In the video below, Thermwood's own Brent East gives a tour of our booth #9200 during Day 2 of the AWFS Fair in Las Vegas, NV.  Featuring the award-winning Cut Ready Cut Center and the versatile Model 45 CNC router.  Take a look at what we are up to at the show!

See just how easy it is to use the Cut Center

The Thermwood Cut Center will be in action during AWFS 2017.  You'll have the opportunity to see just how easy it is to run this new 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 (#9200) and speak to a Thermwood representative to get your hands on this exciting machine! 

Solid Wood Machining on the Thermwood Model 45

We will also be demonstrating solid wood, plastics and aluminum utilizing a pod system and a horizontal aggregate 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 in addition to cabinets, solid wood, millwork, phenolic, display fixtures and much more.  This high-performance three axis CNC router is available in either single or dual spindles, multiple table sizes and many other options as well.

Thermwood Model 45 Videos (including machining HDPE plastic sheets):

See at AWFS 2017:

Both of these machines will be on display and cutting live at AWFS 2017 (July 19th-22nd) in Booth #9200 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Make plans now to visit us and see this exciting new technology in person! 

New For AWFS 2017

Experience the award winning Cut Ready Cut Center at the AWFS Show July 19th thru 22nd in Thermwood's booth #9200.  New for AWFS 2017 are "Single Pass MDF Doors" that offer a wide variety of door styles and profiles. 

The Cut Ready Cut Center also includes a number of new control features making it even easier to use.  No programming--no learning CAD/CAM or CNC code--just tell it want you want to make, load the material, and let it make the parts for you!

Single Pass MDF Doors using Diamond Tools

(tooling may be purchased on www.thermwoodwebstore.com)

We now offer the ability to create single pass MDF doors using diamond tooling. This feature offers the following benefits:

• Letting you create Single Pass Doors much faster versus Multi Pass Doors.
• You can choose to leave the inside corners as a radius, or have Cut Ready clean them out automatically.

Choosing Muti-Pass or Single Pass Doors in the Cut Center is easy

Click to view MDF Door with Corner Cleanup Video

Easily Create Radius or Mitered Inside Corners

MDF door with mitered inside corner shown below

MDF door with radius inside corner shown below

Easily Choose Your Profiles

The Cut Center can also help narrow down which door to use by selecting only the profiles you want.  The matching drawer fronts are automatically shown. 

Frameless Uppers now have both Flush Bottom Doors and Overhang Doors

Another new added feature is the addition of both flush bottom and overhang doors to frameless uppers.

Flush Bottom Doors in Cut Ready

Overhang Doors in Cut Ready

Verify Tooling Screen Easier to Use

The Verify Tooling interface has been updated to be easier to use and more specific (only displaying mandatory tools).

Cut Center Now Monitors Tooling Used During CNC Access

We've also made the Cut Center even more accident-proof.   It now monitors any tooling changes made while in CNC Access.  If you forget to change a tool back or if you changed something in the tool table, the Cut Center will automatically verify those tools prior to cutting.

Try out the award-winning Thermwood Cut Center for yourself at AWFS 2017!

The 2017 AWFS Show (July 19th-22nd) promises to be an exciting opportunity to visit Las Vegas and see the very latest technology from Thermwood!  Like the award winning Thermwood Cut Center (make virtually anything a cabinet shop would want to make - with no programming) and the powerful and versitile Model 45 with a pod system (machining solid wood, plastic and aluminum).

See just how easy it is to use the Cut Center

The Thermwood Cut Center will be in action during AWFS 2017.  You'll have the opportunity to see just how easy it is to run this new 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 (#9200) and speak to a Thermwood representative to get your hands on this exciting machine!   More Info

About the Cut Center 

The Thermwood Cut Ready Cut Center is an exciting alternative to traditional CNC routers for making a wide variety of products including cabinets, closets, furniture, doors, drawers and much more.  Just tell the machine what you what to make and it does it...it is that simple!  NO programming is required. 

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The Thermwood Mobile App now has a new feature - the ability to view your Thermwood CNC router through your web cam. 

