ShopBot Desktop router up for the challenge?

[Monochron]

Our team is in a position to buy a CNC mill or CNC router in the neighborhood of $10K and I was hoping to get a feel for the pros and cons of our options from people who are actually familiar with mills and routers . The four factors we are trying to balance are 1) Tolerance 2) Space savings 3) Cutting volume 4) Noise level.

Right now I am leaning towards the ShopBot Desktop with spindle and enclosure. It can fit on our benchtops (32" deep), the enclosure will help with sound, the cutting area is decent (24"x18"), and they are local to us. Does anyone know if the Desktop has the tolerance to cut 1/4" aluminum plate for a gearbox? I know that the Velox routers do, but their size makes them a little less attractive.

We have the ability to outsource large or complex parts to a sponsor, but would really prefer to do 80% of the work in-house if possible. We have a grant opportunity to help fund this, so buying new is more convenient, but could probably go used if it is available now.

We are also looking at different CNC Mills. The speed and tolerances they provide are really attractive, but it looks like they will all have to take floor space, and the noise may be a problem in our small shop. Also, am I right to believe that mills would make machining aluminum tubing much simpler?

• Is the ShopBox Desktop capable of cutting 1/4" aluminum close to +/- .001" similar to a Velox?
• How much easier is it to machine aluminum tubing on a CNC mill vs a CNC router?
• Would the extra speeds possible on a mill negate the noise issue (ie. cuts are loud but only take 5 minutes vs 30 minutes?)