Industry Verticals where CNC Routers Rule
A CNC router or Computer Numerical Control Router is a cutting machine, controlled by a computer with an inbuilt ability to perform workshop machinery tasks. The equipment cuts hard materials such as aluminum, plastics, steel, composites, wood, and foams.
For instance, CNCs can cut the joint of Mortise and tenons. Carpentry shop machines such as the boring machine, the Spinal Moulder, and the panel saw also uses them. The ability of CNC router makes it suitable for its applications in various industry verticals.
Following are the most notable industry applications of CNC Routers we see nowadays –
Cabinets Industry – CNC software could help the designer’s design the whole cabinet display and get the desired design on the materials. The CNC routers specifically used in the nested based production of cabinets, closets, and custom furniture.
With OMNI CNC routers, now the manufacturing, as well as delivery time, is reduced significantly. It is highly versatile with routing, drilling, and cutting materials. It is designed to meet diverse and complicated processing requirement of the manufacturing units. They are excessively used in the manufacturing industries like wooden & furniture.
Furniture Manufacturing – One of the pronounced applications of CNC routers is the manufacturing of furniture. CNCs use the tools of boring, routing, planning, grooving, and sanding.
CNC routers also feature the capability of simultaneously moving on parabolic planes with automatic tool changers and multiple heads. These equipment are capable of producing contemporary designs maintaining their utility and quality at the same time.
Toy Making – CNC routers can intricately carve wood creating amazing masterpieces including toys. The intricacy and delicacy of the artwork are entirely maintained with the aid of 3 axis CNC router.
This magical equipment can engrave and carve interactive toys, 3D designs like an Animal puzzle, names carved on wood, by providing the exact specifications. CNC router can simply transform the lives of customers.
CNC routers are capable of manufacturing signs on bronze, plastic, aluminium, foam, wood and various materials. The latest software allows sign manufacturers to perfect any material they work on.
CNC routers are used for badge making, outdoor sign cutting, furniture engraving, acrylic letter cut, acrylic engraving, wood engraving, PVC cut, abs cutting, puzzle cutting, relief sculpture, and MDF cut engrave. CNCs work for –
a. Nameplates
b. Signage
c. Indoor and outdoor signage
d. Advertising signs
e. Control panels
f. Labels
g. Industrial engravings
h. Functional labels
Plastic Fabrication – CNC routers perfectly fabricate ABS, Acrylic, HDPE, LEXAN, PETG, PVC, UHMW, etc. The routers offer varied functionality basis of volumes and number of processes that are required for fabrication purposes.
For example, an automatic tool changer caters to mid volume to low volume requirements. For high volume demand, multiple head machine is often preferable. For a restricted budget and less requirement, laser cutting machines are a perfect option.
Exhibitions and Tradeshows – Embrace a unique and customized display with best quality and efficiency CNCs. Well, with CNC routers you can manufacture custom-made shelves, walls, flooring, and product displays in no time.
The significant part about these machines is their durability and assurance in bringing out cutting-edge displays. The precision and accuracy of the CNC router will meet requests of attention-to-detail.
Cut through laminate, wood, foam, plastic, and metal with precision and this undoubtedly poses many possibilities for the success of design of your booth.
Are you looking for something that fits the parameters of adjustment and creation simultaneously? Look no further. CNC routers are here!
Architectural Millwork – Post pairing with efficient and easy-to-use software, CNC routers are highly capable of imitating the skills of an artisan. Artisanship is visible in carvings, arches, moldings, corbels, sophisticated 3D relief designs, and fluted and turned columns.
With CNCs at work, indexing on Lathe makes 3D cylindrical carvings a super easy process. The Architectural millwork includes 3D designs including the carved leaves of acanthus, classical crowns, and mantelpieces.
The major advantage of Architectural millwork is time saving as CNC cuts the part to as much as 95% which can later be carved by hand for precision and perfection. This, beyond a doubt saves thousands of hours without raising any quality constraint and compromising with the craftsmanship you have envisioned.
CNC can help the manufacturer afford an extra time to carve more complex designs that were not feasible due to time and cost constraints and were out of the reach of conventional tools.
Following are the sub-categories of architectural millwork and buildings –
a. Wood Carving – Another benefit of CNC routers is wood carving industry. Wood work is a million dollar industry vertical that has received recognition and appreciation due to repeatability and quality of cuts in the wood.
These routers produce pronounced cuts making a simple wood piece a priceless décor, gift, furniture or a craft. With these equipment employed in wood carving industry, it is only our imagination that restricts us from perfecting our produce.
b. Aluminum Machining – CNC routers work quite well with plastics and wood material industry. But, their application extends towards cutting the weaker, sticky metal, aluminum.
There are some things to keep in mind while using CNCs to cut the metal which can otherwise be a frustrating process. Try using feed rate calculator; examine slots and cut depths, check flutes, and lubricating the metal with mist.
c. Plastic Sheet Machining – CNC routers cut, route, and mil the plastic sheet material, engineered plastic and free issue components. Their use imparts an excellent finishing and a high quality of parts.
