Resources
Spare List
The Spare List is for the bits and consumables that vanish first when production gets busy. Keep collets, spanners, spoilboard screws, vacuum seals, bearings, and common cutter sizes recorded before a stoppage turns into missed sheets. Shops cutting MDF, plywood, acrylic, aluminium, or composite board usually need a different backup mix on the shelf.
How Spare List supports a busy cutting week
The Spare List helps shops keep the bits that stop small delays from becoming lost production. It covers CNC tooling, wear parts, and workshop essentials that are worth having on hand before they are needed.
Build the list from the machine and the material, not from guesswork. A nested board router, an ATC spindle, or a small signmaking table each burns through different items, and dust, swarf, humidity, and load-shedding change what gets replaced most often. Note whether the work runs in Johannesburg, Durban, Cape Town, or a smaller town where courier timing can affect what you keep in stock.
Photos help place the correct spare against the actual setup on the machine. Include the spindle nose, collet area, hold-down method, worn part, and the cutter that failed, then add the current job timing and what has already been changed. That makes it easier to separate an urgent wear item from a longer restock list for the workshop.
Shelf stock for cutting days
A useful Spare List names the part properly and shows where it fits in the cutting process. Include cutter diameter, shank size, coating where relevant, insert code, collet type, wrench size, and any machine-specific consumable that stops the run when it is missing. Keep the notes close to the job card so operators can check the same wording each time.
Before sending the request, check the path name, machine model, and damaged part against the photos. Use the contact form with clear details on the router, spindle, material, and any broken or worn items. If there is a production deadline, state the date and which spare has stopped the job.
- Collets, nuts, wrenches, and sleeves
- Machine photos showing the worn part
- Production timing noted with the request
Workshop conditions that change stock
South African workshop conditions shift what belongs on a spare shelf. Coastal moisture can affect storage for steel components, inland dust can shorten the life of filters and moving parts, and older machines often need backup items that newer tables do not use as often. Separate daily consumables from low-frequency failure parts so the list stays easy to maintain.
MDF-heavy shops may burn through extraction socks, brushes, and collets faster than aluminium jobs. Acrylic and composite cutting can expose weaknesses in hold-down, spoilboard condition, and edge quality, while long runs during power interruptions make restart checks more important. Store cutters clean and labelled so the right bit goes back into the spindle without guesswork.
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Details to include with photos
Send the Spare List with photos of the machine or tool, the production timing, and any parts already worn or broken. Keep the subject line accurate.
While the job is still fresh, note the board type, cutter diameter, spindle speed, feed rate, and any edge finish issues seen on the sample cut. Add it to the project file with the tooling list when purchasing needs a record of what was fitted, what wore out, and what should be kept on the shelf.