Once a sign shop has invested in a new computer numerical control (CNC) router, whether for the first time or to replace an earlier machine with a next-generation model, the next step is to ensure in-house operators select the right tooling, based on the specific materials to be cut. Using the optimal tooling can help achieve greater productivity and higher quality. There may of course be refinements and corrections to make as time goes on, but it is important to undertake the following basic considerations when initially choosing router bits for sign cutting applications.
在标识制造商投资新的CNC雕刻设备时，无论是第一次，还是用新一代机型替换早期的机器，下一步将要做的就是确保内部运营，基于切割的具体材料，来选择合适的工具。使用最佳工具可以帮助实现更高的生产力与质量。当然，随着时间的推移有必要对雕刻工具进行改进和修正，但在开始选择用于标识切割应用的雕刻钻头时，做一些基本的考虑非常重要。

Quick and clean cuts
快速的切割和干净的削减
At the most fundamental level, the choice of CNC router tooling determines (a) how quickly a material can be cut and (b) how clean the cut will be.
在最基本的层面上，数控镂铣工具的选择决定了（a）材料切割的速度，（b）切割的干净程度。
The cleaner the cut is, the fewer post-routing rework operations will be required. With this in mind, micrograin solid-carbide router bits are the industry norm nowadays. Some of these bits come with a specialized coating, adapting them for use with specific materials. These coatings can both improve the cut and extend the tool’s life.
切割越干净，所需的返工操作就越少。考虑到这一点，微粒整体硬质合金雕刻钻头是当今行业的标准，这些钻头配有专门的涂层，使其适用于特定材料，涂层可以改善切割路线，并延长刀具的使用寿命。
The geometry matters. The flute design of the bit determines how the cut material will be ejected from the routing table. The most popular geometries are ‘spiral up-cut,’ ‘spiral down-cut,’ straight flutes and compression bits. Selecting the correct diameter of bit helps determine the spindle speed and the cutting depth that may be achieved.
对于几何图形的切割，钻头的凹槽设计决定了切割材料如何呈现。最流行的几何形状是螺旋向上切割、螺旋向下切割、直槽和压缩位。选择正确的钻头与直径有助于确定主轴转速，以及可达到的切削深度。
There are other part design considerations, too. Sign designs featuring tight, internal corners will require a smaller router bit diameter than those that are more basic, like a simple square or rectangle with only external corners.
在其他零件设计的考虑上，具有紧密内角标识的设计需要比其他标识拥有一个更小的刨机钻头，这个设计需要像一个只有外角的简单正方形或矩形一样。
In general, it is best to select as large a bit diameter as the design will allow, subject to the presence of a spindle with a large enough power rating for the bit. Larger-diameter bits both provide greater rigidity for high-quality cut edges and allow higher cutting speeds to be used.
一般来说，最好选择与设计允许的相当直径，但是，还要考虑主轴的存在，主轴的额定功率必须足够大。通常情况下，较大直径的钻头为高质量切割边缘提供更高的刚性，并能运行更高的切割速度。
If polished edges are required, a dedicated bit designed for use with acrylic can eliminate a further step in the process. Sometimes, a more ‘finished’ look can be accomplished with a second pass after the first cut, to remove most of the material. The second pass can be made at a fractionally smaller size (perhaps using a brand-new bit), sloughing off any remaining ‘whiskers’ and smoothing out the edges. There are also durable diamond-tipped tools that can achieve the most polished cuts, but these can be very expensive, so they may not be feasible for many sign shops.
如果需要抛光边缘，专用于丙烯酸树脂的钻头可以消除该过程中的一些步骤。某些时候，在第一次剪切后，第二次剪切可以完成更多的工作，去除大部分材料。第二次剪切使用一个全新的定位，将剩余的边须清理掉，平滑边缘。此外，耐用的钻石刀具可以实现最精细的切割，这些刀具可能非常昂贵，对一些标识制造商来说不可使用。
If the wrong router bit design or size is selected for the specific material to be cut, then the operator may well wind up with chipped, sharp edges or burrs that have to be filed down. The wrong choice of bit can even result in a cut that renders the piece out of tolerance and, thus, headed to the scrap bin.
如果对于要切割的特定材料选择了错误的雕刻钻头或尺寸，可能会出现卷起碎屑、锋利的边缘或毛刺，钻头的错误选择甚至会导致切割件超出公差范围，从而废弃。
With tooling, sign shops usually get what they pay for; the less expensive bits may not last as long or cut as well as the more expensive options. As such, tooling with a higher initial cost will pay for itself through greater longevity and improved cut quality. To some extent, the difference is a judgment call.
