Basic specifications of the CNC1 sampling cutting machine

The working area is 1,200 × 800 mm on the standard table. A single setup cuts a sample sheet up to 60 mm thick, which covers most gasket stock, ABS and PC sheet, and thin aluminium plate. Parts longer than 1,200 mm are cut in two passes with a repositioned datum, and the seam is blended by hand.

Sheet capacity drops as thickness rises. At 60 mm the machine runs a slow feed and a single-pass depth cut, so cycle time is roughly three times that of a 10 mm sheet. For stacks above 40 mm we usually advise cutting the profile on a CNC mill instead, because the sampling cutter is built for flat geometry rather than deep pockets.

Flatness matters more than size. A sheet that bows 2 mm over 800 mm will not sit on the vacuum bed, and the cut depth will drift across the part. If your stock arrives warped, let us know before quoting so we can plan a flattening pass.

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  Standard table1,200 × 800 mm usable area, vacuum bed with zone control.
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  Maximum thickness60 mm for single-sheet cuts at reduced feed.
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  RepositioningParts over 1,200 mm are cut in two indexed passes.

Positioning accuracy is ±0.05 mm over the full table, and repeatability is ±0.02 mm on a returned datum. That is enough for gasket sealing lines, connector cutouts, and prototype brackets. It is not a substitute for a machining center. If your drawing calls for ±0.005 mm, the part should go to a 5-axis mill, not a sampling cutter.

Edge quality depends on the tool and the material. On ABS and PC the cut edge is clean and needs only a light deburr. On aluminium plate above 3 mm you will see a small burr on the exit side, which we remove with a hand scraper or a vibratory tumble. On composites, the cut face can fray, so we run a diamond-coated tool and a slower feed.

Surface finish on the cut wall lands around Ra 3.2 μm on plastics and Ra 1.6–3.2 μm on aluminium. That is a cut finish, not a ground finish. If the edge is a sealing face or a sliding surface, plan a secondary milling or finishing operation.

The machine cuts non-ferrous sheet and polymer stock well. That includes 6061 and 5052 aluminium, brass C36000, ABS, PC, PMMA, POM, and PA. Carbon fibre sheet cuts cleanly with a diamond tool, though the dust needs extraction. These are the same materials we run across our CNC machining services, so a sample cut can move into production without a material change.

Thin stainless and steel sheet are possible up to about 2 mm, but the cutter is not the right machine for thicker steel. Above that, cutting forces climb and the edge quality falls off. For 304 or 316L plate, we route the job to a mill or a waterjet. Titanium and Inconel are not cut on this machine at all.

Heat-sensitive plastics need a slower feed. PVC releases chloride and will corrode the bed over time, so we ask for a material declaration before running it. PEEK and other high-temperature polymers cut fine but need sharp tooling and air cooling to avoid smearing the edge.

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  Good fitAluminium, brass, ABS, PC, PMMA, POM, PA, carbon fibre sheet.
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  LimitedStainless and steel sheet up to about 2 mm.
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  Not on this machineTitanium, Inconel, thick steel plate.

Use the sampling cutter when you need one to twenty flat parts fast and the tolerance is looser than ±0.05 mm. Gaskets, spacer plates, mounting panels, and fit-check blanks are typical. There is no die to make, so a design change costs nothing beyond a new program. For a bracket that will be revised three times before sign-off, that is the whole argument.

Do not use it when the part has pockets, threads, or tight bore tolerances. Those features need a rotating tool and a rigid spindle. Do not use it for production volumes in the thousands either, because cycle time per part is higher than a stamping die or a laser. At that point the tooling cost is paid back quickly.

A practical middle path: cut the sample on the CNC1 machine, check the fit on the assembly, then move the released revision to 5-axis CNC machining for the features the cutter cannot hold. We quote both steps together so the second operation is not a surprise.