If you desperately need a CNC router, or you’ve just got too much money, check out the Routermate. The photos on the web page fooled me at first, and I thought this was just a tool for carving letters into wood. But the videos on the site give a better idea of the machine’s power — it can drill and mill aluminum tubing and thick sheets of aluminum and wood.
You plan your cuts with the included Windows software, and from there it’s all motorized — the router just buzzes along. The company offers coolant sprays for cuts into plastic or metals and also a couple of dust collection options.
The Routermate starts at $15,000 for the 2′ by 4′ unit and goes up to almost $190,000 for the 10′ by 40′ one, with many sizes in between.
Routermate [Torchmate]
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7 Responses to Routermate
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Why would anyone buy this 2′ x 4′ machine for $15000 when you can buy a 4′ x 8′ ShopBot with more features, software and support?
Amen! ShopBot with a spindle FTW!
Forget that. Find yourself some 3-phase and buy a masterwood, holz-her or biesse or other commercial machine from a defunct furniture maker. Much better machines and you can get them for much cheaper than a shopbot. Cost much more to move though….
Dang, I didn’t know how expensive these are. Some NEMA34 steppers, some 80-10-10 and parts, some gecko drives, a parallel port, and EMC or turboCNC you are in business. And buying the drives is kind of splurging, I soldered mine up from a datasheet for my little cnc mill.
For around 2k you can build a great 4×4 machine:
http://www.joescnc.com/themachines-hybrid.php
or as mentioned above, buy a shopbot for 10k.
They seem kind of under featured for the money. As everyone points out, you can get a cheap shopbot if you just want a router rather than a true mill.
Techno’s milling machines arent that much more expensive for one with variable speed three phase spindle and vac table.
ill stick to the 4×8 foot techno with 4 hp 6000-18000 spindle i normally work with, servos too, rather than steppers. i think the list was about 60k.
it is kind of interesting their modular system though.
I am currently in georgia, humidity anyone?, anyway I am looking for a router that will cut h.d.p.e. 7″ thick. Holes can be coarse, needs to accomodate 18x48x7 solid body of hdpe, vertical holes only! starting at 1 1/2″ to 5 1/2 ” cutouts. Any suggestions are welcome re:process, machinery, $$ are important, but not driving project. thx sean p.s. I can buy the machine or outsource the work! call me @ 404-877-8510 or reply on email