Project
Centurion Lab
A useful route for a Centurion lab, centred on test cuts, tooling checks, and material trials before production.
Trial cuts before production approval
The Centurion Lab page covers trial work before a full production run. Use it for test cuts, tooling checks, and material samples when a cutter, coating, or setup still needs proving on the machine.
Centurion Lab is for proving a cut on the actual stock before a full sheet run or repeat batch goes onto the machine. Typical checks include MDF edge finish, aluminium burrs, acrylic melt, and whether a rainbow-coated tool is holding size at the spindle speed you plan to use.
Include the setup at the table, plus the first result off the cutter. That record helps tie the material, hold-down method, and tool condition to the test, especially where chatter marks, chip packing, or premature wear have shown up.
Outputs from the lab route
The lab brief should end with a defined test sequence, noted machine settings, and a record of what changed between passes. Instead of vague trial comments, keep the cutter diameter, coating used, depth per pass, and finish quality in one place for the production handover.
Use Centurion Lab when a new board supplier, unfamiliar alloy, or revised toolpath still needs machine proof.
- Test sequence for actual stock
- Photos of setup and first cut
- Wear notes kept with the trial
Workshop conditions around Centurion
Inland dust, dry air, and stop-start power conditions all affect trial work before release to production. A lab cut done in Centurion often needs notes on extraction, vacuum hold, rail cleanliness, and whether the machine restarted after an interruption without losing zero.
Material storage and handling matter as much as spindle settings during sample work. Swollen board, bowed sheet, oxidised aluminium, or damp stock can change the result, so we record what was on the table on that specific run.
Operated by Astros Marketing (Pty) Ltd from 2 Makro Place, Sunnyrock 1401.
What to send with samples
Send the Centurion Lab brief with test photos, material notes, planned timing, and the wear, chatter, or breakage already seen on the tool.
Add the cutter type, coating, spindle speed, feed rate, and depth of cut while those details are still visible at the machine. If the purpose is to compare two tools or two path options, label each sample clearly so the production decision is based on the actual trial pieces.
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