This isn't a story about a new project. It's a look back at a memorable machine I worked on a long while back—a project that taught me a lot about reliability and the true nature of our work.
Often, I hear people complaining that a certain controller or piece of software is unstable or even "garbage." But in my experience, when the same tool yields different results for different people, the problem usually isn't the tool. It's the person using it.
This is the story of a machine that proved that philosophy. It’s an AXYZ 5016 CNC router that, after my retrofit, ran in a high-production environment for many years with no failures related to the core system I built.
The Original Challenge: A Multi-Spindle Beast
The project involved a large-format AXYZ router with a multi-spindle head (3 spindles) and an ATC system. My task was to retrofit it to run on Mach3.
Unlike a simple single-spindle setup, controlling three separate spindles required a creative solution. The key was a brilliant, built-in Mach3 function: Swapaxis.
In simple terms, I configured the three spindles as three separate axes (Z, A, and B). When a tool change was called, a script would swap the active axis—for example, making the A-axis act as the new Z-axis. Combined with a G52 offset to account for the distance between spindles, this allowed me to implement a complex ATC with minimal, elegant code. It was a challenging but incredibly satisfying project.
The Verdict: A Legacy of Reliability
A few years after the retrofit, I had a chance to visit the factory. The machine had been running in a full-scale production environment, cutting composite panels day in and day out. Aside from replacing some old, worn-out components (which were unrelated to my retrofit), the core system I built was validated for its stability.
The owner, who had never used a CNC before this one, was so confident in the work that he eventually expanded to three machines (I worked on two of them). It was a true "win-win" relationship built on trust and quality work.
I don't know where that machine is now—I just heard it was sold to another factory a few years later. But I know for many years, it was a testament to the idea that in the end, it all comes down to the person doing the work.
For those curious, here is the video of the machine in action:
