What Is A CNC Wood Router?
A CNC wood router is an automatic wood CNC machine used for smart 2D, 2.5D, and 3D cutting, milling, carving, drilling, and grooving on popular woodworking plans, including wood arts & crafts, signs making, cabinets making, door making, gifts, modeling, decorations, wardrobe, and more furniture making projects & ideas.
A CNC wood router machine is composed of bed frame, spindles, vacuum table or T-slot table, CNC controller, CNC operating system, CNC software, gantry, driver, motor, vacuum pump, guide rail, pinion, rack, ball screw, collet, limit switch, power supply, and more CNC parts & accessories.
CNC wood router kits are also known as wood CNC routers, wood CNC machines, CNC woodworking routers, CNC woodworking machines, CNC wood carving machines, CNC wood engraving machines, CNC wood cutting machines, CNC woodworking tools.
How Does A Wood CNC Machine Work?
A wood CNC machine uses the computer to realize digital program control, and executes the control program stored in advance through the computer to realize the machine's motion control, timing, logic and other functions, so as to control the equipment to complete the automatic woodworking.
Unlike palm routers, plunge routers, plunge base routers, and fixed base routers, the functional software with any CNC wood router machine is CAD/CAM software. CAD software allows users to create the designs they wish to work on a woodworking CNC machine. After completing this design, the CAM software will convert the design into a tool path code that the wood CNC machine can understand. Then, the computer converts this code into a signal that controls the movement of the drive system of the machine. The drive system includes a spindle, which is the part that saves the actual machine position. The spindle rotates 8,000 to 50,000 times per minute to cut the material. In short, the user creates a design and uses the software to make instructions for the machine.
3 axis CNC wood router machine cuts along three axes at the same time: X-axis, Y-axis and Z-axis. Cutting along the X axis makes the drill bit move from front to back, cutting along the Y axis makes it move from left to right, and cutting along the Z axis makes it move up and down. These machines are mainly used to cut 2D flat woodworking projects.
Compared with 3 axis wood CNC machine, 5 axis CNC machine can cut along two additional axes. These CNC woodworking tools can cut five sides of a piece of material at the same time, thereby expanding the capabilities and flexibility of operators.
Unlike their 3-axis counterparts, these CNC wood cutting tools are usually used to cut large 3D woodworking projects. In addition, 5 axis CNC wood router machines have a higher gantry and a longer X-axis, which allows them to cut larger woodworking projects. However, if the gantry is higher and the X-axis is longer, the accuracy and stability of these machines will be worse. For proper quality control, the height of the gantry and the length of the X-axis should be limited as much as possible. Although CNC woodworking routers look like simple powerful tools, they are highly complex technologies and require a certain amount of expertise to operate.
5 axis CNC wood carving machines tend to be more expensive than traditional 3 axis CNC machines, but ultimately provide high quality, greater flexibility, allowing users to use their designs more creatively.
How Many Types of Wood CNC Machines?
What types of wood CNC machines are right for your business? Review the most common types of popular CNC machines for woodworking.
Types based on table sizes (work area): 2x3 table tops, 2x4 table tops, 4x4 table tops, 4x6 table tops, 4x8 table tops, 5x10 table tops, 6x12 table tops.
Types based on applications: Home types, Desktop types, 3D types, Hobby types, Commercial types, Industrial types.
Types based on axis: 5 axis CNC machines for woodworking, 4 axis wood CNC routers, 4th axis (rotary axis) CNC woodworking routers, 3 axis CNC wood routers.
What Are CNC Wood Routers Used For?
CNC wood routers are the most common CNC machines for woodworking in industrial manufacturing, small business, small shop, home business, home shop, school education, craftsman, and hobbyists.
1. Furniture Making: home furnitures, art furnitures, antique furnitures, office furnitures, cabinet making, door making, cabinet doors, interior doors, home doors, cupboard doors, table legs, sofa legs, wood spindles, corners, screens, headboards, composite gates, MDF projects, wood crafts, wood arts.
2. Advertising.
3. Die Making.
4. Hollow Woodworks.
5. Relief Carvings.
6. Wood Cylinders.
7. 3D Woodworking Projects.
8. Sign Making.
9. Custom Woodworking Plans.
Technical Parameters
|
Brand
|
STYLECNC
|
|
Models
|
STM6090, STM1212, STM1218, STM1224, STM1325, STM1530, STM2030, STM2040, STM25120
|
|
Table Sizes
|
2' x 3', 2' x 4', 4' x 4', 4' x 6', 4' x 8', 5' x 10', 6' x 12'
|
|
Materials
|
Hardwood (Solid Wood), MDF (Medium-Density Fiberboard), Plywood, Particleboard, Wood Veneer
|
|
Axis
|
3 Axis, 4th Axis, 4 Axis, 5 Axis
|
|
Capability
|
2D Machining, 2.5D Machining, 3D Machining
|
|
Control Software
|
Type3, Ucancam, Artcam, Alphacam, Cabinet Vision
|
|
Operating System
|
Mach3, Nc-studio, Syntec, DSP, Siemens, Nk200, Nk260, NK300
|
|
Price Range
|
$2,580.00 - $38,000.00
|
How Much Does A CNC Wood Router Cost?
All depends on your specific needs when you make a plan to purchase a CNC machine for wood, CNC wood routers vary in cost.
There is a wide variety in the types of wood CNC machines based on table sizes (work areas), features, durability, performance, quality, brand, manufacturer, and customer service which all factor into a CNC wood router's price.
If you average all the different CNC woodworking tools on the market, you'll arrive at a price of $3600, which is now, as of February 2022, skewed heavily to cheap entry-level, consumer CNC woodworking machines. Most entry level CNC wood routers for hobbyist are priced from $2,580 to $5,280, while some can be as expensive as $7,200. The higher-end wood CNC machines, such as professional wood CNC router machines for enthusiast are priced anywhere from $3,680 to $16,000, depending on the machine's capabilities. Lastly, enterprise and industrial wood CNC routers are pricey to own and operate for commercial use, and can cost anywhere from $18,000 to $120,000.
If you have an idea to buy a CNC woodworking machine overseas, the fee of customs clearance, tax, and shipping costs should be included in the final price.
Pick Up Your Budget
|
Types
|
Minimum Price
|
Maximum Price
|
Average Price
|
|
Entry Level
|
$2,380.00
|
$3,600.00
|
$2,780.00
|
|
Hobby
|
$2,580.00
|
$5,200.00
|
$3,800.00
|
|
Enthusiast
|
$3,680.00
|
$10,600.00
|
$6,780.00
|
|
Professional
|
$5,680.00
|
$12,800.00
|
$7,980.00
|
|
Commercial
|
$12,000.00
|
$80,000.00
|
$22,000.00
|
|
Industrial
|
$18,000.00
|
$100,000.00
|
$28,000.00
|
|
Enterprise
|
$20,000.00
|
$120,000.00
|
$36,000.00
|
Jason Rodriguez
From Canada
Posted on Aug 20, 2022
I have been addicted to the CNC router for woodworking with tool changer for many years, but initially it is expensive for my cabinet shop. I am happy to find the price has come down to an acceptable level in previous months, and after researching different makers and types, I selected STM1530C for its larger 5x10 vacuum working table and automatic tool changer spindle kit. Arrived in 16 days and packed well. Easy to assemble all parts and install the software to program. LNC controller is user-friendly and professional for cabinet making. So far this is the best buy I have made.