With its ability to make several types of cuts, a router is one of the most useful pieces of woodworking equipment, but there is a difference between a CNC router and a conventional one. The former is controlled by a computer, and has greater production capacity and cutting ability than the latter. A conventional router is not without usefulness, but many woodworkers must eventually upgrade to a CNC model. Below are signs that a conventional router should be replaced with a computer-controlled model.
Need to Decrease Payroll
Even when it is purchased as used woodworking machinery for sale, computer-controlled equipment costs more than conventional equipment, but the cost difference is offset by the financial advantages the equipment offers, one of which is the ability to decrease payroll. Because a single operator can monitor several CNC stations at once, the need to have a worker at every station is eliminated.
Frequent Repairs
All equipment eventually needs repair, but when it is operated beyond its capacity, the need for repair becomes frequent. Before they upgrade to computer-controlled equipment, some woodworkers attempt to meet an increased production demand with conventional equipment not designed to sustain a high rate of production. When the equipment starts to break down, replacing it with high-capacity CNC equipment is the optimal choice.
Need to Increase Production Capacity
Because it is limited in the types of cuts it makes, conventional equipment is limited in the types of work it produces. A conventional router cannot make as many types of cuts as a three-axis or five-axis CNC router. Consequently, it cannot produce the detailed, intricate work that the latter produces with ease. Whether it is purchased new or as used woodworking machinery for sale, computer-controlled equipment produces more types of work than conventional equipment.
Need Increased Production Demand
As mentioned above, computer-controlled equipment produces work faster than conventional equipment. This occurs for the following reasons:
- Fewer waste pieces are produced
- The refined cutting mechanism increases cutting accuracy
- The production process is automated
- Computer control creates a refined motion
Computer-controlled equipment was designed to improve the quality and production rate of the machining process for wood, plastic, metal, and other materials. The reasons above are why it accomplishes this goal.
Too Many Waste Pieces
Because wood stock is purchased inexpensively in bulk, the accumulation of waste pieces during the production process may seem financially insignificant, but it is significant for two reasons:
- Waste pieces add up to thousands of dollars annually in wasted materials
- Waste pieces prolong the production run, resulting in wasted time
Computer-controlled equipment reduces waste pieces by reducing human error.
RT Machine Sells Reconditioned Equipment
Buying pre-owned equipment is an excellent way for woodworkers to save money, but the real value of pre-owned equipment comes from its reliability and performance quality. At RT Machine, we understand this concept, which is why we sell pre-owned equipment that has been inspected, reconditioned, and tested to ensure it is reliable and performs “like new.” If you are looking for quality used woodworking machinery for sale, browse through our website, or contact us today.
