Microrouter Compact accuracy

[Mike Goode]

Could anyone tell me the specified postional accuracy, and repeatability of the Microrouter Compact please?

[Denford Admin]

Is this the old Compact or the new Compact 1000 ?

Either way, we can't really give real world figures - just the theoretical positioning accuracy of the stepper motors.
In the real world, accuracy will be affected by different factors such as temperature, wear in screws or nuts, speeds, feeds, material and cutter types (eg, push off / swarf build up) etc etc....

Certainly the new Compact 1000 is more rigid and accurate than the old version.

[Mike Goode]

It's the old Compact that I refer to, and I would have thought there would be at least a guide to accuracy in the spec., as per the milling machines. If it is just the resolution of the steppers , do we know what it is, and how it compares with milling machines such as the Novamill. The reason for the question is to help me make the decision to buy the Novamill or Microrouter Compact. I presume the routers are not so accurate as millers, but I need to know by how much.

[Denford Admin]

I need to know by how much

It's hard to quantify...
The compact can theoretically position within 25uM (microns) and the Novamill 5uM
In reality the Novamill is more likely to achieve this accuracy, it has better repeatability and far more rigid when machining harder materials.
On the other hand, the compact will machine 3D models out of soft materials much quicker than the Novamill can.

If you're mainly doing 2D or small/precise 3D work in hard materials, then definitely go for the Novamill.
If you want to quickly machine up some 3D prototypes out of foam or balsa, then go for the Compact.

[angel-tech]

In laymans terms a router will normally be around 5 times faster than a mill, but the mill will be 5 times more accurate. Because the router axis moves 5 times more per step of the motor than the mill.

This is due to the stepper motor directly driving the screw on the router, and the pitch of the screw being greater than the mill screw. Most Denford mills have a reduction gearbox between the stepper and the ballscrew and a smaller pitch on the screw.