CNC Materials - Wood
Providing CNC Services For More Than Just Plastics...
Just because we can machine plastic parts, it doesn't mean we stop there. Currently, we use our CNC engineering service to work alongside Sad Alien Climbing, a division of the Encompass Group. We produce their Seeing Stars Training System, an innovative and versatile approach to home training aimed at the climbing sector. The boards had specially designed recesses that accepted the various module types. We also manufacture a wide variety of module shapes, ranging from domes and discs to slopes, through to random geometric shapes.
Wood is an extremely versatile material that can be routed and milled, but some different types of wood have better properties for CNC machining compared to others. Luckily, we can provide support and advice to help you find which type of wood would be suitable for your project.
The 3 types of wood you should know are hardwood, softwood, and engineered wood.
Each has different properties that may affect the outcome of your project.
Your traditional woods: oak, beech, ash, elm, poplar, and sycamore, for example, are defined as being hardwoods. This makes it a little harder for it to be machined but it is still suitable for creating a variety of products and parts. You may see this type of wood used to make park benches, decking, general cabinetry, and gym equipment- like Sad Alien Climbing’s Seeing Stars Training System, for example.
Softwood is easier to machine than hardwood. However, softwoods- such as pine, can be as tough or even tougher than hardwoods. What makes softwood easier to machine is that it is less dense when compared to hardwood. Common softwood trees you may find are fir, pine, cedar, and yew. You may want to consider these types of wood if you were looking to make patterned doors, cabinetry, window frames, and general boards.
Lastly, engineered woods / composite woods are quite common today and are used to create goods like affordable cabinetry, as well as other household items.
These types of wood can be made from a variety of composites consisting of wood fibres and binding agents. Due to this, they can be quite difficult to machine because of their abrasiveness and binding agents which cause additional wear on the CNC tools. This is in contrast with the smoother surfaces you may find with traditional hard and softwoods. Other woods such as plywood are quite easy to machine and can be a cost-effective alternative material when compared to pure hard and softwood.
Even though there are certain minor issues that come with machining wood, there are a variety of benefits, such as its unique and authentic-looking design! Especially for machined signs and patterned/engraved doors, and fretwork, which would be increasingly difficult if carved by hand!
At Termate, we have a highly-skilled technical team that can support you along the manufacturing process to help you achieve your project goals! By being able to provide professional advice ranging from product design to end-user suitability and compliance, we are a long-established company that listens and cares. Enquire today!
See Our Nesting Services
If you are looking to use wood for your CNC routing or milling project, then you may be interested in our nesting capabilities. Nesting software can help you save material space, production time, and additional costs to your project.
We're Here To Give A Helping Hand Whenever You Need Us!
From design to production, we can provide specialist, professional advice for and support for engineered wood and plastic machining. We always reply as soon as possible.
Want To See Updates From Termate? Follow Us On Social Media
What Can Termate Do?
We are able to accept designs in all file formats
Keep you up-to-date with effective and accurate production times
Suitable for small or large batch CNC machining
Able to create initial prototypes and guide you on end product compliance