Routers: Expanding business with a CNC machine

by all | 28 July 2013 8:30 am

By Jamie Oxenham
Many signmakers find themselves contemplating the purchase of a computer numerical control (CNC) router for their business, but feel too unsure to make a decision. It is time for them to ‘pull the trigger,’ as CNC routers have proven themselves a relevant piece of equipment in sign shops everywhere.

For one thing, most CNC routers pay for themselves between one and three years. For another, they allow a sign shop to pick up additional work it would not normally be able to take on.

Apples to apples
CNC routers vary widely and each has its strengths and weaknesses. With the ability today to find them online and purchase them new or used, from anywhere in the world, it is understandable if many potential buyers are confused.

There are pitfalls in letting one’s wallet be the only decision-maker. The lowest-priced CNC router may seem like a bargain at first—and might be fine for little do-it-yourself (DIY) hobby projects—but it can be disastrous for a business in the long run, leading to much heartache down the road.

It is more realistic to consider pricing as only one of a number of factors going into the purchasing decision. Then it will become possible to compare ‘apples to apples.’

Research itself is very inexpensive today. It is easy to contact manufacturers and ask them direct questions about their products and, as mentioned, to use various resources on the Internet to become well-informed. High-quality manufacturers are only a quick web search away.

After all, when running a business, it makes no sense to purchase a machine that is inexpensive upfront if it will mean spending many hours in the future asking people for help. Most sign shops currently face very tight deadlines, with three- to five-day turnarounds becoming the norm for routed pieces.

Having already invested a lot of time and money into their shops, signmakers who would not buy the cheapest cordless drills or table saws should also not be willing to let quality slide when choosing a router, especially given it may well represent the single largest investment in their business.

Component-level quality
One of the most important factors to consider is the quality of the various components that make up the entire router package, from the spindle to the vacuum hold-down.

“The biggest problem regarding the reliability of parts is the use of lower-quality bearings,” says George Klein, president of Techno, which manufactures CNC routers. “The best bearings are currently made in Japan, Germany and Taiwan, but some machines are coming from other emerging markets where the quality is not generally high enough yet. The bearings are critically important on the pumps, blowers and spindles. As the spindles are generally high-speed, reaching 18,000 rotations per minute (RPM) or higher, the bearings have become even more crucial. The higher the speed, the more sensitive they become to any slight defects or insufficient hardness.”

As Klein explains, the importance of attention to quality extends to high-horsepower spindles and other components, too.

“Blowers are a lot easier to manufacture than pumps, because they require less intricate machining,” he says. “The lower pressures on blowers are the result of looser tolerances on the parts that generate the vacuum. This is why blowers tend to be more readily available than pumps. To achieve a high vacuum strength with a pump, the tolerances have to be extremely tight between the vanes and the pump body. Again, the tolerances and manufacturing techniques are generally not as refined yet in newer economies as they are in Germany and Italy, where the best pumps come from.”

So, while some machines are available at lower prices, a high-quality CNC router will cost more because of the engineering behind it, along with continual research and development (R&D), software development, customer feedback and years of servicing experience. Manufacturers need to know how hard a ball screw needs to be before they can produce them reliably.

Backed up with support
Another concern is there are some machines being imported into Canada that do not even comply with Underwriters Laboratories (UL) or Canadian Standards Association (CSA) guidelines. Chances are insurance will not cover a business whose equipment is not up to electrical standards and causes a fire.

Such worst-case scenarios are all too real, so it is very important to do research first and ask lots of questions. Most manufacturers today are very helpful. It has become easier to compare features side by side, as well as to understand the differences between rack-and-pinion stepper machines and servo ball screw machines.

The final decision may well come down to after-sales support. As mentioned, some suppliers offer technical support for the lifetime of the machine, but others will charge more than $50 per hour for out-of-warranty over-the-phone support.

Jamie Oxenham is the owner of Oxenham Design, which builds dimensional signage, props for films and TV shows and other creative projects in Little Britain, Ont. For more information, visit www.oxenhamdesign.com[5].

To read about Jamie Oxenham’s personal experience, click here[6].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/expanding-business-with-a-cnc-machine/

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