How do you leverage CNC to be unique in your local marketplace?

[Mick Simon]

I would second David's recommendation to look at FineLine Automation's Saturn series machines. Having been in the industrial CNC arena for 25+ years, this is the most robust frame and mechanical assembly I've seen for anywhere near its price. Combine it with whatever electronics you want - CNC Router Parts or DIY.

[Mark Canada]

Mark, what machine do you have that is capable of such precision and accuracy? I'm interested in eventually getting a high precision small machine, maybe 2' x 3'

Its from a company that is no longer in business - the sole operator had some major health issues and was forced to close. I'm running Leadshine 10,000count/revolution servos on it, maximum error at maximum acceleration is 40 counts (for under 3ms), they are really good. I upgraded the C7 grade ball screws to far higher accuracy ballscrews. The frame is 3/4" aluminium plate, which isn't great from a thermal expansion point of view, but once it's at operating temperature not much changes. I don't really need to hold those tolerances for the details, tolerances are much lower than the detail required, so when carving ultra high resolution details into a mould its not so critical.

What sort of a machine is necessary to do steel rule dies? What sort of endmills does one need? Would it be possible to cut out the surround of a die in sections (as through cuts), glue that to a backer board, and add the rules in-between the parts?

You can get steel rule dies from Precise Bits (http://www.precisebits.com/applications/srdtools.htm) or McMaster, or your usual tool supplier. If you want to run the boards for the die fast, you need 40-60,000rpm.. the 24000rpm chinese VFD spindles will do it, just lower feedrates obviously Machine stiffness, as always, is going to determinine the tolerances you can hold.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A_qO69FP3s

[Bill George]

So there is much more involved than simply just purchasing a CNC router. You also need a way to make the actual die, cutting the steel, bending precisely and the completing the process by putting it all together. Most of all you need the skill.

[Art Mann]

You aren't going to be cutting any steel with the type of CNC router Jim Becker is evaluating.

[Bill George]

You aren't going to be cutting any steel with the type of CNC router Jim Becker is evaluating.

Correct.

But your going to need to cut and bend the steel for the dies, then they have to be sharpened but most steel is already pre-sharpened and pre-hardened and comes in different thickness. That is what I am getting at, suddenly people are going to be ordering CNC routers to jump on the bandwagon for the "easy money". There is much more to making those steel rule dies than just simply a router. Oh and don't forget the skill involved, I think its a bit more than watching a You Tube video.