Best 4-axis CNC Routers with Extra Rotary Axis [2023]

In a four-axis CNC router, there is an additional rotary axis (A-axis) that allows you to do rotary cutting and indexing for making cylindrical/round parts.

A typical CNC router only has three axes and moves the cutting tool in the X, Y, and Z axes to remove material from the stock.

If your goal is to make parts such as cylindrical columns, fluted columns, spirals, pens, and chess pieces, a 4 axis CNC router is what you need.

The additional axis turns your CNC machine into a mini wood lathe.

In this article, I'm going to introduce to you the best 4-axis CNC routers available on the market with a detailed overview of each.

The additional fourth axis can be an extra axis that moves the tool or it can be an axis that moves the workpiece.

The products featured in this list rotate the workpiece to provide the fourth axis motion.

I also discuss 4-axis CNC machining in the latter part of this article with examples and illustrations.

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Best 4-axis CNC routers

1. Avid PRO4896 4' x 8' CNC Router

Avid PRO4896 4' x 8' CNC router is one of the most popular CNC from Avid's long list of CNC routers.

It can be fitted with an Avid CNC Rotary Axis attachment kit to achieve 4-axis movement.

Size

Avid's PRO4896 has a footprint of 115 ½“× 67” and a cutting area of 49 1/2“ × 98 3/4“.

It has a height of 43 3/8" from its foot to the top and weighs around 483 lbs. With the optional leg kit upgrade, the height can be increased to 77 1/2".

Material Capability

PRO4896 CNC can cut materials like softwood, hardwood, plywood, high-density plastic, foam, balsa, MDF, baltic birch, and aluminum.

Chassis

The frame of Avid PRO4896 is made of heavy-duty aluminum and steel plates.

A series of crossed frames support the work area and it provides great rigidity to the machine.

Linear Motion

PRO4896 CNC uses a PRO rack and pinion system with linear guides to guide the X and Y-axis machine movement. Y-axis is driven by two stepper motors to prevent it from racking.

The Z-axis of the CNC is guided by precision ball screws. They are more efficient than lead screw systems.

Spindle

Avid offers two optional plug-and-play compatible spindles from Hiteco for the PRO4896 CNC router.

You can either get the spindles that Avid offers or can use any other spindle of your choice.

Controller and Electronics

Avid offers you the option to choose their control system or you can customize it with any other control system of your choice.

The control system from Avid CNC is plug-and-play compatible, it houses a 32-bit CRP5056 stepper motor driver and uses an Ethernet SmoothStepper breakout board.

You can also choose between NEMA 23 and NEMA 34 stepper motors while purchasing the product. I suggest you get NEMA 34 stepper motors if you need a high rate of production.

Software

For CAD you can use most CAD software of your choice and for CAM you can use LazyCAM as an add-on with Mach4.

The go-to control option for Avid CNC PRO4896 is an Ethernet SmoothStepper board with Mach3 or Mach4 control software.

Avid recommends using Mach4 motion control software for controlling PRO4896 CNC.

Upgrades

Avid PRO4896 CNC router is greatly customizable, while buying you have the option of choosing stepper motors, spindle, controller, gantry width, and Z-travel of your choice.

Avid provides many upgrade options for the PRO4896 CNC. The Rotary Axis attachment is the one you need to achieve fourth axis capability on this CNC router.

The Avid CNC Rotary Axis attachment comes in many different sizes and can be added to all the CNCs in Avid's PRO and Benchtop series of CNC machines.

Rotary attachment makes the PRO4896 CNC cutting and indexing compatible and helps you achieve 4-axis control to machine many complex designs.

The PRO4896 CNC can be expanded to increase its work area and can also be fitted with a laser or plasma cutter.

4th Axis on Avid PRO4896 4' x 8' CNC Router

The rotary axis uses a NEMA 34 stepper motor, 5" four jaw chuck, planetary gear reducer, independent framework, and profile linear rail guides.

The NEMA 34 motor can spin the jaw holding the workpiece at a maximum speed of 100 RPM.

It provides the holding torque required for both indexing and speed required for rotary milling operation in a production environment.

The rotary is self-contained in a rigid all-metal framework to maintain high precision alignment between the chuck and the tailstock.

It has a footprint of 49" x 14.02" and a height of only 6.93" which makes them easily mountable on the work table.

