Thermwood to Demonstrate New Auto-Labeling and Unload System on Model 43 and Solid Wood Machining on Model 45

The 2013 AWFS Show (July 24th-27th) promises to be an exciting opportunity to visit Las Vegas and see the very latest in CNC Router technology from Thermwood! 

For AWFS 2013, Thermwood is proud to demonstrate our affordable CabinetShop 43 CNC Router equipped with the new optional Auto Labeling and Unload Rake System for nested based production.  This new system will be in action at AWFS 2013 in Booth #8400.

Featuring the CabinetShop 43 with New Automatic Labeling and Unload System:

Speed up Production Time

This new option helps save time by automating the process of placing labels and off-loading finished material.  The automated system quickly places the labels and then machines the parts.  It next unloads the finished material to a sorting table.  This automatic and economical addition can greatly speed up production time, and is available both on new machines and as a retrofit.

Also at AWFS we will be demonstrating a Fravol edgebander.  Fravol, known for high quality edgebanders, is exclusively represented and serviced in the US by Thermwood.

Also Demonstrating Solid Wood Machining on the Thermwood Model 45

We will also be demonstrating solid wood machining utilizing the Nemi Pod Hi-Flow System on our 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.

See at AWFS:

This new system will be in action at AWFS 2013 (July 24th-27th) in Booth #8400.

Thermwood's Profile Modeler allows you to quickly create a molding or custom shape from a sketch or drawing on a Thermwood CNC Router with no special shaped tooling required.  

This video demonstrates using Profile Modeler to create a custom curved cherry molding from Sketch - to Profile Modeler - to Machine - to Completed Shape.

Steps used in the video:

• Verify the measurements
• Create the shape using Shape Manager in eCabinet Systems
• Create Tool
• Apply Tool to create Shape

• File loaded into Profile Modeler on QCore SuperControl
• Verify Tool Path
• Run Program
• Machining Part (Roughing/Finishing/Detail Passes)
• No special shaped tooling required - Tools Used: 1/2 Straight, 1/2 Ballnose, 1/8 Ballnose, 1/8 Flat
• Completed Shape

For more information on Profile Modeler or any of our other products, please click here or contact us at 1-800-533-6901.

ISA 2011 – What we learned

We just returned from the International Sign Expo in Las Vegas, and had a great time.  It was enjoyable meeting new people in this expanding industry.  We got a lot of interesting feedback from companies in the industry about their need to constantly evolve and expand what they offer to meet the growing needs of their customers.

From vehicle wraps to window graphics and three dimensional signs, today’s sign professionals have to be able to offer at least as much, and usually a whole lot more than their competitors to survive and thrive.  They have to be able to think outside the box to grab any piece of business that comes their way, and traditional sign trimming machines only meet some of these needs.

We have learned that these traditional machines are comparatively light-duty when it comes to any type of heavier material or non-traditional application.  Or, if they can machine the necessary material, it is oftentimes very unproductive (requiring multiple passes and valuable time). This can cause you to miss out on jobs that your equipment simply can’t do.

What now?

You’ve seen this in other industries.  There reaches a point when everybody’s product basically does the job.  Some do it better than others, but they all get the job done.  After that, the market is saturated with copy-cats until someone comes up with a new innovation or way to use the technology in a different way.  Just like cell phones gave way to smart phones and laptops are slowly going away in favor of tablets, there is a new solution to the problems facing the sign industry. 

A different approach

Using a heavy-duty sign machine like the Thermwood SignRouter 43 offers the ability to cut and trim printed graphic signs on rigid substrates as well as machining and carving three dimensional signs and letters (all much faster than traditional machines). In addition to those features, it can also operate as a high-production CNC Router, giving owners the advantage of being able to offer a whole additional variety of products to their customers. 

The SignRouter43 is capable of machining flat and three-dimensional signs using wood, aluminum, composites, chip core, rigid foam, plastics, acrylic, non-ferrous metals and other various types of materials as well as operating as a traditional sign-making machine using optional i-cut Vision camera and software (these highly capable systems accurately trim printed signs, automatically compensating for distortion or rotation in the printed image).

At the show, we demonstrated the SignRouter 43 with a 5’×10 fixed table, featuring a 12 HP HSD spindle and an eleven position automatic tool changer. It features both high acceleration and high performance motions in both positioning and cutting. This 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.  In addition to the 5’×10 table, we also offer a larger variety of table sizes (dual or moving tables/vacuum hold-down methods available). 

Thinking outside the box

A unique aspect of our technology is the ability to do a lot more than just signs.

Thermwood’s SignRouter43 with “QuickCut” technology also offers a revolutionary new approach for nested based applications. Just select and resize cabinets, closet components and POP displays, then make them…right at the machine. You don’t need design software. You don’t need extensive training or a painful learning curve. Pretty much anyone in your shop can make cabinets and closets with a few minutes instruction.  It’s not much more difficult than running a copy machine. 

