The International Sign Expo (March 22nd-24th) is a great way to see exciting new technologies in the sign industry.  

Thermwood has been in the sign industry for many years and will be showcasing our SignRouter 43 demonstrating the machine capabilities by machining aluminum, plastics and foam (Booth #1080).

Thermwood is offering Free Trade Show Passes to the 2012 International Sign Expo in Orlando, FL, March 22nd - 24th.  If interested, please click on the link below to regsiter for a free pass.

Free ISA Trade Show Pass Registration Link

If you plan to be in the Charlotte, NC area over the weekend, please stop by and check out YouBuild Booth #300 at the 2012 Charlotte Build, Remodel & Landscape Expo. The expo will be at the Charlotte Convention center, and runs this Friday, January 6th through Sunday, January 8th.

There will be samples of the products available through the YouBuild program on display, as well as an interactive design and ordering kiosk.  There will be live demos all day.

Below are a couple of shots of the booth before the expo begins:

You can also stop by the Home Depot located at 1220 N Wendover Rd in Charlotte, NC anytime to see the full YouBuild endcap, or check the program out on the web at www.youbuild.com.  Below is a shot of the YouBuild endcap in operation at the Home Depot store in Charlotte:

And finally, here is an introductory video to the YouBuild program:

Our annual Christmas party was held last Friday, and it was a fun time for everyone to gather and enjoy food and fellowship. 

As we head into the new year, we are grateful for all of the positive business that we've enjoyed in 2011, and encouraged that 2012 promises to be a very good year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from all of us here at Thermwood!

Dear eCabinet Systems Members,

eCabinet Systems version 6.0 Build 7 is now available. This latest version of eCabinet Systems is available as a download only. No disc is required. It is a full install. It will either update your existing version of eCabinet Systems or complete a full install.

eCabinet Systems Version 6.0 Build 7 is ONLY a time extension release:

eCabinet Systems Update Page:
http://www.ecabinetsystems.com/ecabinet_systems_updates.htm

To obtain eCabinet Systems V6.0 Build 7, install click on the link above. Save this file to your computer then double click it to run.

If you need a new reg code, please email cabinets@thermwood.com or go to www.ecabinetsystems.com to generate a new code.

Sincerely,

Your friends at eCabinet Systems

Where to go for help:

The best place for eCabinet Systems software users to turn for technical help is the Member Forum on the eCabinet Systems web site. Most common questions have been addressed and many users stand ready to offer help and suggestions. This is a huge resource full of tips, techniques and suggestions. If your question cannot be resolved by searching, then post the question on the forum. The forum is monitored by many eCabinet Systems users, as well as Thermwood staff and you can often be notified of a resolution within minutes, regardless of your geographical location and time zone. As an extra benefit, questions answered on the forum are available for others in the future, making it even more valuable.

Online Video Training:

Although the software includes a user’s manual, to really learn to use the software in a timely manner, Thermwood offers an online video training program for eCabinet Systems. This is a low-cost monthly subscription which can be started and stopped at any time. It offers extensive training in all aspects of eCabinet Systems software. It is available when you want and you learn at your own pace. Anyone that plans to operate a business using eCabinet Systems software should subscribe to this video training. It will save you huge amounts of time, will make you more efficient and help you to get full benefit from all aspects of the program.

Five-day On-site Class:

Thermwood also offers a formal eCabinet Systems training class for those who want to unleash the full potential of this powerful program as quickly as possible. This is a week-long class, conducted at Thermwood and includes a one year subscription to the video training program above.

Phone Support:

For questions that just can’t be answered any other way, Thermwood offers phone support to anyone currently subscribed to the video program or anyone that is operating a Thermwood CNC router using eCabinet Systems. It is not practical to extend phone support to anyone not a current subscriber to the video program because most answers to operating questions refer you to sections of the online video.

We can offer phone assistance if you are having problems with initial installation but before you call make sure your problem hasn’t been addressed on the forum and that you don’t have a firewall or other program blocking access to the registration code. These firewall programs are the most common problem encountered during installation.

Habitat for Humanity will be the beneficiary of CNC Automation's technology and generosity at the Woodworking Machinery & Supply Expo (WMS) October 27-29.

The St. Zotique, QC-based company plans to make and assemble parts into residential casegoods at its exhibit booth throughout the three-day show, taking place for the first time ever at the Direct Energy Centre. The casegoods will be donated to Habitat for Humanity Restore in Ontario.

Making this live production possible are three production lines that CNC Automation will have in operation during WMS. They include:

Solid Wood Processing, CNC's newest division, will showcase Kentwood moulders and Ironwood classical woodworking equipment to manufacture five-piece wood cabinet doors.

Panel Processing, including Thermwood CNC nested-based routers, Omal drill and dowel insertion equipment and a panel saw, will produce case good components.

Spray Finishing & Sanding, featuring Timesavers calibration sanders, Loewer finishing sanders and Makor water-based spray systems, will be used to finish the solid wood parts. 

In addition, CNC Automation is finalizing plans for a tour of Toronto-area woodworking facilities to take place on Wednesday, October 26, the day before the show opens. To assist out-of-town customers, the company has secured a block of rooms at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel conveniently located to the Direct Energy Centere.

 "We are extremely excited to see the change in venue of the WMS show," said Daniel Comeau vice president, general manager of CNC Automation. "The move to downtown Toronto has injected the market with a new enthusiasm in this important Canadian event. The WMS show is an important part of the Canadian marketplace. Canadian manufacturers deserve and should expect a "locally" based and focused showcase of products featuring the newest technologies."

