Do you have a thought to DIY or buy an advanced 4 Axis CNC Wood Router? Browse the 2024 new 4 Axis Machine buyer’s guide as follows, we’ll provide you with the competitive 4 Axis wood routers of 2024 with expert customer service to satisfy your requirements.

What is a 4-axis CNC Router?

The 4-axis CNC Router machine refers to the computer numerical control equipment including X, Y, Z, and additional rotation axis. It has 3 straight coordinates and 1 rotating coordinate. 4-axis CNC Router engraving machines are usually equipped with rotating axes or rocking spindles, so they can contact the workpiece from different angles and effectively work, so as to realize the 3D processing of cylindrical, curved and circular surfaces.

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The 4-axis CNC Router is divided into the rotary type and spindle swing type, including right rotary axis engraving machine (customizable front rotary device), 2D&3D CNC engraving machine, 3D stereoscopic engraving machine, four-axis CNC machining center, foam carving machine, spindle swing engraving machine, and lock hole machine.

The 4-axis CNC Router is also known as 4-axis CNC wood router, 4-axis CNC router machine, best -axis CNC router, 4-axis CNC milling machine, 4-axis CNC machine, 4-axis milling machine, 4-axis CNC engraving machine, 4-axis CNC router engraver machine, 4th axis CNC router, 4-axis machining, 4-axis engraving machine, 4-axis wood CNC machine, 4-axis wood carving machine.

How does the 4-axis CNC Router work?

The first one is similar to the 3 axes CNC Router machine with X, Y, and Z axes, but it also includes a rotating device called A axis. The moving path is X-Z-A, Y-Z-A.

The other is a four-axis linkage CNC Router, which realizes 180-degree machining by swing the spindle. Its motion path is X-Y-Z-A, X-Y-Z-B, and X-Y-Z-C. 4-axis CNC router engraving machine, at the time of carving, according to 360 degrees, each step takes 0.000* degrees. At the same time, the high speed rotating spindle on the carving machine cuts the processed material fixed on the table by cutting tools according to the material processed. We can carve various 2D or 3D relief graphics and characters designed in the computer to realize automatic carving.

In daily application, the 4 axis milling machine worktable can not only achieve plane engraving but also realize irregular 3D machining and 3D carving of the irregular workpiece.

How is a 4-axis CNC Router used?

The application of the 4-axis CNC Router machine includes drilling, milling, carving, cutting, slotting, and hollowing on wood boards (such as wave boards, MDF, composite wood, solid wood). It is also suitable for leather, foam, PVC, steel, aluminum, acrylic, EPS, copper, and other soft materials.

Common solid wood: softwood, hardwood, modified wood.

Common wood composite materials: plywood, particleboard, hard fibreboard, MDF(medium-density fiberboard), high-density fiberboard, blackboard, and so on.

Mold industry: casting mold, foam mold, automobile mold, train mold, aviation mold, ship model, paraffin mold, etc.

Sculpture industry: keel, Buddha, gourd;

Woodworking industry: 3D(three-dimensional) wave board processing, solid wood door, cabinet door, craft wooden door, wooden screen, paint-free door, craft window processing, musical instrument board surface, panel furniture processing;

Advertising industry: advertising signs, acrylic processing, logo production, plastic molding, various materials decorative parts production;

Craft gift industry: stigma, bamboo tube, and so on.

What’s the worktable size of the 4 axis CNC Router?

4×4, 4×6, 4×8, 5×10 and 6×12 in feet;

48×48, 48×96, 60×120, 80×120, and 80×160 in inch;

1212, 1218, 1224, 1325, 1530, 2030 and 2040 in milometer.

Of course, the worktable size can be customized as your requirements.

How to choose a suitable 4-axis CNC Router?

  1. Processing materials, such as logs or square lumber, choose to rotate axes type. The diameter of the rotation axis less than 200mm can be placed on the countertop. Greater than or equal to 200mm should be considered on the side.
  2. The size of the processing material is generally minimized without affecting the processing stroke so that it’s easy to package and shipping.
  3. If the machined material is punched, cut or engraved on the arc surface or irregular angle, the spindle must be considered to swing. The spindle swing needs to determine the length and width of the processing material and the tools needed so that the material can be truly processed.
  4. The machine configuration is determined according to the accuracy of the required processing materials, and the higher the accuracy is, the higher the configuration is.
  5. The spindle rocking machine does not recommend stepping motors.

How to maintain a 4-axis CNC Router?

  1. Maintain a good machine environment.

(1) Ensure the operating temperature of the workshop, especially in winter, it is best to let the machine reach room temperature.

