Newbie to CNC: considering X3

[themaddhatter]

I have been asked by my company to set up a small 4-axis CNC mill for under $10K to cut coupons and light fab in my R&D lab.

This is going to be used on plastics (mostly) for cutting samples, and some aluminum & steel work

Would the Syil mill be your first choice? This is an R&D operation, so we would be using this thing lightly (and over 75% of the time cutting & shaping polyolefins & polyamides).

Also, what software would be recommended? Currently have AutoCad LT 2007. I think our designers have SolidWorks.

What would you do?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

themaddhatter
Lab Manager: SkunkWorks

[RTP_Burnsville]

If I were buying for a company I would look at something like a Tormach rather than a roll your own X3. The $10k should get you in the ballpark for a system that is much more plug and play. If you are just getting started the learning curve is steep enough, especially when there are bosses wanting results ASAP.

[SyilAmerica]

The Syil CNC machines would be a terrific choice. I not sure what RTP Burnsville is meaning by “roll”?

I think the biggest question is working envelope. What is the size of the parts?