Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Interesting article - for those interested in CNC's machines.

http://www.designnews.com/article/CA6459984.html?nid=2337&rid=1727329565

Oops, I meant to add that this article is about a CNC bandsaw (pretty sure), which Gibson claims to be the first to use - as opposed to CNC's used for routing, which is more common. It apparently is helping out a lot with production through put.

It's pretty slick for sawing out a stack of 8 guitar blanks. However, given that a rough perimeter cut with a CNC router takes about 20 seconds, this saw would have to do the job in under 2 1/2 minutes, including the operator load and stacking time in order to effect a cost savings.

Also, the scrap would be larger pieces which have to be disposed of by hand, whereas the router would make more sawdust that just goes up the dust collector and could be recycled without having to run a hogger on the scrap.

There might be some cost savings on the blades vs. cutters though. The solid carbide rough cutters we use are $150 each but they'll last 4000 bodies at least. Don't know about the blade cost or life for the saw. I also don't know if the saw has a sensor for blade wear compensation but the router does, in that current draw by the spindle is used to determine how well things are cutting.

It's still a cool machine, though.

I was hoping you'd see this John (half the reason I posted it).