different CNCs for panels and solid wood?

[majstor76]

Is there such a thing like cnc machine for solid wood? I had a argue with manager today. I said that Biesse Rover 23 is cnc for panels and thats why we have problems with drilling 60 mm wide solid wood piece. Since he chosed that machine he didnt take that nicely . But im gonna solve the problem with new, longer clamps: we have problems with fixing on table, long , narrow and not really straight pieces. So, is there machine for solid wood, and if there is, what are the differences comparing to cnc for panels?

Oh and while im here: does anyone know how to do restore of backuped programs on Rovers?

[battwell]

480 or 481 control?
do you mean by restore to copy programs from a floppy back to c directory in controller?

i believe the main difference with hardwood machines is they use clamping mainly instead of vacuum for hold down of odd shaped work and the depth of pod would be higher to facilitate macining under and around edges which is awkward on biesse rover without machining the pods too!

[majstor76]

Control is "XNC compact" whatever that means (got mail from Biesse technician). There is backup option which saves all data (user created files) into compressed file on multiple discs and i want to return programs on machine. So, it isnt just simple copy/paste from A to C

[battwell]

sorry, no experience with xnc compact

[thinkingcnc]

For a 60mm wide piece of timber, can't you just use clamps or vices? I think you can use any machine for solid wood, the question is, which is the most optimised for solid wood. You can take, what is considered, a panel machine and adapt it for solid wood by just putting clamps on it. I have never read an exact definition of a panel machine as opposed to a joinery machine. I think this terminology is something dreamt up by the salesmen to slag each other's machines off.

Panel machines have deep bed, small z axis, lots of arms, tool holder that can't take tools bigger than 300mm and heavier than 7kg in weight, router that is not in middle of y-axis, low power router of less than 15HP(S1 rating), clamps and cups that are not easily interchangable, no conveyer belt.

Joinery machines are opposite of the above.

[battwell]

oh. your here as well now??? lol
i machine lots of solid oak on mine, the same machine as you saw on video earlier. as i do multiples of a part, not like a 1 off window or door etc i make up some pretty fancy holding jigs either with toggle clamps, bolts, bolts on springs etc etc etc. that way i can just run the program without worrying everything will line up. re tooling the largest i swing are spindle moulder blocks of 150mm. i dont do any products that require more! i still use a spindle moulder to run heavy cut sections before machining to save my poor old cnc from too much expensive stress and me from a huge spindle rebuild bill!!! my big blocks scare me when running on spindle moulder, i wouldnt like to see the mess one would make flying off any cnc machine especially with the deceleration the spindle can do. on the spindle moulder i wont use the dc brake to stop in 10 seconds using a big block in case it decides to spin off and attack me.
the z axis on mine moves approx 300mm i think, but above rail is limited to 70mm. however with a bit of inginuity i designed a u frame to support a lathe assembly which drops into the bed between pod rails. i can turn 700mm long 10" diameter using the y and z axis! show me an scm you can do that on!

[majstor76]

i dont know how other machines have but Biesse Rover 23 has a limiters which also work as a clamps if you screw on them teflon round piece



Now, this clamp in foreground is Y-axis clamp and right of it is barely seen top of first of two X axis clamps. Notice the angle between clamp and piece. If i would drill horizontal holes in this piece it wouldnt be good, there would be difference between height of holes (2 mm, maybe more). There is gap of 11 mm between limiter and pod and narrow clamp is pushing piece out of horizontal line into that gap. One Y clamp on the end of piece cant fix that.
So, i made longer clamps



They are functioning good, except they are too high so i have to be carefull when drilling (safe z is lower that top of clamps). So i just made program with optimised drilling, C/P holes into non optimized area of program and rearange order of drilling in a way that tool wont hit something (notice damage on new clamp)