CNC machine commonly found in the manufacturing industry and workshop to help them create many things based on each project. As a big chunk of machinery, the CNC machine eventually will be experiencing some issues or errors during operation. These issues are common and the solutions have also been provided either by the CNC machine manufacturer or the community. 

To begin with, we need to understand what is a CNC machine and what is it capable of. CNC stands for computer numerical control. A CNC machine will follow the order on the programming system and will reshape the piece of material specific to the project requirements. These include the use of grinders and lathes to mills and routers.

Depending on each project requirement, a CNC machine can be used as a CNC milling machine, lathe, router, weld, grinder, laser or waterjet cutter, sheet metal stamping machine, robot, or many other types of machines that required on a certain project.

Here are some of the common issues with the CNC machine and how to fix them.

1. Poor material finishes

Mini cnc machine programmed to perform a certain action precisely which won’t leave any room for error. These errors include rough edges and cutter marks on the surface of the material. One of the causes of these errors could be the wrong cutting tool and setting for the project. The quickest solution would be to recheck the cutting tool and setting then customize it correctly for the project requirement.

2. Programming errors

This mostly caused by the wrong setting on the CNC router. This leads to how informed the operator’s level of understanding about the CNC machine operation and programming. The operator should undergo proper training to understand the CNC machine thoroughly following the instructor or the manual.

3. Overheating issue

Overheating is the basic issue for every machinery either it’s big or small because the constant movement from the machine leads to generating heat, also other factors such as the electricity could cause such heat to increase significantly. While in the CNC machine’s case, the main source of heat mainly due to the debris from the metal that can be a great conductor to generate heat for the CNC router. Proper maintenance is necessary every time a project is finished.

4. Power source issue

A CNC router needs quite a big power source to operate, sometimes this small detail often missed that lead to the router not working. Check the required voltage on the router before plugging it into the power socket. Not to mention the machine need a stable power supply, therefore, it’s better to check with the electrical specialist/provider on the condition of your electrical system.

5. Human error

In conjunction with programming errors, the operator’s lack of understanding of the machine will lead to a number of issues because the CNC router is complex machinery that needs a specialist to run the operation smoothly. Proper training and adhering to the guidelines given by the instructor or the manual book can lower the chance of doing a simple mistake such as the wrong setup.

6. CNC machine vibrate and generating loud noise

If you noticed the router making a loud noise and vibrating hard during operation this could mean the durability of the CNC machine parts has dropped which indicate some of them need a replacement. However, to understand which part needs a replacement, you can do a simple checking by adjusting the RPM while operational and look for the parts that vibrating harder than others. 

7. Grip issue on the chucks

The chucks purpose is to safely hold the material in the process steadily. If there’s a slight movement during operational this could lead to a failed product finishing. What you should check:

• The hydraulic pump and pressure condition
• The footswitches condition
• Lubrication

Additionally, if you own a Tekcel CNC Machine, call on their support to get help with this problem ASAP.

8. Lack of maintenance

Like many other types of machinery, a CNC router requires extra attention regarding its maintenance on parts and external factors such as cleanliness because as mentioned in #3 (Overheating issue), debris from the processed material could hinder the machine operational which sometimes could cause overheating. Regular maintenance on the parts is also a mandatory procedure to ensure that each part can run smoothly.

9. Choosing the correct CNC partner

Owning a CNC router is an investment and that should begin with choosing the correct provider. If you live in Australia, there are plenty of CNC provider/manufacturer that worldly known for their product reliability. Search for “CNC Machine near me” in Google Search and you will discover them easily. Look for the one that has good reviews and has many branches all over the world.

Conclusion

You can’t deny that the CNC machine is a brilliant piece of machinery that can give you a big help on any kind of engineering project. However, don’t forget it’s still a piece of machinery which sometimes could break due to poor maintenance or other external factors. Thank you for reading and feel free to share the article.