28 Jun The Rise of Unsupported CNC Routers from Asia
The Rise of Unsupported CNC Routers from Asia
We’ve heard the story over and over again. Someone got an incredible deal on a brand new CNC router. It finally arrives. Excitement is building. You release a beautiful machine into production and everything feels great.
Sometimes the machine will run for years with no issues. Sometimes it does not run on day one. Literally. You may even buy an Asian machine with a name brand CNC controller. It may say Fanuc, Siemens, or Osai. But then when you call the control manufacturer for support, you are told that the control is not supported. Maybe it’s because it’s a copied version of the software that wasn’t licensed legally. Maybe it’s because that control version was built for the Asian market and is not supported in the USA.
Next you contact your Asian machine manufacturer. But then… how do you get support in a time zone that is completely opposite to you? After late night hours waiting till they come online or a day delay between each message that is sent, you may start digging into schematics and manuals. Many schematics and manuals are difficult to understand since they are just translations or are just incomplete. If you are lucky and you are able to diagnose the issue and find service parts at all, they may take weeks to arrive. For those running a for profit company, this can be a nightmare.
We are not recommending never purchasing an Asian CNC router, but we are saying there is hope if you find yourself in this situation.
Like any large asset decision, you have 3 options: Buy a new CNC router, buy a used CNC router, or upgrade your current CNC router. Buying a reputable new machine like an Onsrud or Komo is a great option if you have the financing and you can show your ROI on that investment. Buying a used machine is a decent option, but then you are likely buying old technology with limited support. But for 1/3 the cost of new and far less hassle than the other options, if you have a solid machine, you can upgrade your current CNC router controller.
Below are some example international CNC router brands that would be good candidates for a CNC controller upgrade:
Blue Elephant is CNC equipment manufacturer focused on the wood industry located in Jinan, China. They claim to have shipped 20,000 CNC routers and over 50% of their machines are sold to Europe and North America.
Roctech is a CNC router manufacturer that claims R&D is their core competitiveness. Like many of the CNC router manufacturers in China, they are also located in Jinan, China. They claim to sell 50% of their machines to North America.
BCAMCNC is a CNC router brand built by Jinan Bcamcnc Machinery Co in Jinan, China. This brand shows up most in Alibaba when we searched “CNC Router” (4 times out of the first 20 machines for anything over $5000).
SUDA is a CNC router brand built by TongXing Technology Development Co in Anhui, China. It is the first CNC router to show up in Alibaba when we searched “CNC Router” for anything over $5000.
RKC is a CNC Manufacturer located in Punjab, India.
Other Asian CNC router machine brands that MachMotion can upgrade: Makserteam, MissileCNC, AccTek, BYT CNC, ZiCar, Forsun, and UBO
At MachMotion, we’re committed to ensuring your success. CNC controller upgrades / retrofits are our main business, so we are experts at what we do. By partnering with us, you have guaranteed access to world-class customer service for the life of the control.
You don’t have to scrap your CNC router. You can breathe new life into it and run production again with confidence!
Explore our router control upgrades & contact our sales team today!