The rotary linear guides allow for a quick and easy setup for different workpiece sizes without giving away the precision alignment of the axes.

Avid also offers software-guided alignment for the rotor. It's fully integrated with their Auto Z and corner-finding touch plate and will work seamlessly with Mach4 software.

Their post-processor uses inverse time feed rates that prevent the production speed from slowing down during programs with combined linear and rotary motion.

The rotary axis is highly versatile, it can be mounted to the PRO4896 CNC router parallel to the X or Y-axis and can be recessed to the machine to help maximize the workpiece diameter.

The 49" rotary axis used in the Avid PRO4896 CNC router can be mounted with a maximum workpiece length of 34" if mounted parallel to Y-axis, and 28" if mounted parallel to X-axis.

It can house workpiece diameters ranging from 8" - 12" by utilizing the recessed mounting configuration.

Avid CNC's post-processor for rotary control is available for all the Ventric software products and for the Autodesk Fusion 360 software. It can be downloaded either directly from the Avid CNC website.

They also have detailed instructions on assembly, different mounting options, and the electronics of the rotor axis. It is available on the website and in the user manual.

Accessories

Avid offers various accessories like a leg kit, auto Z and corner finding touch plate, proximity sensor kit, composite nailer, dust shoe, plasma kit, and a rotary axis.

Assembly

PRO4896 CNC has a modular design and is shipped in parts. It can have a long assembly process and can take up to 40 hours to complete the full build.

Avid provides a lot of simplified resources for you to refer to and learn while assembling the machine.

Community and Customer Support

Avid has a large and active customer base, most of the people who use this machine are business owners who machine different products for a living.

Though Avid doesn't have an official forum, its customers are active across websites like Router Forums, CNCzone, Facebook, and YouTube.

Avid provides a one-year warranty for its PRO4896 CNC router and gives customer support through phone calls, email, and video calls.

A more detailed review of this CNC router can be found here - Avid CNC 4x8 PRO4896 Review [2023]

2. ShopSabre 23

ShopSabre 23 is an industry-grade desktop CNC from ShopSabre, who's known for its wide range of industrial CNCs.

It has a turner on its Y-axis to help you machine complex cuts by achieving 4-axis movement.

Size

ShopSabre 23 has a footprint of 48.5" x 69" and a work area of 30" x 40". From foot to the top it has a height of 34" and weighs around 950 lbs.

Material Capability

ShopSabre 23 is powerful enough to cut through materials like acrylic, foam, plastic, wood, and aluminum.

Chassis

ShopSabre 23 has a base frame made from steel tubes. The base is supported by two legs to provide rigid support to the machine.

Linear Motion

All three axes of the ShopSabre 23 are driven by ball screw drives, it helps you cut with good accuracy.

The axes use 25mm linear rails with wiper blocks to guide the machine's movement. The wiper blocks keep the rails clean and ensure smooth operation.

The right-side gantry overhang of ShopSabre 23 helps machine large works off the table and makes the 4th axis possible.

Spindle

ShopSabre provides a spindle with a speed of 10,000 - 21,000 RPM. You can upgrade this spindle with an air-cooled HSD VDF spindle to work on non-ferrous metals.

Controller and Electronics

ShopSabre uses an industry-grade stepper motor and controller for ShopSabre 23's operation.

It has limit switches on all three axes and helps in axis homing the machine.

The controller is housed inside a dust-proofed enclosure. To interact with the controller, ShopSabre provides a Windows PC with the machine.

Software

With the ShopSabre 23 CNC router, you'll get a perpetual license for VCarve Pro which is an advanced CAD/CAM software.

For controlling the machine, WINCNC control software comes pre-installed on the Windows PC that you get with ShopSabre 23.

Upgrades

ShopSabre 23 has an optional stand that can add 22"more height to the base height of 34". It'll be helpful if you don't have a rigid desk to place the machine on.

It has many other upgrade options available like HSD spindle, T-slot clamps, dust collectors, vacuum hold-down system, tooling, and software packages.

4th Axis on ShopSabre 23 CNC Router

ShopSabre CNC's On-Table 4th Axis system is an industrial rotary system. It adds a rotary axis to the ShopSabre 23 CNC to achieve 4th axis control.

It has a four-jaw chuck that makes it easy to clamp square, rectangular, cylindrical, and other unusually shaped pieces.

