“Every shop relies on their CNC router to produce and achieve spectacular results every day and thus, high quality components carefully chosen and engineered for the application are paramount to the long-term success of any operation.” Offering advice to those in the market for a new machine, Recinos says sign-makers should first consider their application and look at equipment designed to process the materials used in their operation. “From acrylics to foams, every tool and feature on your CNC equipment will determine the output quality of the part and or the speed it takes to process the material,” Recinos says, continuing: “It’s also important to consider the secondary processes that might be involved if the quality is not to the desired standard. AXYZ’s roots are based in the signs and graphics market and several features available on machines such as our Infinite and Innovator products have been engineered specifically to cut sign-based materials.” On this, Recinos picks out some of the latest developments at AXYZ, focusing on software. It has recently launched its intuitive MOVE CNC control software across its Infinite, Trident, and Innovator products. MOVE brings a variety of new features such as a menu option, job queueing, and easy-to-use machine functions such as origin setting, which are now more accessible. Enhancing Efficiency On the subject of software, SAi is a specialist in this area, working with sign-makers all over the world on CNC. Marco Burinato, international marketing manager at SAi, says quality software is crucial in CNC cutting due to the high levels of precision and accuracy required in both design and tool path creation. “Effective software not only optimises cutting paths to minimise unnecessary movements and reduce cutting time, but also prolongs the lifespan of machinery and accelerates the overall production process,” Burinato says, adding: “Accurate simulations play a significant role in reducing errors, thereby lowering costs and enhancing efficiency.” When selecting CNC software, Burinato says sign-makers should prioritise ease of use and accessibility, even for those without a technical background. Highquality software, he adds, should come with comprehensive documentation, tutorials, and responsive customer support to minimise the learning curve and help users become proficient quickly. On top of this, Burinato flags the importance of design capabilities, saying software should support efficient vector and text handling, image vectorisation, and 3D design, while also being compatible with a wide range of file formats. “Additionally, it should offer support for various CNC machines and tools, ensuring both versatility and flexibility in production,” Burinato advises, adding: “Efficient tooling strategies and nesting algorithms are also vital to reduce cutting time and minimise material waste, ensuring a cost-effective operation. “Moreover, quality software should always be supported by ongoing updates and customer service, ensuring that users have the tools they need to maintain a smooth and efficient production environment.” With this, Burinato draws attention to EnRoute, a solution from SAi that is popular among sign-makers. In the latest release of EnRoute, SAi has introduced several features designed to enhance user capabilities and efficiency. These include double-sided machining, which now allows users to create designs that require cutting from both sides of the material, with a streamlined workflow for flipping the material to cut on the reverse side. SAi has also added the ability to incorporate thread mills as tools, along with a new tool path type specifically for cutting threads. Furthermore, users now have increased control over output sequencing, enabling them to precisely order every entry into the material, which Burinato says allows for more meticulous and efficient production processes. “One of our most popular features remains our automated tool pathing module, which can process large volumes of DXF files into ready-to-cut machine files with just a few clicks,” Burinato flags, adding: “This capability significantly enhances workflow efficiency, making it a favoured tool among users handling complex and large-scale projects.” Be it hardware or software, selecting the right solution is critical in CNC. Get this wrong and you run the risk of not being able to deliver what your customer wants or produce work at a high enough quality. Researching the market and gaining expert insight from knowledgeable suppliers will put you on the right track. 41 Issue 255 - October / November 2024 email: news@signlink.co.uk ▲HPC Laser offers a range of smaller and larger CNC machines to customers CNC ROUTERS AND SOFTWARE AXYZ recently launched MOVE CNC control software across its Infinite, Trident, and Innovator products ▼ HPC Laser has supplied over 7,000 machines throughout the UK and overseas since its foundation in 2007 7,000
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjM0NDIxOA==