Floor
Prototype studio
Router and engraver side by side for honest first cuts and tags.
Essentials on this floor
Runbooks to keep nearby
Fast first cuts
Product designers, engineering start-ups and architecture model makers need parts fast and often only one of each. A 6040 router beside a benchtop engraver covers most of it: housings in acrylic, jigs in MDF, labels and fine detail on the engraver.
Keep a clean bench
Prototype work changes material constantly. Keep a fixture plate on the router so small parts can be held without screws through the spoilboard, and a separate tray for each material's bits.
Record what worked
Feeds, speeds and hold-downs for each prototype material are worth writing down. The second version of a part should take half the time of the first.
Who runs this floor
Designers and engineers who are good with CAD but newer to running machines.
A typical week
Short runs through the day as designs change. One person closes both machines in the evening and updates the feeds and speeds sheet.
The gear, in one line each
- Router 6040 Pro: Compact production router for plastics, woods, and soft aluminium on emerging floors.
- Engraver Benchtop: Benchtop engraver for plates, tags, and short trophies beside the router cell.
- Fixture Plate Kit: Modular fixture plate with clamps for repeat bracket and plate jobs.
Next step
Open the essentials above for specs, layout and care, and keep the runbooks nearby. When you are ready, email cnc@cncpme.co.za with your city, a floor sketch and the floor name in the subject. See projects for shops that ran a similar floor.
