Not every material mills well. Anyone who has ever tried to machine soft rubber, tough films or honeycomb materials with a rotating cutter knows the problem: the material gives way, frays or melts.
This is where CNC cutting technology comes in. With the right modules, you can turn your BZT gantry mill into a high-performance cutter. But which process is the right one for your application?
1. The Oscillating Tangential Knife (EOT)
The tangential knife is the “powerhouse” among cutting tools. Unlike a simple drag knife (as on a plotter), the blade is actively rotated here by a positioning motor.
How It Works
A powerful motor raises and lowers the blade thousands of times per minute (oscillation). At the same time, a second motor (the C axis) makes sure that the blade is always turned exactly in the cutting direction before it moves through the material.
The Advantages
- Sharp corners: Because the blade is actively rotated, extremely precise corners and complex freeform shapes are possible.
- Thick materials: The knife also glides through thicker material such as cardboard, gasket material, cork or carpet.
- No “shifting”: Thanks to the oscillation (“sawing effect”), less pressure is applied to the material than with pure pushing.
Ideal for: cardboard, corrugated cardboard, gasket materials, felt, carpet, leather.
2. Ultrasonic Cutting
When it comes to delicate, soft or sticky materials, ultrasonic technology is the benchmark.
How It Works
A generator sets the blade vibrating with microscopically small oscillations in the high-frequency range (at BZT up to 20,000 Hz). This means the blade vibrates 20,000 times per second.
The Advantages
- Reduced friction: Thanks to the extreme vibration, the blade glides through the material almost without resistance. Nothing sticks to the blade.
- Clean edges: No fraying, no deformation. Even the softest foams keep their shape.
- High speed: With up to 75 m/min, very high processing speeds are possible.
- Versatility: With more than 80 different blade options, it can be adapted to almost any task.
Ideal for: honeycomb materials, prepregs (carbon fibre mats), rubber, delicate foams, expanded polystyrene.
Conclusion: Milling or Cutting?
The rule of thumb is simple: anything hard and machinable (wood, aluminium, hard plastics) is milled. Anything soft, flexible or fibrous is cut.
The best thing about a BZT machine is its flexibility: you do not have to choose. Our machines of the PF, PFU or PFX series can often be equipped with modular options, so you can mill aluminium in the morning and cut gaskets in the afternoon.
Not sure which process suits your material? Feel free to send us a material sample. We will test for you whether tangential or ultrasonic cutting gives the better results.
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