2023, Amana Tool, CNC Routing

CNC Routing: PVC Sintra

A customer recently asked me how fast (feed rate) they could push a 1/4″ Amana Single O Flute bit (51404) on 1/8″ PVC Sintra. They were running at 200 IPM and wanted to speed up the process. My recommendation was that they could use a different bit that would quadruple their feed rate. However, they had a stockpile of bits and wanted to use them up first.

Since I had the Amana 1/4″ Single O Flute bit (51404) and 1/8″ PVC Sintra, I did a quick test and found out that they could double their feed rate without losing too much quality. I first started out at 200 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut and started ramping up from there.

200 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut

Next up was 300 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut

300 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut

You may notice that these pictures look the same and that’s because the quality wasn’t much different. Since this turned out well, I tried 400 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut

400 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut

I ended off at 500 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut because the material was beginning to move. You can see striations on the edge of the material. It’s possible that with extra hold down this could have cut better. Extra hold down may include a vacuum hold down enhancer, tabs, double sided tape, or something else. If you want to cut any faster than 300-400 IPM, I would recommend using a different bit. Feel free to reach out with any questions.

500 IPM / 22,000 RPM / Climb Cut

All in all, you can definitely cut faster than 200 IPM without losing too much quality in this case. However, the next test would be tool life. Just because a tool can cut faster doesn’t mean it will last as long as it could. Make sure to pay attention to this when trying out new feeds and speeds as I was not able to along with this test.

This is one of many articles to come, related to CNC routing on this website. We will also be sharing videos and updates on our social media pages. Stay up-to-date with Multicam Great Lakes by following us on LinkedInFacebook, and YouTube.

If you need any help cutting specific materials on your CNC Router or Knife Cutter, please call me at (616) 502-7277. I (Greg) manage the tooling department, where we are a distributor for CNC tooling. I work with some of the best tooling suppliers in the world, such as LMT Onsrud, X-Edge, Techniks, Whiteside, LMT Belin, Amana, Emuge, and more. Feel free to check out our online webstore to see some of what we offer. Thanks for stopping by.

Greg Smolka

CNC Tooling Manager at Multicam Great Lakes

Here to help with tooling recommendations (bits, knives, collets, tool holders, cleaners and kits, torque stations, etc.) and cutting recommendations (feeds/speeds, tips/tricks, # of passes, etc.).

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