This is part two in our blog series demonstrating some of the ways that modern smart-routers can make your job easier as well as help save you money. 

Here, we focus on a couple of ways a smart-router can improve your nested-based production process: 

• Allowing you to nest around defects in damaged material

• Giving you the ability to create a profile edge with standard tooling

Smart-routers allow you to nest around defects to use damaged material

This feature can save you a lot of material, which in turn can save you a lot of time and money.

When using this feature on nested based jobs, a smart-router saves you money by reducing the amount of scrap material that is wasted.  This in turn saves you a substantial amount of money, and ordinary routers just do not focus on this area. They rely on the user to take care of checking the material for flaws, and this means that the operator must be both skilled and well trained to work within the limits of these systems.  

Smart-router Advantage

Smart routers address areas like this in a big way - they address the areas where you spend the most money because that’s where you can make the most money.  Ordinary routers may seem less expensive at first, but may prove to be much more expensive in the long run.

Smart-routers machine a profile edge without a profile tool

Smart-routers can machine a profile edge without a profile tool, by tracing over the edge multiple times with standard tools. It even works on curved moldings.

This saves a lot for any shop that makes custom moldings by allowing you to use Profile Modeler to quickly create a molding or custom shape from a sketch or drawing with no special shaped tooling required.

Overview:  Smart-routers machine a profile edge without a profile tool

In depth:  Profile Modeler - from Sketch to Production

Smart-routers can machine a profile edge without a profile tool, by tracing over the edge multiple times with standard tools. It even works on curved moldings.

This saves a lot for any shop that makes custom moldings by allowing you to use Profile Modeler to quickly create a molding or custom shape from a sketch or drawing with no special shaped tooling required.

Overview:  Smart-routers machine a profile edge without a profile tool

In depth:  Profile Modeler - from Sketch to Production

Thermwood at AWFS 2013

Thermwood will be demonstrating many of the features of smart-router technology and nested based manufacturing at the 2013 AWFS show on July 24th-27th (Booth #8400).  Plan to stop by and check it out, or click the button below to request a personal consultation on how we can help improve your production process.

	Please click the "Request a Consultation" link above or give us a call at 1-800-533-6901 and we will sit down and show you how all this happens, in detail.

Smart-routers may very well be the next wave in CNC routers. Just like smart phones have replaced regular phones, smart-routers may replace regular routers. Why? Because they are a lot easier to use and they make a lot more money from nested based jobs.

The big difference with smart-routers is not only do they know how to move, they also know the job they are doing. They can help in ways no simple machine can.

For example, when a smart-router finishes a job, it already knows how to make every part in that job, so if you need to cut a replacement part, the smart-router can do it without creating a new CNC program. In fact, they remember parts from all previous jobs. Just scan the label and it will cut it from the material left on the table. And, mentioning material left from a job, smart-routers use that material first when cutting a new job. You no longer have to throw it away or create specialized CNC programs to deal with it. It’s quick, easy and virtually automatic. It’s simple and saves the average shop thousands, if not tens of thousands of dollars in material each year that would otherwise be scrapped, and we’ve just scratched the surface.

Just like a smart phone handles dozens of daily tasks through special apps, smart-routers handle dozens of aspects of running nested based products. The list is impressive and each feature saves labor, saves material, avoids scrap and makes the whole thing so much easier.

Please click here for a detailed list of some of these smart-router features.

	If you would like to see just how much a smart-router can save you compared to an ordinary router, please give us a call at 1-800-533-6901 and we will sit down and go over it in detail.

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.