In 1949, the first CNC machines was invented. Since then, CNCs have evolved rapidly changing industries and manufacturing forever.
Depending on your budget, time, work material, shape, and size of the product, you can choose from several types of CNC machines to make almost anything you want.
we will discuss here some CNC machines: CNC Mills, CNC Routers, CNC Plasma Cutting Machines, CNC Lathes, CNC Laser Cutters, CNC Water-jet Cutters, CNC Electrical Discharge Machines (EDM), and CNC grinders. Types of CNC Machines
CNC Machine Types
| CNC Milling Machine |
| CNC Router |
| CNC Plasma Cutting Machine |
| CNC Lathe Machine |
| CNC Laser Cutting Machine |
| CNC Waterjet Cutting Machine |
| CNC Electrical Discharge Machine |
| CNC Grinder |
Different CNC machine types
CNC machines differentiate themselves through the function they perform, the materials they work upon, and the underlying technology of the machine.
In the next sections, I will try to overview each type of CNC machine.
CNC Router
A CNC router is a machine similar to a CNC mill but is generally used for machining softer materials and is typically less precise compared to CNC Mills.
CNC Routers are significantly cheaper than CNC Mills.
A high-quality CNC Router can be bought for less than $1,500 whereas even entry-level CNC Mills cost upwards of $10,000.
CNC routers are characterized by their ability to use computer numerical control to route spindle and machine tool paths to design and shape materials like wood, steel, composites, aluminum, foam, and plastic to the desired design and shape.
CNC router machines component
CNC Routers generally consist of a Mechanical Base, Spindle, Stepper motors, Stepper Drivers, Controllers, and Power Supply.
CNC routers reduce wastage and increase productivity and accuracy in addition to producing products at a faster rate.
Most CNC routers are capable of working on a workpiece on all three dimensions and excel in the creation of small projects and prototypes of simple and complex designs.
Like CNC Mills, CNC routers are also available in various axes ranging from three to six.
Some of the most popular CNC router brands on the market today are Carbide 3D, Inventables, Avid CNC, BobsCNC, and Infinity.
CNC Laser Cutting Machine
CNC laser cutters resemble CNC plasma cutters in their ability to cut through tough materials.
However, CNC laser cutting machine uses a strong and highly focused laser to perform the task, unlike a plasma cutter which uses plasma (ionized gas).
Since lasers have a smaller point of contact and spread when compared to torches, CNC laser cutting machines typically provide a higher level of accuracy and a better surface finish when compared to CNC plasma cutters.
Also, CNC laser cutters are much costlier compared to CNC Plasma cutters of similar specs (accuracy and cutting depth). but costs higher. However, CNC plasma cutters offer a higher strength of cutting as plasma is quite strong when compared to lasers. They are predominantly used for cutting plastic, metals, and hardwood. Depending on the density and strength of materials, the laser intensity can be tweaked to cut through the material easily.
machines produce
In CNC laser cutters, the material shape is often in a sheet form. The laser beam then moves to and fro on the material to produce an accurate cut. The heating effect of the laser vaporizes or melts the workpiece to create the exact cut.CNC laser cutters are often able to produce a variety of designs when compared to other cutting machines.
Often, the cuts and edges produced are so precise and clean that they do not require additional finishing. Hence CNC laser engravers are often used for art making and engraving of machine components. Laser engraving is highly used in decorative works such as sign making, woodworking art, and glass engraving. CNC Laser cutting is opted for when the tolerances are tight and a precise output is required.
Lasers such as CO2 and neodymium (Nd)-doped yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd: YAG) are commonly used in CNC laser cutting machines.
Some popular CNC laser cutter brands are OMtech, Flux Beamo, and Glowforge.
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Grinder CNC machines
CNC Grinders come in various types such as surface grinders, roll grinders, and cylindrical grinders among others. Grinders are typically used in applications requiring extremely high precision such as the machining of engine parts. Generally, the product is first created with a rough surface using a CNC Mill or Lathe and then moved to the CNC Grinder for the final finishing.
There is a lot of variety in the type of abrasive used for grinding as well, such as plated or vitrified CBN, Diamond grinding wheels, Aluminum Oxide, and Ceramic Blend Grinding Wheels among many others.
Electrical Discharge CNC Machines
Electrical discharge CNC machines (EDM) are also termed spark CNC machines.
The process in an EDM can also be called wire burning, die sinking, sparks machining, or spark eroding. CNC electric discharge machines use electrical sparks which produce high temperatures to manipulate and shape materials into the desired form.
The erosive effect of electrical discharge, i.e, its ability to deform materials is taken advantage of in CNC electrical discharge machines. Electrical discharge CNC machines produce a series of controlled sparks or recurring electrical discharges producing temperatures up to 21,000 degrees Fahrenheit to reshape materials.
The materials or workpieces are placed in between two electrodes, the top, and bottom electrodes. Based on the G code, the computer instructs the amount of electrical discharge that must be produced by the electrodes.
EDM
This process creates sparks that consume the material on the workpiece as per the design. The materials consumed by the sparks are flushed/washed by a dielectric fluid which completes the process.
Electrical Discharge Machine is distinguished by its ability to create precise slots, micro holes, and angled or tapered features, which are usually difficult to machine using traditional CNC methods.
Since EDM uses sparks for cutting rather than bits or end-mills, the machining in an EDM is non-contact. This helps avoid deflections in the workpiece, a distinct advantage when working with small-thin workpieces.