This can allow you to greatly expand your product offering with the same machine you use to produce your traditional signs!

We are streaming live from the International Sign Expo in Las Vegas, starting today 4/28/11 at 11:00am CST.

See our SignRouter 43 with i-cut Vision technology in action direct from our Booth #5333.  It is like attending the show from the comfort of your office!

You can also interact directly with our folks at the show via real-time chat. Ask questions and also see what everyone is saying on Facebook and Twitter about our exciting approach to the sign industry (all in one place).

Visit the Thermwood Booth from your computer at:

http://www.livestream.com/thermwoodcnc

Featuring the SignRouter 43:

The SignRouter 43 is capable of machining flat and three-dimensional signs using wood, aluminum, composites, chip core, rigid foam, plastics, acrylic, non-ferrous metals and other various types of materials as well as operating as a traditional sign-making machine using optional i-cut Vision camera and software (these highly capable systems accurately trim printed signs, automatically compensating for distortion or rotation in the printed image).  Click for more info

Thermwood’s SignRouter43 with “QuickCut” technology also offers a revolutionary new approach for nested based applications. Just select and resize cabinets and closet components, then make them…right at the machine. You don’t need design software. You don’t need extensive training or a painful learning curve. Pretty much anyone in your shop can make cabinets and closets with a few minutes instruction.  It’s not much more difficult than running a copy machine. 

The SignRouter 43 is a robust, highly flexible production system capable of operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

At the recent IWF show in Atlanta, Thermwood partnered with Hafele, Columbia Forest Products and Conestoga to build complete cabinets for Habitat for Humanity.   

Thermwood demonstrated a working production cell consisting of the CabinetShop 43 CNC Router (for nested based applications) and a Fravol S2 ECO edgebander.  Attendees were able to get hands on experience using the easiest and simplest system in the industry.  Within a few seconds they selected a product to cut, modified the size and watched the machine cut their parts.  Attendees then took the parts to the edgebander to complete the process.

Complete cabinets were produced at the show from the ¾” thick, pre-finished maple plywood provided by Columbia Forest Products.  This Pure Bond plywood is sealed with AquaSEAL (a formaldehyde-free recyclable overlay conforming to the latest in green technology).

Hafele provided the hinges, slides and shelf hardware for the cabinets, and Conestoga Doors providedfinished five-piece doors and solid wood drawer fronts. 

Cabinet joinery was Thermwood’s new revolutionary Barb Dado joint (patent pending), which allowed the cabinets to be put together without the use of clamps or other holding methods.  The Barb Dado joint is a modified versionof the Blind Dado joint in which we machine a series of barbs in the mortise slot. When you press the parts together, the barbs bend down, bending the fibers in the wood downward firmly holding the pieces together. It is a lot harder to pull it apart than to put it together. This means you can assemble cabinets without screws, clamps or any other fasteners.

The result were beautiful, complete cabinets produced quickly, utilizing an innovative new, highly efficient manufacturing approach which results in a superior structure coupled with enhanced use of materials, all at a dramatically lower price. All cabinets produced at the IWF were donated to Habitat for Humanity.

Today is the first day at the WMS show in Toronto where our Canadian Dealer, CNC Automation has a very nice booth with a couple of Thermwood CNC Routers including the New CabinetShop43. We are continualy adding pictures from the show to our TwitPic account. You can view them here:

http://www.twitpic.com/photos/thermwood

You can also follow Thermwood, CNC Automation and the WMS show on our twitter page or blog:

http://www.twitter.com/thermwood

The booth consists of two Thermwood routers, CabinetShop45 and CabinetShop43., and two Fravol Edgebanders, S4 and S7.  They are demonstrating eCabinet Systems and QuickCut on the CS43, cutting random cabinets and 20-20 Technologies is sending files to the CS45.

The CS45 is also creating furniture for Canada's Habitat for Humanity. Once the parts are cut on the machine, they will get edgebanding, finished and assembled right there in the booth, so there are other secondary type of machines within the booth.

 Here are a couple of pics of the CNC Automation /Thermwood booth at the opening of the show:

We've created a couple of videos demonstrating the superior performance of the CabinetShop 43 in a variety of applications.  The first is the Carving of an inset carving, and the second is Cabinet Cutting.

About the CabinetShop 43:  The CabinetShop 43 offers premium performance not normally seen at this price point. For example, it has positioning speeds to 3,180 inches per minute and programmed cutting speeds to 2,250 Inches per minute. The actual speed at which you can cut is determined more by tooling and material than by the machine, but its speed is indicative of the overall solid CNC performance of the CabinetShop 43.

We've created an updated QuickCut video that shows how easy and powerful the entire process is:

About QuickCut:  QuickCut is available on all Thermwood CabinetShop series machines and offers the fastest, easiest and simplest possible way to make custom cabinets. Everything is done right at the machine. You don't need separate computers, design software, networks or anything else other than the machine.

Please Click Here for more information on QuickCut 

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.

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.