Why pay more money for a knife blade on your Colex CNC machine than you have to? At CNC Tooling Shop, we offer Colex compatible knife blades at a lower cost and better quality.
Lately, Colex CNC machine users have been calling me because they can’t get their hands on the knives they need. We not only were able to supply them with the blades that they needed but we saved them money in the process.
Some materials being cut on Colex CNC machines include Corrugated Stock, Foam Board, Styrofoam, Foam Board, Honeycomb Board, Falcon Board, Vinyl, Magnet, PVC, PVC Sintra, Styrene, Foil, Coroplast, Card Stock, Xanita, Triple Wall, Fabric, Textile, and more. We have the blades to cut it all.
Here is a cheat sheet to reference your Colex CNC knife blade part number:
Feel free to take 15% off your first order with coupon code “FIRST15”. If you have any questions or need a recommendation, please call me (Greg) at (616) 502-7277 or email me at greg@cnctoolingshop.com
Greg Smolka (Author)
CNC Tooling & Application Manager
Here to help with tooling recommendations (bits, knives, collets, tool holders, maintenance kits, torque stations, etc.) and cutting recommendations (feeds/speeds, tips/tricks, # of passes, etc.).
Taking proper care of your collets and tool holders will increase the life of your collets, tool holders, CNC bits, and spindle. Not only will it increase tooling life but it will also improve cut quality. I like to think of tooling maintenance like changing the oil in a car. Sure, the car will run without ever changing the oil. However, there is a risk of blowing a gasket and warping other parts of the engine until it ultimately fails. The same goes for a CNC router. The more time a spindle is in use while being out of balance, the more of a chance it risks failing. For those of you who want to get the best out of your CNC machine investment, let’s discuss tooling maintenance.
Did you know that both the collet and tool holder have a life cycle.? Collets should be replaced every two to three months. They can even be damaged without any visible signs. A very common problem is metal fatigue which can be caused from overtightening. Be sure to use a torque wrench and tightening stand to escape this problem. Regardless, over time the gripping power will reduce with use and heat. This is why it’s very important to replace these in a timely manner. Tool holders, on the other hand, have a much longer life cycle. They should be replaced every one to two years. Like the collets, these will break down over time. Fretting and bronzing are common as tool holders get older. This is all of course dependent on the use of these tools. If a collet and tool holder is only used for an hour a week, then yes it may last longer. However, that’s if the collet is removed from the tool holder and both are cleaned and kept in a dust-free area. I have a habit of cleaning my tools after every use then putting them back in the original packaging. Not every operator has this luxury because of time constraints. So, for most of you, replacing them in a timely manner, even if they aren’t used as often, is the best option.
Besides replacing these parts when needed, It’s also important to take care of them while in use. Proper cleaning is essential for reaching full life cycles of each and achieving best cutting results. Here are the cleaning steps that should be done on a regular basis. This should be done every time a tool is changed or replaced from a collet/tool-holder.
Step 1
Use air to blow off as much from the tool holder and collet as possible. Blow off any debris, dust, and material chips. Build up often happens within the gaps of the collet. Not blowing these out could cause the collet from not being able to tighten properly.
Step 2
Use a clothe rag or paper towel to wipe off any leftover dust or material chips that are stuck to the collet and tool holder. Sometimes using a piece of paper, folded up a couple times, will help get hard to reach chips lodged in the collet gaps.
Step 3
Use the Spindle Wiper Kit to clean out the spindle opening, tool holder opening and center of collet. These are made to clean the hard to reach areas. This is especially important in the spindle and collet opening because they are nearly impossible to clean without this kit.
Step 4
Use the Nu-Tool Cleaning Protectant & Rust/Debris Remover to thoroughly clean the collet and tool holder. The rust/debris remover is only needed when rust or heavy debris are present on your tooling. For the most part, the protectant is the go-to product. This should be used to aid in cleaning every time a CNC bit is replaced. At the VERY minimum, these should be cleaned weekly to get the most out of your tooling.
If these steps are regularly taken, you will get the most out of your collets and tool holders. Your cut quality will be the best that it can be and your spindle will be in balance which in turn will allow it to last longer. Again, treating your machine like you would a car by giving it regular maintenance will help you get the best out of your Multicam CNC machine investment.
