CNC router tips

Leasing options. Because CNC routers are so expensive, leasing is an attractive alternative for businesses that don’t have significant capital on hand. Secondary sources such as banks and machinery leasing specialists can furnish you with “lease to own” agreements – once the terms of the lease are complete, you can purchase the CNC router for a nominal fee. This is advantageous since the depreciation of a CNC router is very slow, so even if you decide to pay it off in five, 10, or 15 years, you will have paid into a machine that didn’t lose much value.

Router bits vs. drill bits. Even though router bits are similar to the drill bits, they’re not exactly the same. Many CNC router users destroy their router bits and achieve poor performance by programming the router to drive the bit straight through the material. Certain bits with plunge tips are designed to bore straight through the material, but most should be programmed to go in at an angle.

Take a walk. Many routers offer remote access so you can log in from another workstation and control the motions of your CNC router. Once you master how to program the software, you can create a job, set the material, and let the machine do the job on its own.

Power save. A CNC router actually uses more power if you turn it on and shut it off repeatedly than if you just leave it on throughout the day. It takes a lot of power to get a machine this size started and you can wear out the motors by turning it on and off too frequently.

Trade shows. Whether you own a large business or you’re simply a hobbyist, check out a few CNC router trade shows. You can observe and even try out a variety of different machines from different dealers before you meet with a single one.

Keep it clean. Expensive repairs can be easily avoided if you maintain the machine properly. If the vendor has to come out to fix something you could have taken care of yourself – such as removing wood chips from the grooves of the router – it’s going to cost you unnecessarily.