The Pro Ultra is LUNYEE's 3018 Pro Max with a profile rail on X, heavier profiles and a grid-marked aluminium bed. It is built for brass, copper and 6061 aluminium on a desk.
Logged September 2026LUNYEE builds two 3018s, both 500W, all-metal and 300 × 180 × 80 mm: the 3018 Pro Max on 12 mm optical axes, and the 3018 Pro Ultra with an HGH15 linear guide on X, 2040 X and 4040 Y profiles, a one-piece aluminium bed and an integrated power supply. LUNYEE also makes clamps, a grid MDF spoilboard and a 52 mm dust shoe that suit both.
The LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra CNC machine starts from the Pro Max: the same 500W spindle, 80 mm of Z and all-metal frame. LUNYEE then moves the X axis onto an HGH15 linear guide, sets it on 2040 profiles, and carries Y on heavier 4040 profiles.
The rail matters most on the axis that carries the spindle. Round rods are held only at their ends, so a side load in the middle bends them slightly and the bit wanders.
A profile rail is bolted to the frame along its whole length, and its carriage runs on recirculating balls in ground tracks. Side loads meet a much stiffer path, which is the whole case for the upgrade.
LUNYEE's own claim is that the rail and heavier profiles cure the Z-axis instability common to desktop 3018s. The mechanics support the direction of that claim, though results still depend on bit, clamping and feeds.
All measurements for both versions sit in the Pro Ultra spec log.
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LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra 500W CNC Router |
LUNYEE 3018 Pro Max 500W CNC Router |
ACMER Ascarva 3S 500W CNC Router |
WolfPawn 3018 500W CNC Router |
VEVOR 3018 Pro Max 500W CNC Router | |
| Type | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine | Machine |
| Spindle | 500W spindle | 500W spindle | 500W spindle | 500W spindle | 500W spindle |
| Work area | 300 × 180 × 80 mm | 300 × 180 × 80 mm | 300 × 180 × 78 mm | 300 × 180 × 60 mm | 300 × 180 × 80 mm |
| Frame | All-metal | All-metal | Aluminium + plastic | All-metal | All-metal |
| Linear guides | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Offline controller | Yes | Yes | Not included | Not included | Yes |
| Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here | Get it here |
Aluminium is the job the LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra CNC machine 500W was built for. Its one-piece machined aluminium bed gives a flat reference, and the printed scale grid lines stock up without a square.
| Job | Bit | Depth per pass to start | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket in 3 mm 6061 plate | Single-flute carbide, 1/8 inch | 0.2–0.5 mm | Mist of lubricant or alcohol, chips cleared often |
| Engraved lettering | 30° carbide V-bit | 0.1–0.2 mm | High rpm, light feed |
| Profile cut-out | Single-flute carbide | 0.2–0.4 mm | Leave tabs; the part shifts on the last pass |
| Holes | Carbide drill or end mill | Peck 0.5 mm | Retract often to clear chips |
Treat those figures as a first test, not a recipe. Bit sharpness, stick-out and clamping shift the safe depth widely, so cut a scrap pocket first and listen: a steady hiss is right, a scream or a hammering is not.
Workholding comes next. The Pro Ultra ships with two T-track mini hold-down clamps, and three add-ons fit its bed:
Side clamps leave the whole top face free, which suits facing and engraving passes. Hold-downs grip harder on thick blocks.
Setup on the Pro Ultra is shorter than on the Pro Max. The main parts come pre-assembled with clear cable routing, and the power supply now sits inside the machine rather than on a separate brick.
LUNYEE supplies assembly videos and printed manuals, and says its support team answers within 24 hours. The offline controller lets a first test run go ahead without installing anything on a laptop.
A touch probe is worth adding early. A plate-and-clip probe wired to the GRBL probe input sets tool height in seconds and ends the paper-slip routine.
The Fafeicy vacuum table bolts to the Pro Ultra bed with four M6 × 20 screws and pulls -70 kPa from its built-in pump. Thin aluminium and acrylic sheet stay flat with no clamp in the tool path.