通过使用最佳的配置工具，标识制造商才会得到他们所付出的东西。较便宜的工具可能不会持续太久，完成削减选项，因此，具有较高初始成本的工具才能通过更长的使用寿命和改进的切割质量，来规划合理的工艺路线，为标识制造商实现利润。在一定程度上，价格差异是一个判断的标准。
The selection process is certainly not always black and white. With the wide variety of materials used by sign shops today and demanded by their customers, including many types of plastics, acrylics, wood, aluminum, composites and resins, there may always be some degree of trial and error when it comes to selecting the optimal router bit for a CNC router. There is an ongoing learning process.
由于当今标识制造商使用的各种材料，以及客户要求的各种材料，包括许多类型的塑料，像丙烯酸树脂、木材、铝、复合材料和树脂，在选择最佳材料时，总会存在一定程度的反复试验，因此，寻找合适的CNC雕刻路线，是需要一个持续的学习过程。
Ready access to knowledgeable support from the outside can prove not only helpful, but essential. Sign shops should insist on benefiting from their CNC router vendors’ expertise. Manufacturers and distributors alike should make information about router bit selection available on their websites and on posters that can be mounted to the walls of sign shops.
从外部获得知识的支持至关重要，标识制造商应该坚持从他们的CNC设备供应商的专业知识中受益，制造商和经销商都应该在其网站和海报上提供关于雕刻钻头选择的信息，这些信息可以安装在标识店面的墙上。
Generally, when something goes wrong with CNC routing, it is not an issue within the router itself, but with the selected router bit or spindle speed. As such, these problems can be easily fixed, in most cases.
通常情况下，当CNC设备出现问题时，雕刻钻头本身并不是问题，一般是选择位或主轴速度出现了问题，因此，在大多数情况下，这些问题都很容易解决。

Substrate-specific selections
特定底物的选择
Cutting aluminum, by way of example, typically calls for an up-cut spiral router bit geometry, which is designed to push the chips and debris from the cut upwards, where they are collected by an extraction system, like a vacuum. This setup helps ensure a cleaner cut, as well.
举例来说，切割铝通常需要上切式几何形状的螺旋钻头，钻头设计将切屑向上推动，并由提取系统（例如真空）收集它们，这种设计也有助于确保更清晰的切割路线。
There are variations among different up-cut tooling options, including the angle of the spiral itself. Some tool manufacturers offer dedicated bits that are designed specifically for aluminum. These should always be the starting point in the selection process, as they generally result in optimum results.
不同的切割工具选项之间存在的差异包括螺旋本身的角度。一些工具制造商提供专门为铝制设计的专用钻头。所以说，在雕刻过程的起点选择好工具，通常才会产生最佳结果。
Often, but not always, manufacturers also recommend the use of lubricants when cutting aluminum, in part to extend the life of their router bits. Before lubricants are used, it is important to make sure an automatic misting system is fitted to the machine. This will ensure a consistent and accurate application of lubrication, which is essential for consistent cutting results and extended tool life.
通常情况下，标识制造商建议在切割铝时使用润滑剂，部分是为了延长钻头的使用寿命。 使用润滑剂之前，务必确保机器上装有自动喷雾系统，这将确保润滑的程度和应用的准确性，这对于一致的切削结果，以及延长刀具的寿命必不或缺。
That said, there are tools available that are designed to cut aluminum without using a lubricant. These can offer such benefits as reduced post-routing cleanup time, which may be an important consideration in a busy sign shop.
也就是说，有些工具可以在不使用润滑剂的情况下切割铝材，这样可以减少清理时间。
For aluminum composite materials (ACMs), which can be grooved and folded, at least two cutters are typically required: one for routing and one for grooving. The latter operation often requires a sharply angled V-cut too, but another option is a ball-nose bit, which is circular on the bottom.
对于可以开槽和折叠的铝复合材料（ACM），通常至少需要两个切割器：一个用于布线，一个用于开槽，一种底部设计成圆形的球状，后一种操作通常需要尖锐的V形切口。
Down-cut spiral router bits, meanwhile, can be used on very thin, flexible aluminum stock, where an up-cut design would tend to lift the material itself off the routing table, causing it to vibrate or move slightly, possibly ruining the cut and throwing it out of tolerance. A down-cut spiral router bit helps push the material down toward the table’s surface, where a vacuum or clamping system can also help keep it in place during cutting operations. The up-cut spiral router bit is typically the tool of choice for aluminum sheets that are thicker than 0.76 mm (0.03 in.).
