CNC routers

A CNC router is a computer-controlled machine that moves a high-speed spindle over a flat table to cut, drill and shape sheet materials and solid parts. Cabinet and furniture shops, sign makers, plastics fabricators and pattern shops use one to turn drawings into repeatable parts without templates, jigs or hand layout.

How a CNC router works

A gantry carries the spindle across the table in X and Y while a third axis raises and lowers it. On most machines in this category the X and Y axes run on rack and pinion and the Z axis on a ball screw, the layout Laguna uses on its Swift and SmartShop routers. Router spindles turn fast: the models here list ranges such as 6,000 to 24,000 rpm, which lets a small carbide cutter take a clean cut at a high feed rate.

The work is held by vacuum. A pump draws air through a porous MDF spoilboard laid over a zoned table, so a full sheet is clamped with no fixtures. CAM software turns the drawing into toolpaths, and the control runs them.

Main types of CNC router

Compact and entry-level routers

The iQ Pro has a 2 x 4 ft vacuum table, a 3 HP single-phase liquid-cooled spindle and a 5-position automatic tool changer, and Laguna offers a 2.5 HP single-phase vacuum pump for it. The next step up is a full-sheet machine such as Laguna's SmartShop 2 Pro, with a 12 HP spindle and an 8-position changer.

Nesting centres

A nesting centre is a production router for panel work. The DYNESTIC 7532 carries a 15-spindle drilling head and a grooving saw next to its 8 kW routing spindle, so shelf pin rows, hinge holes and back panel grooves are made in the same cycle as the cut. HOLZ-HER sells it in classic, push, automatic and lift versions: the push version clears the finished nest onto a conveyor, and the lift version works from a stack of panels on a lifting table. On a nesting machine, loading and unloading often matter more than axis speed, because the spindle waits while someone loads, sweeps and sorts.

Large-format and multi-material routers

AXYZ designs and builds the INFINITE at its Ontario plant, with process widths from 28 in to 128 in, lengths from 4 ft to 50 ft and 5 to 15 HP spindles. A router spindle can share the gantry with tangential or oscillating knives, so the same machine cuts foam board, acrylic, aluminum composite and wood.

Five-axis routers

A five-axis head tilts and rotates the cutter so it can reach the sides and edges of a 3D part in one setup. Thermwood markets the Model 67 for plastic trimming, pattern making, mould machining and non-ferrous metal, with a 24 in Z axis as standard, 36 or 48 in as options, and a dual-table version that lets the operator load one table while the other is cutting.

How to choose: the specs that matter

• Table size. Match it to the sheets you buy. A 4 x 8 ft table holds a standard 1,220 x 2,440 mm sheet; 5 x 10 and 5 x 12 ft tables take oversize panels or leave room for jigs.
• Spindle power and cooling. Spindles in this category run from 3 HP on compact machines to 20 HP on heavy routers. More power allows deeper cuts at higher feed in hardwood, thick plastics and aluminum. Nesting keeps the spindle cutting for most of a shift, so check that it is rated for continuous duty, as Laguna specifies even for the iQ Pro.
• Tool changer. Positions range from 5 on the iQ Pro to 14 as standard on the DYNESTIC and up to 44 on SCM's m100. Count the tools a typical job uses and leave room for duplicates of the fastest-wearing ones.
• Drilling head. Rows of shelf pin holes go much faster with a vertical drilling block than with the router spindle.
• Clearance and Z travel. Gantry clearance runs from 7 1/2 in on the Swift to 12 or 16 in on the MultiCam 5000, and much more on five-axis machines. Size it for the tallest part plus the tool, not for sheet thickness alone.
• Speed figures. Vector speeds (100 m/min on the DYNESTIC) describe moves between cuts; ask for a cycle time on one of your own nests instead.

What your plant needs

Floor and space

One MultiCam pre-installation guide asks for a floor level within 1/2 in across the machine footprint, a 4 in reinforced concrete slab, 4 ft of clearance on all sides and a 4 x 4 ft area for the vacuum pump. Your model's installation drawing sets the real numbers, and our guide to preparing your floor for machine installation covers slab, access and anchoring checks.

Power

Full-sheet routers need three-phase power for the spindle, servo drives and vacuum pump, and the dust collector adds its own load on top. Routers built for other markets may need a transformer on a 600 V supply; see 600 V power for imported machines, and plan for CSA certification or a field evaluation before the machine is connected.

Compressed air and vacuum

Automatic tool changers use air to release tool holders. The same MultiCam guide calls for at least 100 psi for automatic tool changing spindles and air that meets ISO 8573-1 classes for particles, humidity and oil, so budget for a dryer and filters as well as the compressor. The vacuum pump must keep holding while air leaks through the spoilboard and every kerf, so size it with the router maker.

Dust extraction and safety

A router spreads fine dust and chips over the whole bed. CCOHS notes that IARC classifies wood dust as a Group 1 carcinogen and lists ACGIH limits of 1 mg/m³ for most wood species and 0.5 mg/m³ for western red cedar. It recommends local exhaust at the tool, HEPA filtration, wet cleaning rather than dry sweeping, and never blowing dust off with compressed air. WorkSafeBC treats wood dust as a combustible dust: capture it at the source, stop it building up on beams and ledges, and control ignition sources, because a first explosion can lift settled dust and fuel a second one. Size the collector from the router maker's airflow and duct data, and check fire code requirements with your local authority.

Running costs and consumables

• Tooling. Carbide cutters are the largest regular spend. Melamine and MDF dull edges faster than solid wood, and double-sided laminates need compression cutters to avoid chipping on both faces.
• Spoilboards. The MDF sheet under the work is cut into on every nest, so it is resurfaced regularly and replaced when it no longer seals.
• Vacuum pump service. Inlet filters, oil or vanes depending on the pump type, and the power it draws for every hour the table is on.
• Spindle care. Bearings wear with running hours and crashes. Clean tool holders and a warm-up routine protect them.
• Extraction. Filter bags or cartridges, waste disposal and the electricity for a large fan that runs whenever the router runs.

Applications and who buys them

Frameless cabinet, closet and furniture makers buy nesting routers to cut and drill panels in one pass; see cabinets and furniture for how they fit a production line. Sign and display shops use large-format machines with knife heads for rigid and soft media. Thermwood lists aerospace, automotive, marine and prop work among the uses of its five-axis router. If you are weighing a router against a saw for cabinet parts, read CNC router vs panel saw, and for a first-machine plan see the cabinet shop machine guide.