Cnc router steel cutting

Can i use cnc router for steel cutting?
How much speed for spindle and linear feed i should use ?

Depends upon the router. Need way more details (what type router, what spindle, what thickness steel, what diameter end mills, etc.)
You should probably try searching before asking such a broad question.

The general answer to this question is no!

For a specific answer it requires understanding your machine and your expectations. If you can arrive at an acceptable spindle RPM for the intended cutter you might be able you machine steel. The might due to machine rigidity issues.

You will never get Bridgeport like machining done on the average self built router. You will be running very small diameter cutters in the range often associated with engraving. Using techniques such as trichordal machining you can do a bit better on some machines.

Your best bet here is to read up on potential techniques and see if they meet your desires and machine capabilities. If your expectations are low you may be able to do what you want.

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Originally Posted by Muhammad_Haroon

Can i use cnc router for steel cutting?
How much speed for spindle and linear feed i should use ?

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Originally Posted by skrubol

Depends upon the router. Need way more details (what type router, what spindle, what thickness steel, what diameter end mills, etc.)
You should probably try searching before asking such a broad question.

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Router is 5.5kw water cool spindle. I can manually adjust its spped by inverter. I have 6mm end mill. 10mm mild steel sheet.

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Originally Posted by wizard

The general answer to this question is no!

For a specific answer it requires understanding your machine and your expectations. If you can arrive at an acceptable spindle RPM for the intended cutter you might be able you machine steel. The might due to machine rigidity issues.

You will never get Bridgeport like machining done on the average self built router. You will be running very small diameter cutters in the range often associated with engraving. Using techniques such as trichordal machining you can do a bit better on some machines.

Your best bet here is to read up on potential techniques and see if they meet your desires and machine capabilities. If your expectations are low you may be able to do what you want.

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I've Chinese cnc router with 1900mm by 3000mm table size and 5.5kw water cooled spindle. By changing frequency from inverter i can manually adjust spindle speed according to requirements. Attachment 390936Attachment 390938Attachment 390940

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Originally Posted by Muhammad_Haroon

Can i use cnc router for steel cutting?
How much speed for spindle and linear feed i should use ?

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Hello Muhammad,
Will you cut or engrave? We suggest not.
The machine you have now is a machine for woodworking. Its gantry and machine structure are not strong enough to do the metal working.
Tools may broken,inverter may burn.
If you insist, cut it bit by bit.
Take care.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Muhammad_Haroon

I've Chinese cnc router with 1900mm by 3000mm table size and 5.5kw water cooled spindle. By changing frequency from inverter i can manually adjust spindle speed according to requirements. Attachment 390936Attachment 390938Attachment 390940

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The slowest speed you can run your spindle is 6,000 RPM below this speed your spindle won't have much torque to drive a cutter to cut steel, 7,000 RPM is where must can get just enough torque to cut aluminum, the other problem is your spindle is not designed to cut steel, this is how the spindle bearings have to be assembled, for these cheap high speed spindles

Try this and you will see why it is not suitable to cut steel, no matter what speed your spindle can run at, with your Z axes up with no power on the spindle, pull down on the spindle where you mount your tool, you will feel that the spindle will move down, buy doing this the front Bearings become unseated, this is normal for these AC Bearings in these high speed spindles, what you are feeling is the preload on these high speed spindles, its around 4 to 6 Lbs preload

So when you put more load than normal the Bearings become loose from the cutter pulling down on the spindle, this over a short time will damage the Bearings as they are just rattling around as the preload is over come by the cutting forces

Small cutters for engraving would not be a problem, 1mm Etc. but machining steel with bigger than 3mm cutter would be

There are other Chinese Spindles that are low speed and can be used for cutting steel Etc,

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Originally Posted by mactec54

The slowest speed you can run your spindle is 6,000 RPM below this speed your spindle won't have much torque to drive a cutter to cut steel, 7,000 RPM is where must can get just enough torque to cut aluminum, the other problem is your spindle is not designed to cut steel, this is how the spindle bearings have to be assembled, for these cheap high speed spindles

Try this and you will see why it is not suitable to cut steel, no matter what speed your spindle can run at, with your Z axes up with no power on the spindle, pull down on the spindle where you mount your tool, you will feel that the spindle will move down, buy doing this the front Bearings become unseated, this is normal for these AC Bearings in these high speed spindles, what you are feeling is the preload on these high speed spindles, its around 4 to 6 Lbs preload

So when you put more load than normal the Bearings become loose from the cutter pulling down on the spindle, this over a short time will damage the Bearings as they are just rattling around as the preload is over come by the cutting forces

Small cutters for engraving would not be a problem, 1mm Etc. but machining steel with bigger than 3mm cutter would be

There are other Chinese Spindles that are low speed and can be used for cutting steel Etc,

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Ok

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I've seen people cut steel with much smaller machines, but you need to take very light passes, at low feed rates. It will take a very long time to cut through 10mm steel.
You can find examples on YouTube.