im new to cnc machining ..im a designer at an embelishment factory and we recently added a roland mdx 40a milling machine, this machine is great and im loving it and while its not intended for metal, i find its pretty good at cutting softer metals(slowly) but it works.
the problem is, since we added this machine, im finding that the demand for metal is a lot larger than i intended so i would like to possibly get a new machine thats better for metal, but i dont believe we need a full feature 3d milling machine like our mdx40a...aside from cost(my company will not buy me another expensive milling machine) i feel we really dont need one anyway but i do need a machine that can cut sheet metal(aluminum, brass and copper) because when i cut it on our mdx40a , its very slow and ties up the machine for other projects like wood and such that the machine is really intended for.
basically, id like to try and figure out a low cost solution , thats also a small footprint because i have limited space in my work area(already have a milling machine, 3d printer, several laser cutters, uv printer, a kiln and various other toys and tools so i need something small..the thing is , this machine will be ONLY for cutting relatively thin sheet metal(like 20 guage the thickest)..i will use it to cut small, detailed objects that are very intricate and will require small tools to cut(imagine jewelry size and detail)...
so basically knowing that i would like a cnc tool capable of cutting sheet metal in small ,detailed shapes, something that can be small(i need a small foot print and im cutting very small things so i dont need a large table size) like a 12'x12' cutting area is plenty big and i can even live with something smaller... if money was a large consideration, and knowing i already have a full feature 3d milling machine and only need this new machine for cutting sheet metal shapes, knowing all this, i would love to hear what you guys suggest i add in order to achieve this.
in all honesty, in order to achieve faster cutting of sheet metal, the solution might not be in another machine at all, but perhaps a endmills to cut with...like i said, my mill is not intended for metal and im wondering if it cuts so slowly because the bits are not either...like i said, im using tiny tools because i need lots of detail in small cuts(like a 1/32 endmill) but after i do one cut on metal, the bit is ground down to being useless... this cant be normal right??
should i be using a special small bit , maybe perhaps a diamond coated bit that would help?
anyway, you should understand my problem now and id love to hear what you guys would suggest.