Time-lapse Video

Here we present a time-lapse video demonstrating the Thermwood LSAM 3D printing two parts simultaneously. 

About the Thermwood LSAM

The Thermwood LSAM is used to produce large to very large sized components from reinforced thermoplastic composite materials.

Although suitable for producing a wide variety of components, Thermwood is focusing on producing industrial tooling, masters, patterns, molds and production fixtures for a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, foundry and boating.  

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The Multi-Purpose 90 is a heavy-duty five-axis designed for high-speed trimming and pattern machining, available in single or dual moving aluminum tables.  It is capable of full five axis simultaneous motions with extremely fast accelerations.

Model 90 5 Axis 5'x12' CNC Router

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Available Features:

• 12HP HSD Tool Change Spindle (3,000-24,000 RPM larger spindle sizes available)
• Continuous C-Axis
• Impact Resistant Head 
• Moving Aluminum Table
• Fixed Gantry
• 24" Z Standard (available up to 60")
• Full 5 Axis Simultaneous Motion
• Siemens Intelligent Servo Drives Throughout
• 3D Laser Compensated Axis Alignment
• Thermwood QCore SuperControl
• Tool Center Point Programming (TCP)
• 5 Axis Chip Collection
• 10 Position Rotary Tool Changer
• Enclosure 
• Gantry Lighting 
• Multi-Function Gridded Pod Table 
• In the Leg Tool Changer
  
• Bar Style Tool Changer
• Automatic Tool Length Sensor 
• Machine Training and Installation
• Free Lifetime Phone/Forum Support 

More Info

 

 

The Thermwood Cut Center has an extensive offering of products including cabinets, closets, furniture, doors, drawers, moldings and more, and the sizes can easily be changed with no programming. 

We can also help you develop custom libraries for your specific product(s) in the size range you want, in the material you want and install them in your machine. 

2. Operate as a Cut Center or a Traditional CNC Router

The Thermwood Cut Ready Cut Center is an exciting alternative to traditional CNC routers - just tell the machine what you what to make and it does it...it is that simple!  NOprogramming is required!

Also, you can operate the system as a CNC router in the traditional manner, running programs generated with virtually any CNC software. Thermwood has created a simple way to switch between operating as a CNC router and operating as a Cut Center to assure that all machine parameters are properly reset and that the standard Cut Center tooling is properly installed, checked and ready to run.

3. Powerful Testimonials From Our Customers...

4. With Other CNC Routers - Programming Required?

Every CNC router, regardless of price, has one thing in common..it must be programmed. You will need a CNC programmer.  You will also need an operator with knowledge of tooling, feed speeds and holddown.  

This programming and operating knowledge takes a lot of time and experience to master. That can be time away from running your machine and making money.

 

 

5. You Can Get Into Production Quickly

It is likely you will be in full production with a Thermwood Cut Center in about a half a day. A typical CNC router can take as much as six months to program and get to that point. A half a day or a half a year? There is serious cost associated with that half a year.

 

6. Other CNC Routers - Not So Cheap After All

A typical CNC programmer will cost you more each month than the payment on a Thermwood Cut Center, which does not need CNC programs or CNC programmers.

So, even if a machine was FREE, it would still cost you more than a Thermwood Cut Center, and in a few years the Cut Center payments go away while your programmer costs most likely will go up. 

When you consider everything, a cheap router isn’t so cheap after all. In fact, to match a Thermwood Cut Center THEY would have to pay YOU to use their router. 

7. Constant Updates and Additions

We are constantly adding new libraries, features and capabilities to the Award-Winning Cut Ready Cut Center.  For instance, our latest update ads:

• New libraries and furniture (new Floating Bedroom Set)
• The ability to create stair stringers and free-standing stairs
• The ability to merge materials for a more efficient nest
• The ability to specify whether your material is sheet stock or board stock (with a whole host of options for each type)
• The ability to add sheets as off-fall even if they weren't created from the Cut Center
• The ability to resize the height on face frame base cabinets (while maintaining proper drawer front heights)

8. Commitment to Your Success

Thermwood is committed to you and your success.  We want you to love your new Cut Center, and for it to help move your business to the next level.  

We have the best service and support in the business, and help is available with a push of a button on your Cut Center.  We also have free phone, email and forum support.   In addition, we are available to help you create custom libraries for your projects to quickly get you going.   

