Parallel worlds of technology.

Not too long ago it was universally accepted that the technology being used in the metalworking industry was light years ahead of what was being used in woodworking. But as evidenced by the product introductions we have witnessed at recent trade shows, it is clear that the technology gap has narrowed considerably.

Indeed, a press release recently received from Ohio-based machining tooling giant Cincinnati Milacron - "Small Shops, PC-Based Controls and Affordable CNC Machine Tools Creating Grass Roots Revolution in Metalworking" - also speaks volumes about the revolution taking place in the woodworking industry.

The release picks the brain of Doug Henderson, vice president - worldwide sales, for Cincinnati Milacron's Machine Tool Group, who observes that new CNC machines, steadily coming down in price as they increase in performance and productivity, are greatly increasing the competitiveness of small shops. "Small shops are leading a grass roots revolution in metalworking and manufacturing," Henderson says.

Much the same can be said of the North American woodworking industry. Increasingly rare is the shop of any size we visit for case study writeups in Wood & Wood Products or our sister publication Custom Woodworking Business that does not have at least one CNC machine, typically a point-to-point boring machine, router or panel saw.

More Parallels

Henderson serves up "a confluence of factors" that are driving this growth trend in small metalworking shops that parallel the woodworking industry. They include:

* "(The) introduction of PC-based CNC makes programming and operation more user-friendly, makes advanced control capabilities affordable and accessible even on low-cost machines and gives shop owners the ability to easily, inexpensively customize to upgrade machine tools."

At the Ligna Hannover show in Germany, the movement toward PC-based controllers was readily apparent on many of the panel saws, edge-banders and point-to-point machines that were displayed. In some eases a PC at the front-end of the machine is programmed and sends machining instructions to a programmable logic controller. Notable exceptions to the PC-controller trend - so far - include five-axis routers and sophisticated machining centers.

* "Software packages are making it easier to translate CAD fries into part programs, handle more sophisticated jobs and schedule work for greatest productivity and profit."

The development of parametric programming makes it possible for woodworkers to develop part families that can readily be custom altered, while the trend toward open architecture allows companies to choose from a greater range of software programs that can be integrated into theft machining operations.

* "The cost of CNC machine tool technology has gone down dramatically, allowing small shops to compete for and produce highly sophisticated parts at high production levels. They can deliver high precision and repeat quality without high overhead."

Veterans of the industry are prone to remind us of the nearly cost-prohibitive panel saws that ran off programmed punch tape in the 1970s that would be beaten every which way productivity-wise by a 1997 model for less than half the price. The same holds true for machining centers, boring machines, sanders and any other piece of equipment that can be hooked to a computer.

While there is still a place for well-built, non-computerized manual, semi-automatic and automatic woodworking machines, their potential replacement by CNC machines is increasing every day.

This is where the woodworking industry is headed.