[BradS.]

Hi,
Looking for feedback on 3 axis CNC drill gantry/router OEM systems for our manufacturing facility:

1. NOT China made (prefer made in USA if an option for local support)
2. FERROUS metal machining
3. Drill and tapping holes from 1/8-1/2"D
4. Possible spot facing off paint in small areas for ground points
5. Tool carousel of more than a few tools (~12-20 perhaps)
6. Capable of processing panels up to 72"Wx72"L (give or take) x1"H x ~0.125" thick steel (no Stainless)
7. CAD files made in AutoCAD and using Promise-E - direct import to run posted files

Thanks for help!

[Jim Dawson]

What is your budget? That will dictate the best option.

Your item 7 might be a problem. As far as I know there is no machine control software that will directly accept a file from AutoCad or Promise-E. Normally save as a DXF and then use a CAM program to generate the G-code to run the machine. Not a big problem but that's the way it's done.

I am very familiar with what you are wanting to do, in fact I'm doing a panel tomorrow on my mill. Both the back panel and the door cutouts for instrumentation. In this case it's a 24x24. I don't know what steel grade they make panels out of, but it is a PITA to machine.

If I were going to set up to do up to 72x72, I would buy a heavy, used industrial router and put a milling machine head on it. Router spindles turn much too fast for what you want to do. There are several ways to handle the tool changing. In this case I would probably make a rack style. Unless you can find a large gantry mill or huge VMC, you are probably going to have to modify a machine to fit your needs.

If you can find Thermwood router, that would make a good base. Those things are built like a tank.

[BradS.]

Jim,
I agree on item 7 - not have my rookie CNC hat on. We have a Haas Mini Mill we use for machining plastics and use BobCAD for the CAM using AutoCAD files merged in.

Definitely looking to buy a turnkey machine vs. putting a system together.

Today's method: We currently have an old manual 4 spindle head drill head we have drill bits in (tapping done by hand drill). The drill head is mounted to a large Bosch gantry structure that the operator moves over the holes on an M-lay CAD file print out taped to the panel. Way past due to be updated but more so as newer parent company spilled lots more volume at us.

I have been just starting to check on drill gantries but finding for ferrous is the key. Gantry mill or VMC would get pricey I am betting but want to see where at. Enclosure manufacturers have their own systems that they sell and know owners of these as do panel mods and enclosures. I do not intend to do enclosure machining in-house so wanted to see if lower cost panel mod machining capabilities only. Hoffman/Steinhauer and Rittal have systems.

Thanks for input.
Brad

[metalfixer]

Probably more capacity than you need, but worth taking a look.
https://www.peddinghaus.com/plasma-c...lateprocessors
Peddinghaus, in my opinion, is the king of plate processors.
Larry