CNC Router for Aluminum

[Jacob Bendicksen]

I'm minimally involved with our CNCing, but from what I've heard from my mechanical buddies, we're happy with our ShopBot Buddy. 2'x3' cutting surface, reasonably priced (for a CNC router, so still not cheap), and not too hard to use (though VCarve is another story).

[RoboChair]

1678 is looking forward to purchasing a Velox CNC 4'x4' router sometime in the next week or so with some grant money. Really knowledgeable people working there. You can build out exactly what you need based on features you want or what you are willing to handle yourselves(we are making the table and table top for it). The school discount doesn't hurt either. After tax and shipping it's about $7000.

[cbale2000]

Anyone have any thoughts on something like a Shapeoko or an X-Carve?

These seem to be a much lower cost alternative to a lot of CNC routers I've seen and it looks like a reasonable project for a team to assemble.

[techhelpbb]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

Anyone have any thoughts on something like a Shapeoko or an X-Carve?

These seem to be a much lower cost alternative to a lot of CNC routers I've seen and it looks like a reasonable project for a team to assemble.

Both are using stepper motors.
With open-loop steppers you have to move slowly to stay in the band where the stepper motor torque is high.
Move too quickly and you'll miss steps which could ruin the work piece.

Used with O-Flute cutters you can often cut aluminum with some basic mist coolant but be aware that if your spindle is open-loop as well you might have some interesting moments getting the speeds and feeds right to insure the longevity of the tool and the quality of the cuts.

The Shapeoko uses a small router which may or may not have a standard collet tool holding system while the x-Carve has a ER11 collet equipped spindle. Extending the tool out from the spindle always risks some run out either way. To put this in perspective the little Sherlines, Taigs and MaxNC mills often can be gotten with head stocks and spindles that can run ER16 collets (larger diameter tools and more powerful spindle motors at lower RPMs more suitable for the low speed feeds you may be limited to).

I suspect you can upgrade the Shapeoko to a closed-loop spindle with a SuperPID. Turns out there's a YouTube video for that. This would allow the router to run at a lower speed and to maintain it's speed even under cutting load.

Due to rigidity a Tormach or cheap retrofitted vertical mill is better for general aluminum cutting (on smaller plates) than this would be. Still plenty of people use bridge mills to: drill, route and cut aluminum plate even if it takes light passes to do it especially if the plates in question are large (I've worked plates as large as 4'x8' in a ShopBot).

I have some Velox pieces on some of my CNC rigs. Take a good look at the length of the steppers Velox is using versus these. Notice those steppers are double as long? That's because those are higher power steppers. The higher the power the steppers the more likely as they loss torque with increased RPM they will still have enough torque to finish the job without missing steps.

There's not much stopping someone from getting a Taig spindle cartridge some cog belts and a 1/3HP motor or servo motor and control and making a Taig style head assembly for a bridge mill - just make sure the bridge can handle the side loading.

[asid61]

The old Shapeoko 2 could cut aluminum, albeit slowly, but the Shapeoko 3 seems to charge through it much faster out of the box. Nowhere near the level of an industrial machine, but good enough for FRC (depending on how many parts you have to make). There are videos on youtube of both.

[TomThompson]

We have used a CNC plasma cutter for some aluminum work. The cuts aren't as fine as what you would get with laser or water jet. I would think a router would be pretty slow on aluminum.

[Coach Norm]

Our program has been using the Probotix's Meteor http://www.probotix.com/METEOR-CNC-ROUTER?search=meteor

I also have one of the http://www.probotix.com/V90-MK2 at one of our middle schools.

We have used the Meteor machine for two years now. We use it for aluminum sheet and stock up to 1/2" as well as all kinds of plastic.

The machine comes assembled in the crate. They offer some options on the router that you provide yourself on the larger machines.
We purchased collets from http://www.precisebits.com/

Both companies are great to work with.


Let me know if you have any questions.

[DonRotolo]

I've since revised my feeds down by about half with good results - the cuts are cleaner and not as demanding on my cooling system - but other than that what I wrote is still OK.

Team 223 has has a lot of luck with their CAMaster Stinger (not sure if it is a Stinger 2 or a Stinger 3) using Onsrud aluminum bits and feeds around 20 IPM. Ping CD User "rcoren22" (who is off for the summer) for his take on the machine.

2' x 3' might seem plenty big, but wait until it isn't. Just a hair larger (like 48 x 28) has a lot of additional uses.

[SJaladi]

Originally Posted by Coach Norm

Our program has been using the Probotix's Meteor http://www.probotix.com/METEOR-CNC-ROUTER?search=meteor

I also have one of the http://www.probotix.com/V90-MK2 at one of our middle schools.

We have used the Meteor machine for two years now. We use it for aluminum sheet and stock up to 1/2" as well as all kinds of plastic.

The machine comes assembled in the crate. They offer some options on the router that you provide yourself on the larger machines.
We purchased collets from http://www.precisebits.com/

Both companies are great to work with.


Let me know if you have any questions.

For your CNC router, which router/spindle are you using and did Probotix provide it or did you have to purchase it separately?

[Coach Norm]

Originally Posted by SJaladi

For your CNC router, which router/spindle are you using and did Probotix provide it or did you have to purchase it separately?

We went with the Bosch 1617EVS Router but it uses the same spindle head as the Porter Cable. We purchased it separately from Home Depot or Lowes online.

[SJaladi]

Originally Posted by Coach Norm

We went with the Bosch 1617EVS Router but it uses the same spindle head as the Porter Cable. We purchased it separately from Home Depot or Lowes online.

Excellent! Our shop has no access to a 220V power supply and the school is not very cooperative in getting one put in so a CNC machine that uses 110V is exactly what we need. With any luck we'll be getting ours ordered very soon!

[BBray_T1296]

Originally Posted by SJaladi

Excellent! Our shop has no access to a 220V power supply and the school is not very cooperative in getting one put in

Tell us about it . Our school maintenance guy went so far as to say that 220V/440V doesn't exist anywhere in our school!

(how does the building ever cool down!?)

[Fusion_Clint]

We picked up a Velox router 50" X 50" with a 4 HP 220V spindle and absolutely love it. No problem at all with 6061 Aluminum plate. I think the total price with shipping was $13K.

http://www.veloxcnc.com/vr5050x_cnc_router_4_x_4.asp

[Fusion_Clint]

It was a 3HP 220 Spindle, my mistake.

One outfitted with a 110V 3.5 HP Porter Cable router is right at $9K now.