Feed Rates and cutters for wood panels

[Ger21]

If you need both the top and bottom edges clean, then you want to cut the profile with a compression bit.
If you can, I'd try to go up to a 4-5Kw spindle, which should let you cut the profile in one pass with a 10mm compression bit. Machine rigidity will dictate how fast you can go, but I've cut 19mm board in one pass at ~17m/min with a 10mm compression bit.

If your limited to 3Kw, then I'd probably try using a 1/4" compression bit for everything. Cut the profiles slightly oversize in 3 passes, with a final cleanup pass at full depth, removing about .5mm.

[jimbo_cnc]

Thanks for that.

I'm not limited to anything. I'm just looking for the most economic way to cut 200 boards per year.

[Ger21]

The most economical would probably be to pay someone else to cut them.

[jimbo_cnc]

The most economical would probably be to pay someone else to cut them.

It might be close if they were all the same, but say I have 10 model options. That would mean liasing and travelling to the cnc shop everytime someone orders one. That's $50 of my time IF it all goes well, plus the $100 machining fee x 50 visits = $7500 per year.

If I damage a panel later in the build process the costs and delay are horrendous if I can't just run another one off myself.

Obviously there are also many other advantages to having my own machine too, outside of the main 200 board requirement.