Hello All,
I'm a high school drafting & CAD (Autocad & Solidworks) instructor, and I'm working with the other technology teacher on researching CNC machines, with the hopes that we can add one to our program through a grant.
While both of us have some machining experience, neither has experience with CNC. So, we're a little unsure as to how to start our choosing process.
Given its an educational environment, their are two things we are looking for:
1) Versatility: The ability to do many different things is nice when designing a curriculum.
2) Price: Its hard to make a large purchase like this in a school setting.
So far, our 'reference' machine is this one: http://www.cncmasters.com/CNC%20Jr%20Mill.htm
We haven't found one yet that seems like a better choice.
Things We'd Like
1) 3 axis operation, a rotational axis is nice but not a must have
2) Versatility in terms of software (maybe Rhino, or ProE in the future). I honestly dont even know what to be looking for in terms of software compatibility.
3) Hand operation...it would be nice to have it function as an extra hand mill.
If anybody can throw us any advice, it would be so appreciated. Does this model seem like a good choice? Do you know of a model thats a better choice? Anything we should be looking out for so that we dont discover later our choice was a mistake?
Thank You in advance for your help.
-Kurt Giessler