Get it hereFor plywood, hardwood and acrylic, the Pro Max already has the power and the Z travel. The Pro Ultra's rail pays off when metal is on the bed most weeks, not once a season.
Much of the kit crosses over. LUNYEE's grid MDF spoilboard, 300 × 180 × 12 mm with 24 M6 holes no more than 54 mm apart, is made for both machines, and so are its tiger claw and mini hold-down clamps.
The 52 mm dust shoe with a 38 mm hose port suits any 52 mm spindle body, the usual size for 500W motors. The Fafeicy vacuum table mounts to either: four screws on the Ultra, sliding M6 nuts in the Pro Max's T-slots.
The Pro Ultra comes in two versions. The earlier one leads with metal engraving and the Pro Max lineage; the later one is pitched at wood and soft metal and states the 300 × 180 × 80 mm work area and X, Y and Z limit switches outright.
The Pro Max's place among the other machines sharing its name, 775 kits included, is set out in the 3018 Pro Max comparison.
| 3018 Pro Ultra | 3018 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Spindle | 500W | 500W, 0–12,000 rpm |
| Work area | 300 × 180 × 80 mm | 300 × 180 × 80 mm |
| X axis | HGH15 linear guide, 2040 profiles | 12 mm optical axis |
| Y axis | 4040 profiles | Reinforced aluminium profiles |
| Bed | One-piece aluminium plate with scale grid | T-slot worktable |
| Power supply | Integrated switching supply | Separate supply, 48V |
| Clamps in the box | Two T-track mini hold-downs | Not stated |
| Safety | X/Y/Z limit switches, E-stop | 6 limit switches, E-stop |
| Manual positioning | Not stated | Handwheels on X, Y and Z |
| Offline control | Included | Included |
| Weight | 14 kg | 13 kg |
| Metals LUNYEE names | Brass, copper, 6061 aluminium | Aluminium, copper |
From LUNYEE's published specifications for each machine. 'Not stated' means LUNYEE gives no figure for that model.
Three other 500W frames of 3018 size compete for the same bench. None of them lists a profile rail on X, but each has a trait worth weighing.
| Machine | Z travel | Stand-out trait |
|---|---|---|
| LUNYEE 3018 Pro Ultra | 80 mm | HGH15 linear guide on X |
| ACMER Ascarva 3S | 78 mm | ESP32 board, tool setter, ±0.025 mm repeatability claim |
| WolfPawn 3018 500W | 60 mm | Power supply inside the chassis |
| VEVOR 3018 500W | 80 mm | 1.8-inch offline controller, LightBurn support |
The ACMER Ascarva 3S is the closest match on paper. Its 500W, 48V spindle reaches 12,000 rpm in an ER11 collet, the machine weighs 11.5 kg, and six limit switches, an E-stop and a tool setter come with it.
ACMER also packs a parameter table with settings for RenShape, plywood, acrylic and PC board. That is a head start for a first-time machinist, though aluminium settings still come from test cuts.
The 3018 price bands entry sets these frames against the 775 kits by budget, and the 3018 upgrades entry covers what to add once the machine is running.
The Pro Ultra adds an HGH15 linear guide on X, 2040 X and 4040 Y profiles, a one-piece aluminium bed with a scale grid and an integrated power supply. Spindle, 80 mm Z and offline control are shared.
Yes. LUNYEE names brass, copper and 6061 aluminium for it; start with light passes, single-flute carbide bits and lubricant.
No. Its offline controller runs G-code files on its own, and GRBL software on a PC handles longer or more complex jobs.
Two T-track mini hold-downs come in the box. LUNYEE's tiger claw and mini hold-down clamps, Zopsc tiger claws and the Fafeicy vacuum table are all made to fit it.
A profile rail 15 mm wide with a carriage running on recirculating balls. It is bolted along its full length, so it resists side loads far better than a round rod held at its ends.
Not 3018 machines, but bought with them: 1/8-inch end mill sets for the ER11 collet, and the 4040-size routers owners move to once 300 × 180 mm runs out.
