Many of the instruments we characteristic round right here are usually on the smaller scale. It’s uncommon that we discuss instruments that wouldn’t match on a sturdy desk. However generally a maker must work on a bigger scale and that’s notably true in terms of woodworking duties, like furnishings development. Slicing a complete 4×8-foot sheet of plywood is often the form of factor you may solely do with costly industrial CNC routers. However Acmer might lastly make it inexpensive with the upcoming launch of their new Acmer X1 laser cutter/CNC router.
The Acmer X1 is about to launch by means of a Kickstarter marketing campaign going stay in September, however there are sufficient pre-launch particulars out there to get me excited. Essentially the most compelling of these options is the machine’s sheer measurement. It is going to be out there in three completely different sizes and the smallest has a working space of about 30×30”, which is helpful even when it isn’t notably groundbreaking. The biggest — the Acmer X1 Extremely — has a whopping 49×100” working space and people of you who can divide by 12 will acknowledge that as being greater than sufficient for a full 4×8’ sheet of plywood.
That measurement would have me even when it had been only a CNC router, however it is usually a really highly effective laser cutter. Along with the 200W CNC router head, there’s additionally a 120W diode laser head and 4W infrared laser head. The 120W diode laser can minimize by means of as much as 40mm of fabric — although that’s paulownia wooden within the instance, which is principally an Asian different to balsa wooden. However “plywood” (sort unknown) might be as much as 28mm thick and black acrylic might be as much as 30mm thick. 120W is a really massive quantity for a diode laser (so massive that it wants water-cooling), in order that is smart. The 4W infrared laser is generally good for marking metals.
Different options embody auto focus and a “precision work space,” which is one 15×15” nook of the mattress the place there’s a digicam for positioning. The Acmer X1 can be totally enclosed, which is nice information. The laser can be suitable with each Lightburn and Acmer Studio. The CNC can be suitable with Candle, UGS, and Easel. That suggests the machine’s controller is operating some type of GRBL and whether it is, then different software program ought to be suitable, too.
We don’t but have data on the costs of the completely different Acmer X1 fashions, however the teaser web page says that “VIP-Unique Costs begin at $2999.” Presumably, that’s for the small X1 mannequin (not the X1 Plus or X1 Extremely). If Acmer can get the X1 Extremely out for lower than $5000, will probably be very tempting.
