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What is a CNC router, what is the difference between a 3 and 5 axis milling machine, and what materials can it process? That’s just a little part of those questions, which might appear when diving into the CNC world for the first time.

This article is mostly for those who decided to change their ways around woodworking and other spheres and to choose machines. Let’s get started!

What is a CNC Router machine

A CNC router, or milling machine, as it is also sometimes called, is computer numerically controlled equipment that operates different materials, including wood, by carving them with an end mill. That’s where the name comes from.

This type of equipment is used in furniture, souvenir production, interior and exterior decoration, and light industry.

A milling machine can 3D cut and engrave wood, plexiglass, aluminum, brass, composite, medium- and hard-density fiberboards, foam rubber, etc.

Insides out! What is in there

Now, let’s figure out what kind of a name each part has, and what they do in the machine’s system.

Frame

That, as we can say, is a spine, the skeleton of the machine. If we want our CNC router machine to work steadily and efficiently, then we have to make sure that the bed is steady as well. And heavy! It’s important to have, if I may, a big-boned structure so it can keep up with the speed and power of spindle movement.

We have two types of frames for our machines to offer: M-type and A-type. Both are made of welded steel, but the first one is reinforced and thicker — 10 mm — than the other one. M-type is used on machines with a powerful spindel of 3 kW and more.

Portal

This part is responsible for the movement of the spindle across the working table. It carries the main hunky-plodder, and it batter be reliable. Stoical portal is one of the things that is responsible for the absence of vibrations during the work as well. The speed of operations also depends on its capability to keep up and hold on.

Spindle

This is our hand, leg, wing, or any other limb, to be honest. That’s what creates the magic. This includes end mills. The spindle power determines the power of the milling processes. The number of possible spins is also connected to that parameter. If the spindle is not Samson, production will flop, and the machine itself is at risk of distortion.

What is a CNC milling machine spindle anyway?

Let’s look closely at this part.

As previously stated, the spindle power influences the power of the milling processes. And the type of materials it can process.

Some examples of ratio between materials and required power:

The spindle is basically an electromotor with special locks for the end mill, which rotates it. Well, that’s if I speak shortly.

cooling for cnc milling router

The end mill is fixed inside with the help of a chuck with a collet clip. That chuck holds a mill from all of the flanks, which help to deal with any kinds of side loads, and spreads them equally to ensure a better lock.

 Inside, it has an electromotor, spindle placement’s feedback sensor, diagnostics transmitter, supports, and bearings. The last two are responsible for chatter stability and high speed of spinning, respectively.

 As previously stated, the spindle power influences the power of the milling processes. And the types of materials it can process.

Some examples of ratios between materials and required power

  • 800 W — plywood;
  • 1,5 kW — wood, light metals, plastics;
  • 3 kW — stone.

Spindle is with me, cabron. So chill…

Yes, it is necessary to keep the milling machine cold during operation since the electromotor warms up, as do the supports and bearings. The power of rubbing! This is why the cooling system is included with the router. There are two kinds of it.

Water based

This one is straightforward: water goes in circles (as Daft Punk would say, “around the world, around the world”) and does the job. Water cooling can be accomplished using either a chiller or a pump.

This type offers the following advantages:

  • absence of noise;
  • ability to work at a minimum rpm;
  • stable heat rejection;
  • pumps are compact.

Well, as with everything in the world, water cooling isn’t perfect, so it has drawbacks:

  • complexity of construction;
  • If you’re using a pump, the temperature of the water will depend on the surroundings. If it’s hot inside the factory, then the liquid will be too.

Though it’s important to notice that the spindle with this type of chilling is less anticorrosive.

Air based

Impeller above the electromotor, which rotates with the spindle, or the unstoppable fan on top. This is what air cooling is. The main pluses of this type are density and simplicity of construction. Also, air-based chillers are more enduring. But the system’s major minus is that they are quite noisy and spread the material shavings all over the place.

Movement system

cnc wood router wattsan

Here we can finally talk about the joints of our machine. Guides, stepper or servo motors, planetary gear, and belt gears.

Guides

There are two types of them: rectangular and circular.

The round ones are usually put on the low-priced machines, which can process plastics, some wood, jewelry wax, etc.

But for more complicated operations with thicker materials where higher precision is required, the square ones are used. For example, HIWIN, PMI, and AMT.

On our CNC router machines HIWIN guides are installed.

Stepper or servo motors

The first is inexpensive, and it’s good to use that kind in small productions for small or medium objects, like toys, boxes, or souvenirs. Stepper motors are quite noisy and might not keep up with the high speed of work. That’s the reason they aren’t installed on professional equipment.

Servo motors, on the other hand, don’t lose the precision of their operations when speeding up. Their system has all the bases covered: there is feedback with a router’s control system. That’s why no step failures or coordination problems are possible.

