We are pleased to introduce a revolutionary new CNC Router System, called the CabinetShop 43, for nested based applications. This new high performance CNC router is built in the US, at Thermwood's Southern Indiana factory and utilizes a whole new, highly efficient manufacturing approach which results in a superior structure coupled with enhanced use of materials, all at a dramatically lower price.

The new machine features a 61 by 121 inch fixed table, a 10 HP HSD spindle and an eleven position automatic tool changer. It offers high acceleration, high performance motions in both positioning and cutting. This new system includes quality features seldom, if ever, found at this price point including full stress relieved weldments, high-end Siemens drives throughout, THK rails and three-dimensional volumetric position compensation.

The system also includes Thermwood's QCore SuperControl which sharply distinguishes it from every other machine in this class offering features such as:

"QuickCut" is the fastest, simplest, easiest way to make cabinets and closets ever. Just select and resize a cabinet from the library and cut it, all right at the machine control.

"Job Level Interface" means you communicate with every major cabinet design software package using a single job file instead of dozens or hundreds of individual programs. Nesting and program development happen automatically at the machine; an approach that offers dramatically simpler operation and higher productivity.

The QCore SuperControl also executes standard G-Code programs developed elsewhere.

The QCore SuperControl also has an impressive list of operating features all with one purpose, make the machine as foolproof as possible to reduce errors, minimizing the time you fiddle with the machine. It runs more with less effort.

- Automatic Tool Management helps you manage tooling and tracks tool life

- Maintenance Tracking tracks machine use and guides you through routine maintenance

- Graphic Error Reporting shows you exactly where a problem is and suggests solutions

- Complete User Manual in the control

- Dynamic CAD drawings of the entire machine on the control screen

- Maintenance Videos on the control guide you through mechanical adjustments

- Virtual Service provides direct link from the control to Thermwood service

Never before has this level of technical sophistication, quality and performance been available at this price. The CabinetShop 43 is ushering in a new era of productivity, ease of use and profit for custom cabinet operations.

Delcam's ArtCAM software enabled Adirondack Studios to complete successfully a project to produce five giant chandeliers for the Mohegan Sun Casino at Pocono Downs, Pennsylvania.

For over 30 years, Adirondack Studios, based in Argyle, New York, has helped to design and build themed environments for theatres, arenas, exhibit halls, ballrooms, parks, restaurants, casinos, amusement parks, supermarkets, museums, stadia and marinas. About a year ago, the company began using the ArtCAM artistic CADCAM software to program the CNC routers used to manufacture the majority of the company's products.
"The software that we used in the past for CNC programming worked fine for routine jobs but many of the projects that we get involved in are far out of the ordinary," said Bob Gregory, Senior Router Operator. "We spent too much time watching the clock while we were machining and ran into quite a few bugs. Also, the software developer was not as responsive as we wished when we called in for support."
"We had heard that a number of our competitors were using ArtCAM with very good results so we decided to give it a try," Mr. Gregory continued. "From the very beginning we felt that ArtCAM was a more finished product, more robust, with much higher performance. The tutorials make it very easy to take advantage of the many advanced features of the software. The support provided by Delcam has been superlative and they do listen to, and implement, user suggestions for improving the software."
Adirondack Studios' designers began the construction of the chandeliers by building a 3D model in AutoCAD. The file was imported into ArtCAM to generate the CNC program to machine a positive shape in low-density foam. This was used by a subcontractor to vacuum-form the plastic bowl segments. These were then painted to look like alabaster.
In a similar way, the casting department used ArtCAM to make a mould to cast the grouse models that would be used to decorate the chandeliers. A black-tinted silicone rubber was used to give the grouse the appearance of wrought iron.

The next step was to create a bird's nest pattern and weave it around the circumference of the bowl. ArtCAM allowed the ways in which the strands crossed each other to be varied for a more natural appearance. "Birds do not use a CNC machine to build their nests so it took considerable effort to get the correct look," Mr. Gregory said.  Mr. Gregory generated a CNC program to cut the bird's nest negative shape into MDF. It took only fifteen minutes to create the program compared with at least four hours that would have been needed with the previous software. The mould was used to cast the bird's nests from the same silicon rubber used for the grouse. Finally, the birds and the nests were glued to the bowl of each chandelier.
The finished chandeliers were then installed in the casino. They formed part of a $208-million renovation of the site, aimed at transforming it into the area's leading entertainment complex.

