Getting Top Quality CNC Routers for New Woodworking Business

Whether you are starting a new woodworking business or taking an existing business to the next level, the type of woodworking equipment you use will affect the quality of your work and how much of it you produce. Every woodworker wants to get top quality CNC Router woodworking machines, but not everyone gets them. To make sure you end up with commercial woodworking machinery that meets your needs, remember the tips below as you shop for equipment.

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Read Customer Reviews

Every equipment manufacturer sings the praises of its machinery, regardless of its reputation. If you want to know how a machine really performs, reading customer reviews is a great way to find out. In some cases, equipment does not have any formal flaws, but it is not ergonomically designed, and does not synchronize well with the rest of the line. In other cases, equipment has recalcitrant parts that cause problems almost immediately. Again, you will not find out about these drawbacks from the manufacturer, but you may hear about them in woodworking forums, where woodworkers give unsolicited reviews of equipment they use.

Search the Secondary Market

If woodworking equipment has poorly designed components, operates poorly, is difficult to configure with the rest of the line using automation software, or presents other problems that compromise production, most woodworkers will not own it for long. They will sell to an equipment reseller who may or may not be able to correct the hardware’s problems. If you notice the secondary market seems to have a large supply of a relatively new piece of equipment, it may not be a coincidence. The equipment could be a lemon no one wants to own.

Do not Depend on a Warranty

New equipment and some used equipment that is almost new come with a warranty. In most cases, the warranty for new hardware is one year, after which time the owner is responsible for repair costs. Although a warranty is a form of investment protection, do not view the warranty period as a time when you can find out whether hardware will be reliable. Because commercial CNC Router woodworking machinery has a long lifespan, some manufacturing flaws might fail to show up until after the warranty period is past. Investigating the reputation of equipment before you buy it is the key to predicting its reliability.

Choose the Right Construction Grade

Top quality woodworking machines come in three construction grades: hobby grade, mid-grade, and industrial grade. The quality one receives from any grade depends on whether it supports the production needs. If you need industrial grade equipment, you will not get good results from using hobby grade or mid-grade equipment. The equipment will prematurely wear and break down. While you do not want to overinvest in equipment that has too much capacity, trying to use a lower, less expensive grade of equipment than you need causes more financial problems than it solves.

Getting Familiar with CNC Router Operations

CNC (Computer Numerical Control) router operators specialize in the operation of CNC routers. Unlike standard routers, a computer that contains design programs controls CNC routers. This allows them to offer more efficiency, accuracy, and cutting intricacy than standard routers. Depending on their training, CNC router operators may also operate other types of CNC router machinery. In either case, their important job tasks include:

Measuring finished pieces to ensure they meet design specifications.

Removing and replacing dull cutter heads as necessary.

Adjusting or installing new attachments and fixtures as necessary.

Moving work pieces onto the cutting plane manually or with the use of hoists.

Programming a router’s computer with new design profiles as required.

Calculating and adjusting a router’s cutting speed according to design needs.

A CNC router operator’s task set ultimately depends on the router he or she operates. But the tasks above are ubiquitous to CNC machinist work.

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Required knowledge

CNC router operators work with complex machinery to produce complex designs. Consequently, they require the following forms of knowledge:

Mechanical knowledge of a how a CNC router operates and its maintenance needs.

Mathematical knowledge, including knowledge of statistics, algebra, geometry, calculus, and arithmetic.

Production/processing knowledge, including knowledge of raw materials, cost control, quality control, and production processes.

Computer knowledge regarding CNC router computers.

CNC router operators may also require knowledge of used woodworking machines if they make router purchases. Due to their high price and excellent longevity, industrial CNC routers are often purchased used.

Required skills and abilities

CNC router operators require skills and abilities needed for general woodworking and operating a CNC router, including:

Acute hearing for detecting sounds that indicate a router isn’t performing properly.

Near vision for reading computer screens and determining the surface quality of wood stock.

Critical thinking for programming instructions into a router’s computer and performing cuts in the right order.

Concentration for focusing on router operation once it begins the routing process.

Job statistics

As of 2008, 141,000 CNC operators are employed in the U.S., with a projected growth of 7% to 13% between 2008 and 2018. As of 2009, the median annual wage for a CNC operator is $34,460 ($16.57/hr.). According to a national work survey, 48% of CNC operators have a high school diploma or the equivalent; 32% have some college; and 16% do not have a high school diploma. To learn more about becoming a CNC router operator, contacting a trade school that offers courses in CNC routing or shadowing CNC router operators at a woodworking company are good options.

Other considerations

Most CNC operators are employed by the manufacturing industry. However, many CNC operators also choose self-employment, purchasing their own router for their woodshop. For independent woodworkers that plan on including CNC routing in their range of services, purchasing a CNC router used can (a) significantly reduce startup cost and still deliver the dependability expected from industrial machinery.

