Can You Use Regular Router Bits In A CNC Machine?

Can You Use Regular Router Bits In A CNC Machine?

Regular router bits are used for canving and cuting in CNc Routers, while some special router bits can be used in CNCmiling machines to mill metal molds, CNC driling machines to drll holes, and CNC machining centers to cut wood anometal with automatic tool changer, but the standard router bits cannot be used for CNC lathes instead of turning tools.

Router Bits

What Is A Router Bit?

A router bit is a tool used for flat carving, relief canving, cutting, grooving and drlling. it is fixed on the CNC router spindlewith the tool holder, and moves along the tool path according to the G-code command issued by the CNC controller, andthe substrate will be carved with patterns or cut into shapes.The cutting speed of the CNC router is very important, while the router bit maker and model also afects the machiningauality and efficiency. How to choose the riaht router bits for your CNC Machine?

How Many Type Of Router Bits?

At present, the most common standard router bits in the market include straight cutting bits, rabbeting bits, v-groovecuting bits, flush trimming bits, core cutting box bits, edge cutting bits, cove cuting bits, rounding-over bits, chamfercutting bits, and specialist router bits.

A problem that must be faced when making a tool path is the selection of the router bit. The edge angle and edge width ofthe tool have a great influence on the machining accuracy and speed. lf the edge angle and edge width of the tool arelarge, the cutting speed will be fast, but the resulting graphics may not be fine. lf the blade angle and blade width of thetool are small, the cuting speed will be slow, but the graphics will be very fine, and the durability of the tool will berelatively poor. Therefore, the path should be grasped as much as possible, and the most suitable tool should be selectedIn actual working, the relationship between machining quality and eficiency should be fuly considered, and methods suchas rough router bit, fine router bit and 3D router bit should be flexibly applied. Small tools should be used for finemachining, and the seting of the overlap ratio of the tools is also important. Therefore, the accurate use of the tool in theactual cutting process is the key to success

How To Use Router Bits In A CNC Machine?

Diferent materials use different tools, Here l will introduce you what types of router bits vou should use for specificmaterials:

Acrylic cutting is recommended to use a single-edged spiral router bit, which is characterized by smokeless andtasteless processing, high speed, high efficiency, no sticky chips, and truly environmentally friendly. its specialmanufacturing process ensures that the acrylic will not burst with smooth surface and cuting edge. The machined surfaceneeds to achieve a frosted effect, and it is recommended to use a double-edged three-edged spiral tool.

DF cutting is recommended to use a double-edged large chip removal spiral router bit. it has two high-capacity chicremoval grooves and a double-edged design. Good tool balance, no blackening, no cap smoke, and long service life

when processing medium and high density boardsAluminum sheet cutting is recommended to use a single-edged special aluminum miling cutter. No sticking to the routerbit during cutting with high speed and high efficiency.

Precision small relief carving is recommended to use a round-bottomed carving router bit.

Cork, DF, virgin wood, PVC, acrylic large-scale deep relief carving is recommended to use a single-edged helical ballend router bit.

Upper and lower burr-free cutting is recommended to use single-edged, double-edged up and down router bitsMetal carving is recommended to use a single-edged, double-edged straight-grooved flat-bottomed router bit

3D router bit has high concentricity and sharp edge, which is used for precise 3D carving.

High-density board and solid wood is recommended to use edge-tooth router bit.Multi-layer board and splint machining is recommended to use double-edged straight groove router bitLower cutter will make the upper surface no burrs, and there is no rocker during machining.Tungsten steel miling cutters are recommended for metal mold making, and the surface is plated with purple black andhardened titanium.

Multi-stripe router bits is used for roughing particleboard.

Diamond router bits are used for acrylic mirror carving.

