Next Wave’s CNC Shark gets a major redesign

Next Wave Automation has unveiled the Shark II, a redesign of the company’s small-format CNC router. The Shark II includes most of the features from the original but at a lower price point and in a smaller package.

Tim Owens, the company’s founder and CEO, says the Shark II is about half the size of the original. It incorporates the latest technology and offers additional machining capabilities for wood and metals.

“The new CNC Shark II is an industrial powerhouse with a small footprint so that hobbyists and small shops can have a full range of functionality without having to create the space or the budget for machines costing thousands of dollars more,” says Owens.

The Shark II has 30 mm bars, which are more than two times larger than on the original, and larger NEMA 23 stepper motors. It has been reinforced for use with a 2-1/4-hp router or the new water-cooled spindle from Next Wave Automation, both sold separately.

The Shark II has a 16” x 36” table and XYZ travel of 13” x 25” x 7”. A new electronics package expands the capabilities of the CNC Shark and allows attachments like laser, fourth axis, and water-cooled spindle control.

Other improvements include an interlocking aluminum table with rigid channels, according to the company.

The Shark II sells for about $3,000 with one 3/8” V-groove bit, two hold-down clamps, and VCarve Desktop software.

For more, visit www.nextwaveautomation.com. 

This article originally appeared in the February 2018 issue.