This is a convenient way to watch your machine remotely. 

How it Works

You set up your own web cam (must be an SSL enabled camera for security), and host it on a web page you control.  Then, inside the Thermwood app, you can enter in the address of your camera feed (on your hosted page), and access it through the app.

Click Machine Cameras to bring up a lising of all accessible cameras in the app

Listing of all added cameras and link to add additional cameras

Add a new camera by entering in a name and web address to your hosted web cam

More Details

This feature is not designed to be used as a remote management or operation tool, only as an access point in the app that points to the host of your choice.  It is only designed to be used as a viewer, not for remote operation of your machine.

Recommended Camera

Thermwood recommends the Axis P5514 PTZ Camera, but any SSL enabled camera that you can host on your site should work.  Note:  Thermwood will not be able to provide technical support on your camera or hosting platform, only on our app.

Thermwood Demo Center Web Cam View

Try out the award-winning Thermwood Cut Center for yourself at AWFS 2017!

The 2017 AWFS Show (July 19th-22nd) promises to be an exciting opportunity to visit Las Vegas and see the very latest technology from Thermwood!  Like the award winning Thermwood Cut Center (make virtually anything a cabinet shop would want to make - with no programming) and the powerful and versatile Model 45 with a pod system (machining solid wood, plastic and aluminum).

See just how easy it is to use the Cut Center

The Thermwood Cut Center will be in action during AWFS 2017.  You'll have the opportunity to see just how easy it is to run this new 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 (#9200) and speak to a Thermwood representative to get your hands on this exciting machine! 

Solid Wood Machining on the Thermwood Model 45

We will also be demonstrating solid wood, plastics and aluminum utilizing a pod system and a horizontal aggregate 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 in addition to cabinets, solid wood, millwork, phenolic, display fixtures and much more.  This high-performance three axis CNC router is available in either single or dual spindles, multiple table sizes and many other options as well.

Thermwood Model 45 Videos (including machining HDPE plastic sheets):

See at AWFS 2017:

Both of these machines will be on display and cutting live at AWFS 2017 (July 19th-22nd) in Booth #9200 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.  Make plans now to visit us and see this exciting new technology in person! 

Current Problems When Assembling Cabinets in the Field

Creating the components of your cabinets is one aspect of the job, but you also need to be able to assemble them quickly and correctly.

Many cabinet shops manufacture cabinets at one location and then assemble and install at another (the customer's home, etc).  When you flat-pack an entire kitchen's worth of cabinets so that it stacks neatly, it can quickly become confusing and frustrating to then put everything together correctly in the field.  

First, Sorting the Parts For Each Cabinet

A typical nested based job consists of hundreds of parts representing perhaps dozens of cabinets, all intertwined into a series of nests.  Your first task is to separate the parts into individual cabinets.

This is normally done by placing labels on each part. Each label has a text statement with the cabinet name. Simply read the name and sort the cabinets by those names - sounds easy, right?

Not So Easy

While this sounds simple, it actually takes quite some time. You must read each label on the stacks of parts you are sorting to find the matching names for each cabinet (this can be a problem if your worker(s) don't read or speak English). This reading also takes time and parts sometimes have similar names so mistakes can be pretty easy to make.

The Solution

Time is money, and Thermwood has the solution to save you both in the form of our Patented Assembly Marks and Color Coded Labels.

Color Coded Labels Speed Up Sorting Time

Thermwood’s approach prints a color bar on each label with a different color for each cabinet. (put the red parts with the red parts and the green parts with the green parts, etc.). This simple idea allows you to sort cabinets two to three times faster. This offers a significant productivity improvement. 

Bar Codes for Remaking Scrapped Parts

Each label also has a unique bar code that can be scanned to remake any damaged part(s) easily and quickly.

Assembly Marks Speed Up Assembly Time 

Thermwood's Patented Assembly Marks are a significant productivity improvement when it comes to actually putting the cabinets together. Simple cabinets are not all that difficult to assemble, but as cabinet designs become more complex, with fixed partitions, shelves or other features, determining exactly how to assemble the parts can become difficult.