(2) Check the applicable temperature of the refueling standard, at least the lowest temperature.

(3) When the machine is not used, if the room temperature is low, the water in the tank should be poured out to prevent the rupture of the water tank and the water pipe. Although the effect of temperature on the engraving machine is not very large, many operators forget to clean in the winter because of the butter added by many operators, which makes the machine difficult to operate during start-up. The temperature of some workshops is very low. But it can still be frozen.

(4) The humidity of the chassis should not be too high, otherwise, the electrical accessories of the machine will wear easily.

(5) CNC engraving machine can not be installed in high humidity, dusty and polluted places. Otherwise, the performance of electronic components may decrease and cause bad electrical contact or short circuit faults. Therefore, if the environment of NC machine tools is not good, it will directly affect the normal operation of machine tools.

(6) Attention must be paid to electromagnetic interference in the operation room. If interference is too large, it is easy to affect the machining accuracy and should be kept away from equipment with high vibration to avoid interference.

  1. Keep CNC machine tools clean.

(1) Every time the work is completed, the workbench is cleaned in time. The dust on the machine is blown away by the air gun. Lack of cleanliness may cause dust and debris accumulation. In addition, some debris will enter the lubrication system, so that the machine will stop working. Cleaning the machine every day can prevent the sawdust from stacking up.

(2) Clean up the chip around the guide rail and the guide block of the linear bearing to prevent the machine from jamming due to debris interference during operation and damaging the slider.

(3) Regularly clean the lead screw to prevent foreign matter from sticking on the screw. The screw is very important in the equipment. It determines the accuracy of the machine and plays an important role in the transmission process.

(4) Regularly clean the chassis. Dust will kill the circuit boards. When the circuit boards are too dirty, they may cause short circuit faults. Every time you use the machine, please pay attention to cleaning to ensure the dust on the cleaning platform and transmission system.

(5) Chassis and machine tool fan filters should be regularly inspected and cleaned and replaced when necessary. When the filter screen is too dirty, it may cause poor heat dissipation and malfunction.

(6) Clean bits holders, chucks, and spindles are also important. They must be rustproof and clean.

(7) Check the spindle surface. You can wipe it with a clean soft cloth.

  1. Regular lubrication

CNC machines need regular lubrication for normal operation and prevent premature wear. These components (such as spindles, lead screws, guideways, bearings, tool holders, and sliders) need regular lubrication to slow down the wear rate. Please ensure that manufacturers follow the advice and use grease. Improper lubrication causes machine parts to be viscous or abnormal, or even cause more serious problems.

(1) Clean the slideway and lead screw first. Wipe the dirt and debris on the slideway and the lead screw with a piece of cloth. If the temperature is low, please fill the slide rail and the guide screw, preferably the antifreeze oil.

(2) The fuel cycle is two times a month.

(3) If the machine is not used for a long time, it should be regularly refueling to ensure the flexibility of the transmission system.

(4) Slowly move forward and backward after refueling to ensure that the lubricating oil can be evenly applied to the guide rail and the lead screw.

(5) Regular (weekly) lubrication transmission system (X, Y, Z three-axis).

  1. Check computers regularly.

Computer anomalies can also cause a lot of problems, especially for computers connected to CNC routers.

(1) Regularly clean the chassis dust, pay attention to the chassis heat dissipation, pay attention to too much dust will lead to industrial control card failure.

(2) Regularly defragment the disk and optimize the computer system.

(3) Check and kill viruses regularly.

  1. Cooling water for the spindle motor

(1) Cooling water is very important for the water-cooled spindle motor. If the cooling water is too dirty, it will seriously damage the motor. So please ensure that the cooling water is clean. The spindle motor must not dehydrate. It’s better to replace the cooling water to avoid the high temperature of the water. In winter, if the working environment temperature is too low, the water can be replaced by antifreeze.

(2) Pay attention to water level, do not make water-cooled spindle motor lack of water, so as to avoid the timely release of motor heat.

(3) Pay attention to the ambient temperature and pay attention to it, because the water temperature is too cold will cause the water tank and the water pipe to freeze.

(4) Antifreeze can be used for cooling.

  1. Follow the manufacturer’s regular maintenance schedule.

Manufacturers can provide manuals to tell you when and how to maintain machines. Therefore, please read them carefully and strictly follow them. This helps to identify potential problems before failure, especially for inexperienced operators.

  1. Check

(1) Check the moving parts (drive and motor) and fixed screws of the machine reliably and reliably every month. If the connection is lost, tighten the screws.

