CNC Technology Raises the Production Bar.

Wood & Wood Products reviews 27 of the newest advances in CNC machinery, routers and panel saws.

WITH THE NEED TO INCREASE speed and productivity in today's woodworking plants, machinery manufacturers have been pushed to provide even more breakthroughs and improvements.

This month, Wood & Wood Products presents its annual High-Tech Machinery Review, focusing on the continuing evolution of CNC routers and panel saws.

Readers interested in receiving more information about a product can circle the corresponding number on the Reader Service Card on page 107. For a more immediate response, readers can receive information through E-Info by logging onto Wood & Wood Products' website, www.iswonline.com.

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CNC Routers and Machining Centers

Anderson America's Stratos CNC router features an automatic tool changer with an optional multi-spindle drill head. Other standard features include a steel frame with a fixed 8-ft by 4-ft table and moving gantry. The machine operates with linear guides on all axis movements, and the machine's 10-hp inverter-controlled router spindle has an eight-position automatic tool changer with SK3O tool holder. The unit also features a FANUC controller and an industrial-grade vacuum pump.

The Morbidelli Author 600K CNC machining center from SCM GROUP USA offers a cast iron 10-hp electrospindle with the Rapid 10 tool changing system. The center also features a 52-in, by 118-in. work area, an 18-spindle drilling head, industrial numeric PC, Yaskawa AC servos, Star ball screws and THK guides in all three axes. The Rapid 10 system also allows the tools to be changed while the machine continues other operations, the company says.

CNT Motion Systems' CNT 1000 router system now has additional tool changer options. The tool changing system features a 9-hp HSD ISO-30 tool changer with an ISO-30 tool holder and eight-position pop-up tool bar. A turret is also offered for added flexibility. The CNT 1000 is available with standard Perske spindles, 1,000 ipm positioning speeds, a complete computer system and through-vacuum and dust collection systems.

The Northwood NW-58E single-table CNC machining center, available from Stiles Machinery, features a single 60-in. by 96-in. worktable. A Eurospindle 15-hp, 18,000-rpm, ISO-30 taper quick-change router spindle with a ride-along eight-tool automatic tool changer and a 16-spindle, individually selectable multiple-spindle drilling unit are also standard. The company says that productivity is maximized with positioning speeds of up to 2,500 ipm and available cutting speeds of more than 1,200 ipm on the horizontal axes.

Biesse America's Rover 23 CNC machining center features a 10 1/2-hp electrospindle that runs from 1,000 to 24,000 rpm and has an optional device rotating through 360[degrees] managed by numeric control. It also has an automatic tool changer with five positions for tools and aggregates and a motorized belt for chip removal. Biesse says the unit has an extensive working area as well as boring and routing capabilities.

Delmac Machinery Group's Jet 3000 from Busellato is a multi-function machining center with a four-position rotary tool changer. The machine's X, Y and Z axes have useful strokes of 3,300mm, 1,205mm and l60mm respectively. Maximum speeds are 75m/minute for the X axis, 60m/minute for the Y axis and l5m/minute for the Z axis.

Large boards are efficiently processed using the BIMA-Cut machining center, says IMA America. The cutting process does not depend on the board size and boards are directly divided into sides, tops, bottoms, shelves and base elements for case production. The machine has a working area of 3,000mm on the X axis and 1,000mm on the Y axis, with an optional extra 1,200mm available. The tool magazine has 12 stock positions, and the unit allows for complete processing of the clamped work piece, the company says.

The heavy-duty Cosmec NR series CNC routers from apps, the industrial div. of Holz-Her U.S., feature a 10-hp electrospindle, an eight-position tool changer managed by rotary axis on each electrospindle, 4-ft by 8-ft and 5-ft by 10-ft work zones divided into two different areas and a 100-cubic meter or 180-cubic meter vacuum pump, depending on the model.

The Bacci Twin available from Richard T. Byrnes Co. features numerical control of six axes, including a three-axis table, for intricate machining of contoured pieces. The system's worktable can tilt 360[degrees], allowing the machine's tools to reach any surface of the part.

The Routech Protos from SCM GROUP USA features three tables -- one for loading, one for machining and one for eliminating scrap. Up to nine heads and more than 40 tools can be mounted, and the company says that each table can be set up while machining a different part and that less than three seconds are needed to move from one table to the next.

Standard Router's heavy-duty multi-spindle Model SR-483 CNC router features a table size of 8 ft by 4 ft, three 5-hp high-frequency router spindles and CNC control. The routing system also has closed-loop servo drive motors, in addition to a multi-zone vacuum table and two vacuum pumps, which the company says provides fine edge finishes when routing wood or plastic parts.

The 96-010 router from C.R. Onsrud has complete CNC capabilities and a large working surface. It features a cast iron bridge, fully programmable 10-hp spindle, high-speed industrial controller, automatic eight-tool changer, brushless servo motors, precision ballscrews for all axes and many more features.

