mask needed for each job?)
- Unsure how "magical" a solution it is
Options
Shopbot
- The defacto FabLab CNC router
- Would be from the [PRS Standard Range]
- Prices are roughly $11500 and $13000 for the 4x4 and 8x4 models
- Ship from US (no distributors), by air or sea, and import duties etc payable
- Quote from Shopbot: approx $15k/£10k + shipping/taxes for 4x4, 8x8 would be approx £2k more
Piranha
- Look like imports, sold by radecal
- Include internal vacuum bed
- Available in 4x4 and 4x8. 4x4 and 4x8 both listed as weighing 800kg.
- 4x8: http://www.radecalmachinesales.com/product.asp?cid=2&scid=&pid=18
- 4x4: http://www.radecalmachinesales.com/product.asp?cid=2&scid=&pid=70
- Quote from radecal: TBC (guessing about £13k and £18k)
HPC Laser CNC
- Not clear what is available or specs; assume it is china import again, but could be interesting to go with HPC given great service
- 1200x1200 looks like it might be: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HPC-CNC-router-1200-x1200-engraver-CNC-Machine-sign-making-UK-stock-/150966295622
Others
| Machine | URL | Price (UKP) | Size - X | Size - Y | Size - Z | Weight | Notes |
| Heiz S400 | link | £1595 | 400 | 300 | 110 | 31kg | |
| Heiz S720 | link | £1995 | 720 | 420 | 110 | 41kg | Videos - Making PCBMachining metalEngraving in wood |
| Heiz S1000 | link | £2395 | 1000 | 600 | 110 | 51kg | £4012 including all options and VAT |
| HPCLaser RC6090 | link | £3750+VAT | 600 | 900 | 65 | 200kg | Up to 24000rpm, 30mm cutting thickness. From same supplier as Laser cutter. Upgraded spindle from one listed. Claimed accuracy of 10 micron. |
Weight gives an indication of stiffness and quality for a given size of machine. Shopbots weight is not listed
