A CNC router table is a machine operated by a computer that combines a router, a moving frame, and a working table. It is used to cut, shape, and trim plastics, soft metals, and wood. The machine consists of an air or electric motor that rotates the shaft with a collet at the end to hold the cutting tool. The table can be fixed or move back and forth on the x-axis while the gantry moves up and down along the y-axis. The machine is equipped with CAD/CAM software to direct its movement. Hobbyist tabletop CNC routers are small, while commercial-size ones have a work surface of 5 feet wide and 10 or more feet long.
A computer numerical control or CNC router table combines a router, a moving frame and a working table and is operated by a computer. The purpose of a CNC router is to make plunge cuts into materials, create finished edges on surfaces, or etch three-dimensional designs onto a work surface. Machinists use CNC routers to cut, shape and trim the surface of plastics, soft metals and wood.
CNC router parts basically consist of an air or electric motor that rotates the shaft. The engine extension is a base plate. The shaft extends from the motor and through the base plate. A collet at the end of the shaft holds the cutting tool, commonly known as a bit. Bits typically range from 0.2 inch (6 mm) to 0.5 inch (12.7 mm) in diameter and are classified as fluted, twisted, or profiled.
The bit inserts into the collet to varying depths depending on the depth of cut desired, although this feature is more frequently used on hand router types. Routers can have variable speeds ranging from 8,000 to 30,000 rotations per minute. When mounted on a stationary table, this type of CNC machine is referred to as a stationary milling machine.
The table can be fixed or move back and forth on the x-axis. Stationary tables usually have a motorized frame, or gantry, mounted under the base that moves freely back and forth on the x-axis. The workplace table is commonly horizontal and flat, but routers can be mounted on lathe-type chucks. The milling machine is mounted on the gantry, which moves the cutting tool back and forth on the y-axis. The router typically moves up and down on the z-axis as well.
Some motorized tables move back and forth along the x-axis while the gantry moves up and down along the y-axis. Equipped with computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software, laptops or desktops direct the movement of moving parts. Using CNC routers involves familiarity with the software that transmits information to the router making pre-programmed or manually programmed cuts on the CNC router table.
Hobbyist tabletop CNC routers are usually small enough to fit on top of a workbench. A commercial-size CNC router table typically stands loosely and has a work surface that is 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide and 10 or more feet (3 meters) long. These large CNC routers may have multiple router heads capable of making cuts at the same time. Some CNC machines also have vacuum devices that automatically remove chips and debris.
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