How to Prolong Useful Life for your CNC Routers

How to Prolong Useful Life for your CNC Routers
Preventive Maintenance for CNC Routers

This article offers guidelines for maintaining a CNC router machine. Well-built CNC routers can potentially operate for many years, but only if they are properly cared for. A disciplined approach to preventive maintenance can extend the useful life of any CNC router, reduce repair costs, and improve cut quality. Most preventive maintenance tasks listed in this article can be performed by the end-user, but there are times when it is important to call the CNC router dealer for help, and those are addressed later in this article.

Proactive Steps to Prolong Useful Life:

Daily Maintenance
The following maintenance tasks should be performed daily:
1. Check the machine’s air pressure regulator
ATC CNC routers with air cylinder, feature an air pressure regulator that helps to control incoming air pressure. On an auto tool change machine, the air pressure regulator is located at either the back of the machine on the right frame rail or in the middle of the right side of the machine’s frame. The regulator should be adjusted so the incoming pressure to the machine is within the manufacturer’s specification (between 0.5 to 0.8 MP for a Rico CNC Router). To adjust the regulator, pull up on the center cap and rotate to set the desired pressure. After pressure is adjusted push down on center cap to lock in place.
2. Purge water and oil separators
ATC routers, feature water and oil separators on the incoming air line. The water and oil separators need to be checked and purged daily to make sure that no contaminates get through the air supply to the machine. To purge the oil and water separators turn the knobs at the bottom of each unit until clean air flows out. Some of these units have red push buttons to purge instead of knobs that turn.

3. Check heat exchanger (if the spindle is liquid-cooled)
The coolant reservoir in the heat exchanger should be checked once or twice a week to make sure that the coolant level is full. If coolant is needed, use a 50/50 mixture of distilled water and ethylene glycol. Always make sure that the heat exchanger is on and running at the start of each day. If the spindle is run for an extended amount of time without cooling it will damage the bearings in the spindle.
4. Clean the spindle fan (if the spindle is air-cooled)
Dust accumulates on the spindle’s cooling fan and can cause it to become out of balance. Use compressed air to blow off the fan daily.
5. Check computer connections
6. Sweep work area
7. Examine tools before cutting
8. Check dust collector bins/bags (if equipped) and empty if needed

Weekly Maintenance
The following maintenance tasks should be performed weekly:

1. Lubricate bearings and screws
CNC routers can use a combination of rack-and-pinion, ball screw, and lead screw devices to create motion. Each of these requires regular lubrication, and end-users should find out from their dealer how many of each of these devices are on the machine and where they are located.

2. Clean vacuum pump filters
Vacuum pump filters should be checked and cleaned each week and replaced when necessary. Take great care when removing and cleaning the filters not to let any debris enter the vacuum pump inlet.
3. Clean air filter in the heat exchanger (if the spindle is liquid-cooled)
The air filter on the heat exchanger should be cleaned with compressed air once a week and replaced as needed.

4. Clean tool holders and collets
Tool holders, collets, and collet nuts must be rust-free and clean. Use a mild scotch-bright pad to clean any rust. Apply a very light oil to prevent oxidation, and then remove excess oil with a clean, soft rag.  Never use abundant oil or grease. Typically these components need to be cleaned weekly, but frequency really depends on the amount of moisture in the air and how quickly rust develops. Components should look like they are new at all times.
5. Clean the spindle taper
Cleaning the spindle taper should be done once a week. Wipe the taper very well with a green scotch bright pad, use compressed air to blow the taper out, and then wipe with a clean dry cloth.
6. Wipe off excess grease
7. Double-check all connections

Monthly Maintenance
The following maintenance tasks should be performed monthly:
1. Check and change heat exchanger coolant filter
Once a month the heat exchanger coolant filter should be inspected and changed if needed.
2. Lubricate racks
If the machine features any rack-and-pinion devices, the racks should be lubricated monthly. A typical Rico CNC engraving machine has 3 gear racks, 1 on the X-Axis and 2 on the Y-Axis.
3. Check for loose bolts on the machine and tighten as needed
4. Wipe rails with a scotch bright pad

Quarterly Maintenance
The following maintenance tasks should be performed quarterly:
1. Clean or replace relief valve filter on the vacuum pump
2. Change vacuum pump oil, if applicable
3. Change grease cartridges, if applicable
4. Clean rack-and-pinion and re-lubricate
5. Clean overall machine

These are just a few simple steps that will help to maintain the high performance standards inherent in every CNC machine.