Turning Tools

The turning tool is the most widely used single-edged tool. lt is also the basis for learning and analyzing various types oftools. Turning tools are used on various Lathes to process outer circles, inner holes, end faces, threads, turning groovesAccording to the structure, turning tools can be divided into integral turning tools, welding turning tools, machine-clampinoturning tools, indexable turning tools and forming turning tools. Among them, the application of indexable turning tools isincreasingly widespread, and the proportion of turning tools is gradually increasing

The turning tool is a single-blade tool, and there are many types due to the different shapes of the turning work piece, butthe names and functions of its pats are the same. A good turning tool must have two maior parts: a rigid handle and aSharo blade. he blade anole ot the turning tool dlirectv atects the turning etect, pierent turning tool materals and workpiece materials, and the angle of the blade are also diferent. The turing tool for lathe has four important angles, namelyfront clearance angle, side clearance angle, back bevel angle and side bevel angle.

Milling Cutters

A miling cutter is an important part of a CNC Mil. A miling cutter is a rotary tool with one or more teeth to mil. Duringmiling, each tooth intermitently cuts through the rest of the work piece. ling cutters are used to mil planes, steps.grooves, forming surfaces, and cutting work pieces.

During a typical miling operation, the tool in a CNC miling machine moves perpendicular to its own axis, allowing it toremove excess material from the work piece around the tool's periphery. A CNC milis a versatile machine on which avariety of machining operations can be performed. CNC mills are used to machine and manufacture parts of variousshapes and sizes. A milling cutter is an essential tool for these tasks.

In order to make miling a universal machining process, there are a variety of miling cutters available in the market. Thesemiling cutters are manufactured in a variety of sizes, shapes and materials. Some miling cutters are made of high speedsteel (HSS), while others have carbide tips.

The most common miling cutters include end mills, rough mils, peripheral mils, side mils, face mills, concave mills, threacmills, ball end mills, and flying cutters.

The choice of tool diameter varies widely by product and production batch. The choice of tool diameter mainly dependson the specifications of the equipment and the machining size of the work piece.

For fine finishing, the best option is to use a ground blade. This kind of insert has better dimensional accuracy, so miling isa hiah positionina accuracy of the cuttina edae, and better machining accuracy and surface roughness can be obtained.

For rough machining, it is better to use pressed inserts, which can reduce machining costs

The dimensional accuracy and sharpness of the pressed blade are worse than that of the ground blade, but the edgestrength of the pressed blade is better, it is resistant to impact during rough machining, and can withstand large depths ofcut and large feeds

The sharp, large rake angle inserts can be used for miling sticky materials such as stainless steel. Through the cuttingaction of the sharo blade. the friction between the blade and the substrate is reduced, and the chips can leave the frontend of the blade faster.

Whether choosing a miling cutter on a CNC mill or an ordinary miling machine, we must comprehensively consider thematerial and hardness of the miling, and the specifications of the miling cutter such as blade length, blade length, bladediameter, and shank diameter. High-speed steel miling cutters are usually suitable for ordinary miling machines, whileCNC mills prefer carbide tools.

Things To Consider

The selection of the router bit requires the appropriate size of the tool collet. The collet has a cross section, the innerhole is not deformed enough to be round, the colet is worn for a long time, and the inner hole has a taper. lt is easy tocause the tool handle to vibrate.

The tool holder should match the collet and be able to enter and exit the collet compliantly. The tool holder should beable to be firmly put into the colet and tightened. lf the tool collet has been used for too long, the inner hole is deformedand a new one should be replaced immediately.

.Always check the toughness and sharpness of the tools. lf you find that the tools are blunt or the edges are damagedyou should replace them immediately.

CNC router bit requires that the thickness of the substrate cannot exceed the maximum cuting thickness of the tool.

otherwise the tool will be broken or the cutting effect will be unsatisfactory.

For carving and cutting of diferent materials, diferent tools should be selected and the cuting and canving speed shoulcbe modified reasonably.

During the working process of the CNC router, the high-speed rotating tool is very sharp. t is necessary to pay attentionthat the body should not be close to the router bit as much as possible, especially to try not to wear too wide overalls.Women should bandage their hair to prevent accidents.

The working speed of the CNc Router Bit should be balanced, and the cutting speed should be kept as consistent aspossible.

It is best to use professional cleaners for cleaning tools.

When the router bit is not in use, apply butter to prevent the tool from rusting.

Do not sharpen or change the shape of the blade by yourself.