I have a Pro series with a 5X16 table and a 3 phase 7.5 hp router. We have been operating using an industrial dust collection that is at max capacity. We run a lot of different items from surfacing slabs to intricate signage. To alleviate the stress on the system we are thinking about getting a separate unit just for our CNC. Does anyone have a recommendation on CFMs needed to adequately pull the dust away.
I use an old 2hp grizzly unit that was rated at 1200 cfm and its more than adequate.
One thing that I would add - how “well” your dust collector works is also a function of how well you keep the bristles in the dust boot in reasonable contact with the spoil board/work surface. If you have gaps, then it looses effectiveness.
I would talk to your favorite dust collection company and see what they would recommend you have a very large CNC and a larger amount of flex hose to deal with
This is a very good point. When using small bits the chip velocity is pretty low (~500 fps for a 1/8” bit spinning at 16k rpm) and they are small and light so they don’t go far. I like to keep the bristles up from the work around 1/2” to let a lot of airflow in so that it sweeps them up into the boot (and they can’t shoot out through the airflow). If you seal it too tight then they don’t get lifted up very well.
However, with my 2.5” slab slayer there is a heavy load of cutting debris and its is coming out of there super fast so I make sure that the bristles are touching down on the wood so there is a physical barrier to block them from coming out. If the bristles aren’t stiff enough they can even shoot right through the brush sometimes. There is still enough airflow through the brush that it will pick up the debris.
I’ve got two dust collectors also. The Felder RL 160 will suck the chrome off a bumper. It’s great for heavy duty stuff, for sure. But it was totally ridiculous to run that all day long for most of the work I do on the CNC. It’s loud, uses a ton of power and I don’t like to run it all day long due to wear and tear.
I bought a Harvey Gyro 700 for the CNC and other stuff like my wood lathe and sanding station. Two things that are great about it is that it’s pretty quiet, and it has a VFD to control speed. The downside of the Gyro is the need to maintain the dust filters. Related to that, it doesn’t deal well with really fine dust. There is some leakage under the filters if you’ve sanded for a while.
I’ve got the collectors on a Wye, and I just switch between them as needed.
Scott - I make little clean out adapters for the G700 to make cleaning them less of a bear.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4304030787/?ref=share_ios_native_control
Let me know if you’d like a set and I’ll hook you up at cost.
Great idea!