My company is considering the purchase of a 5- axis CNC for our Shop but i have seen a demo on youtube that uses a robot to route curve stringers for circle stairs.
Is there any stair Manufacturer that uses 6 axis Robot for there routing of parts,stringers ,treads etc?What software is best for this type of application
From contributor Ma
We are using a 6 axis robot for carving stack laminated furniture. There were no consolidated systems available in the states when we decided to do this (we assembled hardware/software to suit our needs). It is not for the faint of heart, but there is now software/support available in the US that will allow you to use a system like this. The advantage to us is the large unrestricted work envelope.
Our system consists of an ABB robot (rebuilt), a large 1000# T-slot table bolted to the floor (Ebay) and an 8 hp router spindle. All housed in a purpose built space to contain chips/dust. Know that you'll need to be quite capable of modeling in 3D to take advantage of any 5 (or more) axis system. Conventional or otherwise.
Hope this provides some direction in your search.
From contributor AL
Thank you for the Info Marv.
What size room do you have?
Is 8 hp enough to route solid wood.
Most of 5 axis cnc used for the stair industry
is 12hp and up.I have seen some as much as 22hp, it makes a difference in the amount of tool pass you need to make.
From contributor Ma
Room size is 18 x 25 and in addition to the robot, houses the control and a dedicated dust collection system. No tool change, no means of adjusting comp values.
Eight hp is probably the minimum. I think 12 to 15 hp would be better. We commonly spin a Ø3/4" x 6" three flute spiral corrugated hogging bit which chews thru much of what we need removed. Feed rate is on the order of 150' per minute, which is constrained by the control. Our programs are typically on the order of 20 to 40 megabytes (lots of short moves).
One distinct benefit is that most robots can be made to accommodate additional axises (?). Using a rotary index table and/or a linear track can greatly expand capability.
Our system has room to grow, but our needs are unusual. I would think that if all you were going to do is stair work, a machine built for the task might be a better bet.
