CNC Routers

[craigboez]

A few teams have mentioned that they have a CNC router. My team currently uses a manual mill and lathe, and I'm wondering if a CNC router might be a good addition to our existing shop. One would come in handy for drilling evenly spaced holes in the chassis, making gussets, cutting curves in aluminum or polycarb sheets, etc. Another option would be a CNC mill, but I'm not sure we'd use many of the additional capabilities it has over a router, so it may not be worth the expense.

Can any teams with a CNC router give any advice on what to look for? Should we buy one, or are there good DIY solutions? Is yours as useful as you had hoped? What are the max sizes, thicknesses, etc of material (aluminum in particular) that you're able to work with?

Thanks.