Resources
Spec Card
Machine specification notes for South African workshops comparing router, milling, and plasma options before you sign off.
How a spec card speeds up machine comparisons
The Spec Card gives a clear comparison of router, milling, and plasma options. It helps a workshop check machine details against the work before sign-off.
Begin the Spec Card with the exact machine model, table size, and the materials you cut most often. Include spindle power or plasma source details, controller type, three phase supply, extraction, compressor capacity, and available space around the machine. In South African workshops, dusty inland sites, coastal corrosion, and power interruptions can change what looks suitable on paper.
Use the first page to record the machine location and a photo of the installation area before approval. That image helps confirm door access, slab condition, extractor routing, and where sheets or plate will be loaded. A completed card is easier to compare than scattered quotations when router, milling, and plasma options are all under review.
Details worth capturing first
A useful Spec Card lists the cutting area, travel on each axis, workholding method, and the material thickness the shop expects to process. Add tooling information such as collet size, spindle speed range, torch height control, lubrication, and software compatibility. Those notes make it easier to spot a mismatch before sign-off.
Keep each Spec Card tied to one machine and one application so comparisons stay clean. Cross-check power requirements, extraction, and controller preferences before adding extras from Machines, Cells, or Notes.
- Working area matched to actual jobs
- Power, air, extraction, and access checked
- Model-specific record for internal approval
Checks that matter in SA workshops
Many sites need more than a machine footprint on a quote. The Spec Card should note forklift access, doorway widths, cable routes, transformer needs, and whether the shop runs single phase or three phase support equipment around the machine. For busy factories, also record shift pattern, operator skill level, and who will maintain the unit.
Coastal shops should note protection against rust on linear components, cabinets, and exposed steel sections. Highveld dust can affect filters, bearings, rails, and electrical enclosures, so maintenance intervals belong on the card as well. If load-shedding or generator changeover is part of normal operation, include restart procedure, homing requirements, and protection for unfinished parts.
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What to attach to the card
Fill the spec card with working area, spindle or torch details, control system, material capacity, and site requirements. Use an accurate subject line that names the exact model.
Add sample cut results, a simple layout sketch, and any tooling or consumables list that applies to the shortlisted machine. For routers, that may include spindle options and vacuum zoning. For milling and plasma, note coolant setup, torch package, pierce capacity, and the controller features the workshop expects to use.