The Bottom Line...

Don't have extensive programming experience?  Have programming experience and want both the flexibility of a CNC router and the ease of use of a Cut Center?  Looking for a machine that will grow with your business?  Then Thermwood's Cut Ready Cut Center might just be the machine for you!  

Thermwood PH50 Head Successfully Tested

After recently announcing our line of LSAM (large scale additive manufacturing) machines, Thermwood has now built and tested a high output version of our PH Series composite thermoplastic 3D print head.

At a print rate of 500 lbs/Hr, our newest and largest print head, the PH50 is more than three times faster than even our current PH15 print head (which we believe is currently the highest output composite thermoplastic print head available).  

The Thermwood-designed PH series print head uses three servo drives in a unique configuration.

The advantages of this new design include:

• a highly accurate print bead, the ability to change bead size while printing
• high output print rates
• better fusion between printed layers
• a virtually void-free printed structure

Thermwood has been operating the PH15 print head on the development version of our large scale additive manufacturing machine, called LSAM (L-Sam). The PH15 features a maximum print output rate of 150 Lbs/Hr when running a 20% carbon fiber filled ABS material. Our newest, and largest print head, the PH50, has been successfully bench-tested at a print rate of slightly over 500 Lbs/Hr running the same material.

A New Way to 3D Print

Fast print rates make possible all new ways to 3D print. The maximum print rate on a particular part is dictated not by the output of the print head, but instead, by cooling. When a layer is printed it must be allowed to cool sufficiently to stiffen enough to support the next layer but should not be allowed to cool so much that it doesn’t fuse properly with the next layer. This means that, although you may be able to print much faster, with most materials, you must wait at least 1 ½ to 2 minutes before you can print another layer. This would tend to make high output print heads unnecessary except for really large parts, but there are situations where this is not the case. 

At times, parts are printed as completely solid structures. When this occurs, bead length adds up quickly. A 5 foot by 5 foot solid layer requires 375 feet of bead length with a 0.800” bead width. Even with a 125 foot per minute print speed (which is the print speed of the PH50 at full output), it will require at least three minutes to print that layer. While this is still within a good layer to layer working time, it is clearly not overly fast. 

Some parts which are printed vertically are so long that they must be printed in multiple sections which are then bonded together. With a fast enough print head and large enough table, all sections can be printed at one time rather than printing them one at a time. In this approach, you print a layer on one part, then move to the next and the next, until you have printed that layer on all the parts. Then, you return to the first part which should then be ready for another layer. You can also mix different types of parts and print them all at the same time, rather than one at a time.  With additive manufacturing technology today, this is the only way to speed up production rate. This approach makes fast print heads and large table sizes not only practical but quite desirable. 

Thermwood's PH Series Print Head Design

Thermwood’s PH Series print head design uses a servo-controlled plastic extruder with a specially designed, patented plasticating screw to heat and soften the composite thermoplastic material. It then uses a servo-controlled fixed displacement polymer pump to deliver the softened material at a precisely controlled rate to the print nozzle. This dual-servo, two-step approach to generating the print bead eliminates a variety of problems encountered when trying to use just an extruder to print and generates a highly controlled material flow rate which results in a highly accurate and controllable print bead size. 

Thermwood’s PH Series system generates a relatively large print bead, applied at high speed. The print head is slaved to machine speed so as the machine speeds up and slows down, the output of the print head automatically adjusts to keep the size of the print bead consistent and accurate. This print speed control is automatic and doesn’t need to be incorporated into the CNC print program, greatly simplifying programming. An additional feature of this approach is that the print program can vary the size of the print bead during printing, something Thermwood has found to be a valuable capability. 

Once the bead has been applied, the PH Series print head uses a unique servo-controlled compression wheel to flatten and fuse each new print layer to previous layers. This wheel is the third servo in the PH series print head and can be instructed to automatically track machine motion. 

Since it tends to squeeze out any air that might otherwise be trapped between layers during printing, Thermwood has found that this compression wheel results in superior bonding between printed layers and a virtually void free printed structure. 

Another Unique Feature

A unique aspect of this new print head design is that, unlike machine motion, the three servo drives in the print head are not machine axes. Thermwood’s print gantries have six servo drive systems, but only three of them are axes. A machine axis needs to be programmed. The servo drives in the print head have their own unique, independent, self-operating intelligent control functions, which they continuously perform without specific ongoing CNC program commands.

