InMachines Launches Their Open Source Piccola Desktop CNC Mill

I buy, repair, and sell industrial equipment, including CNC mills, and if there is one thing I’ve learned, it is that proprietary systems often become paperweights once they reach EoL (end-of-life). Manufacturers of old machines — if they’re even still in business — have little interest in continuing support in the long term and so machines that cost tens (or hundreds) of thousands of dollars when new become literal scrap. The new Piccola desktop CNC mill, from InMachines, is different because it is open source.

InMachines is all about open source development. Their entire thing is designing machines for makerspaces and hobbyists. They even build custom machines to suit the requirements of customers. But the Piccola CNC mill is their first product that they intend to manufacture in decent quantities, with the goal of selling to a broader hobbyist market.

This is a fairly small machine. Exact outer overall dimensions depend on the variant you choose, but the maximum size is 350 × 455 ×400 mm. All of the variants have a cutting area of 150 × 150 × 70 mm. All three also have ball screws on all axes, accept ER11 collets, can perform tool length detection to automatically calculate offsets, and have a theoretical resolution of 0.0025mm — though real-world cutting tolerances will depend on many factors and will be much larger.

The InMachines Piccola CNC also has some nifty features available, like 3D scanning to capture part geometry, automatic leveling, and probing to find XY coordinates. You’ll be able to control the machine from a desktop computer, a smartphone, or a tablet. And there are safety features, including hardware interlocks, to make the machine suitable for use in schools and homes.

It will be available in three different variants: Basic, Pro, and Ultimate. The Pro variant upgrades the spindle from 100W to 200W (RPM drops from 20,000 to 12,000) and adds an enclosure with LED lighting. The Ultimate variant has those upgrades, plus the aforementioned 3D scanning and XY probing.

But the best feature, in my opinion, is the open source design. Not only does that mean that you’ll be able to benefit from community-developed improvements and add-ons, but it also means that the Piccola CNC will never be obsolete. Even if InMachines disappears, you’ll have all of the information and access you need to keep your mill going. And right out of the gate, you’ll be able to make modifications to customize your mill. Add a coolant system, or a vacuum bed, or a bespoke fixture table — you’re free to do whatever you like.

If you’re interested in getting a Piccola CNC, you can join the waitlist on the website to get updates and special launch pricing when the time comes. If you want to see it in-person, InMachines will be showing the Piccola CNC at Maker Faire Hannover on August 15th and 16th. And they plan to announce the Kickstarter launch during Maker Faire Rome from October 23rd to the 25th.