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And now let’s see who is the real Speed racer: a stepper motor moves at 20–25m/min, while a servo motor can travel at 60 m/min and more.

As a result, if you aren’t working with hard materials or at high speed, then regular stepper motors will be fine. Otherwise, use servo ones.

On our machines, stepper motors are included in the basic configuration, but they may be changed to a servo or hybrid by your wish.

Oil system

We don’t want our CNC milling machine to feel like a drying-out human in the manufacturing desert, so there is an automatic oil system installed on it. It helps to keep guides and bearings in working order all the time. Of course, it eases the operator’s day as well since he has no need to worry about the state of those parts. The oil system saves maintenance time! And it can be set by time, like an alarm.

3, 4, or 5 exes? I mean, axes

A CNC router machine can differ from another by the number of axes it has. X, Y, and Z? Or also A, B, and C? “What are all of those letters?” you may ask. Let me explain.

3-Axis 

This is the most common configuration for a CNC milling machine. It allows operating the majority of materials in two ways: horizontally and vertically. But the depth is limited. The working piece itself stays in one place when the spindle moves by three axes: X, Y, and Z.

vacuum table

Thanks to that system, you can manufacture a lot of different simple-shape products with interesting 3D patterns.

4-axis

Everything continues to operate as it did previously. Just now, the working piece itself can rotate! Like a pod on the pottery wheel. And now your products can be considerably more complicated. The new axis for the material is commonly known as the A-axis.

5-axis

Here comes the freedom (Eren Jaeger approves). This system gives you the opportunity to rotate the working piece any way you want. As you can guess, products and details of any level of intricacy are available for you. The 5-axis CNC milling machine is universal equipment for any task since it’s capable of almost anything.

Routers come in a variety of sizes and configurations, with three or five axes. We discussed that sort of equipment for hobbies and home in another article, which you can access by following the link.

Conclusions

cnc milling wood machine
  1. A CNC router machine is computer-numerically controlled equipment that operates different materials, including wood, by carving them with an end mill.
  2. This type of equipment is used in furniture, souvenir production, interior and exterior decoration, and light industry. A milling machine can 3D cut and engrave wood, plexiglass, aluminum, brass, composite, medium- and hard-density fiberboards, foam rubber, etc.
  3. There are five major parts of the CNC milling machine:frame, portal, spindle, cooling, and movement systems.
  4. The spindle is an electromotor with special locks for the end mill, which rotates it. The end mill is fixed inside with the help of a chuck with a collet clip. That chuck holds a mill from all of the flanks, which help to deal with any kinds of side loads, and spreads them equally to ensure a better lock.
  5. There is a ratio between materials and required power: 800 W — plywood; 1,5 kW — wood, light metals, plastics; 3 kW — stone.
  6. The number of axes in your CNC router machine depends on the goals that your production has. For most of the operations, 3-axis equipment is enough, though for circular pieces, you would need 4 axes. And for the complicated structures, five axes come into play.
An Lee
We are happy to advice you from the very beginning
Contact us now.
Make a request

Questions

We’ve put together common questions that our clients usually ask when choosing a CNC milling machine, and here are the answers!

Which control system is included in the basic configuration?

support of cnc machine

On our machines, we have NcStudio installed. That’s a program complex that consists of two plates (boards), one of which is in the shell of the CNC router machine, and the other is connected to the motherboard of a computer.

NcStudio is user-friendly for the novice. It’s easy to store and find files in it. You can do 3D modeling in that system and scan the surface of materials before starting the work so the Studio can correct the route.

Also, it has a simulation of the process, which can help you find possible mistakes. And it offers an analog output for stepless spindle speed control.

Though NcStudio works only with a 3-axis CNC milling machine, And it has a speed limit of up to 7050 mm/min.

rotary device for cnc router

Obviously, that system requires a separate computer with a 32-bit operating system, and the computer itself will take some space in the manufacturing building.

Despite all that, NcStudio is often used due to the more clear work process than with a DSP controller. You can easily access the code and watch a simulation, and there’s no need for a flash drive.

If you want to know more about that subject, you can watch our video.

Is a CNC router machine able to operate hard metals, like steel, titanium?

Our equipment is not able to work with hard metals, only soft ones: aluminum, brass, copper. 

Do you have spindles with the autochange?

Yes, we can provide a spindle with that option to ease up your working process.

Which cooling system is better: air or water based?

aspiration for wood router

Due to the fact. that a water cooling system can negatively affect the spindle because of the corrosion risk, an air cooling system is more preferable. Though you would need to find a way to get rid of the shavings. But it’s better than being worried about water breaking down the whole equipment.

CNC routers are not that complicated. After all, Wattsan is not going to leave you one-to-one with the equipment. You can always call us or find useful information on our blog or YouTube channel. For example, watch this video about how to get started!

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