CNC Knee Mill: Is it time for an upgrade?

Just as the day will come when you need a better car or a bigger house, there’s also a time when you should consider upgrading to a CNC Knee Mill. They offer better control. The productivity is much greater than with a manual mill. There’s increased opportunities to make more complex parts. And of course, there’s none of that endless hand-cranking to make your arms tired. If you’re ready for an upgrade to a CNC Knee Mill, think about the following before signing on the bottom line.

A CNC Knee Mill is Easy

If you’ve been pulling levers and turning cranks all your life, a CNC knee mill might be a little intimidating. Rest assured, however, that with a few days of training, you’ll be machining parts like you never thought possible. Many have conversational, question and answer-style controls. You can also program them from the comfort of your favorite chair and then upload the program to the machine. Imagine engraving crisp clean text or complex part profiles. Think about drilling one hundred holes in a workpiece while you’re sawing stock out back. With a CNC knee mill, it’s possible.

A CNC Knee Mill is Fast

The word fast means different things to different people. To someone doing prototype work, fast means setups in minutes, and finished parts not long after. To someone making a few dozen of something, fast means plenty of RPM, infinitely variable speeds, automatic positioning, and the ability to remove 2.0 in³/min worth of material. A high-quality CNC knee mill does all this and more.

Anyone interested should look for features like generous table travels and load capacities. Find a machine that’s heavy for its size, with plenty of spindle power. It should have hardened and ground box ways, table top, and ballscrews. There should also be powerful servo motors for the heavy cuts, and durable, shop-hardened glass scales for maximum accuracy. And don’t forget that a CNC knee mill should have a controller that’s super easy to use, with canned cycles and no-fail setup functions. Still on the fence about all that automated stuff? Here’s the good news: you can operate a CNC knee mill manually, just like your existing machine, or in full-auto. What are you waiting for? Get cranking.