3 axis cnc routing

AXYZ router doubles turnover and production at Ar18 Manufacturer of bespoke furniture, shop fitting units and various other wood-based products, Ar18 has supplemented the production capabilities of its AXYZ 6010 router with a second AXYZ 6010 Y twin-head machine. Hitherto, the existing single-head router was used primarily for production at Ar18 but has now been deployed to share the work now carried out at its subsidiary company CutCNC that was set up in January of this year to provide a new cutting facility for the trade generally. Ar18’s special skills emanate from an ability to convert 2D drawings into 3D end products utilising a wide range of materials, including wood and plastics. According to the company’s managing director Antony Cockerell: ‘Our particular strength through the new CutCNC facility is the very fast turnaround of work and the increased levels of accuracy, both of which are largely attributable to the AXYZ routing technology in which we have invested. The AXYZ 6010 machine has entirely changed the way in which the company produces work and services its clients. Previously, much of the production carried out at Ar18 used only a small table saw, lathe and a collection of wood-specific hand tools. This process proved excessively time consuming, placed constraints on the type of work that could be undertaken and was therefore very costly. ‘With the AXYZ 6010, Ar18 and CutCNC are now providing a much faster, more accurate and better quality of service that saves considerable time and money. We are now able to carry out more complex work that continues to extend the boundaries of design possibilities and fabrication techniques. In the first year following installation of the 6010, our turnover doubled and with the support of CutCNC we expect this trend to continue each year. And now, with the addition of the 6010 Y machine, our growth expectations are virtually infinite.’ The AXYZ 6010 router is a robustly engineered machine and the ideal solution to the cutting and profiling of large sheets of material with speed and accuracy. It has a processing area of 3,048 x 2,095mm and can be configured to include a host of options, including the AXYZ Automatic Tool Changer (ATC). At Ar18, the 6010 will continue to be used for much of the production carried out as well as providing an overspill support facility for CutCNC work. Installation of the 6010 Y twin-head router will, according to production manager Mark Davis, ‘now provide a new capability by enabling the cutting of the same shapes simultaneously, thereby reducing cutting time by 50 per cent. Furthermore, production will be further enhanced due to an ability to engage two different cutters at the same time, using the second routing head as a virtual automatic tool change facility.’ When asked for his assessment of the technical back-up provided by AXYZ, Antony Cockerell concluded: ‘This is difficult to appraise for the simple reason that, due to the outstanding reliability of the 6010 and the comprehensive training provided by AXYZ, Ar18 has never found it necessary to seek any help, although clearly this would be forthcoming should such a requirement ever occur.’ For further information on AXYZ routing solutions, visit www.axyz.co.uk or telephone 01902 37560. For information about Ar18 and CutCNC, telephone 01895 237183.