The CNC program simply tells them to perform their function and they do it without further specific instructions, even if those functions require them to interact with the machine program, machine motion or each other. For example, simply turn on the print function and move the machine and the print head will print the proper size bead as the machine moves, automatically adjusting for acceleration, deceleration and different machine speeds. Engage the compression wheel and it follows machine motion automatically. During printing, a delicate balance exists between the extruder and polymer pump in the print head. Achieving and maintaining this balance during all aspects of operation is also automatic. 

PH50 Successfully Operated at Full Output

Currently, the new PH50 print head has successfully operated at full output in a static position. Thermwood is replacing its 10x10 foot LSAM development machine with a 10'x20' foot demonstration machine to verify and demonstrate operation of this new head at full print speed. Thermwood believes that 10'x20' is as small a machine as is practical for this high output print head. LSAM machines are available with table lengths of up to 100 foot or more. Thermwood is confident that technology in the PH Series print heads could be used in even higher output print heads should a need ever develop.  

For More Information

The Thermwood line of LSAM machines are available now, and you can get more information and see videos of these new heads in operation here

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Thermwood LSAM Now Available 

After an extensive development program, Thermwood Corporation, (Dale, Indiana, USA), has announced it is now offering a line of Additive Manufacturing Systems for the production of large to very large reinforced thermoplastic composite parts. Thermwood’s new machine line, called LSAM (pronounced L-Sam, short for Large Scale Additive Manufacturing), uses a two-step, near-net-shape production process. 

Two-Step Near Net-Shape Production Process

First the part is 3D printed, layer by layer, to slightly larger than the final size, then it is trimmed to its exact final size and shape using a CNC router. The process operates in free space and does not require molds or tooling.  

 
  

Thermwood’s target market for this new equipment is the production of tooling, masters, molds, fixtures, patterns and plugs for a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, boating, foundry and thermoforming. In addition, Thermwood believes it will find additional applications as various industries become aware of the substantial benefits of large part additive manufacturing. For tooling, the primary benefits of this approach are a substantially lower cost and a dramatically shorter build cycle. 

Print and Trim on the Same Machine 

 

Thermwood’s high wall, overhead gantry LSAM machines feature a ten foot wide, five foot high work envelope. Length of the work envelope can be as short as ten foot but as long as 100 foot or more. Machines include both a print gantry and a second trim gantry which is actually a five axis CNC router. Both gantries operate over the entire table surface. With this configuration, all functions needed to make parts are performed on the same machine. 

Thermwood’s print gantry features an advanced, Thermwood-developed, vertically-mounted PH Series print head that melts and precisely meters the polymer bead. It can process filled thermoplastic composite materials at temperatures up to 650 ^o F. Advantages of this unique triple servo design include a much more accurate print bead, the ability to change bead dimensions while printing, the ability to print at high output rates, better fusion between printed layers and a superior void free printed structure. 

Highest Output Rate Head Available 

Thermwood currently offers the PH15 Print Head on it LSAM machines. The PH15 prints at rates up to 150 lbs/hr which Thermwood believes is the highest output rate available today. Although Thermwood believes the PH15 is appropriate for many current tooling applications, they are actively developing even higher output versions of the PH Series Print Head. 

The size and typical geometry of parts to be printed, the number of part to be printed at the same time and the overall size of the machine will dictate how large a print head is appropriate. PH Series Print Heads include the ancillary systems required to dry and transport material from storage to the print head. 

The trim or subtractive gantry is a five axis CNC router system equipped with a 12HP (3,000 to 24,000 RPM) Automatic Tool Change Spindle and a ten position automatic tool changer. The vertical Z axis stroke is enhanced, so that the router head can machine from the print table surface to a point completely over the top of a printed part. The machine is also equipped with an automatic tool length measurement system and Thermwood’s patented impact resistant head. The machine uses Siemens Intelligent Servo Drives throughout, for both printing and trimming.  

 

Each gantry has its own, free standing Thermwood high performance Q-Core CNC Control for movement. The print gantry also includes an integrated print head control to manage melt, pressure and metering functions. Special control functions, not normally part of a CNC control, have been developed to operate the servo drive print head and bead compression wheel. These functions automatically perform tasks that would otherwise need to be incorporated in the CNC print program. This simplifies 3D print programming. 