RicoCNC focuses on CNC machine trouble-shooting and supplies a range of high quality CNC spare parts and tools. It is necessary to keep some spare parts for your machine, which will help increase your productivity and improve your manufacturing operations when some parts damage. ds inherent in every Rico CNC machine.

CNC Foam Endmill Router Bits Cutting Specs for Foam Milling

CNC Foam Endmill Router Bits Cutting Specs for Foam Milling

CNC Foam Endmill Router Bits Cutting Specs for Foam Milling

CNC Foam Endmill Router Bits Cutting Specs for Foam Milling

Polyurethane Foam, Polyethylene Foam, Extruded Polystyrene Foam (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), insulation foam and similar types of foams are widely used for mould making, statues making, big 3d signs making.
A big size CNC router or a CNC robot with a big long foam mill bits can do these kinds of foam milling job. But how to choose the foam cutters? And how to set rpm specs?

Usually, two kinds of foam mills widely used, ball end and flat end. Flat end foam router bits widely used for foam cutting, rough cutting, ball end foam router bits widely used for foam cutting, finish carving.
For fast milling, you can choose a big diameter shank and CEL foam bits.

How to set the specifications?
The big foam bits RPM designed is 7000-10000RPM.
For EPS foam milling, we suggest setting the spindle RPM at 8000RPM. It is good for the machine cutters and can get a good surface finish.

For example, cut 80mm thickness polystyrene, we suggest twice cutting, one path cut 40mm thickness, running 8000rpm, feed rate at 150mm/Sec.
If you cut 80mm thickness once, run 8000rpm, feed rate should be within 70mm/Sec. Please try it.

Other information for reference:
I usually mill with these bits at about 7,000 rpm, and 70 inches per minute. It depends on the foam. I usually set the feed to 70 ipm, since that is the fastest I want to run the machine. Then do a test cut, and turn the rpm down until the foam cutting sounds good, (sort of a slicing sound). Too much rpm for the feed rate, and it melts the foam. Not good since it builds up on the bit, and makes a ball at the end of the bit.

My mill spends most of its time at lower RPM settings in foam, like around 8k. If you go much higher and don't increase your feed rates, you are probably burning and melting the foam as much as cutting it.

EPS is the common foam I use and I've run my 1" dia x 12" long 4 flute custom bit at 100% stepover at 6" deep, sometimes deeper. When you're manufacturing, cutting time is important. Hogging away as much material as you can with a large dia tool and then finishing with the smaller tool is the way to go.

I do a lot of foam cutting like this for my customer. I use 2flt high spiral carbide end mill with a high sher on them. I run them from 100 to 300 ipm at about 10,000 rpm.

Recommend parameters for foam milling from RicoCNC:
The long bits for foam cutting, we usually recommend run at 6000-7000rpm. It is good for the machine cutters and can get a good surface finish.
Feeding speed at 5000-6000mm/min.

For bigger and longer bits, suggest start from 3000rpm, and adjust. The tool does not vibrate much and not make much noise is ok.
You can adjust it from slow speed.
 
These parameters just for reference, you can adjust as per your machine’s rigid, foam density, cutting depth, etc. Just test from a slow speed to avoid tool broken.

RicoCNC supplies a range of durable router bits made specifically for milling EPS, EVA and polyurethane foam, including regular and tapered cutters in ball end and end mill styles. Ball Nose and Flat Bottom End Mill and tapered conical foam mill bits areavailable.

Welcome your inquiry for the CNC spare parts and CNC Cutters.