Greg Smolka (Author)
CNC Tooling & Application Manager
Here to help with tooling recommendations (bits, knives, collets, tool holders, maintenance kits, torque stations, etc.) and cutting recommendations (feeds/speeds, tips/tricks, # of passes, etc.).
Every so often, I’m asked the question “Why are my CNC bits breaking?” and then the process of elimination begins. There are an array of issues that could be causing this to happen. Here are the most common:
Incorrect feed/speed
Dull bit
Bad vacuum/hold-down
Debris in collet/tool holder
Bad collet
Incorrect Feed/Speed
First off, the feed/speed or feed rate and spindle speed are often the culprit. Bits can break at too high or too low of both the feed rate and spindle speed. It’s important to find the correct mix of feed/speed that meets your quality requirements. The easiest solution for this is to call me at (616) 502-7277. On a daily basis, I’m trouble shooting and offering starting points on how to cut a specific material for my customers.
Dull Bit
Most operators know this, but a dull CNC bit is far more likely to break than a new sharp one. Instead of the dull bit cutting through the material, the pressure is pushing through it until it no longer can. In this case, a smaller diameter tool will break before a larger one will. Pay attention to the cut quality and sound coming from the tool when a new tool is cutting vs. a used one. This way you can spot a dull tool before it breaks or sacrifices too much quality.
Poor Vacuum/Hold-Down
Bad material hold-down can very easily break a bit. Vibration or material movement is the enemy. The hold-down could be bad because of vacuum problems, lack of milling the spoil board, vacuum pressure leaking out the side of material, etc. Do whatever you have to do to keep material held in place. Some people use tape, down-spiral bits, or vacuum enhancers to further decrease movement. Again, do everything in your power to keep material held in place.
Debris In Collet/Tool Holder
If tool holders and collets are not properly cleaned, debris can build up and cause the tool holder to be off balance. When your CNC machine is cutting material out of balance, you face a decrease in tool life, spindle life, and cut quality. This can easily be a reason why your bits are breaking. Remember that collets and tools holders are consumables and should be replaced in a reasonable time-frame. See a recent article, I wrote, with more detail on tooling maintenance HERE.
Bad Collet
Like I mentioned above, collets are consumables. Depending on use, collets have a 90 day life. When you break a bit near the collet, they should also be replaced because they can damage the collet to where it no longer holds a bit correctly. Think of a collet as a spring. If a spring is compacted together for 90 straight days, it will no longer be the spring it once was. Therefore, your CNC bits are not being held as tight and balanced as they need to be. Find collets on our webstore HERE
Greg Smolka (Author)
CNC Tooling & Application Manager
Here to help with tooling recommendations (bits, knives, collets, tool holders, maintenance kits, torque stations, etc.) and cutting recommendations (feeds/speeds, tips/tricks, # of passes, etc.).
The CNC Tooling Shop is dedicated to providing high quality CNC tooling at an affordable price. With many years of CNC machining and tooling experience, we are here to be a resource for CNC users everywhere.
You may recognize some of the tooling brands and that is by design. CNC machining is an important part of a manufacturing process and the tools used in this process should provide the best quality at the best price. Brands like LMT Onsrud, X-Edge, LMT Belin, Amana, Techniks, and Whiteside have been proving this year after year. These are brands that we are happy to attach our name to.
We also believe that using these tools properly is a very important piece of the equation. That’s where we come in. We will not only help you find the right tools but also help you determine the feed rate, spindle speed, direction of cut, number of passes, and more. Sometimes, extra testing is involved but we are happy to advise on how that can be done. This service comes with being our customer. We don’t charge any additional fees for phone support or on-site visits, when needed.
Mission Statement
“To provide high quality CNC tooling and support at an affordable price.”
When orders are placed they will be double checked to ensure no errors were made and customer follow up will take place during the same day (unless an order is made after hours). If products are available, which most are, they will be shipped the same day. If they are not available, a lead time will be provided.
Feel free to reach out for any assistance with our website or anything regarding CNC routing and knife cutting.
CNC Tooling Shop, a division of Specialty Machinery Inc.
Here to help with tooling recommendations (bits, knives, collets, tool holders, maintenance kits, torque stations, etc.) and cutting recommendations (feeds/speeds, tips/tricks, # of passes, etc.).