Generally you must create and print assembly drawings, and sometimes even with these drawings, the process of sorting out the structure can take significant time.

How Assembly Marks Work

Thermwood’s approach machines unique assembly marks into each joint to define which parts mate together. These marks are hidden once the parts are assembled.

Non-Skilled Workers Can Easily Assemble Cabinets

Assembly drawings aren’t needed and in fact, totally non-skilled workers can easily and quickly assemble even the most complex cabinets.

One shop owner asked his cleanup man to assemble a cabinet as a test. This totally unskilled “cabinetmaker” assembled the cabinet quickly and accurately with no drawings or instructions. For most jobs this represents a significant productivity improvement that could rival the machining process itself. 

The Bottom Line

Thermwood's approach can save you significant time and money through the use of Assembly Marks and Color Coded Labels to improve your accurancy and productivity when sorting and assembling your cabinets out in the field. 

CNC router or Cut Center...Which is Better for Me?

Nested based manufacturing and CNC routers are well known to most cabinetmakers. Thermwood Cut Centers, less so, but there is a big difference between the two, even though they produce essentially the same products. This difference means that cabinetmakers wanting to automate must make a decision. Which direction is better for them? 

The major difference between a CNC router and a Thermwood Cut Center is in who addresses the details of each cabinet design and how involved the user must be in the underlying technology.

CNC router - the Basics

A CNC router system consists of three fundamental elements:

• A PC computer able to run sophisticated software
• A cabinet design software package that can produce the required CNC programs
• A machine to execute the CNC programs.

With a traditional CNC router system, the user designs the cabinets and addresses all of the design details. They must also become intimately involved with the underlying technology. They are responsible for selecting, installing, learning and running the software.

They must also understand the intricacies of the machine control and operation so that their programs run properly. They must adjust and maintain machine parameters, select and set up tooling and deal with vacuum hold down and the spoilboard.

Thermwood Cut Center - What you need to know

A Thermwood Cut Center consists of a single element - the machine. It already knows how to make cabinets, closets, furniture, doors, drawers and much more just about any way you want.  

It doesn’t require you to learn complex programming to operate, and is so user-friendly that it walks you through every step of the process.  You simply tell the machine what you want to make via an easy to use touch screen interface, and it does it.  No programming is required. 

Other Thermwood Cut Center Features

• With a Thermwood Cut Center, details of the cabinet design have already been addressed by experienced and seasoned programmers, working with professional cabinetmakers and have been built into the machine. You need have no more involvement with the underlying technology of a Thermwood Cut Center than you do with the underlying technology of your car.
• The system has been automated and refined to handle areas such as tooling and tool life, vacuum hold down and spoilboard maintenance, error handling and routing maintenance without the user becoming directly involved. The machine guides you, step by step, can show a quick instructional video of every step and can connect with a real live person on the screen should you ever need help.
• Also, you can operate the Cut Center 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. 

Watch to Learn the Differences Between a CNC Router and a Cut Center

The Main Differences

• A CNC router is completely flexible, totally controlled by the user who must become directly involved with both the software and hardware.
• A Thermwood Cut Center makes cabinets, etc that you select and define, and can be run by just about anyone.  Two different approaches, so which is best for you?

The Three Types of Cabinetmakers

Those who like and embrace computers, software and technology.   
They will only be happy if they have the total flexibility, capability and control of a CNC router and a powerful design software. Using the car analogy, this would be someone that builds custom or race cars. They also likely have the technical skill and experience needed to take full advantage of the possibilities of the underlying technology with little technical risk.

Those who really dislike technology.  
They just don’t like it, and really can’t or won’t work with computers, parameters or software. They just want to make cabinets, etc. They are strictly woodworkers. Clearly the Thermwood Cut Center works better for them. It allows them to enjoy the financial benefits of automating without totally disrupting what they are used to. It could very well help them stay in business in an ever more competitive market.