My First Homebuilt CNC Router Can Work Now

Already for a few months or even years, I was planning to build my own DIY CNC Router, a CNC milling machine. Now I decided it was the time to do it! I read a lot about other DIY projects and in the end I liked the design from the Arduino CNC intstructable that I foun. Although the dimensions were unclear and the programming and calibration was all in Spanish, I figured all that out by myself. In the end, I only used the design for reference.

In this instructable, I'll try to explain my steps, from the very beginning of the design, until the very end of your first gcode.

Note: I used a 3D printer to make some of the parts, but if you're working accurately, it's possible to make these parts from wood as well!

READ PLEASE:

I noticed some movement in my design after the first routings. A solution might be using thicker rods than the 12mm that I used. However: This design DOES work!! I'm currently still improving the design and might update this instructable in the near future! If you have any questions, please ask and I'll try to answer them.

If you like this instructable, please vote for me in the Arduino Contest. :)

Update - December 29th:I'm really blown away by all the interest you're all showing for this project! I'll try to add some results and video's this weekend. Currently I'm routing hard foam, since it's easy to test with. For harder material speeds need to be lower, otherwise the hang-though is a bit too much. I'm looking at a way to fix this (probably thicker rails) and will update this instructable as soon as possible. I know that there are some proven ways to solve this, but it's my goal to make it as cheap as possible. :)

Update - January 3rd: I added some results and video's in step 11. I'm still figuring out the CAM functionality of Fusion 360 and didn't have much time the past days, so the final 'C' is falling of the limits of the foam. ;) However: It's clear that the machine works and that some pretty good quality can be reached!

Update - January 30th: In the past weeks, I updated this instructable for the use of 18mm steel tubes instead of 12mm rods. Also, I designed more 3D printed parts for better/easier alignment of the parts. However, because of vacation and other projects, I haven't had much time to do more tests, so these will follow soon. The design is already much stiffer than before, so I guess I can increase the feedrate, even on wood.

Update - February 3rd: Waahjoo! Although I didn't update this page so much (IAM working on the machine), I just got the news that I won the First Prize in the Arduino all the things Contest! Thanks a lot to everybody who voted! I'm very happy with this!!

Ok, we're now a few weeks later. I tested some more and I'm very happy with the updated design.

Some facts:

·         I can route hardwood-plywood at a federate of 400mm/min with a 6mm 4-flute router bit and a depth of 2mm per pass.

·         I also tried the same feed-rate and same router with with a depth of 4mm per pass, but this caused the wood to burn because the friction was too high. The accuracy however, stayed acceptable, but I don't recommend this setting.

·         Because I used threaded rods instead of leadscrews, I have some backlash on the y-axis. This results in flattened circles. I can probably tune this a bit by tweaking the nuts under the x-gantry, but I'll probably switch to lead screws in the future.

Like I said: I'm very happy with it! Now I need more projects to use it for. ;-)

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Create 3D Carvings using a CNC Router

I am using my CNC router mostly to make small parts out of solid wood, MDF and plastic. Until recently, I had never done any 3D work with it. Then I saw a photo from one of the students in Build a CNC Router, and I was inspired to try something new.

Randy Winn posted a couple of photos on Google+ of some carvings he did with his CNC router. He carved two scenes into some walnut frame-and-panel doors.

Here’s how Randy did it. First, he purchased some 3D artwork from a company online that specializes in downloadable files that can be used for CNC work. Next, he imported the file into some special software that generates code from the shape. He had to do a little work in the software; it doesn’t create the code automatically.

Randy exported two separate files for each carving: one for a roughing pass with a ¼” spiral end-mill and another for a finishing pass with a 1/16” tapered ball-nose bit. He says the carving was surprisingly smooth when it came off of the router and didn’t need much sanding. Each carving took about two hours of machining time. Imagine trying to do that by hand in two hours.

After I saw Randy’s photos, I immediately bought a tapered ball-nose bit online and started trying to come up with some ideas for 3D projects I could do with my CNC router. Here’s the funny thing: it’s not easy to decide on a project when you have so many options.

I started playing around with Fusion 360, the software I use to design most of my work. I tried to come up with something useful, but eventually gave up on that idea and created an interesting shape that would allow me to experiment with 3D routing. You can see it on the left.

This part required three different tool paths: a roughing operation that cleared away most of the waste material, a finishing pass with the tapered bit to do the shaping and a simple 2D contour cut around the perimeter of the part to free it from the stock. With Fusion 360’s built-in CAM, I didn’t have to do any programming. The software did it all with just a few mouse-clicks.

Now that I have the right bit, software and inspiration to do 3D work with my CNC router, the only thing standing in my way is the inability to decide what to do next. I could try some carvings, make some cool shapes out of wood or play around with other materials like aluminum.