The jaw is driven by a belt drive system, it has no backlash and you don't have to worry about gears meshing together. Having a belt drive also allows you to spin the jaw at a constant speed.

With it, you can easily create gunstocks, furniture legs, railing posts, sculptures, and much more.

Through the WINCNC control software that comes with ShopSabre 23, you can control the 4th axis system.

The chuck and tailstock of ShopSabre's 4th axis system don't come attached to a frame, so each can be mounted on the worktable in different configurations.

On a 4th axis attached to ShopSabre 23, you can mount workpieces ranging from 8" - 27" in length and 3" in diameter.

Accessories

ShopSabre 23 has a wide list of accessories like the 4th axis kit, braille kit, computer mount, digitizing touch probe, laser sight, tool measure switch, tabletop, vacuum pump, warning light bar, and wireless pendant.

Assembly

ShopSabre 23 comes fully assembled hence can be set up on your workspace within one hour.

Community and Customer Support

ShopSabre has community discussions happening on Facebook groups, YouTube, and Router Forums. No live discussions are happening and most of the time they are inactive.

They provide free lifetime support to all their products through phone, email, and the internet. If possible they even provide onsite support if the situation demands one.

3. GDAE10 6040 CNC Router

GDAE10 6040 CNC router is the best budget-friendly 4-axis CNC router on this list. It comes with a rotary axis that can be attached along the Y-axis to attain 4-axis control.

Size

GDAE10 6040 CNC router has a footprint of 33.1" x 25.2" and has an aluminum worktable with an effective cutting area of 15.6" x 23.6".

The machine weighs around 130 lbs. With its small size, it can be counted as a desktop CNC router.

Material Capability

GDAE10 6040 CNC router can be used on materials like PCB, PVC, plastic, acrylic, wood, and wood composites.

Chassis

A series of 6061 aluminum alloy and industrial aluminum gives shape to GDAE10 6040 CNC's rigid frame.

The gantry is supported by two chrome-plated hard shafts with a diameter of 16mm for the X-axis and 13mm for the Z-axis.

Linear Motion

GDAE10 6040 CNC is driven using ball screw mechanisms on all three axes, it is supported by sliding rails.

Spindle

GDAE10 6040 comes with a 1500W water-cooled spindle, having a maximum speed of 24,000 RPM.

Controller and Electronics

GDAE10 6040 is equipped with two-phase NEMA 23 stepper motors on all three axes. These are connected to external couplings for high torque transfer.

The machine comes with a variable frequency controller, has three stepper drivers, and also houses an E-stop to halt the machine's operation.

Software

GDAE10 6040 can be used with any CAD/CAM software as long as you can export your files in DXF format.

It has to be controlled through Mach3 control software. Mach3 only supports PCs running a Windows OS, it supports Windows XP and above.

Upgrades

There are no official upgrades available for the 6040 CNC from GDAE10 but you can upgrade it with different third-party components.

4th axis on GDAE10 6040 CNC Router

The fourth axis control in GDAE10 6040 CNC is achieved through a rotary system with a 3-jaw chuck and a tailstock. It comes with a belt, tailstock, rotary axis, and five wrenches.

It uses a belt drive system to rotate the chuck, it has less backlash and allows you to spin the jaw at a constant speed if needed.

It can house workpieces of sizes ranging from 8" - 20" in length and a maximum of 2.7" in diameter.

The 4th axis uses a two-phase stepper motor that provides a stable output with little noise and high torque.

You can do linear and rotary motion combined operations through Mach3 software on GDAE10 6040 CNC through its 4-axis controller.

There are a lot of videos on youtube on cutting different materials using GDAE10's 4th axis, you can refer to them to get a visual idea of its operation.

Accessories

GDAE10 6040 CNC router comes with a rotary 4th-axis, pen drive, toolset, water pump, and a type-B USB cable.

Assembly

The 6040 CNC router comes pre-assembled and is ready to work right out of the box. The only work for you is to connect everything to the respective slots.

GDAE10 provides a detailed printed guide with the machine to guide you in setting up the machine.

Community and Customer Support

The 6040 CNC router has a large user base because of its low price. It is a great introductory 4-axis CNC to many people trying to come into 4-axis CNC machining.

GDAE10 provides a 1-year standard warranty for the 6040 CNC and a 30-day free return for the machine.

