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IndustryArena Forum > WoodWorking Machines > DIY CNC Router Table Machines > Avid CNC > CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?
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  1. #1
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    CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    What are everyone's thoughts on using a Pro 48x48 for aluminum? I'm specifically asking about 3d profiling and such, not necessarily for flat sheet goods. I have experience with machining, but am needing larger travels than my Tormach can handle. I've thought about just upgrading the Tormach, but I'd still be dealing with travel limits, especially in the Y axis, and it would also cost quite a bit more to upgrade. Most of the larger components I make are 6061 aluminum, so if the CNCRP could handle that, it would be an ideal machine. I'm very comfortable with Solidworks and Fusion360, I use the CAM package from HSM, and am familiar with feeds and speeds for aluminum. I would use an air blast (possibly with coolant, like a fogbuster). Is the machine rigid enough to cut aluminum parts, not just thing sheet metal?

    For the record, my idea is to get the 48x48 pro, use DMM DYN4 AC servos on everything, use UCCNC with ETH300 (or possibly the Centroid Acorn system), and either the CNCRP 2.2KW spindle, or an ATC spindle (not yet decided). I can't really seem to find any good alternatives unless I step up to a much larger (and heavier) Chinese machine, or spend several times more on a commercial machine. I really don't need anything larger than 48x48, so that size is good for me for what I want to do. Thoughts?
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  2. #2
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Hi Cowan - Ask CNCRP they will know if it can do what you want. Peter

  3. #3
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by peteeng View Post
    Hi Cowan - Ask CNCRP they will know if it can do what you want. Peter
    I have already asked them and they said it can do just fine, but there are few examples of it actually being used in that application and I was looking for additional data points. Most of their customers just cut wood, so I was hoping someone on here had more experience with metal cutting.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  4. #4
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    cowanrg, enjoy your youtube channel, good luck at battlebots.

    I don't have a picture I once made a 4 inch medalion in aluminum on my CNCRouterparts Standard Machine. 50ipm .100doc(maximum) .0025 stepover 1/2inch shank v-bit. It was 3d and it worked fine.

    It was not the best finish because of the bit used, machine was not an issue.

    I have of course done more sheet work then 3d profile and it does that fine. Feeds and speeds are key.

  5. #5
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by nlancaster View Post
    cowanrg, enjoy your youtube channel, good luck at battlebots.

    I don't have a picture I once made a 4 inch medalion in aluminum on my CNCRouterparts Standard Machine. 50ipm .100doc(maximum) .0025 stepover 1/2inch shank v-bit. It was 3d and it worked fine.

    It was not the best finish because of the bit used, machine was not an issue.

    I have of course done more sheet work then 3d profile and it does that fine. Feeds and speeds are key.
    Hey thanks!

    That gives me a data point at least. I don't expect magic, but if I can do 0.1" DOC, with a 0.0025 stepover, that's not TOO bad. 50 IPM seems a tad slow though. I think I might just have to find someone that has one locally and see if I can run a couple parts and see what happens.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  6. #6
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    my idea is to get the 48x48 pro, use DMM DYN4 AC servos on everything
    I'd ask CNCRP (now AvidCNC?) if their R&P drives can handle the additional power. The pinion is held into the rack with spring pressure, and I've heard of users running their Nema 34 steppers having the pinion jump out of the rack if acceleration was too aggressive. So, if you are getting servos for more power, the system may not be able to use it.


    The real question is what kind of surface finish are you looking for? You can cut aluminum with almost any machine. The main issue will be cut quality. Maybe send them some aluminum and your files and have CNCRP cut something for you? And video it?
    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html

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    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
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    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)

  7. #7
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Gerry is a fount of good information!

  8. #8
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    I make a lot of 6061 parts on my Pro4848. I have divided my machine so that a section in the front has a removable spoil board for cutting metal. I mount my vices directly to the frame and the underside has a tray to catch coolant and chips. Surface finish is an issue and I need to take pretty shallow depth of cuts, but it works. 3D profiling is fine, Recently I have done some large thread milled features. It's the older model with the V-con so the new model is supposedly more rigid. I have a separate thread trying to get examples of the difference between the two models for this application.