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Try Small Scale Production, Manufacturing Nets / Developments in Industry

In actual industry, packages are manufactured by industrial machines. They are first designed on a computer system using COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN software (CAD). A net / development can be drawn more accurately by CAD software and also checked, with faults can be corrected before any material is cut, Small companies use software such as Techsoft 2D design, Coral Draw or other specialist software.

The software is used to control the cutting equipment.

A company called ‘Roland’ manufacture a range of machines that are computer controlled. They are capable of cutting out accurate nets and even scoring the fold lines, making it easy to fold the net together. A simplified version of one of these machines is seen below.

Roland produce a series of machines called STIKA machines. These are basically used for cutting out adhesive backed lettering for signs and logos (Material called 'sticky backed vinyl'). However, larger versions can be used to cut out nets / developments from a range of card. The small hardened steel cutter is held firmly in a tool holder. The tool holder moves up and down a slide, following the design. The paper/adhesive laminate is fed into the machine automatically. As the tool holder moves the cutting tool is pressed into the material, cutting the desired shape.
These machines are suitable for cutting small numbers of developments/ nets.

4. The computer (including software), vinyl cutter and manufactured package, can be viewed as a Systems Diagram, see below. Systems diagrams are divided into three aspects/stages - INPUT - PROCESS - OUTPUT. The systems diagram below, describes what happens at each stage, from the design to manufacture of a simple package.

QUESTIONS:
1. Use Computer Aided Design (CAD) to design a small packaging net / development to hold a piece of jewellery.
2. Print out the net and cut out the shape using scissors or craft knife. OR use a computer control cutter such as a STIKA Machine.
3. Add suitable colour, shade, printing styles etc......

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Rapid Prototyping using the 3D Printer – Part 1

Rapid Prototyping is very common in the design and manufacturing industry as a way of quickly producing realistic models of products being designed or developed by engineers. In the recent past 3Dsoftware such as pro/DESKTOP® and AutoCAD® has made it possible to design a product on the computer. The design can then be viewed at a variety of angles, it can be revolved or disassembled on the computer screen, all without the need to make an expensive model from clay or other modelling materials. Today, thanks to the rapidly developed prototyping machines, an accurate 3D model can be manufactured and handled.

A real model has a number of advantages other a computer model. A real model can be passed around a table for a design team to discuss. It can be given to a focus group or members of the general public so that they can make suggestions as to how it can be improved. A model can also be shown to potential clients so that they can see a real life version of the product they are thinking of buying. However, in the past, making a 3D model has been expensive and required highly skilled engineers/craftspeople to make it.

With the introduction of rapid prototyping machines it is now possible for a company to design a product on CAD software and then output the design to a rapid prototyping machine. The rapid prototyping machine automatically manufactures an accurate and realistic model of the product. Manufacturing using a prototyping machine is much more accurate than a model handmade by a skilled engineer or craftsperson and takes a fraction of the time.
Rapid prototyping machines are used in a wide and varied range of industries. These include, engineering, aerospace, medical modelling, architecture and many more.

Diagram ‘A’ shows a simplified diagram of a Z310 3D printer from Z-Corporation with its top/lid in position. The machine will only work when the lid is closed. Diagram ‘B’ shows the same machine with a section cut away so that the main parts can be seen. The machine is manufacturing a detailed scaled model of a prototype sports car. It completes this task by adding a layer of powered and resin to the model car at every pass of the print head.

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Although we are DIYers for CNC Routers, yet we still can participate actively in most of the discussions of this technology. For this purpose, I found the following place for CNC Router manufacturers to gather and communicate.

And for those CNC Router manufacturers, they even need a platform to share, to communicate and post what they have to other counterparts. This world is now a sharing world. We can share whatever we want to share.

With such as platform, CNC Router manufacturers cam also manage to explore out potential clients and possible cooperators.

Let’s go into this world.

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4-axis CNC Routers are rather suitable for most of the application requirements, either multi-functional or cost-sensitive. We choose such 4-axis CNC Routers for most of our DIY practices.

Some people think that 3-axis CNC Router is too low for their needs， which cannot accept the high cost of 5-axis CNC Routers. Thus the 4-axis CNC Router will be a better choice for both performance, speed and cost considerations. It can meet the requirements of most demands in actual life. And it is also rather convenient.

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A CNC Router machine can be used to make your life full of creative DIY practices. This is a rather positive way to push the CNC Router technology.

Do It Yourself mode has been proved to the effective way to make the use of something new. This is the case for the previous Personal Computer, Mobile Phone, etc. This will also do for the CNC Router industry because DIY is rather helpful to get people familiarized with new tools and to collect the intelligence of people as many as possible to explore its application.

Do-it-yourself will trigger more interest of CNC technology in more people.

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