The Key to CNC is Speeds, Feeds & Heart
Last month we released our Bantam Tools Speeds, Feeds & Heart T-shirt. We created this limited-edition shirt for our network of world changers and skill builders who are pushing our world forward. Our world changers are using the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine to send us to Mars, fight climate change, prevent the next pandemic, create secure drone delivery systems, and develop more sustainable solar energy solutions, while our skill builders are sprinting to prepare the next generation of engineers, machinists, and product designers to solve tomorrow’s challenges.
When it comes to CNC machining, speeds and feeds are important because these recipes are what we use to program toolpaths. Without these recipes the Bantam Tools Desktop CNC Milling Machine wouldn’t be able to mill parts. But developing good recipes is challenging because there are so many variables that can impact them (e.g. material, part geometry, the type of end mill you’re using, etc.). To develop a quality recipe requires patience and practice—lots of practice.
Behind every optimized recipe there are broken end mills. We know we’ve certainly broken a lot of bits when experimenting with new recipes. So many that we have a jar full of them at Bantam Tools HQ. We call it the Bit Breaker Jar. Whenever we weld a tool, bust a flute, or shear off a cutter we add it to the collection. We don’t view this as a failure, but rather an opportunity to grow. Innovation can’t happen without it, and so we congratulate the bit breaker and encourage them to go try again.
See, while speeds and feeds play an important role in CNC machining, the Bantam Tools team believes the key ingredient to CNC machining is actually heart. It takes courage to dive into the unknown and to fail. But it's in these moments that we get to show what we’re made of. Are we going to throw our hands up and accept defeat? Or are we going to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back to solving the problem? In CNC machining and the manufacturing industry setbacks are going to happen and they’re going to keep happening. What matters is how we respond.
At Bantam Tools, we build desktop CNC machines with professional reliability and precision to support world changers and skill builders. But the reason why we do what we do is because we’re passionate about doing meaningful work and exploring the frontier. This doesn’t come without challenges. So when our resolve is being tested, like so many of us are now with everything going on in the world, we sneak a peek at our bit breaker jar to remember the setbacks we’ve already overcome. We wear our Speeds, Feeds & Heart T-shirts as a reminder of what’s key.
At Bantam Tools, we build desktop CNC machines with professional reliability and precision to support world changers and skill builders. For the latest Bantam Tools news, sign up for our newsletter. If you’re interested in adding a Bantam Tools machine to your workflow you can order directly from our online store or request a quote.