PANEL SAW A panel saw is any type of sawing machine with a sliding table that cuts sheets into sized parts. A sliding panel saw was invented by Wilhelm Altendorf in 1906 in Germany.Its invention set a new standard in woodworking, with dramatic differences from traditional machines. Up to that time, a conventional table saw had no mechanism for edging. Meaning that for the first and second longitudinal cut on untreated massive wood, the lumber always had to be fed manually through the saw blade. The new system accomplished the task more elegantly by allowing the work piece to be fed through the saw blade while lying on a sliding table. Thus cutting becomes faster, accurate and effortless.

EDGE BANDING Edge Banding, or edgebanding, is the name of both a process and an associated narrow strip of material used to create durable and aesthetically pleasing trim edges during finish carpentry. Edge banding is used to cover the exposed sides of materials such as plywood, particle board or MDF, increasing durability and giving the appearance of a solid or more valuable material. Common substitutes for edgebanding include face frames or molding. Edge banding can be made of different materials including PVC, ABS, acrylic, melamine, wood or wood veneer.

HYDRAULIC COLD PRESS A hydraulic press is a device (see machine press) using a hydralic cylinder to generate a compressive force. It uses the hydraulic equivalent of a mechanical lever, and was also known as a Bramah press after the inventor, Joesph Bramh, of England. He invented and was issued a patent on this press in 1795. As Bramah (who is also known for his development of the flush toilet) installed toilets, he studied the existing literature on the motion of fluids and put this knowledge into the development of the press.

POST FORMING Roll forming machines are available that produce shapes of different sizes and material thicknesses using the same rolls. Variations in size are achieved by making the distances between the rolls variable by manual adjustment or computerized controls, allowing for rapid changeover. These specialized mills are prevalent in the light guage framing industry where metal studs and tracks of standardized profiles and thicknesses are used. For example, a single mill may be able to produce metal studs of different web (e.g. 3-5/8″ to 14 inches), flange (e.g. 1-3/8″ to 2-1/2″) and lip (e.g. 3/8″ to 5/8″) dimensions, from different gauges (e.g. 20 to 12 GA) of galvanized steel sheet.

Roll forming lines can be set up with multiple configurations to punch and cut off parts in a continuous operation. For cutting a part to length, the lines can be set up to use a pre-cut die where a single blank runs through the roll mill, or a post-cut die where the profile is cutoff after the roll forming process. Features may be added in a hole, notch, embossment, or shear form by punching in a roll forming line. These part features can be done in a pre-punch application (before roll forming starts), in a mid-line punching application (in the middle of a roll forming line/process) or a post punching application (after roll forming is done). Some roll forming lines incorporate only one of the above punch or cutoff applications, others incorporate some or all of the applications in one line.

SPINDLE MOULDER A wood shaper, usually just shaper in North America or spindle moulder in the UK, is a stationary woodwarming machine in which a vertically oriented spindle drives cutter heads to mill profiles on wood stock. The spindle may be raised and lowered relative to the shaper’s table, and rotates between 3,000 and 10,000 rpm, with stock running along a vertical fence. Wood shaper cutter heads typically have three blades, and turn at 1/2 to 1/8th the speed of smaller, much less expensive two-bladed bits used on a hand-held wood router. Adapters are sold allowing a shaper to drive router bits, a compromise on several levels. As are router, cost-saving adaptations of hand-held routers mounted to comparatively light-duty dedicated work tables.

Being both larger and much more powerful than routers, shapers can cut much larger profiles than routers – such as for crown moulding and raised-panel doors – and readily drive custom-made bits fabricated with unique profiles. Shapers feature between 1.5 and 5 hp belt-driven motors, which run much more quietly and smoothly than typically 20,000 to 25,000 rpm direct-drive routers. Speed adjustments are typically made by relocating the belts on a stepped pulley system, much like that on a drill press. The most common form of wood shaper has a vertical spindle; some have horizontal; others yet have spindles or tables that tilt. Some European models variously combine sliding tablesaws, jointers, planers, and mortisers.