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Upgrading to a 5-axis CNC
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Upgrading to a 5-axis CNC
This current inflation and interest rate cycle is creating some challenging labor costs. One way to cope is to adopt a more automated environment that either uses fewer man hours or employs less skilled labor where possible.To get more news about 5 axis cnc service, you can visit runsom.com official website.
Although that doesn’t seem to favor employees, automation may in fact be the best way to keep a woodshop’s doors open and protect existing jobs. It also provides an opportunity for employees to enhance their technical skills by learning how to program and maintain robotics and more complex processing machines, such as 5-axis CNC routers.
Not so long ago, even shop owners who were very comfortable with 3-axis machines would shy away from 5-axis behemoths because of the cost and complexity. But new software and controls have made these flagship machines a lot easier to operate, and keen competition has helped keep costs under control. Woodshops are also trending toward outsourcing the mundane (boxes and drawers), while they keep more challenging work such as odd shapes and curves in-house. For that kind of custom work, a CNC often needs to be more versatile than the one-directional spindle on a 3-axis router.
Some shops go as far as they can on the 3-axis machine and then complete the part using traditional woodshop equipment, but that eats up hours and resources. Others use aggregate heads and those can certainly provide unique solutions, but they often work best in short runs and with custom pieces. That’s because they can cause stress on both the machine and the tool during production runs. Not only does the point of contact for the tool move farther away from the body of the spindle when an aggregate is added between the two, but heat build-up can become an issue. Heat usually isn’t an issue for 5-axis machines, which can reduce sheets to panels and parts all day long. And because the toolholder is attached to the spindle (without the need for an aggregate between them), they’re steady enough to make hefty angled, shear and cross cuts in solid wood.Shops that produce items such as windows, entry doors, stair parts or furniture can find that a one-directional spindle is quite limiting. But a machine with the ability to attack work from almost any angle can significantly shorten setup times, and it can also take full advantage of tools and their various profiles. A 5-axis machine can work on five faces (the sides, ends and top) of a part without moving the workpiece, so the only time an operator needs to tear down a setup and rotate the part is to expose the bottom face, if it needs machining. Not having to make lots of adjustments eliminates a lot of man hours. It also reduces errors in repetitive work.
A 5-axis machine can eliminate any imperceptible ‘wobble’ that might occur with an aggregate head, and the direct drive nature of its acrobatic spindle will generally produce a cleaner finish cut. The reduced strain will also extend tooling life between sharpenings.
If a shop’s existing 3-axis machine, with or without aggregate heads, isn’t keeping up with production quotas, or can’t perform tasks at an angle, there are three basic paths forward. The shop can replace the router with a larger 3-axis machine that can handle bigger aggregates that accommodate saws and large profile bits. Or it can add a second machine – not necessarily a 5-axis, but perhaps something with rotary abilities such as a Legacy. If neither of those choices solve the issue, then it’s probably time to take the plunge and upgrade to something that has true five axes.
What to consider
If a woodworker is looking at an existing machine and wondering whether this is the time to upgrade to five axes, here are a few thoughts to consider. First off, does the CNC seem like it’s slowing down? It may be almost imperceptible at first, but if jobs seem like they’re taking longer than they used to, it may be time to check the travel and milling speeds. A telltale sign that parts are wearing out on the machine is a little bit of a slip in accuracy – nothing dramatic, but a few more rejects or tight fits, or panels that are just a hint out of square. When changing the tool for a sharp one doesn’t fix it, then it might be time to look at gears, bolts, collets, motors, and so on. Keep in mind that some mechanical failures can put employees at risk, so doing the diligent thing may have more benefits than just better or faster work.
Is this a good time to make a major purchase? Interest rates are high, so a lot depends on how much the old machine will bring on the used market or as a trade-in, and how much of the balance the shop needs to borrow. Money is expensive right now, but so is downtime. It looks like shops will be busy enough for the next year or two, and that may be long enough to recoup most of an investment that is made this spring or summer. Keep in mind that fixing the old 3-axis is going to cost more as time goes by, and parts may get harder to source. Plus, prices from some manufacturers are quite reasonable. Some 5-axis machines now cost about what a shop paid for a decent 3-axis unit a decade ago, in real terms.The main issue may be, can the shop afford not to upgrade? If the jobs coming in require working with new materials, new tooling, new employees, and new architectural forms and norms, then the decision may already have been made with no input from the woodworker. Progress sometimes drags us along for her own amusement.