[walkerstang]

Hi one and all.

I have spent many years working with a very broad range of cnc equipment in the aircraft industry and the cabinet manufacturing industry.  The cabinet company I’ve been with for the past 11 years is going to move into the solid surface arena, both commercial and residential, and we are scoping out cnc routers.  We have been using a KOMO mach II s for nested part processing with much success and are looking to add a cnc router that will be dedicated to solid surface processing with some light mdf panel processing.  Currently considering machines by AXYZ and Multicam.  Would be most interested in feedback on these machines as well as thoughts on other cnc manufacturers. Thanks

[Len Smith]

We’ve had both. Multicam had a fantastic sales pitch, but getting service after the purchase was far worse than a trip to the dentist, and twice as costly (in terms of lost productivity.) My apologies to the dentists out there.

About two years into the lease we got rid of the MultiCam, and bought an AXYZ, and happiness has returned to our production manager. ;^)

YMMV.

[Andy Graves]

I have a Multicam and it has honestly worked well but the service is a bit lacking. There is one repair tech that is excellent but you have to hope you get him to your shop. The others that have come to my shop don’t seem to know much and end up costing lots more in hourly rates.

Both machines will cut solid surface and mdf.

Not sure what area you are located, but both have showrooms where you can visit the machines. Also take a look at the software and see what is compatible with each. Don’t by a machine that isn’t compatible with all popular software programs.

Check out the vacuum pumps as well. The one that they sold me is extremely loud and probably not the best type.

If you have further questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Andy

[Len Smith]

We once needed a part to keep our Multicam running, and Multicam didn’t have any…they were backordered. We do multiple unit projects, and we couldn’t wait for two or three weeks while they restocked their inventory. The local rep couldn’t help me, and I called headquarters and talked to the VP at the time. He seemed unconcerned about our problem.

It took several phone calls to finally convince them to take a part off of a machine they were building and send it to us, so we could keep working. They only did it begrudgingly.

I think ours was never calibrated properly before it left the factory. We spent thousands of dollars in the last year we owned it just to keep it running, and as Andy said, there was really only one tech who knew the machine.

Also…we could never get a maintenance manual from Multicam. That’s important, because if you want to keep your machine in warranty, it needs to be maintained properly. We had two techs each giving us opposite advice on maintenance, and when we asked them to write it down, they declined. (This was after we had to ship our spindle off for a rebuild in the first year of ownership.)

If they are properly calibrated before shipping, they are probably ok, but service in our area was sorely lacking.

[Andy Graves]

I want to throw in that we are less than one mile from the Multicam facility.

[walkerstang]

I really appreciate the good feedback guys. I know 11 years back when I started in this industry, CNC’s had yet to really take off outside the machining industry, but now it seems like everyone and their brother is building a CNC router. Getting to talk to people that have actually owned and operated a particular machine is almost invaluable these days. Thanks Guys.

[Trevor Baker]

We run a Multicam 3000, and we love it. (UK). we have had a few issues – we have a recurring issue on the Proximity sensor on the Z, but this aside the machine has been super reliable. UK tech support is very good.

We cut EVERY component of every job on it, its very easy to learn , even for operators with no CNC background. The control pendant is also very user friendly.

Our first CNC was a Shopbot. You learn fast when you have to bolt the whole thing together before you start cutting…

[all countertops]

We have been running a weeke CNC for ten years and just bought a second one plus additional machines from Stiles Machinery. You pay more than for other machines but they are a large company with lots of support and build excellent machines. Of the maybe 3 times our old CNC was down parts were imediately available. Meaning one time I ordered parts 7PM west coast from the Mich. and had them 9am the next morning. The parts guy left his house , pulled the part, drove it to the airport and shipped. I paid a couple hundred dollars for this but what does down time cost you? they have 24hr tech support and parts service.
The good news, they are a huge company and have the parts and support you need. The bad news they are a huge company. I hate huge corporations but I would not deal with anyone else.

[clark0404]

I’m looking to purchase a used CNC router for the purpose of foam fabrication. As anyone would, I want to ensure we purchase a quality machine that provides good durability, readily available parts, and great service. What do you recommend?

[Andy Graves]

Foam cutting is easy compared to solid surface. You could probably buy something relatively inexpensive. AXYZ and Multicam both have inexpensive machines but there are others.

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