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    Hope this helps

  9. #9
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    infamous_panda, love the vise solution for machining aluminum!

  10. #10
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by ger21 View Post
    I'd ask CNCRP (now AvidCNC?) if their R&P drives can handle the additional power. The pinion is held into the rack with spring pressure, and I've heard of users running their Nema 34 steppers having the pinion jump out of the rack if acceleration was too aggressive. So, if you are getting servos for more power, the system may not be able to use it.


    The real question is what kind of surface finish are you looking for? You can cut aluminum with almost any machine. The main issue will be cut quality. Maybe send them some aluminum and your files and have CNCRP cut something for you? And video it?
    I have somewhat realistic expectations (I think) for surface finish. I'm looking for functional parts, but not necessarily anything too terribly accurate or with a great surface finish. For those parts, I can outsource them (like I currently do). I don't make any parts for profit, just for my own hobbies. I think if I can get a decent surface finish (not chewed by a beaver), I would be OK with that.

    Regarding the servos, that's an interesting point. In reality, I've converted 4 CNC machines now and always used steppers. I wanted to just try something different and the DMM servos look really cool, so it's an excuse to play with them.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  11. #11
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by infamous_panda View Post
    I make a lot of 6061 parts on my Pro4848. I have divided my machine so that a section in the front has a removable spoil board for cutting metal. I mount my vices directly to the frame and the underside has a tray to catch coolant and chips. Surface finish is an issue and I need to take pretty shallow depth of cuts, but it works. 3D profiling is fine, Recently I have done some large thread milled features. It's the older model with the V-con so the new model is supposedly more rigid. I have a separate thread trying to get examples of the difference between the two models for this application.

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    Hope this helps
    Those parts look good enough for me! That's about what I was looking to achieve, just with larger parts.

    I see a lot of people using very shallow depth of cut, but it was always my understanding (and from experience) that shallow DOC gives you a poor surface finish because you're just using the very tip of the flutes and concentrating all the cutting forces on a small area. I would think using a 3/8" end mill with ~0.125" DOC would give better results, as long as you pay attention to your tool paths. Am I wrong here? I haven't really tried using one of course, but I see a lot of people aren't using a 'good' CAM program for their tool paths, just auto-generated stuff in aspire or whatever. For instance, 9 times out of 10, I see people just plunging the bit down and doing a slot rather than a helical plunge, or even a ramped slotting routine, etc.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  12. #12
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by nlancaster View Post
    infamous_panda, love the vise solution for machining aluminum!
    Thanks, I got tired of soaking my spoilboard with coolant and wd40. I used to have it set lower where I would not have to remove my vice when putting the spoilboard back. Unfortunately the long reach down causes some resonance and chatter issues on my machine, so I just screwed some blocks on the extrusion so I can reposition the vices repeatably in the same position.

  13. #13
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by infamous_panda View Post
    Thanks, I got tired of soaking my spoilboard with coolant and wd40. I used to have it set lower where I would not have to remove my vice when putting the spoilboard back. Unfortunately the long reach down causes some resonance and chatter issues on my machine, so I just screwed some blocks on the extrusion so I can reposition the vices repeatably in the same position.
    Yeah, I like that idea as well. I was considering getting a ~1/2 - 1" thick aluminum plate made for the spoilboard and just drilling holes every inch or so, and then facing it. This would give me a nice base to mount parts to, and I could always attach a spoilboard to the top of that if I needed.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  14. #14
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by cowanrg View Post
    Those parts look good enough for me! That's about what I was looking to achieve, just with larger parts.

    I see a lot of people using very shallow depth of cut, but it was always my understanding (and from experience) that shallow DOC gives you a poor surface finish because you're just using the very tip of the flutes and concentrating all the cutting forces on a small area. I would think using a 3/8" end mill with ~0.125" DOC would give better results, as long as you pay attention to your tool paths. Am I wrong here? I haven't really tried using one of course, but I see a lot of people aren't using a 'good' CAM program for their tool paths, just auto-generated stuff in aspire or whatever. For instance, 9 times out of 10, I see people just plunging the bit down and doing a slot rather than a helical plunge, or even a ramped slotting routine, etc.
    I do for the most part .125 or .09 DOC at 80 imp, using 1/4 mills. I have also done full length 1” DOC super light 0.001 WOD finishing passes. I don’t do many repeat parts to be able to optimize the program. It’s better to have shallow DOC and WOD, and adjust the feed and rpm on the fly. Rigidity is what prevents me from going harder, there seems to be a lot of headroom on the 2.2kw spindle even at 12k rpm. I’d be curious of your result if you end up getting a newer pro4848

