CNC router software uses CAD/CAM to input vector graphics and coordinates to control the router blades. The number of axes determines the dimension of the work. Unlike other routers, the CNC router is controlled by software, eliminating human error.
CNC router software is what sets the computer numerically controlled (CNC) wood router apart from other types of routers. Computer-Aided Design (CAD) software, Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM) software, or a combination of the two is used in CNC router software. While there are a number of software programs that fall into these categories, they all differ fundamentally on the basis of the axes. If only two axes are available, only two-dimensional work can be done, and if there are three axes, three-dimensional projects can be done.
While it may take a while to learn all the instructions for CNC router software, the basic way it works is quite simple. An individual working with the CNC router will input a series of vector graphics and coordinates into their CAD/CAM software program corresponding to the design they intend to produce. Since the computer that the CNC router software is working on is connected to the router itself, commands entered into the software program will be transferred to the router blades that do the physical work during the project.
Each of these blades can be thought of as operating on a specific axis. Coordinates that are entered into the CNC software program tell the router which axis positions it should be at at all times during a set interval. The X-axis and Y-axis coordinates will command the two-dimensional cut of an object such as a drawing on a table top. Three-dimensional work is performed along the Z-axis. In the CNC software program, the Z-axis coordinates can transmit commands to the milling cutter blades resulting not only in three-dimensional objects such as spheres, but also in internal three-dimensional cuts, as would be required for hollowing out a cylinder, for example.
There are other types of wood routers on the market, such as the trim router, fixed base router, and plunge router, but the CNC router stands out as the only one controlled by computer software. All others have blades and tools that must be positioned and moved by the individual working the milling machine himself. He may not be moving the blades themselves, but he is moving parts of the machinery that control the movement of the blades. There are a few settings on other routers that can be used to specify certain depths and types of cuts, but since human hands are involved in moving the router blades, there is room for error. Shaky hands and incorrect estimations are not a problem with the CNC router because the CNC router software dictates specific movements based on the vector graphics and coordinates entered; all the work is done by the router itself, which receives its instructions from the software.
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