We are now a Business Member of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), and will be exhibiting at the Windpower Expo 2010 in Dallas, TX (May 23rd-26th, 2010).  Make plans now to come out and see us in action.

Thermwood offers 3 and 5 axis systems ideally suited for the production, fabrication and trimming of composites and other materials used in the production of wind energy products. 

For more information on our applications in this area, please visit the composite page of our CNC Routers By Applications area.

We are pleased to announce the upcoming arrival of our latest machine, the CabinetShop 43! This low-cost, high-performance 5×10 table CNC Router is perfect for making nested based cabinets, closets, furniture and upholstered frames.

Look for more information about the CabinetShop 43 coming in the next few weeks.

Until then - if you would like to know more, please contact us for the inside scoop.

We are pleased to announce a new, simplified approach to nested based production of cabinets and closets that does not require separate cabinet design software. This new approach, called "QuickCut", is done entirely at the CNC machine.

The operator, working at the machine control, simply selects and resizes cabinets and closets from a built-in library and runs them. This entire process happens at the machine. The process is simple enough that virtually anyone can run it with minimal instruction. Libraries can be modified or extended through a programming service.

"For the first time you can operate a CNC router without extensive training or technical skill", says Thermwood's Vice-President of Marketing Jason Susnjara. "This approach allows cabinetmakers to focus on making cabinets using an amazing new tool that's really easy to use".

Operating a CNC router usually requires specialized knowledge which limits its use to specially trained employees. We used the technical power in our Gen2 SuperControl to totally automate virtually every task, then created a simple user interface, resulting in a system that almost anyone can use without extensive training.

The QuickCut feature targets smaller, less technical shops but can also be used by larger companies to make virtually any part or product in their product line any time they want. A library of parts can be stored on a network drive. At that point, almost anyone can walk up to any QuickCut machine and make any part. It's that easy. By storing files in a central location, management has complete control of anything that is made, anywhere in the factory.

"This new interface takes what has been a confusing area for non-technical users and makes it almost as easy as using a copy machine", states Thermwood's President, David Hildenbrand. "We believe it will fundamentally change how cabinets, closets and perhaps many other products, are made".

All nested based systems from Thermwood are QuickCut compatible and Gen2 systems operating in the field can be retrofitted to make them QuickCut compatible.

For more information on this exciting new development, please visit our QuickCut area of the website.

We've just completed updating and expanding our 3 and 5 axis CNC Router areas on thermwood.com. 

This new interface allows a wider variety of information to be accessed easily and more quickly than our previous version, and lists images, dimensional drawings (which can be easily printed), technical specifications, movies of the machines in action and brochures all in one convenient place.  I've included some screen shots below - to visit, please click on either:

3 Axis CNC Routers

5 Axis CNC Routers

 A cool thing we've just completed is adding our Production Sharing Members to Google Earth.  Google Earth is a free download, and once you have it, you can click on the Production Sharing Members map of your choice and view all of the Members that list their services on an interactive map.  This tool allows you see see at a glance Members who are in your area.

For more information, please visit the Production Sharing Area our website.

About Production Sharing - This is a free listing service that Thermwood offers any of our CNC Router Owners where they can list their production services and allows any eCabinet Systems Member or other interested parties to contact these Production Sharing Members and have their jobs machined out on a CNC Router quickly and cost-effectively. 

AWFS^®Fair 2009 announced that the most recent show, "proved to be the place for the entire woodworking community to come together, show support and strengthen the industry.  Exhibitors reported strong buyer interest, especially from international delegations." 
 
"The show exceeded my expectations by far; our sales have been great," Gaspar Tellez from Laguna Tools, Irvine, Calif. wrote in a post-show survey.
 
AWFS said that it added value to the show with new features on the show floor like the Green Desk, smartSHOP and shredding program and had a strong line up of educational seminars. The new features were a huge success and will be expanded and enhanced in the years to come. AWFS, along with exhibitors WEIMA America and Delmac, also showed local support with donations of products made at the Fair to several Las Vegas charities, including The Animal Foundation, The Springs Preserve, Greener Vegas and Habitat for Humanity.
 