Thermwood Corp's. CNC cabinet router package uses Cabinet Vision software and mortise and tenon construction for cabinet construction. A PC and network system ties the technology to the router, and the machine is equipped with an automatic tool changer and a vacuum system. All software and hardware is installed, configured and integrated, and an optional face frame system is also available to produce wood face frames from the basic cabinet design.

AXYZ Automation offers a line of 3-axis CNC router tables coupled with "toolpath" and "open" architecture software capable of interfacing all mainstream graphics and architectural design software by CNC machinery. The standard product line features four series with operating dimensions ranging from 54 in. by 56 in. up to 150 in. by 100 in., with custom sizes available. Each table includes a chip extracting system, material vacuum hold-down, multiple heads for completing multi-stage operations and a knife-cutting system.

Komo Machine's Mach II Innova CNC router includes a 16-hp, 18,000-rpm, fully programmable BT30 spindle and an automatic tool changer. An optional 11-spindle boring block with individual or combination firing of spindles is also available. Four table sizes are offered, including 4 ft by 8 ft and 5 ft by 12 ft, to accommodate a variety of sheet materials. An optional GE Fanuc PC front-end control is also available for greater programming capability.

The PF series fixed bridge machining center from C.M.S. North America features a digital static frequency convertor, which the company says allows for continuous adjustment of spindle rpm. The unit's bridge provides X and Y axis movements controlled by AC brushless servo motors driving precision recirculating ball screws. An electronic tool device which can be programmed for the maximum revolution speed of each tool and more is also standard.

The 5-ft by 8-ft CNC servo wood router from Techno-Isel is designed for routing, milling, drilling and engraving of control panels. The machine has a closed loop that verifies that the cutting head has moved the distance it was programmed to move, the company says.

Panel Saws

Giben America's Tetramatic pressure beam saw uses the Windows NT platform and features a double saw carriage, allowing the machine to cut a 7-in, stack of particleboard at up to 55m/minute. According to Giben, the machine's use of two smaller blades in place of one large blade improves the accuracy of the cut and leaves a thinner kerf than a single traditional carriage saw.

The Selco WNT 600 panel saw from Biesse America features a commercial PC-based control and new 3-D online simulation, saw blade projection of 122mm, 132mm and 145mm, and cutting lengths of 3,800mm, 4,800mm and 5,600mm. The saw carriage feed speed is from 0 to l50m/minute and the maximum pusher speed is 60m/minute.

Altendorf America offers the Homag Espana CH 12 automatic panel saw. The unit now features a built-in industrial PC, which the company says allows for large storage capacity for programs. Incorporated into the controller is a 3.5-in, floppy disk drive, serial/parallel ports and a 10 in. TCT color graphics monitor. The machine is also equipped with an automatic cutting length sensor, six pneumatic clamps and precise measurement systems for automatic program fence locating.

Holzma=U.S., a division of Stiles Machinery, has added the HPP 11 to its series of Optimat panel saws. The machine is equipped with a 24-hp main saw motor, is available in 10-ft and 13-ft cutting lengths and is built with a 125mm blade exposure, skate wheels in the rear machine table and air flotation tables at the front. Gadmatic 3.0 PG-based machine control, unlimited internal memory and digital photo-based error diagnostics are also standard.

Richard T. Byrnes Co. offers the Scheer PA 6000 horizontal beam saw. The machine has a Windows-based interface with a visual display of new and memorized cutting plans and a program for special applications such as back panel grooving. The PA 6000 has a cutting height of 80mm with cutting lengths up to 5,700mm. Postforming and a rear lifting table are available as options.

Anthon panel saws available from European Woodworking Machinery are fast, simple and accurate according to the company. The panel saw system cuts 4-in. heights at 32 ft/minute and 8-in. heights at 100 ft/minute. Operation is simple with computer numerical control and flawless cutting of a wide variety of material including plastics, the company says.

Mayer USA, a division of Mayer GmbH, manufactures a complete line of horizontal beam saws with cutting heights of 3 in. to 8 in. The company's machinery now features a mouse-driven version of its Windows-based operating program. The company says this makes it easier to use its beam saws with third-party software and to network other machines to provide for automatic programming.

Schelling America's FM cut-to-size saw features CNC control, a pressure beam with trim cut device, one fixed air-floatation table and two moveable tables and a safety curtain and rail. Functions include miter cutting, grooving and cut out. The saw blade has a 350mm diameter, 85mm projection and a 30mm bore diameter.

The Hendrick Patriot series panel saw features a 4-in, depth of cut and Pentium-based PC controller with onboard optimization. The rack-and-pinion pusher fence is driven by an AC servo motor drive and travels up to 130 ft/min. The saw carriage is outfitted with a 15-hp blade motor and has an infinitely variable carriage travel speed of up to 130 ft/min. Options include a rear lift table or solid back table.