In Plastic sheet Machining industry, there is a need of precise, repeatable, and small sized holes for the product’s function and integrity.
There are industries that use high functionality CNCs to produce bulk volume of precision prototypes such as micro-drilling, front panels, plastics machining, 3D engraving, and the process of rapid prototyping.
d. Glass Cutting – CNC routers also find their significance in glass cutting industry. However, the specification of CNC routers vary basis of thickness of the glass.
For instance, for thin glass having the thickness of 1-4mm the device specifications would be different.
However, for glass with greater thickness, the CNC routers will have axis set of the device. These machines are suitable for high efficiency and productivity with super smooth cutting edges.
e. Stone Cutting – One major application of CNC routers is stone cutting. These routers efficiently cut, engrave, and drill on granite, marble, limestone, travertine, soapstone, onyx, quartzite, slate, basalt, and many more.
Their applications are suitable for countertop, fireplace, stairs and railings, garden, paving and curbs, desk in kitchen, sink, bathroom, office building, hotel, residential, etc.
Print Finishing – Digital Finishers have various tasks such as routing acrylic and aluminum. The list of tasks also includes cutting and trimming vinyl, paper, coroplast, foam board, rubber, and styrene.
The process of cutting, thanks to advances in technology, is efficient for lightweight and heavy-duty materials. CNC routers, due to their application in Print Finishing, are highly versatile machines for graphic applications.
Medical Instruments – CNC routers ensure the highest precision and tolerance they can offer. These machines are capable of moulding the best-in-class medical devices, surgical instruments, and machines.
The 5 axis CNC router machine creates mould in for medical instruments. It can be created on wood, EPS, and non-metallic carbon hybrid material. This tool is suitable for mold profiling with accurate dimension and shape of the instrument.
Tomb Stone – A prominent application of CNC routers is in industries manufacturing Curb paving stones, factories processing stones, industries processing tombstones, home outdoor products, advertisement for stone art craft works, and architectural decoration.
Musical Instruments – As CNC routers are best manufactured and designed for fabricating plastics, wood, and other material, it makes them a great choice for manufacturing musical instruments.
Lighting LED – CNC routers are efficient in providing design in heavy-duty industrial welded structures. They offer incomparable strength and rigidity by identifying any deformity using the finite element analysis and usage of lower temperatures in annealing.
Soft Material Cutting – CNC routers are designed in such a way that they offer efficient and accurate cutting of semi-rigid and heavier flexible materials. These routers feature the Tangential control for the machine to maintain part accuracy and cut square corners.
These routers are designed to cut foam, film, leather, carpet, and fabric. Soft material are specifically meant purposes such as clothing, wild camp, luggage, footwear, car seat cut, airbags, and cloth embroidery fixed to the car chair.
Industrial parts – CNC routers are used to carry out the process of foam cutting and creating appealing designs in a short time.
The tools are designed specifically to aid cutting and milling of Extruded Polystyrene Foam, Polyurethane Foam, Neopor, and Expanded Polystyrene (EPS).
CNC routers are known to cut and mil the industrial parts with incredible accuracy and attention-to-detail.
Prototyping and Moulding – Use the best-in-class CNC routers to create high end prototypes using foam, aluminum, plastics, and wood. It is the right concoction of CNC router and software that is capable of reverse engineering of 3D or 2D model for creating reproduction parts and prototypes.
The use of routers ensures the waste removal to produce finished product or part. To prototype form and fit testing, jigs and fixtures and end-use application’s functional parts have certain advantages such as reduced lead times, cost cutting, unmatched accuracy, attention to details, and high quality finish.
CNC routers are prominent in number of industries that generate the revenue of billions of dollars combined. Their usage increases as the process efficiency increases along with the amelioration of quality.
There is no doubt that these equipment are going to be of immense importance in other verticals with the upgrade in their functionality.
Routers offer countless benefits such as low maintenance technology encouraging cost efficiency, one machine many uses, higher precision, faster speed, high efficiency of engraving, high efficiency of cutting separated systems, ergonomic system of loading and unloading without wasting time.
These routers find their applications in large number of industries. The design of the machine promotes efficiency, accuracy, and increase the product value to tenfold. Not only this, the routers are manufactured to leave minimum amount of waste while processing than any other conventional methods.
This reduced amount of waste results in the notable rise in profit margins and exponential savings. CNC routers are best at utilizing the raw materials and realigning the workforce for high priority tasks and enable operation expansions.
CNC routers are known to be highly adaptable and flexible. The feature comes with new engineering technologies that empower machines. With a single click of a button, CNC routers efficiently adapt.
It is about the programming level that decides the extent and precision of cut. The operators operating these routers are at liberty to alter and change the product measurements and design.
It is due to this reason that CNCs find their applications in thousands of business sectors and are open to many more.
