Difference Between Stone CNC Router and Wood CNC Router

When consider to buy a CNC Router, many users always asking “what is the difference between wood cnc router and stone cnc router?”

Compared with wood router, cnc stone router can finish all the jobs of wood router, also can work on stone, aluminum and copper. In a word, it has more application on materials than wood router. 

If seeing from configuration, stone router has three points difference compared with wood router. 

1. Body construction of stone cnc router must be heavy duty.

2. Stone router have to be equipped with water recycle system for purpose of cooling router cutter bits.

3. Stone router machine must be equipped with the spindle which is especially for stone working job.

All the users will take care point 1. and point 2. here. But for point 3, it is ignored by most of the users. So we are going to talk some details regarding point 3 now. 

Why the spindle for wood router can not be used on stone router?

1. Stone hardness is higher than wood hardness.

2. In the process of stone working, water recycle system will spray water on router bits and working table for two purpose:

2.1 Cooling the router bits.

2.2 Reduce dust

3. A lot of users make stone router working for 24 hours without stop due to the high hardness and big size of stone materials. And here is an example, a user makes machine keep working for nearly 30 days and machine only have a stop when the bits need to be changed. He keeps machine working in this way until the job finished and then give a 3 day rest for machine. But the spindle does not work any more after machine start again 3 days later.

Some users also run wood router machine for 24 hours without stop. But please noted first wood material is softer than stone; second, wood carving jobs only take a small step down; third, for wood carving, the cutter shank is 6mm maximum, while for stone working, it needs 12.7mm normally.

Which is the right spindle for stone working job?

1. Spindle for stone working should have a bigger torque than for wood. Torque is determined by the electric current of spindle; under the same voltage, the bigger the output current is, the bigger the output torque is. How to increase the electric current? All the spindle manufacturers make this way: increasing the length or diameter of the stator.

2. According to the point 2 in above, spindle for stone working should have good performance on dustproof and waterproof. If the dust comes into the spindle, it will reduce the bearing service life largely; if the water comes into spindle, bearing locked immediately.

3. According to point 3 in above, 24 hour working is not a thing of bearing life only, instead, it is a test for full components of stone working spindle. Just like a car, 24 hours driving is not only the test of 4 wheels. This is why the stone spindle cost more than wood working spindle.

So you are strongly suggest to check the spindle carefully when consider to buy a stone working cnc router machine. Some suppliers may use woodworking spindle on stone cnc router machine due to the cost.

Hope this article is helpful for you! Above is my personal idea, and welcome your discussion if any different idea. 

Excerpt from www.eaglecnctec.com 

Jinan EagleTec CNC Machinery Co.,Ltd. - CNC Router Manufacturer