Everybody else.
These shops are in business to make money by making cabinets. They neither love nor hate technology. It is simply something you learn in order to automate and make more money. The decision here is not as easy.

The Fine Details of Each Approach

If you compare the initial investment cost of the two approaches, they are about the same even though the Cut Center looks more expensive at first. In the end, you will spend about the same amount of money for either, although you will spend it in different places.

A Cut Center is tooled and ready to make cabinets on day one. For a fair comparison, with a CNC router investment, you must add the cost of a vacuum system, a design computer, design software, technical training for the software, technical training for the machine, programming time to create the cabinet programs and tooling. When you consider everything, your money investment will likely not be much different between the two systems, although you will likely have invested more time in getting the CNC router into production. 

There is also a cost difference in operating the two systems that can tip the scales one way or another. A CNC router needs a CNC program for every job. This means it needs a programmer to create those programs. A CNC programmer will cost more each month than the total lease cost of a Cut Center. Also, after five years, the lease cost of a Cut Center becomes zero. Most likely the cost of a programmer will go up over the same period. 

There is also the matter of technical risk. With a Cut Center technical risk is low. Everything has been developed, tested, refined and it is ready to make your products.

With a CNC router, everything needed to make it work from creating the CNC programs to selecting tooling is your responsibility. Clearly there is more technical risk with a CNC router.

Take a Walk Around Tour of the Cut Center

Another Factor

The Cut Center is set up to make a lot more than just basic kitchen cabinets. There are closet, bath and utility cabinets as well as furniture such as shelves and shelf walls, entertainment centers and entertainment walls. There are also drawers, slab and MDF doors and drawer fronts and custom sized moldings, both straight and arch. The selection is quite large and making any of these is quite easy.

If you don’t need these things, this may not be important, but with a Cut Center you can make a wide variety things with little effort. They are already in there. These things can also be made with a CNC router but only with significant additional investment in time and effort. Thermwood has invested thousands of hours in developing and testing these items. To duplicate them will require thousands of hours on your part.

From an operating standpoint, you do not need a computer, software or a software programmer for a Cut Center. Also, the machine operator does not need the same level of technical skill and training that is required to operate a CNC router.

See How Easy it is to Design a Cabinet and add it to the job

The Bottom Line 

In the end, the decision is likely a philosophical and emotional decision since both systems offer the huge benefits of automating cabinet production.  It is the learning curve that separates them.

The Thermwood Cut Center might be the machine for you if you don't have extensive programming experience or have experience and want both the flexibility of a CNC router and the ease of use of a Cut Center.  

A CNC router might be for you if you have extensive programming experience and want the total flexibility, capability and control of a CNC router and a powerful design software. 

See How Simple it is to Machine a Cabinet Job on the Cut Center

Thermwood's Award Winning Cut Ready Cut Center is an all-new alternative to traditional CNC routers for making custom cabinets and furniture with NO programming.  

Here we present a short video featuring two new Thermwood Cut Center owners and their impressions of the machine and its capabilities.  Take a listen to Michael Bednark of Bednark Inc. in Brooklyn, NY and Donovan Mumma of Byrne Custom Woodworking in Lenexa, KS as they discuss their new Cut Centers and what the machine is going to do for each business. 

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Jody Wilmes of Thermwood with Troy, Kenny and Michael Bednark of‬ Bednark Inc. in Brooklyn, NY with their new ‪‎Thermwood‬ ‎Cut Ready‬ ‎Cut Center‬. 

Jody Wilmes of Thermwood with Donovan Mumma of Byrne Custom Woodworking in Lenexa, KS and their brand new ‪‎Cut Ready‬ ‎Cut Center‬.

The Thermwood Multi-Purpose Five Axis Series are all great machines for trimming formed parts, patterns and molds using five-axis simultaneous motions, but you may be wondering which one would work best for your specific application?

To help you decide, we'll focus on comparing the Model 67 and Model 90 below.  These heavy-duty moving-table machines are ideal for high-speed trimming and pattern machining, and come in either single or dual table configurations:

Multi-Purpose 67

The Multi-Purpose 67 is an entry-level five axis specifically developed for three-dimensional machining, available with a variety of either single or dual moving aluminum table sizes.