Exciting New Manufacturing Revolution

“This is exciting”, says Thermwood’s founder and CEO, Ken Susnjara. “We are at the beginning of what appears to be a revolution in manufacturing and we look forward to the new challenges and incredible possibilities that this type of transformational change brings”. 

 

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The 2016 IWF Show (August 24th-27th) promises to be an exciting opportunity to visit Atlanta and see the very latest technology from Thermwood (booth #6513)! 

Like the award-winning Cut Center (make virtually anything a cabinet shop would want to make - with no programming), the all-new Framebuilder 48 (for nested-based upholstered frames featuring an auto load/unload system and built-in chip collection hood) and the heavy-duty Model 45 utilizing pods and aggregate tooling (machining solid wood parts).

Try out the award-winning Cut Center for yourself at IWF 2016!

The award-winning Thermwood Cut Center (which can be operated as an easy-to-use Cut Center with no programming, or as a traditional CNC router - running programs generated with virtually any CNC software) will be in action during IWF 2016. 

You'll have the opportunity to see just how easy it is to run this powerful machine.  Just tell it what you want, and it makes it...it is that easy!  We'll be demonstrating live during the show, and you can be part of it by helping to operate the cut center.  Please visit our booth (#6513) and speak to a Thermwood representative to get your hands on this exciting machine! 

FrameBuilder 48 - Auto Load/Unload System and Chip Collection Hood

Thermwood is also proud to demonstrate our all-new FrameBuilder 48 (4'x8' table) CNC router equipped with optional dual 18 HP Spindles and dual electric drills for nested based upholstered frame production.  

Featuring an auto load/unload system to automate the process of feeding the machine sheet material and automatically off-loading the parts upon completion. The system is also equipped with a built-in chip collection hood that cleans the table as it executes the automatic load/unload cycle.  The FrameBuilder 48 will be in action at IWF 2016 in booth #6513.  

Solid Wood Machining on the Thermwood Model 45

 We will also be demonstrating solid wood door machining utilizing pods and aggregate tooling on the Thermwood Model 45. 

The heavy-duty Model 45 is designed for a variety of functions including the machining of rotary operations when equipped with our optional C-Axis. This expands the capability of this already useful machine to include volutes, carvings, chair parts, stair components and much more.  

 

 

Model 45 with Pod System Machining Poplar Hardwood Door:

 

See at IWF 2016:

All three of these machines will be on display and cutting live at IWF 2016 (August 24th-27th) in Thermwood booth #6513 at the Georgia World Congress Center - Atlanta, GA.  Make plans now to visit us and see this exciting new technology in person!

 

More Info

For more info on the Thermwood Cut Center, please visit cutready.com.  For more info on the FrameBuilder 48 or Model 45 CNC routers, please visit us at thermwood.com.

Most people looking at a router for the first time do not realize that the vast majority of their cost will not be in running the router, but actually in EVERYTHING ELSE required to run the router (preparation, programming, hold down, operating procedures and error handling are the main cost areas).

Ordinary routers do not focus on these areas. They simply rely on the user to take care of them and usually it is not that easy.  Thermwood smart routers address these areas in a big way. They focus on the areas where you spend the most money because that’s where you can make the most money.

Just like a smart phone does more than simply make phone calls, a Thermwood smart router does much more than just route parts. The “more” in a smart router saves material and labor and makes it very easy to use. A smart router may cost a bit more, but is substantially more profitable, making it a much better overall investment. 

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Thermwood Smart Router Advantages:

Smart Routers Save Material

• Easily use material left from the last job
• Recover from broken tools without scrapping material
• Smart nesting keeps smaller parts from moving and being scrapped
• Nest around defects to use damaged or flawed material
• Save the sheet if parts start moving
• Warns you if spoilboard needs resurfacing
• Fly cut spoilboard in the middle of a job
• Machine back operations on the full sheet
• Alerts you when running critical parts

Smart Routers Save Labor

• Smart routers are easier to program
• Recut parts without programming
• Easily recover from problems without programming
• Run at the machine without programming each job
• During file selection, images help avoid errors
• Machine operator can safely do other jobs
• Avoid processing parts one at a time

