AnoleX

AnoleX 3020-Evo

Entry-level all-metal CNC with a 300W spindle

Use with Easel Pro →

About the Machine

AnoleX no longer sells this model, but it remains fully supported in Easel. The 3020-Evo has a 287 x 196 x 73 mm working area, a 300W spindle upgradeable to a 65mm router, and dual steel linear guide rails on the X and Z axes.

Cut Settings on this Machine

Every cut starts with one formula: Feed Rate = Spindle Speed (RPM) x Chip Load x Number of Cutting Edges (flutes). Chip load is the thickness of material each cutting edge removes in one revolution of the bit. This number comes from the manufacturer of the bit, which publishes a chip-load chart for each bit diameter and material. Look up your exact bit and material, start from the middle of the published range, and you have the third number in the formula. The chart below shows the recommended spindle speed for each material and bit type.

MaterialSolid carbide bit (RPM)HSS & carbide-tipped bit (RPM)
Plastic (hard & soft)18,0008,000
Soft woods (MDF, particleboard, etc.)22,00010,000
Hard wood (oak, maple, etc.)16,0007,000
Aluminum12,000-14,0005,500
Aluminum, softer grades (such as 3003)10,0005,000
Foam (harder foams; soft foams do not rout well)18,0008,000
Composites12,0005,000

If this machine's spindle cannot reach the listed speed, run the spindle at its maximum and control the cut with feed rate. For 65mm trim routers, the DeWalt DW611 dial maps to: 1 = 16,000; 2 = 18,200; 3 = 20,400; 4 = 22,600; 5 = 24,800; 6 = 27,000 RPM.

The 3020-Evo's spindle is a 300W unit, and AnoleX does not publish a max RPM for it, so check the rating plate on your spindle before you start. A spindle this size is light duty: it loses torque fast once you push speed and load together, so keep the feed rate doing the work rather than cranking the spindle. The dual steel linear guide rails on X and Z keep the machine accurate, but this is still a compact desktop router, not a heavy industrial frame. A truly rigid machine with a powerful spindle can cut as deep as the bit is wide in a single pass, but that takes real spindle torque, a drive train and clamps that hold firm, a gantry that will not flex, and enough mass to soak up vibration. The 3020-Evo falls short of that bar, so take shallower passes. Push too deep and the bit deflects and chatters, leaving scalloped edges, or it rubs instead of cutting and burns the material. The fastest way to dial in a cut is to see what has already worked for other people.

Worked example for feed rate: 1/8in (3.175mm) two-flute solid carbide end mill in hard wood. The chart says 16,000 RPM. AnoleX does not publish a max spindle RPM for the 3020-Evo, so check your spindle's rating plate and use that number if it is lower than 16,000. With the bit maker's 0.025mm per tooth (0.0010 in): RPM x 0.025 x 2 = feed rate in mm/min. For depth per pass, start shallow and check Community Cut Settings in Easel for what works on this machine. If the cut sounds strained, reduce the depth, not the feed. Slowing the feed below the chip load makes the bit rub instead of cut.

Community Cut Settings shows the spindle speed, feed rate, and depth per pass other makers actually run for your machine, material, and bit.

Quick Specs

Cuttable Area

287 x 196 x 73 mm
Spindle Power
300W spindle, upgradeable to 65mm router

Stepper Motors

Not published by the manufacturer

Drive System

Dual steel linear guide rails on X and Z axes with anti-backlash nut block

Controller
GRBL 1.1h
Connectivity
USB

Using this machine with Easel

The AnoleX 3020-Evo runs GRBL 1.1h, so it connects directly to Easel, even though AnoleX no longer sells this model. Install the free Easel Driver and plug in over USB, or connect driverless with Rapid Connect in a Chromium browser (Chrome, Edge, or Opera). Design in the browser, then the Carve button homes, zeroes, and runs the job with live progress. You can also export G-code to run from another sender. Select AnoleX 3020-Evo in Easel's machine menu to size the canvas to its 287 x 196 x 73 mm working area.

Prefer not to install anything? Rapid Connect lets any GRBL machine, this one included, connect straight from your browser. If you go the driver route, grab it from the downloads page and follow the step-by-step install guide.

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