4. Laguna iQ

Laguna's iQ is a benchtop CNC router machine that comes with an optional turner for achieving 4-axis control to machine some of the complex designs.

Size

The iQ CNC has a footprint of 39 1/2" x 50 1/2" with an effective work area of 24" x 36". It provides a Z-travel of 6" and the machine weighs around 425 lbs.

You have an option to choose either 6" or 10" Z-travel version of the same machine. The sizes and weight of the machine differ accordingly.

Material Capability

Laguna iQ can work on materials like PCB, PVC, plastic, acrylic, wood, and wood composites.

Chassis

The chassis/frame of the iQ CNC router is of welded heavy steel tubular construction. It supports all the machine parts and provides a rigid build.

Linear Motion

Laguna iQ CNC uses a ball screw-driven mechanism on all three axes, the axes are guided by linear bearing rails.

Spindle

Laguna provides a high precision water-cooled spindle with a speed range of 6000 - 24,000 RPM.

Controller and Electronics

The electrical control box houses an E-stop switch, stepper drivers, spindle speed controller display, Isolation switch, and a power button.

A handheld controller interface is wired out of the controller and it is capable of doing all the functions of the iQ CNC.

It uses proximity limit switches on all three axes to home the machine.

Software

You can use any CAD/CAM software of your choice for working with the iQ CNC. Some of my recommendations would be VCarve Pro, Aspire, RhinoCam, Mozaik, and Enroute FAB Advanced.

For control operations, you'll have to export and feed the G-code file to the CNC through a USB flash drive. The CNC can operate without a computer connected to it.

4th Axis on Laguna iQ

The iQ CNC router machine can be upgraded with the Laguna Fourth-Axis Attachment for achieving 4-axis control. It helps you machine complicated designs.

The 4th axis attached to Laguna iQ can work on workpieces having a length ranging from 12" - 26" and a maximum diameter of 7" depending on the optional table size you opted for.

A major advantage of having a fourth-axis attachment is that you can fully machine the stock without removing it from the work table.

The 4th axis will do all the heavy lifting by turning around the stock so that the spindle can machine all around the material.

Laguna Fouth-Axis Attachment uses a gear drive to rotate its 3 jaw chuck which means there is some inherent backlash between the gears.

The chuck has a homing switch screw which tells software the position of the rotating chuck.

You can use 4-axis G-codes generated from any G-code generator directly on Laguna iQ through a USB flash drive and iQ CNC can operate without a computer.

Laguna provides a user manual for their Forth-Axis Attachment, it can guide you through the assembly and maintenance details.

Accessories

Launa provides a wide set of accessories for the iQ, they are a toolbox, water pump, handheld controller, Turner, and the Touch-off Puck.

Assembly

iQ comes fully assembled, all you have to do is connect the electrical supply and other optional components like the water pump and dust hood.

Community and Customer Support

Laguna provides a one-year warranty for the iQ CNC router. You can connect with them through phone, email, and directly through their website.

Laguna has active customer participation on its YouTube channel and Facebook page.

5. Shark HD520

Next Wave CNC's Shark HD520 is a popular choice among small businesses and many woodworkers. It can do 4-axis machining with a 4th axis rotary system installed in its work area.

Size

Shark HD520 has a footprint of 63" x 36 1/4" with a work area of 28" x 63", it provides a Z-travel of 7".

Material Capability

Shark HD520 can work on materials like wood, wood composites, and plastic. It's made for woodworking applications and is not suited for metalworking.

Chassis

The base frame is made of industrial-grade aluminum interlocked with stainless steel. The work-bed is made of extruded aluminum with steel legs.

Linear Motion

All three axes of the Shark HD520 are driven by a lead screw mechanism with anti-backslash nuts.

The linear motion in the X and Z axes is guided by linear rails to give a sturdy machine movement.

Spindle

Shark HD520 doesn't come with a spindle and it has to be purchased separately.

The machine comes with a spindle mound and Next Wave CNC recommends using spindles like Bosch1617, DeWalt DW618, or NWCNC’s water-cooled spindle with the machine.

Controller and Electronics

All three axes of Shark HD520 CNC are driven by bipolar NEMA 23 stepper motors.

The controller is enclosed in a metal box and has a power switch, stepper drivers, E-stop, homing switch, and a spindle port.

