Looking at desktop 5 axis for prototyping. What actually matters?
I do a fair amount of product prototyping and small batch work. Most of it still gets sent out to larger machine shops, and the costs add up faster than I'd like. A small aluminum bracket can easily cost more in setup fees, machining time, and shipping than the actual piece of material. Then there's waiting around before I can test the next version or move on to the next part. I've been looking into desktop 5 axis machines as a way to bring more of that work in house. The hardware side has gotten interesting, but for me the bigger question is still CAM. That's the part that seems to slow everything down.
Fusin's Manufacturing tier gets expensive, Vectric's 5 axis options seem limited, and the higher and packages like Powermill or NX are really built around larger shops. Recently I've been following the infimaker k1 mainly because of the infistudio side. The ai assisted toolpath workflow is what most curious about. If it can actually reduce some of the CAM setup time, especilally for more complex parts, that would be a bigger deal to me than another number on a spec sheet.
The machine itself seems aimed at the type of work I'm interested in. Simultaneous 5 axis, ATC, probing, and the ability to work with materials like aluminum and brass are all things that could make a difference for small prototype jobs. That said, I'm still taking a wait and see approach. Specs and videos can only tell you so much. I'd like to see more real world parts from owners, especially aluminum or brass cuts after they've had some time with the machine.
Anyone else looking at desktop 5 axis for prototyping or small batch work? What are the things you'd want to see before pulling the trigger?