"CNC Automation is committed to all of our customers Canada wide," Comeau added. "The WMS event provides us the opportunity to express this commitment to the Canadian marketplace. As a Canadian machinery dealer, we owe it to our Canadian customers to provide a Canadian event where they can view the latest technology and be exposed to new ideas that are important to their future growth and prosperity."

Please visit CNC Automation's booth at WMS in Toronto.  Booth #'s are 129 and 1504.

For more information please visit www.cncautomation.com (800.421.5955) or www.thermwood.com (800.533.6901)

Section 179 Tax Deduction/Bonus Depreciation

Thinking of purchasing a new cnc router in 2011, and still on the fence because of the uncertain economy? Some great news is the current dual benefit of the Section 179 deduction/100% bonus depreciation which helps make 2011 the ideal year to purchase your new cnc router!

These newest changes are as follows:

• The Section 179 Deduction limit has been increased to $500,000. The total amount of equipment that can be purchased increased to $2 million. This includes most new and used capital equipment, and also includes software.

• The “Bonus Depreciation” has been increased to 100% on qualified assets. However, this can be taken on new equipment only.

2011 is the Year to Do It!

Due to the extension of Section 179 under the 'HIRE Act of 2010' - the enhanced limits under the 'Jobs Act of 2010' - and the recently enacted 100% Bonus Depreciation under the 'Tax Relief Act of 2010':

You can basically write-off 100% of all the equipment and software your business needs to buy or finance this year!

Depreciation Bonus At A Glance:   

• 2011 Deduction Limit - $500,000 (up from $250k previously). Good on new and used equipment, including new software.

• 2011 Limit on equipment purchases - $2 Million Dollars (up from $800k previously).

• “Bonus” Depreciation - 100% (taken after the $500k deduction limit is reached). Note, bonus depreciation is only for new equipment. This can also be taken by businesses that exceed $2 million in capital equipment purchases.
  
  The above is an overall, “simplified” view of the Section 179 Deduction for 2011. For more details on limits and qualifying equipment, as well as Section 179 Qualified Financing, please visit section179.org
  
  An example of Section 179 at work:

For more detailed information: please click here.

Calculate your potential savings: please click here

Please use the following links to view our line of 3 axis and 5 axis Thermwood CNC Routers. 

Visit Why Purchase a Thermwood? to see why our machines are the most reliable, technically advanced and safest choice for over 40 years.

Thermwood's Canadian distributor, CNC Automation, will be exhibiting at this year's WMS Show on October 27th-29th in Toronto, Canada. 

We have secured room deals at the Fairmont York Royal Hotel - just steps away from the best nightlife, dining, shopping and other great venues Toronto has to offer.

There are also several great options for direct transportation to the show from the Fairmont - no need to worry about driving yourself there!

Please click the photo below or this link for more information.

The 2011 AWFS Show promises to be an exciting opportunity to visit Las Vegas and see the very latest in CNC Router technology from Thermwood!

At AWFS we will be demonstrating the machining of custom nested based cabinets along with a variety of other applications including MDF doors, sheet plastics, and wood components.

Featuring the CabinetShop 45 with load/unload system:

Our demonstrations will include machining products on our CabinetShop 45 CNC, complete with our new optional load/unload system that reduces labor and eliminates the need to load and unload material from the router.  Also at AWFS we will be demonstrating the S400 and BEE Fravol edgebanders.  Fravol, known for high quality edgebanders, is exclusively represented and serviced in the US by Thermwood.

The CabinetShop 45 will feature our new QCore SuperControl system.  The QCore operates with Windows 7 Pro, has a massive 1 Tb Hard Drive for program storage, utilizes a Quad Core Processor and provides the highest level control platform for CNC router technology today.

QCore also features an all-new optional Hand Held Programmer that puts the expanded power of the QCore control into a compact, rugged hand remote.  This new hand held offers improved ergonomics, a color LCD touch screen display and a durable 24-key steel dome membrane keypad.  It allows the operator to perform a wide variety of tasks that were previously only available through the machine control.

Live streaming webcam from AWFS!

We will be showcasing Thermwood’s speed and quality by running LIVE machine demonstrations using different materials such as plywood, melamine, MDF, Acrylic and King Plastics’ Starboard throughout the day – and available via webcam. 

Hands-on Access!

Attendees will also have a chance to customize a product and run the machine yourself using our QuickCut software right at the control.  Just select an item, change the size and watch the machine do the rest.

If you’re interested in not just increasing throughput but also reducing assembly time, stop by Thermwood’s booth to see the latest in construction joints and assembly marks. 

Featuring the New Lock Dado Joint:

We announced the new Barb Dado Joint at the IWF show in 2010, this year for AWFS we will be demonstrating our new Lock Dado Joint which combines blind dado and KD Fasteners (available from Hafele) making assembly unbelievably fast and easy!

Plan to stop by Thermwood Booth #4210 and check us out!

The AWFS show is located at the Las Vegas Convention Center and runs from July 20th-23th.

Not only do students learn the basic technology but they also experience full scale, full production machining operations (assuring that they are well prepared for real-world applications).

Each machine is equipped with the powerful QCore SuperControl which gives students the most advanced automated production features available, insuring state-of-the-art training.

Thermwood also offers free copies of its eCabinet Systems software for classroom use as well as an individual copy for each student enrolled on an ongoing basis.

The Advanced Support Program assures that new features and technology are automatically added to Thermwood educational machines as they are released, pledging that students are always working with the most up-to-date technology available.

Thermwood machines and technology are ideal for training in today’s rapidly changing technical horizon.  Please visit our educational applications area for more information and examples of Thermwood CNC Routers used in education.