Once you have your CNC timber cutting project designed, our wood routing service will take your project from design to finished product. Whether it’s CNC routing MDF for retail display units, or machining solid timber legs for designer furniture, we can cut it. Our optimisation software allows us to nest your cutting list so that we get the maximum utilisation of each timber sheet, saving you costs in raw materials. We will source your timber requirements from our trusted suppliers, ensuring you get the best quality and value raw materials, or we will CNC free issue materials if you prefer. We use FSC certified timber products, so you can be confident our timber is responsibly sourced from ethically managed forests.

If you are unsure of the best wood material for your project, we can help. As an indicator, here are some of the more common types of wood that we cut, but if you want to use something that you can’t see on this list, give us a call – we are always ready to experiment with new materials.

Below are some of the many different types of timber available to us:

• MDF (Medium-density fibreboard) – we use Medite MDF, which is a European brand of higher quality than non-branded types. This is suitable for internal work, we use this often for fretwork panels.
• MRMDF (Moisture-resistant MDF) – this is best to use if your finished item will be in a damp environment. It is usually green in colour due to the manufacturing process. If your project will be powder-coated, it is best to use MRMDF as this gives a better finish.
• Veneered MDF – these boards are MDF with a thin veneer of different types of wood applied to the face. This gives the appearance of solid wood but at a reduced cost and an enlarged scope for application: veneers can be sliced in different ways for different decorative effects while the base material maintains shape and strength. We use veneered boards most often when producing furniture.
• Melamine and Laminates – much like Veneered MDF, these are MDF or chipboard with a thin melamine or laminate face. These boards provide a hard, pre-finished surface, easy to maintain and in a range of colours and finishes to suit any design requirement. Extremely hard-wearing, they are ideal for furniture.
• Plywood is made from thin layers (plies) of wood veneer that have been glued together with the grain rotated up to 90 degrees between adjacent layers. This makes it resistant to cracking, shrinking and twisting/warping, and gives it a high degree of strength. Birch plywood is used in a range of special applications, from high-end speakers to playground equipment.
• Marine Grade Plywood – as the name suggests, this is plywood that has been specially manufactured for high moisture environments. The veneers are of higher quality and there are fewer core gaps, limiting the amount of moisture that can collect in the voids. Commonly used in boat building.
• Solid Timber – there are times when only solid wood will do the job, and if you are producing an intricately shaped furniture leg or routing a relief design, solid timber is the way to go.
• Coloured MDF – sometimes known by the brand name Valchromat, this is MDF board that has had coloured pigments mixed with the fibres during the manufacturing process. This produces a panel that is a solid colour all the way through.

If you have a design for a plastic CNC cutting project, our plastic routing service will take your project from design to finished product. From acrylic lecterns to nylon machine parts, we can CNC it. Our optimisation software allows us to nest your cutting list to ensure the greatest utilisation of materials. Less waste means less material, which in turn means lower costs for you. We will source your plastic materials from our trusted suppliers, so we make sure that we get you the right quality and best value for money. Alternatively, if you prefer, we can CNC free issue materials.

If you are unsure of the best plastic materials for your CNC routing project, we can help you choose the plastic that best suits your purpose. As an indicator, listed below are some of the different plastic materials we regularly cut, but if you want to use a plastic that you don’t see here, give us a ring – we are always happy to experiment with new materials.

• Acrylic – also known by its brand name of Perspex, or Plexiglas, this material is extremely versatile and adaptable. Available in a wide range of colours, it is half the weight of glass, impact resistant and extremely durable. It can even have a mirrored surface applied, making it ideal for use in contemporary furniture and point of sale retail shelving and podiums.
• Polycarbonate is commonly used in eye protection and other lighting and viewing applications. Shatterproof, impact resistant and virtually unbreakable, polycarbonate is a safer alternative to glass.
• Nylon – if wood is the most versatile natural material, nylon is probably the most useful synthetic one. Your home is full of products containing nylon, from sheets to toothbrushes, umbrellas to alarm clocks. In a CNC context, we CNC sheets of nylon into intricate parts such as gears for machinery.
• PTFE, or Polytetrafluoroethylene to give it its full name, is also known by its biggest brand name Teflon. As PTFE is chemically inert, it is compatible with anything and has numerous uses. We can CNC complex components for use throughout markets such as Aerospace, Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Telecommunications.
• HDPE, or High-density polyethylene, is a hard-wearing plastic with many practical applications from chemical-resistant piping systems to kitchen chopping boards.
• LDPE, or Low-density polyethylene, is a cheaper alternative to HDPE and is less rigid but retains the excellent corrosion resistance. Suitable for use as parts of computer hardware, general purpose containers and corrosion-resistant worksurfaces, we have even used it to create a motorbike luggage rack for one client.
• PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride is the third most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene. It is a very durable and long lasting construction material which comes in a range of colours, and either rigid or flexible.
• PVC Foamboard – this is manufactured from a mix of PVC and polyurea, and the result is a board that is solid and very rigid, but less than half the weight of solid PVC. It is primarily used in the manufacture of signs and displays but is also ideal for scale models, theatrical props and yachts.
• Polypropylene, also known as PP or polypropene, is rugged and unusually resistant to chemical solvents, acids and bases. It has applications in packaging, laboratory equipment and semiconductor equipment and components, among others.