FAQs – Buying a CNC Router
What materials can a CNC router cut?BG Precision2026-09-14T04:18:55+00:00
A CNC Router is suitable for milling, boring, engraving the following materials:
- Wood
- Plastics
- Aluminum and other non ferrous soft metals (under certain very specific conditions)
- Fibre composites e.g. GFK or CFK (with specific attention to the dust generated from cutting)
- Foam (with specific attention to the dust generated from cutting)
The above list of materials is appropriate if the following conditions are met
- Appropriate tooling is used for the job requirement
- The tools have been installed correctly in the collet mounting system in the provided spindle. Never use a tool outside of its operating parameters.
- The spindle speed and feed rate are appropriate for the job
- In the case where you are machining aluminium some extra care is required to maintain good chip development. If necessary, a cold airline will improve chip generation.
- Coolant may be required in some cases where aluminium is the main application. In the case where coolant is used the operator must pay close attention to manage the coolant run off.
- In all cases – especially where foam or composites are machined – provision of adequate extraction systems to eliminate hazardous swarf, dust and particulates must be implemented. There must be systems in place to stop dust ingress into the machine’s running gear and spindle bearings.
What is the difference between a CNC router and a CNC mill?BG Precision2026-09-14T04:08:55+00:00
- CNC Router: Generally used for Non-Ferrous Materials such as wood, plastics, soft metals and composites. As these materials are not as hard as ferrous materials, the CNC can be built with a lighter weight, fast moving gantry for large working areas. These softer materials allow for faster material removal rates which can be achieved with higher RPM (18,000 – 24,000 RPM) spindles, that would have lower torque than a conventional mill. Our i2R CNC and 5.0 Robotics CNC are classed as CNC Routers.
- CNC Mill: Generally used where tight-tolerance and the highest precision is required on harder materials such as aluminum, mild steel and stainless steel. CNC Mills are built with higher rigidity which results in heavier frames. To maintain accuracy these frames, particularly the bridge of the CNC traditionally remains fixed and the table moves benight. The spindle is normally lower RPM (8,000 – 12,000 RPM) to achieve high torque and in turn the lower RPM reduce heat in cutting. This results in a slower material removal rate, but more aggressive passes can be achieved. As we specialize in CNC Routers we have developed our own in house Hybrid mill called the Symbiosis. It combines the rapid material removal rate of a CNC router with the rigidity of a fixed gantry CNC mill.