An LCD pendant display can be connected to the controller for CNC motion control, it connects via USB.

Software

Next Wave CNC provides the latest edition of VCarve Pro CAD/CAM software with the Shark HD520.

For machine control, you can control it using the LCD pedant controller or through a computer.

4th Axis on Shark HD520

The Shark HD520 CNC can be upgraded with the Shark Standard 4th axis rotary system. The rotary system provides 4-axis machining capability to your HD520 CNC router.

When upgrading with a 4th axis rotary system you'll also have to install a 4th axis driver card from Next Wave CNC on the Shark HD520 CNC controller.

There is an optional 4th axis expansion port on the back of the controller. To access this you'll have to open the controller.

You can place the 4th axis driver board on the controller slot by facing the pins out of the box, then you'll have to tighten it with provided screws to hold it in place.

Once everything is connected and powered up, you are ready to go. You can access the 4th axis controls on the handheld LCD pendant.

On a 4th axis mounted to a Shark HD520 CNC, you can attach workpieces having a length ranging from 10" to 45" with a maximum diameter of 7".

The 4th axis post-processor can be downloaded from the Next Wave CNC's website. These post-processors are used to process and convert designs and toolpaths to CNC readable G-Code.

Post-processors are required for the rotary 4th axis to operate in sync with the CNC machine as they combine both linear and rotary motion.

You can add the post-processor to the V-Carve Pro software that you get with the Shark HD520 CNC router. It can also be used with software like Aspire which supports post-processor integration.

Accessories

Shark HD520 has a wide set of accessories available, they are dust boot, enclosure, touch plate, shark tooth, shark spindle kit, and a shark digital duplicator.

Assembly

Next Wave sends Shark HD520 with a preassembled base and gantry. This makes your process easy and all you have to do is attach the gantry and base.

They have a well-formulated assembly guide for you to follow, with it, you can assemble the full machine in 2 hours.

Community and Customer Support

Next Wave CNC has dedicated online forums for its customers which have active discussions happening daily.

Shark HD520 has a two-year warranty. For support, you can contact them through phone or email.

What is 4-axis CNC machining?

The 4th axis movement in a CNC is achieved by the same X, Y, and the Z-axis with an additional axis of movement, this axis is called the A-axis.

In most cases, a 4-axis router kit is used to achieve 4-axis machine movement but to control this additional axis you'll need to have a 4-axis compatible controller.

To put it in a simple form, the standard 3-axis together with the A-axis gives you a 4-axis setup. A-axis is the rotational axis that turns the workpiece.

The workpiece is mounted onto the A-axis and it rotates like in a lathe. Here the workpiece turns and exposes all its sides to the tool to work on.

Let's look at 4-axis machining with an example. In the following image, a piece of wood is loaded on a Shark 4th axis turner.

The 4th axis turner rotates and exposes all the sides of the wood as the spindle moves along the X, Y, and Z axes and mills on the wood.

Such a machine movement helps you work all around the wood instead of just working on the face of the wood as we do in 3-axis machines.

4-axis machining brings in a great deal of flexibility to your CNC machining process, enabling you to create some of the complex designs that otherwise would not be possible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why are 4-axis CNC Machines costly?

4-axis CNC machines are costly because there is a lot of research and development going into building all these machines. You require 4-axis supported controllers, software, and CNC machines to do 4-axis machining.

Also, 4-axis designs require a high precision system to design those models. To make high precision systems you need to use a rigid machine built with well-calibrated electronics. As there are more moving parts in the machine, the operating complexity increases, and a lot of support systems are required to keep the machine running.

What is 5-axis CNC machining?

In 5-axis machining, two rotational axes operate separately to rotate the workpiece in many different angles with respect to the cutting tool. The machine may utilize either A-axis or B-axis with the C-Axis to achieve this feat, all these are rotational axes.

In 4-axis CNC machining only one rotational axis is there, but with 5-axis machining you can achieve two rotational axes that can operate independently. It brings in a great deal of flexibility in your CNC machining.

Do 4-axis CNC require separate software?

Yes, due to the advanced system, a 4-axis CNC requires specialized software to control the movement of the fourth axis. It requires CAM and control software that supports 4-axis machining. To control the machine properly, the software must understand the geometry of the 4th axis and how it relates to the other axes.