Available Features:

• Single table sizes from 5'x5' to 10'x5' or dual table sizes from 5'x5' to 5'x12'
• Moving Solid Aluminum Table/ Fixed Gantry
• 12HP HSD Tool Change Spindle (3,000-18,000 RPM, larger spindle sizes available)
• 24' Z axis standard (available up to 48" Z axis)
• QCore SuperControl
• Full 5 axis simultaneous motions
• Siemens Intelligent Servo Drives Throughout
• 3D Laser Compensated Axis Alignment
• Automatic Tool Length Sensor 
• Tool Center Point Programming (TCP)
• 5 Axis Chip Collection 
• 10 Position Rotary Tool Changer
• Bar Style Tool Changer
• In the Leg Tool Changer
• Remote Start/Stop
• Gantry Lighting
• Continuous C Axis with Impact Resistant Head
• Machine Training and Installation
• Free Lifetime Phone/Forum Support 

Videos

Multi-Purpose 90

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.

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 

Videos

More Info

Thermwood Cut Center - No Programming Required

The Thermwood Cut Ready Cut Center is an exciting alternative to traditional CNC routers for making a wide variety of products including cabinets, closets, furniture, doors, drawers and much more.  Just tell the machine what you what to make and it does it...it is that simple!  NO programming is required.

Other CNC Routers - Lots of Programming Required

Every CNC router, regardless of price, has one thing in common..it must be programmed. You will need a CNC programmer. 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 programmer

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.

"Maybe I'll Just Program it Myself..."

Good luck! CNC routers require a constant stream of programs to run. Solving problems, like damaged or scrapped parts or defects in material means even more CNC programs. Programming custom cabinets on a CNC router is a full time job….good thing you have nothing else to do! 

And then there’s software. Cheap cabinet software is limited and difficult. It takes more time which means more money. Really good software can cost as much, or more than your cheap router.

And there’s scrap. You will have one or more partial sheets left from each job. Regardless of what they tell you, it is so difficult, complex and expensive to add this to new jobs that virtually everyone just throws it away. With the Cut Center, you just scan the label on any extra material lying around and it is added to the job, automatically. This can mean a lot of money saved at the end of the year. 

Thermwood Cut Center - Get Into Production Quickly

Also, it is likely you will be in full production with a Thermwood Cut Center in about a half a day. A 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.

Other CNC Routers - Not So Cheap After All

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. 

Instead of looking for the cheapest possible CNC router, do this thing right, get a Thermwood Cut Center….your life will be better and you will make more money.

What our Cut Center Customers Think...

More about the Thermwood Cut Center:

Operate as a Cut Center with No Programming

With the award-winning Thermwood Cut Center, there are no computers or design software. Everything is already in the machine. There is no programming. The cut center doesn’t need a computer to tell it how to move because it already knows how to make cabinets. Just tell it what you want to make, and it does it - it is that simple!  

Operate as a CNC Router

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.

  

The Thermwood Multi-Purpose 45 is a heavy-duty, high-performance three axis CNC router available in either single or dual spindles with optional rotary axis used in the machining of cabinets, solid wood, millwork, phenolic, display fixtures and much more.

Features of the Model 45:

• Fixed table sizes from 5'x5' to 7'x12'
• Optional Rotary Axis
• Moving Gantry
• Single or Dual 12P HSD Spindle (3,000-24,000RPM)
• 4 Position Bar Style Automatic Tool Changer
• Optional Single or Dual 18HP HSD Spindle Available
• Optional 5-Position At-the-Head AutomaticTool Changer Available
• Optional Nemi Pod System Available
• Automatic Lubrication (optional)
• QCore SuperControl
• Siemens Intelligent Servo Drives Throughout
• 3D Laser Compensated Axis Alignment
• Automatic Tool Length Sensor (optional)
• Machine Training and Installation
• Free Lifetime Phone/Forum Support   

• 4 Position Bar Style Automatic Tool Changer