"The show was much better than we expected.  We came in hopes of gaining market share so that when things turn around we'll be a few steps ahead of our competition," said Mike Serwa from Vortex Tool Company, Schofield, Wis.
 
Guatemala and Mexico proved to be the two most active international delegations, in terms of purchase orders, according to Ana Druk, who heads AWFS' International Buyer Program.  Buyers from the two countries were on the show floor each day, making purchases of both equipment and supplies.  
 
"The show was excellent for us," Brent East from Thermwood Corporation, Dale, Ind. agreed. "Both the number and quality of buyers were much better than I anticipated."  
 
Two new countries sent delegations of buyers - Iraq and Mongolia.
 
"New buyers seem to be most interested in distributorship opportunities, purchasing small tools and education materials.  The leaders of the two new delegations both stated that they will be back in 2011!" said Druk.
 
This year's fair hosted 9,000 registered attendees and close to 600 exhibiting companies.  Woodworking industry professionals, drawn from 52 countries from around the world met, networked, attended some of the more than 50 education sessions and conducted business over the course of four whirlwind days. 
 
Overall, the show proved to be a success, according to Archie Thompson, AWFS Tradeshow Chair, National Sales Manager of Spectrum Adhesive.
 
"The signs of life turning up in the housing market suggest that our industry really has passed the worst of this economic downturn. Two years from now, we will look back at these tough times and remember how we were able to pull together as an industry and survive," said Thompson. "When we return in 2011, we'll be celebrating the 100th year anniversary of AWFS and the resurgence of our industry."
 
More than 165 students entered into the Fresh Wood national woodworking student design contest, and 46 were able to make the trip to Las Vegas with their teachers. For the first time ever, two high school students were awarded the Best of Show and People's Choice awards.  Several TV crews taped live interviews with the students.
 
The woodworking media came out in full force. Many reporters were live blogging and podcasting from the show floor.  Chris Grundy, host of the show "Cool Tools" on the DIY network filmed on the floor for two days," covering new products and doing exhibitor interviews.
 
In 2011, AWFS®Fair will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center, July 20-23. Please check http://www.awfsfair.org/ for updates.
 
About the AWFS®Fair: The full-scale AWFS®Fair has become a critical hub for international commerce in the woodworking industry. The AWFS®Fair brings together the entire home and commercial furnishings industry, including manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, construction materials and other suppliers to the furniture, cabinet manufacturers and custom woodworkers. 
 
For more information, visit www.awfs.org/.

Thermwood Corporation is proud to announce a new compact series of automatic edgebanders from Fravol.  The B Series from Fravol is constructed using a steel frame and designed to be compact but versatile and easy to use.  The BEE can process banding up to 3mm thick PVC and comes equipped with a 1kg (2.2 lbs.) Teflon lined glue pot, 3 pressure rollers, end-trimming unit, top/bottom trimming unit and a glue scraper.  Fravol has been in business since 1963 producing heavy-duty, versatile, and easy to use edge processing machines for the woodworking industry. 

For additional information, please contact Thermwood Corporation

Phone: (800) 533-6901  E-mail: sales@thermwood.com  Web: www.thermwood.com

Purdue University has two Thermwood routers, and recently had a student win first place in furniture design at AWFS: 

Leah Kenttamaa Squires, a student at Purdue University, West Lafayette, recently received a First Place Award for her entry SAKURA HANA in Fresh Wood, a national competition for woodworking projects sponsored by the Association of Woodworking and Furnishings Suppliers (AWFS). Judges Dan Hershberger, AWFS Board Member, left) and Randy Johnson, editor, American Woodworker (right) presented Kentamaa-Squires with her award at AWFS Fair 2009, in Las Vegas, NV.

Leah Kenttamaa-Squires created this award-winning piece in a class Furniture Design for CNC Manufacturing in Fall of 2008, under the leadership of professors R. Gazo, E. Haviarova, R. Paul and Wood Research Laboratory technician D. Warner. The course is a joint effort between the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources and the School of Visual and Performing Arts.

The 50 finalists were chosen from 169 entries from 49 different schools in North America. Hongtao Zhou a former Purdue student who graduated in 2008 from the same program and now teaches design at University of Wisconsin in Madison received an Honorable Mention at the same competition.