American Made in Dale, Indiana Since 1969
CNC Router Applications by Industry
Thermwood CNC routers and LSAM additive systems work in cabinet and furniture shops, plastics and solid surface fabrication, composites, aerospace, pattern and mold making and more. Find your industry to see how Thermwood machines are used and which models fit the work.
Applications and Industries
Every Thermwood machine is configured for the work it will do. Select an application to see how it is done and which machines fit.
Cabinets, Furniture and Wood Products
Nested-based and solid-wood production for cabinet, closet, furniture, frame and millwork shops.
High Volume Cabinet Production
Higher throughput for larger cabinet shops by combining nested-based machining with automated sheet handling. The control can merge programs from different design software into one nested job.
Nested Based Manufacturing
Cut every part of a job from full sheets in one pass, with software that arranges parts to reduce waste. Options run from the no-programming Cut Center to the fully automated AutoProcessor.
Furniture
High-volume production of furniture components from sheet stock or solid material, including chairs, tables, upholstery frames and carved case goods.
Upholstered Frames
High-speed nested production of upholstery frame parts, with a roller hold-down system for plywood or stacked sheets and optional automatic load and unload.
Architectural Millwork
Moldings, panels and custom millwork on rigid, laser-calibrated machines with flexible tooling and a large work envelope.
Residential/Commercial Construction
Doors, windows, trim, railings and post-and-beam machining on large-envelope machines that run large CAD-generated programs.
Exhibits/Store Fixtures
Flexible production systems for exhibit, store and retail fixture builders that machine wood, MDF, plastics, acrylic, composites and non-ferrous metals on one machine.
Plastics, Solid Surface and Metals
Sheet cutting, 3D trimming and non-ferrous machining.
Machining Plastic Sheets
Fast, accurate, smooth cuts in plastic sheet, acrylic, fiberglass and composite panels, with roller hold-down available for stack machining thinner sheets.
Three-Dimensional Plastic Trimming
5-axis trimming of thermoformed plastic, composite and non-ferrous parts, from high-speed production trimming to very large components.
Solid Surface Processing
Fast, accurate and smooth cuts in solid surface material on large-table machines with laser calibration and volumetric compensation.
Composites, Patterns, Molds and Large Parts
Large-envelope 3-axis and 5-axis machining for aerospace, automotive, marine, wind energy and defense.
Composite Fabrication
Trimming and machining of composite parts, molds and patterns on machines with envelopes from about 5'x5' to more than 60 feet and spindles up to 20 horsepower.
Three-Dimensional Patterns/Molds
3-axis machines handle shallow patterns and molds without undercuts, while deeper, larger or undercut parts call for 5-axis. Volumetric laser compensation makes machining oversized parts in layers practical.
Additive Manufacturing
Large Scale Additive Manufacturing for tooling, molds and large thermoplastic parts.
Additive Manufacturing (LSAM)
LSAM prints large thermoplastic parts slightly oversized, then trims them to final shape. It is used for aerospace and automotive tooling, foundry patterns, composite layup tools, marine components and wind energy.
CNC Routers by Material
Start with what you cut. These are the Thermwood machines most often matched to each material.
| Material | Typical Work | Machines to Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Plywood, MDF and particleboard | Nested cabinets, closets, furniture and frame parts | Cut Center, Model 43, Model 45, Model 53, MTR Series, AutoProcessor |
| Hardwoods and softwoods | Millwork, moldings and furniture parts | Model 42, Model 45, Model 53 |
| Plastic sheet and acrylic | Parts cut from flat sheet | Model 42, Model 43, Model 45, MTR Series |
| Thermoformed plastics | 5-axis trimming of formed parts | Model 67, Model 90, Model 70, Model 77 |
| Composites and fiberglass | Trimming, molds and large parts | Model 45, Model 63, Model 65, Large Format, Model 67, Model 70, Model 77, Model 90 |
| Solid surface | Fabricated solid surface parts | Model 42, Model 45, Model 53 |
| Aluminum and non-ferrous metals | Sheet parts, honeycomb and trimming | Model 42, Model 45, Model 67, Model 70, Model 77, Model 90 |
| Foam, REN and tooling board | Patterns, plugs and molds | Model 63, Model 65, Large Format, MAX 5, Model 67, Model 70, Model 77, Model 90 |
| Printed thermoplastic composites | Large tooling, molds and patterns | LSAM |
Matching a Machine to Your Application
The shape of your parts decides the number of axes. Flat parts cut from sheets point to a 3-axis CNC router. Formed or three-dimensional parts that need trimming or contouring from several angles point to a 5-axis CNC router.
Part size decides the table. A 5'x10' table covers most sheet work, while large composite parts, patterns and molds may need a large-bed machine such as the Model 63, Model 65, Large Format or MAX 5. For very large tooling and molds, LSAM prints the part and trims it to final shape.
Production volume decides the automation. Tool changers, dual spindles, drill banks, labeling and automatic loading and unloading all raise throughput. For a complete guide, see How to Choose the Right CNC Router.
CNC Router Applications FAQ
What industries use Thermwood CNC routers?
Thermwood CNC routers are used in cabinet and closet production, furniture, upholstered frames, architectural millwork, construction, exhibits and store fixtures, plastics, solid surface, aluminum and non-ferrous metals, composites, aerospace, automotive, marine, wind energy, military and defense, medical and education. Thermwood's LSAM systems add large scale additive manufacturing for tooling, molds and patterns.
What is the best CNC router for a cabinet shop?
Most cabinet shops use a nested-based 3-axis CNC router with a 5'x10' table. The Cut Center runs Cut Ready software, so there is no CNC programming. The Model 43 and Model 45 are high-performance nested-based machines, and the AutoProcessor and MTR Series add throughput for higher-volume production.
Which CNC routers are used for aerospace and composite parts?
Can a CNC router trim thermoformed plastic parts?
Can a CNC router cut aluminum?
Yes. CNC routers cut aluminum and other non-ferrous metals, including sheet parts, honeycomb core and hydroformed parts. The Model 42 and Model 45 handle aluminum sheet work, and 5-axis machines such as the Model 67, Model 70, Model 77 and Model 90 trim and machine three-dimensional aluminum parts. For steel and other hard metals, a CNC mill is the better choice.
What is the difference between a CNC router and LSAM?
A CNC router is subtractive. It removes material from a sheet or block to make a part. LSAM (Large Scale Additive Manufacturing) is additive. It 3D prints a large thermoplastic part slightly oversized, then trims it to its final shape. The LSAM Flagship prints and trims on the same machine, which makes it well suited to large tooling, molds and patterns.
Do schools use Thermwood CNC routers?
Yes. High schools, community colleges, universities and technical training centers use Thermwood CNC routers such as the Model 42, Model 43 and Model 45 to teach CNC programming and operation on full-scale production equipment. Thermwood provides eCabinet Systems software free for classroom use. See Education.
Find the Right Machine for Your Application
Tell us what you make and the materials you cut, and our applications team will help you find the right Thermwood machine. Call 812-937-4476 or send us a request below.
© Thermwood Corporation