  15. #15
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by cowanrg View Post
    Yeah, I like that idea as well. I was considering getting a ~1/2 - 1" thick aluminum plate made for the spoilboard and just drilling holes every inch or so, and then facing it. This would give me a nice base to mount parts to, and I could always attach a spoilboard to the top of that if I needed.

    That sounds like the right way to do it! I tend to do things on the cheap but functional

  16. #16
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by infamous_panda View Post
    That sounds like the right way to do it! I tend to do things on the cheap but functional
    I was originally going to get a larger CNC vertical mill, so this is actually quite a bit cheaper, so I can throw a bit more money at it to get the most out of it.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  17. #17
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    The end shows the finish.. This is 2 revisions of the pro4848 back. Much better now.

    https://youtu.be/ovzT-3AAWIU

  18. #18
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    Quote Originally Posted by blitzer View Post
    The end shows the finish.. This is 2 revisions of the pro4848 back. Much better now.

    https://youtu.be/ovzT-3AAWIU
    I've seen that video and the results look promising. I was hoping for some personal accounts of people cutting aluminum (maybe with some 3d tool paths), but it looks like most people are just doing wood.
    YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/RobertCowanDIY

  19. #19
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    Re: CNCRP 48x48 Pro for machining aluminum?

    I've cut 6061, 6063, hard naval brass, and just last week, stainless steel on my CRP PRO 4896. Much of those were done with a cheap ($1 per bit) 1/8" single flute up-spiral China carbide coated bit. You can get a fine polished finish on the inside and no burr if you get your feeds and speeds right. Use crappy bits when you're learning so you don't get upset when you grind down or snap an $80 end mill accidentally. My technique has been the same when I'm working with metals. I jig it up as flat and rigid as possible and squirt a low viscosity cutting fluid along the way after finding a good speed/feed combo. I've never taken off .125 per pass with any metal, but I'm often using small diameter bits. You CAN cut whatever you'd like, as long as you're reasonable about your tolerances and pass depth. You're not going to be milling aerospace stuff. If you need a .001 tolerance, an extrusion built CNC router isn't the right machine, but it's possible to keep it within 5 to 10 thou on a good day.. which is plenty fine for cosmetic cutting and often good enough for parts as well.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by MaxFrenzy View Post
    I've cut 6061, 6063, hard naval brass, and just last week, stainless steel on my CRP PRO 4896. Much of those were done with a cheap ($1 per bit) 1/8" single flute up-spiral China carbide coated bit. You can get a fine polished finish on the inside and no burr if you get your feeds and speeds right. Use crappy bits when you're learning so you don't get upset when you grind down or snap an $80 end mill accidentally. My technique has been the same when I'm working with metals. I jig it up as flat and rigid as possible and squirt a low viscosity cutting fluid along the way after finding a good speed/feed combo. I've never taken off .125 per pass with any metal, but I'm often using small diameter bits. You CAN cut whatever you'd like, as long as you're reasonable about your tolerances and pass depth. You're not going to be milling aerospace stuff. If you need a .001 tolerance, an extrusion built CNC router isn't the right machine, but it's possible to keep it within 5 to 10 thou on a good day.. which is plenty fine for cosmetic cutting and often good enough for parts as well.
    I have been looking at the desktop Pro. I talked to Avid and the sales person said I should really see no difference between the desktop and the pro full size routers when milling aluminum. Looking at the two designs I don't see how that is possible. I was looking at the 2x4 pro table but then figured if I end up going that way might as well get a 4x4 table. I would love to have the extra capacity, but don't want to be upset if it isn't as accurate as I had hoped. It seems the desktop Pro would be much more ridged and accurate with the ball screws. I thought this thread might be a good place since I'm looking at the 4x4 with intentions on using it for some milling.

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