Quote Originally Posted by Robin Oakapple View Post
The machine I have doesn't strike me as being in any way flimsy, in fact when I saw it I was surprised at just how much I was getting for my money (which is always a factor in a production situation, where there are always other ways of making the parts I need).
Well with all due respect if you haven't got any experience with CNC machines then you have nothing to compare it with.!

At the moment you are not seeing its weakness because you are not cutting correctly so are not pushing the machine, which isn't a good sign because it's struggling to cut correctly now.!
You mention production and when working in a production environment cutting at production feed rates then you can rest assured its weaknesses will some come to the surface. Because while the frame and gantry seem quite sturdy to you they are actually very flimsy when it comes to cutting at anything like correct feed rates with a good depth of cut (DOC) which are required in the production environment.
The things you will find when cutting at anything like production parameters will be poor finish quality along with poor tool life or worse broken tools. All these things make a huge difference to cycle times and the quality of finished parts. They also affect tool life greatly and if your underperforming you are actually wearing tools prematurely which can lead to breakages and worse damaged work but more importantly lost time.

I'm sorry to say this but this machine is at best hobby level, yes it can be used in a business environment but I promise you it's underperforming in comparison to a more substantially built machine. Which means it's costing you money.!