Its a K2 KT2514 but I replaced the Y rails with thomson supported rails and bearings. The 3/4 stainless rods were just too weak and would deflect pretty badly when I was V-carving and plunging the V-Bit. Even with a 1/2" V bit I couldn't plunge faster than about 5 IPM without leaving a divot and couldn't route faster than around 30 IPM (1/4 DOC) without tilting the V bit.
With those rails replaced I can plunge at 40 IPM to 1/4 DOC and route at 60 IPM. The route limit is mostly due to the unsupported rails holding up the gantry as the gantry starts to wobble and shake when doing more complicated moves. Depth of cut doesn't matter and in fact I can't route PCBs past 40-50 IPM or the gantry wobble messes up the traces.
Thats not really a critisism of K2 or the machine. I bought the unsupported rail version and I got the unsupported rail version. At the time they didn't have any smaller machines with blocks and rails but I could have gone larger and cut back on the software.
They now have a 14x14 model with blocks and rails (servo option too) all around and I bet that'd cut PCBs at a crazy speed!
Of course, even cutting at something like 10 IPM a circuit board doesn't take all that long to make. Its still much faster than photolithography.  |