Behind the innovations: Nomadtech

AMM – Can you tell us about the product development process?

NomadTech – As I mentioned earlier, it all starts with user feedback. During these 6 years of Red Fox in the market, we have listened to what people had to say: what they would like to make with the machine, functionalities they would add to the current product, how they use the CNC in the production of their projects… We listened to all their comments and suggestions; this served as a fundamental basis in the development of this new product.

Also, over the 8 years of NomadTech’s operations, and with a diverse portfolio of CNC products ranging from plasma cutters to laser engravers, we have accumulated a lot of knowledge about these technologies. All this know-how permeates this new milling machine, which is why we are confident that Red Fox 2 will meet the manufacturing needs of the most demanding users.

This was also one of the main challenges in the development of the Red Fox 2, as we wanted it to unify several technologies in a single tool. This versatile CNC milling machine has the possibility of including accessories such as a laser engraving module – which will allow users to engrave any detail on their materials – and a rotary module – which provides the machine with a fourth axis, allowing the user to mill on cylindrical surfaces, like a lathe. Both of these accessories increase the range of manufacturing possibilities users have to work with, turning the Red Fox 2 into an all-in-one workshop.

Other things we have taken into account in the development of this product is its international projection: its operating system is available in several languages, we have taken into account the voltage needs of each market, we have conceived its design to be easy to transport, among other details.

AMM- Any interesting anecdotes during development?

NomadTech – We have a funny anecdote about the choice of the product name. We knew we had a winning product on our hands, a disruptive CNC machine, and somehow we wanted this to be reflected in the name. “We got very creative, we thought of many, many options, hundreds: we had several meetings with the marketing team, with the sales department, even the engineers contributed their bit… but we still couldn’t come up with the “ideal name”. During this process, we remembered what was the key to all this new development, the place where the need to create this milling machine arose: the positive experience that hundreds of users have had with Red Fox. We knew that with this new CNC we would achieve something similar to what we achieved with Red Fox Original: an easy-to-use machine, which would bring hundreds of users closer to digital manufacturing and boost their businesses. At this point we understood that the most logical thing to do would be to keep this brand that users already know and love.

AMM – What is the technology behind this innovation?

NomadTech – Red Fox 2 is a desktop CNC milling machine (CNC router type); economical, easy to use, precise and robust, capable of integrating a series of accessories that make it the most versatile on the market. It has 3 axes of movement that allow you to produce 2D and 3D cutting and carving projects, in a wide variety of materials up to 15 cm thick: wood, plastics, non-ferrous metals (such as aluminium, copper, bronze), acrylic, methacrylate, technical foams, dibond and many others.

• Very intuitive: it comes with a tablet-like touch screen for ease of use. Its software allows it to be easily controlled remotely from the Tablet or even from the mobile phone, so it is not necessary to have a dedicated computer connected to the machine while it is working.
• Quick start-up: the machine comes assembled; the user only needs to fit the X-axis bridge; a process that takes less than 20 minutes so you can start working with your machine the same day you receive it.
• Recirculating ball screws on all axes and industrial linear guides: offering excellent accuracy on every job.
• Automatic material height detection: this reduces the calibration time prior to milling and the errors that can be made when milling manually.
• Minimal maintenance: Routine cleaning of the residues left by the milled materials and greasing of the spindles from time to time is sufficient.
• Designed and manufactured in Spain: this allows us to offer a service and assistance close to our national customers.

AMM – What are the main advantages offered by this innovative product, what needs does it cover and how can it improve the life of companies?

NomadTech – Many people have confirmed that Red Fox CNC is the ideal tool that helps them create an automated production line, create unique projects for their own customers and turn their passion into a business:

• It allows them to explore new ways of manufacturing. Optimise their time and automate work processes.
• Easy and quick to learn: In addition to being an easy-to-use tool, our online courses help them quickly become familiar with and master the technology.
• It gives them greater self-sufficiency: they can do more themselves without relying on third parties.

AMM – What industries is the innovation mainly aimed at?

NomadTech – It is a very versatile product that covers a wide range of industries:

• Ancillary industry: specialised manufacturers of parts and services (B2B).
• Vocational training centres and universities
• Carpentry
• Joinery
• Customisation project businesses (entrepreneurship)
• Customisation of camper vehicles
• Art, sculpture, modelling
• Manufacture of musical instruments, luthiers
• Manufacture of educational toys
• Repair of home furnishings
• Interior design studios
• Manufacture of personalised signs and lettering, printing and advertising montages
• Carpentry and woodworking hobbyists and makers

AMM – What are the main obstacles faced by a company that wants to develop an innovative product?

NomadTech – A major challenge is educating users about a new technology. We always give the example of a car: you don’t need to tell people what a car is and what you can do with it. It’s not the same with a CNC milling machine. The first barrier we have to cross is to make people aware of this technology and its potential.

Another barrier we often see is that, for many of our customers, Red Fox is their first CNC milling machine. These users may have come from working manually and are now faced with designing with a computer and using a tool that does for them what they previously had to do with their own hands. Our mission at NomadTech is to minimise this learning curve, something we achieve with two key points:

• Designing a product capable of producing near-professional results with minimal effort. Ease of use and user experience is our No. 1 priority.
• Offering educational content that helps customers learn more about the technology and how to get the most out of it. On our website we offer step-by-step courses in design and CNC milling for the most popular programs. On our YouTube channel and on social media, we share projects, ideas and tutorials so that our followers can learn a little more about CNC every day. We are always looking to inspire our followers with project ideas and show them that a lot can be done in a short time with these technologies.
  It is also important to us that users are aware of the business potential and profitability that these products offer. For many, the initial investment may be significant, but the experience of hundreds of Red Fox users confirms that these machines don’t cost money – they make money. Many small and medium sized companies today benefit from having this technology in their production lines.

Similarly, in an effort to cushion this initial investment, we have launched an exclusive launch discount which you can access by subscribing on our website.

Red Fox 2 will be officially launched in summer 2023, and you can come and see it in person at MetalBarcelona and MetalMadrid.

Check NomadTech’s website and social networks for more information on Red Fox 2 and the rest of their products:

Web: https://nomadtech.es/gb/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLlbIABQcnUTZKhRi_2hBSQ
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomad_technologies/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nomadtechnologies/