CNC Router

Basics

• A Router controlled via CNC
• Allows for the Subtractive Manufacturing of Mainly Wood or Acrylic
• Essentially a much more basic CNC Mill with a much shorter z axis (due to sheets being the main feedstock), and a Router or Rotary Tool instead of a CNC Spindle
• Useful for Wood Prototypes, Drone Frames, and precision wood parts
• Also may be useful simply for automating wood cutting in an affordable way, allowing time to be spent elsewere
• Can cut thicker wood and plastic than most small laser cutters as well
• There is a bit of a Grey Area between a low end CNC Mill and the best CNC Routers
  • Use of a Proper CNC Spindle , Having enough Z-Axis Travel Distance to not only clear Sheet Stock materials, but also Machine Finishing of Castings all seem to be good "dividing lines"
  • Nonetheless High End CNC Mills Can Often Handle "Soft Metals" (Aluminum , Brass , etc)

Industry Standards

Tabletop / Benchtop

Low Budget (150-500 USD)

• Summary of What One Gets for This Pricepoint:
  • Typically only capable of Wood, Foam, Plastic, and towards the upper end [[Hardwoods] and *potentially* Soft Metals at extremely low Feeds and Speeds (also may only be able to "engrave", rather than cut
  • Z Axis is typically rather short so thicker materials will not work
  • Co-Mounting of Diode Laser Toolheads (Some higher end models can remove the router toolhead for a laser) or Dust Shoes etc is either not possible, or difficult
  • Frame Rigidity/Motion System Used a Major Limit
  • Nearly All Designs are Bedslingers (which can be problematic due to dust falling into the Y-Axis's Motion System
• Common Options:
  • 3018 CNC
  • Genmitsu 3018-PROVer / Genmitsu 3018-PROVer V2
  • Genmitsu 3020-PRO MAX

Mid Budget (500-1,000 USD)

• Summary of What One Gets for This Pricepoint:
  • Dust Shoes are more commonplace, work area is larger (will need a proper table/bench, unlike the Ikea Lack sized FDM 3D Printers/Low Budget CNC Routers
  • Substantial Diode Lasers can be Mounted, Potentially Even Co-Mounted
  • Full on Trimmer Routers can be used, allowing for more aggressive feeds and speeds
  • Designs are either High Quality Bedslingers or Gantry Based
  • Frame Rigidity is Acceptable, Motors become the main Limiting Factor
  • One encounters something akin to the Iron Triangle ; Pick Two:
    • Frame Rigidity / Motion System Componets (Thickness of Extrusions Used (or even cast/milled parts), Plastic vs Metal Connections/Holders, Ball Screw vs Lead Screw vs *Belt Driven* etc)
    • Spindle Quality
    • Motion System Type (Bedslinger vs Gantry)
• Common Options:
• Genmitsu PROVerXL 4030 CNC Router
• Genmitsu 4040-PRO

High Budget (1,000+ USD)

• You essentially get all three of the options in the "iron triangle" the mid budget tier faces
  • Some of the units can get rather large, and thus definitely fit into the "benchtop" category
    • Some also can have "extension kits" that make them comparable to shops sized ones
• Units can have a Dust Shoe, and Diode Laser Unit Co-Mounted, and can handle substantial router trimmers / even low end cnc spindles
• Can Aggressively Cut Through All Materials Short of Metals
  • Frame Rigidity/Spindle Power Becomes a Limit for Harder Metals
    • Also the incompatibility with Flood Coolant etc
• Common Options:
  • Evo One
    • Their Webpage
    • This even has an Automatic Toolchanger ! (I guess that is being held up, also *still a bedslinger?*)
  • FoxAlien CNC Router Machine Vasto (Somewhat goofy full name, FoxAlien Vasto maybe?)
    • Seems to have a good sized build volume, and has ballscrews+linear rails
    • They are also selling bundles with their laser module for roughly the same price (Granted whether that is intentional (Re Decoy effect (Marketing) can be debated) (Also it is only 10w Optical Power yet is advertized as 40w due to that being the electrical power in...)
      • Either Way seems like a capable machine, it has been shown in This Video by the YouTube Channel "TechDIY" Titled "Foxalien Vasto Cnc with Linear Rails & Ballscrews - Build, Test & Review." to be able to **CUT STEEL**
    • Granted 2,500 USD Price Tag, but it is a (mostly) prebuilt option

Shop Sized

• Machines that Can Fit a Full Sheet of Plywood etc
• Cost Already Starts out in the 500-1000+ USD Range
• Lower cost units are V-Slot Roller Based
• Mid Cost is Lead Screw/Ball Screw + Precision Ground Rod + Bushing/Linear Rail based
• High Cost is essentially a more refined mid cost (also maybe a High Powered Laser Diode Unit for not just engraving, but also high speed cutting, and even marking(

Existing Open Source Designs

• Dremel CNC

Minimum Viable Product

• Should be Able to Handle Various Woods and Plastics, as well as composites like Carbon Fiber
• Should be compatible with OTS Rotary Tools and Routers, as well as OSE Designs
• Should Use either the Universal Axis or the Precision Universal Axis
• Should Allow For Air Jets, And Vacuum Chip Extraction (A hose for each)

Basic Design

Frame

• Either Welded Metal, or Metal Extrusions
• Focus is on density, and squareness/levelness/parallelness, this all leads to stability and precision

Router Mount

• A Standardized Plate with Adapters for OTS Spindles

Input/Output Panel

• Air In
• Suction In
• Vacuum Cleaner Output In

Motion System

• 2-3 axis modules for the X and Y axis
• 2 axis modules for the Z axis (Perhaps of a larger variety)

Sacrificial Board + Holder System

• A Board of Cheap Wood is put above the baseplate to allow for some room for error and to protect the surface from wear

See Also

• CNC Mill
• CNC Lathe
• CNC Torch Table
• CNC Multimachine
• Torch Table Preliminary Work