Technical Information

Introduction to CNC Technology
Everyday, manufacturers are turning to automation in order to meet their profitability goals, and their success rate is amazing. Manufacturing shops all over the world are considering the purchase of a CNC router, and most start out thinking, "I'd love to automate, but I can't afford it." Looking at what computer numerically controlled (CNC) routers have already done for so many existing and emerging industries, you simply cannot afford not to consider the inherent advantages of automation. >>More

CNC Router Components
The CNC router market runs the gamut from hobbyist machines at $5,000, up to huge CNC machining systems that cost in excess of $200,000. The idea is to find the CNC router with the right price-performance ratio within your budget. >>More

Spindles
There are two broad categories of spindles used on CNC machines: brush types and brushless types. The brush type spindles, as the name implies, use commutating brushes to transfer current to the coils that cause the shaft to spin. >>More

CNC Tooling
Choosing the right tool for the specific material being routed can be critical. There are several different geometries to choose from such as upcut / downcut helix, straight flute, and ball nose, to name a few. The cutter selection of this catalog defines in more detail the ideal geometry for specific materials. Illustrations on the next page shows basic terms used to define a tool's geometry. >>More

Vacuum Hold-Down
The most common question asked when it comes to vacuum hold-down is how much vacuum does my application require? Vacuum systems should be evaluated based on the specific applications. The smaller the part or thinner the material to be held, the greater the volume of air flow required, thus increasing the size of the vacuum pump. Many people state that you can't have enough vacuum. >>More

Reverse Engineering
Reverse Engineering is the process of recreating a model from an original. The term can be applied to software, electronics and, in our particular case, to mechanical modeling. There are a number of steps involved in the process, but the first is the generation of the coordinate data points that lie on the surface of the part. Several devices that can be used to generate these coordinates: laser scanner, structured light scanner, digitizing arms and touch probes, to mention just a few. >>More

4th Axis
Some CNC machines can be extended to utilize 4th axis capabilities. Typically, a machine that cuts using a rotary table and tailstock uses a rotary axis as its 4th axis. Any machine with 4th axis capabilities greatly increases its potential work range for applications such as carving, scanning and indexing. >>More

Dust Collection System
An important addition to workshops and machines is a dust collection system. Dust collection systems make shops cleaner, safer, and extend the life of a machine. A clean shop is a safe shop. Uncontrolled dust can cause potentially serious health risks, contribute to messy work environment that can cause personal injury, and be the cause of premature machine failures.
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Coolant
Using a CNC coolant system is an excellent method to improve cut quality and to extend the life of your tooling. In some applications it is not just a good idea, it is an absolute necessity. In many cutting applications, particularly plastics, the remelting of the cut particles is often the source of cut quality problems. Removing these cut particles with an air source sometimes solves the problem. In other cases, both cooling and air supply are required to remove cut particles. Considering how expensive CNC tooling can be for some applications, extending the life of your bits also puts money back in your pocket. >>More

CAD, CAM & CNC Software
CAD and CAM software packages are closely related to one another. In fact, they share the first two thirds of their respective acronyms: CAD and CAM stand for Computer-Aided Design and Computer-Aided Manufacturing. CAD programs typically are used to draw the part being developed. CAM programs are used for generating the toolpath for the CNC machine that will cut the part. The boundary between the two programs is often blurred as CAM programs often have drawing capabilities and CAD programs often have “plug-in” programs, or added optional features, that allow them to generate toolpaths. >>More