(2) When checking the machine, be sure to turn off the power and wait until the monitor does not show, and the main circuit power indicator is extinguished.

(3) Inspect the tools and parts of the CNC machine before cutting.

Damaged CNC tools and parts will affect the accuracy and quality of cutting, and eventually lead to more problems. Therefore, please check the status of tools and parts, such as CNC cutting tools, tool carrier, chuck, tool carrier fork, worktable gasket, CNC suction cup, jig, and replace it when necessary.

  1. There are fast wearing parts at hand.

Keep some easily damaged parts, such as CNC milling cutters, CNC bits clamps, chuck, and stock, which can save a lot of time and extra transportation costs. You don’t have to wait for spare parts to be delivered and delivered. You just need to find them in your warehouse and replace them. Moreover, these spare parts will not cost you too much. First, start with the CNC milling machine parts list, and then find a reliable supplier of parts.

4-axis CNC Router operation guide.

  1. Preparations before work:

(1) Before work begins to work, we should warm up and check carefully whether the lubrication system works normally.

(2) If the engraving machine does not start for a long time, oil can be supplied to all parts manually.

(3) Before carving and carving, we must check and confirm whether the cooling system (water pump) and lubricating system (oil pump) are working normally.

(4) The tools used should be in accordance with the specifications permitted by machine tools, and tools with serious breakage should be replaced in time.

(5) Do not forget the tools used to adjust the cutting tools in the machine tools.

(6) After the cutters are installed, there should be one or two trial cutting.

(7) Check the chuck clamping status before and during the operation.

(8) When clamping the workpiece, we must follow the principle of “loading, leveling and loading”, and strictly prohibit carving on suspended materials. In order to prevent the deformation of materials, the thickness of materials is more than 2mm of the depth of carving.

(9) Before installing the card tool, clean up the impurities in the card head.

(10) When the tool is installed, it must first rotate the card head into the lock nut and put it on the motor shaft, then insert the cutter into the card head, then slowly lock the nut with the upper bits wrench. When loading and unloading the cutter, the elastic nut can be disconnected and pushed by the rotation mode.

(11) The length of the tool exposed head must be determined according to the depth of carving, whether the workpiece and the fixture interfere or not.

(12) Before machining, we must correctly define the starting point of the X, Y, and Z axis. After changing the tool, we must immediately redefine the starting point of Z-axis, and the starting point of the X and Y axis can not be changed.

(13) When using the toolset to define the tool point, the spindle rotation must be strictly prohibited, so as to prevent the tool from being broken.

(14) Before starting the processing (bottom bits), you must place your hands on the red emergency switch button and press immediately when there is an accident.

  1. Safety precautions in the course of work:

(1) Prohibit the use of hand contact with the tip and iron scrap, iron scrap must be cleaned with iron hook or brush.

(2) Prohibit the use of hand or any other means of contact with rotating spindles, workpieces, or other moving parts.

(3) It is forbidden to measure workpiece and speed change during processing, and can not wipe the workpiece with cotton wire or clean the machine.

(4) In the milling machine operation, the operator can not leave the post, the machine tool finds an unusual phenomenon immediately stops.

(5) Check the bearing temperature frequently.

(6) In the process of processing, it is not allowed to open the machine door.

(7) Strictly abide by the post responsibility system, the machine tool is used by the special person, others need to use my consent.

(8) It is strictly prohibited to put anything on the crossbeam and stall of the machine tool so as to avoid falling and hurting people.

(9) During the operation, it is strictly prohibited to lie on the machine tool, nor is it allowed to sit or lean on the machine tool rack.

(10) After the machine is operated, the power must be cut off before the machine stops completely.

  1. Matters needing attention after completion of work:

(1) Remove chips and wipe machine tools to keep machine tools and environment clean.

(2) Check the status of lubricating oil and coolant, add or replace it in time.

(3) Do not use the wrench to hit the card when unloading.

(4) After processing, we must turn off the power of the machine tools, inspect the workpieces, clean up the workpieces, measure the tools, clean the machine tools and the ground.

(5) Turn off the power supply and the total power supply of the machine tool operation panel in turn.

(6) The machine needs regular maintenance, adjustment, and maintenance, and no compulsory use is strictly prohibited.

The wearing parts of a 4 axis CNC Router.

Including but not limited in the vacuum tube, vacuum brush, cylinder connector, bits, and so on.

iGOLDENCNC provides all kinds of CNC router parts at the same time.

Please contact us directly for more four-axis router ideas, projects, and plans. At the same time, we can provide the 3 axis, 5 axis CNC router, and router kits, bits, and tools.