Cutting square panels- CNC or sliding table saw?

[xargos]

Hello,
I'm running a small cabinet shop with my brother.Until now we've been using unisaw for for squaring panels and cutting 4x8 sheets.Workload is relativewy high, it is hard to do for one man and accuracy lacks.Sliding panel saw seems a good alternative but what about cnc ?
I haven't had a chance to see how it is used in a cabinet shop, but after I've demoed couple sliding saws I'm still thinking that a cnc could make things easier.I would use it mostly for cutting, drilling, dadoing plywood and melamine.
thank you,
Luke

[harryball]

Luke,

You can cut more panels per hour with a sliding table saw but you (or someone) will be standing there for each and every panel making the cuts. Drilling and dadoing is then an extra process again requiring a person's direct full time attention. Going head to head 3 men with all the tools could out produce 1 man and a bot. Eventually those 3 guys are going to get tired, make mistakes and require more pay.

The bot will take a sheet you load and obediently cut all the parts, drill holes and cut dados while you assemble the cabinets it cut earlier. It doesn't get tired, slow down, forget to make cuts, go home early, show up drunk or show up with the police following (true story).

So... one man with a bot can be far more profitable. One man can also support more than one bot compounding production.

Ask in the "looking for shopbot owner" is someone is around that would be glad to show off their bot in action. There is a learning curve, higher initial investiment and some skill requirements beyond standard woodworking, but the payoff is well worth the effort IMHO.

Think of the bot as a tool and an employee.

Robert

[richards]

Luke,
A slider can do an incredible amount of cutting in a very short time with the added advantage of only loosing 1/8-inch for each kerf. It's been my experience that a good sawyer, with properly laid out parts, will beat a CNC router every time when cutting out panels.

HOWEVER, a saw only saws. And just as you've pointed out, a CNC router can do so much more.

In my shop, my Uni-saw has been moved against a wall and is literally buried and useless. I've even covered it with a piece of 1-1/4-inch thick MDF so that I can use it as a table. My Shopbot handles all of my cutting.

IF I had room and IF I had sufficient volume, I would use a slider to cut panels to size, and then use MULTIPLE CNC routers to do all of the other work. A Shopbot, without an automatic tool changer is still a wonderful machine, but when 50% or more of its production time is wasted changing between 5mm cutters and 3/8-inch cutters, using multiple machines or a combination of machines might be more efficient. Several 'botter have had great success by mounting both an auxiliary air-drill and a spindle on their Shopbots. My volume hasn't led me down that particular path yet.

Edited: It looks like Robert can think faster and type faster than I, but we think somewhat alike.

[harryball]

My Unisaw is definately a firm fixture center shop and it crucial to our product since the bot does not cut bevels. I use it regularly and would say it's the second most used tool in the shop, the bot is first. I suppose I could use the bot like Mike and elminate my saw... but I love my unisaw, worked hard for it :-) In reality, the saw is simply faster at some of my cuts, I can set and go.

Mike is correct about loading and changing bits on the bot. An auto tool changer would be great, but dual Z axis would suit my needs well. When volume increases, upgrades or additional bots are far more economical than hiring more people.

Like mike, if I had the room and volume as well as a couple of employees, I might cut the panels and load them one at a time in multiple smaller bots to process the parts. That would be more assembly line fashion and requires far more volume than I'm concerned with at the moment.

Robert

[stockbub]

I just got up and running with my new PRS and it has created more work then I know what to do. I cut and dadoed 14 sheets of 3/4" plywood in little less then 1 1/2 hours, that is loading and unloading, vacuum system off and on. I have cut a sheet all parts in around 5 minutes, 7 minutes with tool changes. Funny thing is an entire kitchen was cut in less then 1 1/2 hours. Imiagine someoen whowing up at 6:00 and when everyone else shows up at 7:30, they start assemblying instantly. I was going to get a slider, and opted to just get the bot. Best decision I made. For instance, today my client (at the last minute) told me that she wanted the bar to have a radius bar top. I charged $150.00 to do it, 5 minutes to draw, 2 minutes to load, 2 minutes to cut PERFECT arch, and done. I do not see the need in both. I do want a SAWSTOP, so I can continue to count to 10. But nothing is wrong with my current saw so will have to wait till it breaks

[knight_toolworks]

I used one to build my cnc table and it was nice but thats one thing the cnc will get used for. I wish I could eliminated my tablesaw I could use the room but i think it is the tool to rip 8/4 tropical woods.

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