I don't know but you can see the user interface hanging from the machine. It is a handheld unit on a cord with a keypad and an LCD display. My guess is you load the G-code from a USB stick. I want more capability on the machine than that.
I don't know but you can see the user interface hanging from the machine. It is a handheld unit on a cord with a keypad and an LCD display. My guess is you load the G-code from a USB stick. I want more capability on the machine than that.
That doesn't mean that there is no other form. One of the routers where I worked had a DSP plus a Windows based interface.
I have seen several, it uses the chinese dsp hand held Basically importing file with a usb stick and is a chinese product spec'ed by power matic, several have tried to sell this version of the machine including laguna. not gonna say a bad word about it but for the bucks i am still recommending a CAMaster over it.
Interesting alternative
http://www.maslowcnc.com/
With respect A lot of due diligence is worthy of a great cnc experience, there is no substitute for actual seeing a machine first hand, i get a dozen calls a year from people who "Tried to save too much money" and now have no where near what they need.
Ownere who have a great cnc with support and value will be pleased to show them, I cannot encourage this high enough.
The Powermatic CNC's are the same as Axiom. Axiom says they are made by them with a different cabinet and base, but the entire machine is the same as a Axiom.
That means they use the same A11 controller as the Axiom.
They offer a 24x24 with a router mount and a 24x48 with the 3 hp spindle as the Axiom.
They do have the 5 year warranty if something goes wrong.
The 24x24 machine is about $500 more than the Axiom AR4 Basic with a stand and tool box
Axiom is completely sold out of machines, but at least Powermatic does have a few available for sale if someone wanted one.
The 24x24 is $5715 shipped to your house and the same Axiom is $5214 shipped.
I am wanting to buy a cnc machine, so if anyone has a idea on buying a really good machine for about $5700, please let me know what to kook at.
Steve, for not a whole lot more you could get a 24x36 Camaster Stinger 1.
The Stinger is a very solid machine with a professional WinCNC controller.
I appreciate that Bruce!
I am looking at the Stinger 1. It's $6,500 and currently has free shipping. That is for the basic machine with really no extras.
I would have to make a stand for the machine or buy one from Camaster for another $750. I just don't feel I want to spend
that much more for a machine. It's probably worth every penny and their forum is fantastic.
I guess I like the idea of the pendant control rather than having a pc and monitor in the shop and the Powermatic does come with a 5 year warranty.
I actually ordered a Axiom A6 Basic a month ago and just found out I will have to wait till the end of May to get it. So the wait will be 3 months.
The Powermatic is 24x24 cutting size, but I can get a machine in about 10 days.
Id like to call PM and ask them about an issues "I was having" on my CNC and see how far they get.
Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.
Mike:
Do you have the Powermatic CNC and what problems are you having?
The Axiom and Powermatic machines use the RichAuto controller, while the Stinger uses WinCNC. What are the relative strengths and weaknesses of these two systems?
As I get more experience in cnc, I'm appreciating the importance of the controller in making thing go smoothly.
From what I understand, Laguna also has used the Rich A11 controller for their machines for years..
I have no doubt that most of these machines are all made in the same factory.
Axiom says they own the factory, but I really don't think they actually own a factory and then make machines for Powermatic and Laguna.
If that were the case, they would make sure they have their own machines in stock, which they are over a month away from actually getting any machines in to sell.
Powermatic and Laguna both have machines available for delivery.
I just like the idea of not having a pc out in the shop collecting dust.
I know many have pc's in their shops without any problems whatsoever.
I attend cnc meetings at my local Rockler store and most of the members have Next Wave Sharks.
Others have Legacy, Laguna, Axiom, Camaster's and a few home made machines.
I had a Shark HD4 and returned it, because I couldn't keep it running for more than a few days.
Next Wave had it in for repairs, more than I had it in my small shop. Others at my club have the HD4 and have had no problems at all.
I really like the Camaster Stinger 1, but by the time I add a stand and even a T-trac table, I am way over my spending budget.
A little googling came up with this article - http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/st...w-partnership/
Partnering with Damon in the Axiom venture are two other long-time veterans of the woodworking machinery community. Lucas Chang, who is president of Steel City Tool Works and its majority partner, has been involved in machinery and power tool development and manufacturing in Asia since the 1980s. Chang’s factories in Taiwan and mainland China have produced both brand-name and OEM private label goods to the woodworking industry, and he once was responsible for all of Delta Machinery’s Asia manufacturing operations. He’s currently heading up manufacturing and operations in China and Taiwan for both Steel City and Axiom Precision products.
Damon says there are almost a dozen new products in the works for Axiom’s CNC. Several are in planning stages, while others are already in engineering. All will be designed in the USA and manufactured in Chang’s Taichung factory, under his direction.
I'm looking forward to seeing one of their machines in person, they look good to me on their site. There's one about an hour away, I'll be taking my dial indicator with me.
WinCNC runs on a Microsoft based operating system and uses the full power of a modern PC. The system you are comparing it to runs on a custom built text based controller. The WinCNC software provides a sophisticated and reconfigurable graphical user interface on a big a screen. The other system provides a few text lines on an LCD display. The WinCNC software provides a calibratable graphical simulator. You can get cut time estimates and actually see if something isn't right before cutting anything. Of course, that is impossible with the tiny RichAuto display. WinCNC will allow you to modify certain parameters that were defined in the original toolpath. I don't think the RichAuto controller is nearly as versatile. After using a full point and click graphical user interface, the little Chinese button based controller just looks crude and hard to use.
Here is one thing you could do. Download the WinCNC owner's manual/user's guide and see what it will do for you and how easy it is to do it. Then do the same thing with the RichAuto system. I downloaded the RichAuto manual and found the Chinese translation difficult to understand. They they need to hire someone whose native language is English to write/translate their stuff. The feature set looked pretty bare bones.
Here is another idea. Call each company with a difficult hypothetical technical question that will get you beyond the usual sales rep. See which one provides the best support.