To CNC or Not To CNC

We’re keen on craft here at Centerbrook. We delight in how materials are shaped, how they come together, and construction methods that emphasize their beauty. We’re fortunate to have a fully equipped shop where we test assemblies and processes, build mockups and scale models, and craft fine millwork and furniture.

Our emerging professionals are facile with the shop’s latest maker technologies– a rapid prototype machine, a trio of 3D printers, a laser cutter, and, the latest addition, a CNC router. With it they can make parts, assemblies, topo models, signs, and prototypes out of wood, foam, aluminum, plastic, and other composite materials. The machine moves a router on three computer-controlled axes, thus creating just about anything that fits in its build area and can be drawn with 3-D modeling software.

With space at a premium, the CNC router is set atop a lathe, a tool for turning material that dates back to Ancient Egypt. Used only occasionally, it’s been mothballed to make way for the young upstart. Is the CNC a permanent replacement? We’ll see.