An example of this would be a sprocket gear. Kent USA is a popular brand in the USA that makes Electrical Discharge Machines (EDM).
Waterjet Cutting CNC Machines
CNC Waterjet cutters, as the name suggests, use high-pressure jets of water to cut through materials. Typically CNC Water-jet Cutting is opted for when the material to be worked upon is sensitive to temperature and could melt at high temperatures, such as plastic and aluminum. Although these machines can cut with just water, usually additional abrasive materials like garnet (a mineral) or aluminum oxide are added to the water for more efficient cutting.
A CNC Water-jet cutting machine costs more than a plasma cutter with similar specifications. But it costs less compared to a CNC Laser cutter with similar specifications. One disadvantage of a CNC water-jet cutter is that it is typically slower than CNC plasma cutters and CNC laser cutters. Some popular CNC waterjet cutter brands are KMT, WARDjet, OMAX, and Flow.
Lathe CNC Machines
CNC lathes work by spinning the workpiece at a high speed while a blade/knife is applied to the surface to produce the desired product. Lathes, typically work best for products with cylindrical, conical, or flat shapes. This is a distinct difference between CNC Mills and Lathes because CNC Mills can work on any shape. Although considered to be less precise and versatile compared to a CNC Mill, CNC Lathes cost lesser and are excellent for quick, simple jobs.
CNC lathes gain an advantage in the fact that the machine is smaller and more compact, thereby increasing its portability. The machine is also characterized by its ability to rotate the workpiece while in operation.CNC lathe machines feature a lathe in the center that is able to rotate and turn the raw materials into position as programmed and commanded by the computer.
lathes CNC machines axes
Typically, CNC Lathes have two axes. The Z-axis, which is the movement along the chuck, controls the length of the workpiece. The X-axis, which is the movement perpendicular to the chuck, controls the diameter of the workpiece. Although it is possible to have additional configurations, this is its most basic form.
The tools used for cutting the workpiece are fed in a straight or linear path along the spinning or rotating bar stock. The machine then applies a subtractive method, that is it removes material around the circumference of the material until the desired diameter for the custom design is achieved.
Since the machine has the feature to rotate the raw materials, it requires and has a lesser number of axes for the movement of its tools, leading to their smaller form factor. CNC lathe machines are mainly used for their ability to create external and internal features on the workpiece such as drill holes, bores, and threads.
CNC Lathe machines are similar in how they are controlled to CNC mills and can read both G code and proprietary programming languages. Shafts, bolts, and screws are some of the components made on CNC lathes and turning machines. Some of the manufacturers of CNC Lathes are HaaS, Okuma, and DMG Mori.
Plasma Cutting CNC Machines
CNC plasma cutting machines are similar to CNC milling machines in the fact that they share the same function, that is to cut materials. However, CNC plasma cutting machines use a plasma torch to cut through their materials while a milling machine uses an end mill or router bit attached to a spindle. The chief requirement for CNC plasma cutting machines is that whenever plasma cutting is used, the material or workpiece to be cut must be electrically conductive.
Typical materials used as workpieces for plasma cutting are brass, copper, aluminum, steel, and stainless steel. This could also be considered a disadvantage of plasma cutting. A CNC plasma cutting machine is equipped with a high-powered torch that is able to cut through even the toughest materials like titanium and steel. Primarily CNC Plasma cutters are used in heavy industries like shipbuilding, automobile manufacturing, chemical manufacturing, and industrial steel construction sites.
plasma cutting CNC machine
Consequently, the workpiece is generally large and heavy in CNC plasma cutting. In a CNC plasma cutting machine, the torch is produced by passing high-velocity gas through a nozzle. While this process is carried out, an electric arc is produced. The arc forms through the high-velocity gas and jumps onto the material being cut, converting an amount of the high-velocity gas into plasma (electronically ionized gas). CNC plasma cutting machine exhibits a close resemblance to the function and property of a handheld gas-powered torch.
However, when the gas-powered torch produces temperatures up to 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit for welding, plasma torches achieve temperatures ranging from 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit to 50,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
The material being cut melts at this temperature due to the amount of heat produced. Some of the popular plasma-cutting CNC brands are STV CNC and Torchmate.
An entry-level plasma cutting CNC machine will cost around $5,000, while the most expensive ones cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Milling CNC Machines
CNC mills are one of the most popular CNC machines, with built-in tools used mainly for drilling and cutting. Mills derive and convert specific programs made up of letters and numbers (G code) in order to route and path the spindle in different ways. After placing the workpiece inside the milling machine, the computer takes control.
The computer code guides and instructs every movement and action of the spindle and tools to cut and convert the workpiece to a designed custom part with high accuracy. Tapping, Drilling, Turning, Face milling, and Shoulder milling are some of the common functions that a CNC milling machine can perform.
CNC Milling machines have configurations starting from 3 axes, up to six-axis.In the most basic 3-axis CNC, the three axes represent the X-axis (horizontal), Y-axis (horizontal), and Z-axis (depth) movements.
CNC milling machines
are quite large and expensive when compared to other CNC machines like CNC routers. In general CNC Mills are used to machine hard metals and CNC routers are used to machines softer materials like wood, plastics, and soft metals. Okuma, Haas, and DMG Mori are some of the popular large CNC milling machine manufacturers.