While 3D printing has been generating a lot of buzz, Samir Shah is taking it a step further. He is developing an additive wood manufacturing technology that would bypass steps in the lumber milling process to convert wood into furniture, cabinetry, doors, and home furnishings.

At the Conference at WMS 2015 on November 5, he'll explain the concept, and how far he has come in the development of his 4 AXYZ machinery. Says Shah:

SLIDE SHOW 4 AXYZ Additive Wood Manufacturing Technology A look at samples of additive wood manufacturing technology production.

"Not all materials fit into the current dominant approach to additive manufacturing, which is powdered-bonded-jettisoning. Nor can they all be melted from filaments. We need to get into the properties of materials and tweak their delivery mechanisms in order to decide how the material behaves and performs.

"This is the area my company is involved in, using additive manufacturing with wood. We have hacked this organic fibrous material to produce real, solid wood objects using a stratified additive manufacturing process. Not just foot stools, but food platters, solid wood doors, picture frames, furniture, and much more can be produced off CAD design files."

Samir Shah is an architect, interior designer, furniture designer, ex-manufacturer of custom furniture, and a process and machine consultant to the woodworking industry. He is CEO and co-founder of 4 AXYZ Inc. (pronounced Four Axes), and designer of the Stratified Additive Manufacturing process for 3D Manufacturing in real, solid wood.