同时，下切式螺旋钻头可用于非常薄且柔韧的铝制原料上，这种上切设计倾向于将材料本身从平台上抬起，使其振动或轻微移动，并将其留出一小距离的宽度。下切式螺旋钻头有助于将材料向下推向工作台表面，在切割操作过程中，真空或夹紧系统也可以帮助将其保持在位。 上切式螺旋铣刀钻头通常的厚度超过0.76毫米（0.03英寸），是应用铝板的首选工具。
Resin-based medium-density fiberboard (MDF) can be easily cut using an upward spiral router bit, but cutting wood will always involve some variables, of course, depending on the composition of the product. Wood-based sign substrates range from simple plywood to chipboard.
树脂基中的密度纤维板（MDF）可以使用上切式螺旋钻头轻松进行切割，切割木材会涉及一些变量，具体变量取决于产品的组成，从简单的胶合板到刨花板等。
Another factor to consider is whether or not the material to be cut has been laminated or processed with a veneer on the surface. In such cases, it is better to use a straight-fluted or compression bit, which will not lift the cut material up off the surface; whereas an up-cut spiral flute could chip the top surface when cutting a wood-based stock. CNC router manufacturers will often recommend the compression bit, a tool that combines both up-cut and down-cut geometry and tends to push the cut material toward the middle, reducing the chance of chipping the top and bottom edges of wood.
另一个要考虑的因素是，要切割的材料是否已经层压，或用单板加工过。在这种情况下，最好使用直槽或压缩钻头，它不会将切割的材料离开表面，而切割螺旋槽可能在切割木基材料时直接切割顶部。数控雕刻设备制造商通常会推荐压缩钻头，这种工具结合了上切和下切几何形状，并倾向于将切割材料推向中间位置，从而减少了切割木材顶部和底部边缘的机会。
When it comes to routing plastics, such as acrylic, the recommendation is an up-cut router. Indeed, the choices are much the same as with aluminum, but with slight differences in the tooling geometry.
对塑料（如丙烯酸树脂），建议使用上切式钻头，事实上，选择的工具与铝材的选择大致相同，但是工具的几何形状略有不同。
Single up-cut spiral-fluted cutters are the ideal choice for plastics. As with aluminum, however, the down-cut spiral design works better for very thin plastic stock, since the up-cut router would tend to lift lighter material off of the table.
单刃切齿螺旋切刀是切割塑料的理想选择。然而，与铝一样，下切螺旋钻头设计对于非常薄的塑料能应用的更好，因为上切式钻头倾向于将较轻的材料从工作台上提起。
Down-cut spirals are also a better choice when cutting out very small parts, since they will push those routed parts down toward the table bed, instead of trying to lift them like debris due to their minimal surface area.
在切割非常小的零件时，下切式螺旋工具也是很好的选择，因为它们会将这些布线零件向下推向台式床，而不是像它们的最小表面积那样，将它们变为碎片。

Continual improvement
持续改进
Any chipping, rough edges and/or burring will alert experienced CNC router operators, indicating they are using the wrong tool—or one that has been worn down. They will also be able to tell how well a specific bit is performing by the sound it makes.
任何碎屑、粗糙的边缘都会让有经验的操作员意识到他们使用了错误的工具 ，或者使用的工具有被磨损，他们也可以通过设备所发出的声音来判断位的表现。
Beyond these indicators, whenever there is any doubt about the correct angle, flute, bit size, spindle feed or speed, signmakers should seek out the expertise of CNC router manufacturers, taking advantage of the ‘lifeline’ offered either online or through direct contact.
除了这些指标之外，无论何时，对正确的角度、钻头尺寸、主轴进给速度有任何疑问，标识制造商都应该寻求CNC雕刻制造商在专业上的知识，充分利用在线或直接联系提供的资源。
It is worthwhile keeping in mind that cutting technology changes. New tooling options continue to enter the CNC routing market on a regular basis. Keeping up-to-date on what is available can help a sign shop continue to increase productivity and reduce waste.
切记,切割技术的改变非常有价值。新模具的选择将继续定期进入数控市场，及时了解可用信息，才能帮助标识制造商继续提高生产力，并减少资源的浪费。
Signmakers should not be afraid to tweak their CNC tooling selections over time. There is always an end goal of achieving as perfect results as possible.
为了实现完美结果的最终目标，标识制造商不应该抗拒去调整他们的CNC雕刻工具。