Durham, NC – In a year when many IWF regulars are downsizing their show presence or withdrawing from the trade show circuit altogether, ShopBot Tools is drastically expanding its floor space in Atlanta to roll out four new product offerings for the woodworking industry.

For IWF 2010 , ShopBot will be occupying 900 square feet of floor space in Booth #5452, a 30’x30’ demonstration area featuring new CNC systems, accessories and software packages for large manufacturing facilities, small shops and garage and basement woodworkers.

See the following ShopBot CNC systems and accessories at IWF Atlanta:

Five-Axis Head

The ShopBot Five-Axis Head provides an extra two axes of motion to a three-axis PRSalpha CNC system. With a five-axis tool, cutting and drilling can be done from any angle, even undercuts from below the work surface. More importantly, tangential machining can be done whereby the end of the cutter is always perpendicular to the surface being contoured. This technique produces smooth and efficient machining.

The Five-Axis Head is fitted with a 2hp spindle and is intended for machining materials such as foam and wood. It is also effective at trimming parts where full access from varying angles is important for preparation.

Due to the height requirements for full Z-height travel, the Five-Axis Head must be mounted on a specially designed ShopBot table and gantry system. Due to the nature and cost of five-axis machining (CAM) software, such software must be supplied by the customer.

BT48 with Fourth-Axis Rotary Indexer:

A Rotary Indexing Head is similar to a lathe in that it allows you to horizontally rotate a part being cut or machined by the router or spindle on your ShopBot. It differs from a lathe because it provides precise, indexed control of the rotation of the part in a fourth axis of work. Having a fourth axis allows profiling of a shape in the round and much more. You can create decorative ornamental work as well as 3D carvings of shapes in the round.

The Rotary Indexing Head includes the indexer head with a jawed chuck, which is driven by either a closed-loop gearhead AlphaStep motor in the PRSalpha version or a open-loop gearhead stepper motor in the PRSstandard version. Each indexer comes with an adjustable tail stock. Two slotted track units can be flexibly configured on your ShopBot to set up the indexer for the best fit to the type of rotary work that you will be doing. Maximum turning diameter for the 6" jaw system is 9". Maximum turning diameter for the 12" jaw system is 18". These maximums are for round stock diameters; square stock is measured diagonally between the corners. 6" systems are fitted with tapered-hob gearheads; 12" systems are fitted with planetary gearheads for reduced backlash on larger diameter turnings and to support heavier parts. The Fourth-Axis Rotary Indexer will be mounted to a ShopBot PRSalpha BT48 Buddy system with 12 inches of Z-axis travel.

ShopBot Desktop

Formerly known as Project: Tyro, ShopBot’s newest offering is a small-format CNC machine with a work area of 18" x 24" x 4" and movement resolution of .00025 with very little backlash. The Desktop system includes ShopBot PartWorks software and is available with a router or spindle option. The ShopBot Desktop is an extremely capable machine for small, detailed engraving or complex 3D machining, as a work-cell-based tool for value-added extras for projects or an addition to a garage or basement workshop. Unlike other consumer-market CNC-based tools, the ShopBot Desktop uses ShopBot technology, includes free lifetime web-based technical support and is manufactured and supported in the US in the same facility that produces every ShopBot CNC system.

PRSalpha 108-60 Cabinetmaking system

ShopBot’s latest large-format tool platform essentially swaps the X and Y axes of its PRSalpha CNC system. The new format permits cabinetmakers and other woodworkers specializing in sheet goods to load and unload full sheets of plywood and other materials from the long side of the tool. This method allows the machine to be arranged in a more space-saving configuration in the shop and makes for easier one-person loading of materials.

Also at IWF 2010:

Automatic Tool Changer (ATC):

ShopBot’s 5hp automatic tool changer is available as an accessory or a retrofit for all PRSalpha CNC systems and includes a pneumatically assisted Z axis, fixed-position Z-zero plate, chuck holder, pneumatically operated dust skirt and ATC interface card. A 4’ PRSalpha CNC can accommodate a six-tool bank, and a 5’ or larger PRSalpha can accommodate an eight-tool bank. The ATC reduces a project’s machining time by automatically changing bits between cuts, eliminating the need for the CNC operator to change and calibrate tools by hand. The ATC allows the PRSalpha to cut complete projects where different tooling is required to make different types of cuts – like cabinets, furniture, signs and complex 3D carvings. Additionally, a machine equipped with an ATC the can perform operations normally done on other pieces of equipment eliminating the need for secondary machining operations.

Aspire 3D Software by Vectric:

Vectric has been providing design and toolpathing software for ShopBot for more than 10 years. ShopBot Partworks and Partworks 3D, included in the price of every ShopBot, are full-featured CAD/CAM software packages that are the basis for many ShopBotters’ projects. In the past two years, Aspire, Vectric’s affordable 3D design software, has become one of the top-selling design packages for the CNC industry. Vectric representatives will be on hand at the ShopBot booth during IWF for one-on-one demonstrations of the capabilities of Aspire.

-VISIT SHOPBOT IN BOOTH 5452 AT IWF 2010, AUGUST 25-28 IN ATLANTA, GA-

About ShopBot:

ShopBot Tools, based in Durham, N.C., designs and manufactures high-value CNC systems. With more than 6,000 ShopBots in 54 countries, ShopBot is one of North America’s largest producers of digital fabricators for the wood, plastics, sign making, prototyping, aerospace and DIY markets. In 2008, ShopBot was named to the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in America and was recently named one of the top-25 North Carolina companies to watch by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development.

Source: ShopBot Tools