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CNC Router for Production

G00 Proto

Hot Rolled
Joined
Feb 18, 2013
Location
Dirkdirkistan, ID
I’m considering a product line that would necessitate running a CNC router to cut mountains of coroplast. Holy smokes there are a ton of people making these. It’s going to be simple 2-D profiles out of 4x8 sheets. Definitely vacuum hold down. I want something that runs off of g-code so I can do all my programming in Mastercam. Accuracy is limited to aesthetics... it’s gotta look like picture and be checked with a tape measure.

I’m spending my own money. I would like to go as cheap as possible so I can spend the profits on whores and cocaine. Anybody have any recommendations on what to buy... on the router, not the whores or cocaine.
 
digital woodcarver has a prosumer level machine for 4x8 with vacuum. I only know about them from the controller they use, which I highly recommend that part of the machine- you can add anything to the controller and run fanuc g-code- accepts splines and o commands too. take a zero off the haas price.
 
Haas GR510. Plus you can use it to cut metal when you run out of Coroplast.

I can’t foresee needing to cut metal any larger than will fit on any of other Haas machines.

I also can’t foresee needing a tool changer for this product. Probably a single flute specialty router bit that I change once a month, just like my underwear.


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A buddy of mine a couple bays up from me has an older Multicam Router. its a beast. From what I've seen him run on it I would recommend It. Its an actual industrial machine
 
The big Multicam would eat the haas like a snickers bar. It’s cut rates are 3x haas rapids. Also cut into the working girls wages....
 
We bought a router a few years ago that is a Freedom patriot line from DMS. We have had issues with the Fagor controller and complex 3d toolpaths but for 2d work it would be great. It has ball screws on all axis and is nice and heavy duty. Price was pretty good for the weight and quality.

If you are looking at really high production the real industrial machines like a Komo anything mentioned above by a lot. I looked at a used one before buying the DMS and it was a monster. Probably weighs twice or even 3 times what a lot of the other suggested routers weigh and man it moved. The acceleration was crazy and a lot of them load and unload themselves these days. You won't have blow and hooker money left over though. The higher end machines also tend to be moving table machines as well so they use twice the space. The space and sometimes inventive way we use our routers made the DMS a better choice for us.
 
what size parts you cutting and what kind of budget you looking around? also how many sheets a day you need to cut. there are a metric pile of router mfgs out there a few more details may be able to narrow things down a bit. we've got a few routers on the floor not thrilled about any of them. have a thermwood coming in soon to add to the mix.
 
what size parts you cutting and what kind of budget you looking around? also how many sheets a day you need to cut. there are a metric pile of router mfgs out there a few more details may be able to narrow things down a bit. we've got a few routers on the floor not thrilled about any of them. have a thermwood coming in soon to add to the mix.

Parts would be approximately 16”x16”, out of 4mm coroplast. It’s a new product idea (that’s what I do), so volumes won’t be known until it’s up and running. My guess is 50 sheets per day.

I don’t have a budget, but if I can get away with a $17k router, I would much rather do that than get marginally better performance out of a $170k router. I’m really a greedy, shallow person :)


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Parts would be approximately 16”x16”, out of 4mm coroplast. It’s a new product idea (that’s what I do), so volumes won’t be known until it’s up and running. My guess is 50 sheets per day.

I don’t have a budget, but if I can get away with a $17k router, I would much rather do that than get marginally better performance out of a $170k router. I’m really a greedy, shallow person :)


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If you want to go really cheap then the Yeti Smartbench for approx 5000 dollars adds incredible value for money.
Think it's made in the UK.
We pimped it up by mounting a plywood table to it and also made our own vacuum table to put on top of that again.

Ours cuts 20mm (~3/4") POM and PEHD sheets all day long, we've had it for a year without trouble. Unbelievable considering that we use it "industrially".

It's got a 26k RPM spindle. ER16 I think, top of my head. No tool changer or anything.
I even cut 5 mm alu sheets on it here the other day even though it was slow (200mm/min).

Our next machine will be a Multicam, but we cant justify it when our current one still works fine.

Yeti Tool Ltd > YETI Tool | Buy your new CNC Router > 120V SmartBench Standard - Easy to use large format 3D CNC routing technology at consumer pricing.
 
Cheap routers will get you cheap results. Stepper driven with missed steps been there done that. I have a semi industrial unit now 50K investment it is not top of the line but it works for what I do. I cut a fair amount of plastic marine board and UHMW. I have a 5' x 10' table with a 15 place tool rack. It is all ball screw driven with double servo ball screws on the long axis. My machine is a Shop Sabre IS510 while it is not the best router on the market I believe it is the best at this price point.
 
Can't you just cut the coroplast with a steel rule type die?? I mean is basically plastic cardboard. Clicker press or something and crank em out or am I missing something?
 








 
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