Hello folks!
I manufacture vacuum chambers out of acrylic. Currently, I am cutting the parts on my tablesaw oversized, then running them through my router table to clean up the edges for solvent welding. I use both 3/8" and 1/2" cast acrylic. Cutting parts and then running 4 edges x 5 pieces per chamber on the router is a bit tedious and time consuming to say the least. I need to up my production and believe a CNC router would do that as well as provide better precision.
I would like to go with a 4x4 router so that I can throw 1/2 sheet of acrylic on the machine and let it run. Unfortunately, I do not have a big budget and really need to keep it at $5k or less. I could go smaller if I need to. I spoke with the owner at Probotix yesterday and am interested in their Fireball Meteor which is not as large as I would like at 25"x50" but it looks like a good machine for the money. I have also looked at the Stinger as well as some others but they are out of my price range at the moment. I ABSOLUTELY can not go over $5k, I just don't have the money and refuse to go into debt!
I have done a lot of reading here and all over the net so I am quite familiar with CNC and how it all works and already know CAD software in various different forms so no learning curve there. I am also very computer literate and can already think in 3d space (I was a builder for 15 years and designed all of the homes I built).
After doing a lot of reading, I am now looking at a complete kit from CNCRouterparts.com. I am very good a building things so it might fit the bill and certainly fits the budget. My issue is, I am way backlogged on the chambers I build and can not devote hundreds of hours to building a machine. Does anyone know approximately how long it takes to build one of their machines? Are their kits made such that it is relatively easy to assemble them with accuracy? Any other things I should consider before taking the plunge to possibly build my own?
If you do not recommend building my own due to time issues, what do you think about the Fireball Meteor?
Do you see that I will have any issues with cutting the parts I need to cut? Most are 5"x5" or thereabouts but always rectangular. I can't sit there and do one part at a time, though. I really need to be able to created an optimized layout and have the machine cut them all out. I am aware that it will need to be done in multiple passes with a clean up pass. I am also aware that I will need to come up with a vacuum hold down of some sort. I have that solved in my head already since I work with vacuum every day!
Anything else I am missing or not thinking of that will make this less efficient time wise than I think it will be? I sell my chambers at cost (includes my labor to cut and build) so this has to increase productivity for it to be worthwhile.
Thanks for any suggestions you may have, including other machines to consider. Again, I need something that is accurate without too much assembly time and tinkering time and need to be at $5k or less.