Smart Routers are Easy to Use

• Run from virtually any software or any program
• The same file works on any smart router regardless of size or configuration
• Smart routers easily process material whose thickness varies from sheet to sheet
• Smart routers guide you step by step
• Uses smart labels to make parts easy to sort
• Assembly marks make parts easy to assemble
• Smart tooling avoids tooling errors
• Smart routers manage tooling for you
• Smart routers machine a profile edge without a profile tool

Smart Routers are Easy to Maintain and Service

• Automatically manages routine maintenance
• Helps you recover from errors quickly and easily
• Maintenance and operating manuals are right on the screen
• Watch how-to videos for service
• 3D CAD drawings identify every part quickly and easily
• Smart routers can be serviced over the internet
• Smart routers are updated online

Other Differences

• Smart routers are not limited by memory
• Smart routers can be monitored and managed with your smartphone or tablet
• Smart routers use a large touch screen like other modern devices

 

Thermwood is proud to present four $1,000 renewable scholarships to Colton Glenn, Kristina Nelson, Farrah Frakes, and Jacob Pund. 

 

Thermwood would like to congratulate all seniors and wish them the very best in their future studies and careers! 

What Do You Get With Thermwood?

When you join the Thermwood Family, we don't consider you a customer, but as a partner, friend and family member.  We believe in helping each other through a genuine relationship of mutual trust to make us both successful.

What Do You Get With a Thermwood CNC?

When you purchase a CNC router from Thermwood, you get a dependable machine, a superior control, reliable performance and the best service and support in the business. 

Our CNC Experts work with you during every step of the process to insure that you receive the optimum machine configuration for your specific application, and that you gain the knowledge and assistance you need to get into production as quickly as possible.  

You Are Never On Your Own

You are never on your own with a Thermwood machine.  Knowing that you have made the smart choice in partnering with a company that you can trust to stand behind you and do everything we can to make your business successful. 

Our Machines Just Work!

From Day One, Thermwood machines just work!  Day after day and year after year, our CNC machines will get the job done.  Made in the USA by hard-working Americans building custom machines just for you and not for stock.  And, because we build both the machines and controller, we support everything that comes from Thermwood...one company and one phone number to contact.

Thermwood Model 90 5 Axis 5'x12' Dual Table CNC router

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Customize Your Solution

Thermwood's Total Solution means that we can customize your machine operation to suit your specific needs.  Our experienced program techs can create new programs or modify your existing programs, work with you on fixturing and tooling, and much more.  

Our ultimate goal is to provide the best solution possible with the lowest learning curve for you. We'll stay by your side during each step of the way. We also provide phone, email and forum support, always free of charge.

Thermwood Customers IDL Worldwide with their new Model 45 CNC router

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Superior Support When You Need It

Our Total Solution also means that support doesn't stop with the sale.  We are by your side during your five-day training course at Thermwood's state-of-the-art factory as well as during installation at your facility.  And, if you ever need service or support, we have Virtual Service, free phone and email support, extensive parts inventory and the best support in the business!

Thermwood Customers learning programming skills during our five-day training class

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The Thermwood Total Solution:

Training and Production Support

• In-Depth Machine Training at our state-of-the-art facilty
• Production Start-Up Assistance at your facility with a dedicated CNC Expert
• Help from our CNC Experts when you need it via phone/email/forum 

Customizing Your Solution

• Customizable Machine Operation (modify/create new programs and/or machine hardware)

Better Machines

• High-Performance, Highly-Reliable, American-Built Machines
• Full Function, High Performance CNC Control (future-proofed with an upgrade path)

Superior Service and Support

• Free Phone/Forum/Email Support
• Virtual Service (instantly address virtually anything a service visit can - fast)
• Free Ongoing Control Updates (not available from others - you're stuck with what you have)
• Quick Support Visits Directly from the Factory When Needed (single source responsibility)
• Extensive Spare Parts Inventory with Overnight Shipping

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Thermwood Customer Byrne Custom Woodworking with their new Thermwood Cut Center

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The Bottom Line:

Our systems install fast, start up quick, are easier to use and maintain, produce more and last longer, and just plain work!

The Thermwood Total Solution means that we work with you before you buy, after you buy and into the future to make sure you get the best performance and financial benefit from your Thermwood machine.