Next Wave adds larger, faster Piranha XL

The new Piranha XL from Next Wave Automation is a benchtop CNC boasting a larger table and more features than its sister model, the Piranha FX. 

“The XL is larger and has several different changes. We gave it extra height, larger motors and it’s also twice as long. Behind the scenes there is an Auto Sense capability, which allows the machine to locate work, and a Virtual Zero capability, which allows it to determine if the board is warped or distorted. There are a lot of other software improvements in it as well that are not in the FX,” says Next Wave president Tim Owens. 

The XL features a 12” x 24” travel area that makes it ideal for projects like carvings, plaques, ornamental boxes and precision parts from wood, soft metals and plastics. With its 3D carving capability and a library of models, the XL can produce intricate corbels, detailed inlays, engravings and more. 

“They’re both very good in their capability and are very similar in their performance. The XL is faster for harder woods and has a larger footprint, so selecting a machine depends on what the person is working with. If they’re making little fishing lures, they would want the FX. But for a 1’ x 2’ sign, they’d want the XL,” Owens adds. 

The XL also has a new touch screen color graphic pendant-controlled software package. 

The machine requires a Bosch, DeWalt, Porter-Cable or similar style of palm router. 

The Piranha XL sells for $2,499 with a Vector Art 3D sampler pack, one V-router bit and two hold-down clamps. 

For more, visit www.nextwaveautomation.com. 

This article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue.