News Room

Stay up to date on the latest news from ShopBot, and take a look at what the media are saying about us.
News Releases
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ShopBotters in the News

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News Releases

ShopBot Increases Performance of PRSstandard CNC Systems
Durham, NC (February 8, 2010) – ShopBot Tools, Inc. has introduced a new control box and control board for its PRSstandard CNC systems. The new PRSstandard Control System includes RBK Series motor drivers contained in a sealed, aluminum, industrial unit. The RBK drivers provide higher speeds and smoother cutting than ShopBot’s previous generations of PRSstandard models. 

[Download Full News Release, PDF]

ShopBot Signs on as an ISA International Sign Expo 2010 Exhibitor
Durham, NC (January 27, 2010) –  ShopBot Tools will be an exhibitor at the International Sign Association’s Sign Expo 2010, this spring at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. A long-time manufacturer of powerful, affordable CNC fabrication systems for sign makers and professionals in a range of other industries, ShopBot will be demonstrating its PRSalpha CNC system and the features that make the machine an attractive addition to any sign shop, regardless of size or budget. 

[Download Full News Release, PDF]

ShopBot Introduces Eyes-On Tech Support
Durham, NC (January 20, 2010) –  ShopBot Tools is now shipping a Logitech webcam with every ShopBot CNC system. The webcams will serve as a component of ShopBot’s new Eyes-On Technical Support System, allowing technicians to troubleshoot electronic and mechanical components and to assist with machine and accessory setup. 

[Download Full News Release, PDF]

ShopBot Basic Training now available on the West Coast
Durham, NC (January 7, 2010) –  ShopBot Basic Training, a two-day course in part design and operation of a ShopBot CNC system, is now being offered on the West Coast by Ilan Dei of Ilan Dei Studio in Venice Beach, CA. The program includes one day of introduction to ShopBot Control Software and mechanical systems and one day of using PartWorks design software to create ShopBot part files. 

[Download Full News Release, PDF]

With Project: Tyro, ShopBot crowdsources the direction of Digital Fabrication
ShopBot opens the development of their next CNC system
Durham, NC (September 21, 2009) –  “What would you want in a small ShopBot?” That’s the question ShopBot is asking makers, do-it-yourselfers and current ShopBotters in the company’s pursuit to develop the next powerful, affordable, small-format digital fabrication tool. 

[Download Full News Release, PDF]

ShopBot in the News

To see what the media are saying about our customers, check out ShopBotters in the News.

In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms Are the New Bits

Wired (January 25, 2010) – A garage renaissance is spilling over into such phenomena as the booming Maker Faires and local “hackerspaces.” Peer production, open source, crowdsourcing, user-generated content — all these digital trends have begun to play out in the world of atoms, too. The Web was just the proof of concept. Now the revolution hits the real world. [View Full Article Online]

Rapid Prototyping "On the Cheap"

Machine Design (January 13, 2010) – Mixing social networking with digital fabrication provides a recipe for rapid mass customization. New approaches to rapid manufacturing let almost anyone inexpensively produce parts, products, and prototypes. So says Ted Hall, founder of ShopBot Tools in Durham, NC... [View Full Article Online]

Top 10 business ideas for 2010

Springwise (January 5, 2010) – A partnership between New Zealand-based Ponoko and North Carolina-based ShopBot Tools, 100kGarages is a community of workshops distributed around the world that are equipped with the digital fabrication tools needed to precisely cut, machine, drill or sculpt the components of virtually any creative project. The network allows designers or consumers turn their ideas into physical products, and creates new business for small workshops. [View Full Article Online]

Site links digital with fabrication choices

Woodshop News (November 2009) – ShopBot and Ponoko have combined on joint venture to bring together small shops with local CNC machinery operators.  The September launch of 100kGarages.com began a new concept of custom fabrication... [View Full Article, PDF]

News from the 2009 AWFS Fair in Las Vegas

There's an app for that!

AWFS Fair Show Daily published by Wood Digest (July 17, 2009) Booth #8845: ShopBot Tools is showcasing its new automatic tool changer at its booth. ShopBot's automatic tool changer (ATC) is powered by an HSD ES915 5-hp spindle and is being sold as an option or an after-market addition to the company's PRSalpha CNC system...ShopBot has also formed a partnership with Thermwood that will allow CNC output from Thermwood's eCabinet Systems software to operate ShopBot CNCs...ShopBot recently created an iPhone/iPod touch application as well... [View Full Article, PDF]

The ShopBot iPhone app

Cabinetmaker Online (July 15, 2009) [View Video Online]

ShopBot Tools' ATC debuts at AWFS

ISW Online (July 15, 2009) – LAS VEGAS - ShopBot Tools introduced its automatic tool changer (ATC) this morning at the AWFS Vegas Fair.  The company also announced a new partnership with Thermwood, which will allow ShopBot users to take advantage of Thermwood's e-Cabinet software to design and nest parts for cabinets and furniture.  [View Full Article and Watch Video Online]

ShopBot Offers Automatic Tool Changer Feature

Woodworker's Journal (July 15, 2009)  [View Video Online]

CNC Machinery Goes Mainstream

Wood & Wood Products (February 2009) – Increased versatility and lower price points are pushing the spread of CNC machines beyond just the large woodworking companies and into the smaller and mid-sized manufacturing operations. [View Full Article Online]

2008 Top Products

Today's Industrial Products & Solutions (December 2008) – ShopBot Tools is the number-one producer of affordable CNCs.  ShopBot's Personal Robotic Systems (PRS) are CNC routers designed for robust, industrial production in a host of manufacturing settings. [View Full Article, PDF]

Custom linear motion design speeds assembly

Design World (October 2008) – ShopBot, a leading manufacturer of CNC routing machines, selected a Bishop-Wisecarver linear motion device for the PowerStick feature of its second-generation "Buddy." [View Full Article, PDF]

Puzzle House: Built With One Tool and No Fasteners

Popular Woodworking Online (Tuesday, November 18, 2008) – OK, you have a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. Your challenge is to design a house or structure using 4x8 sheets of plywood without driving a nail or screw. Oh, yeah, did I mention no glue either? [View Full Article Online]

ShopBot adds “Buddy” to compact CNC line

Woodshop News (November 2008) – ShopBot recently launched its newly designed compact and mobile CNC, the Buddy, which can handle larger pieces of sheet goods than its predecessor, the ShopBot BenchTop.  The Buddy models come in either 32 or 48 PRSalpha or PRSstandard versions, depending on motor and drive system. [View Full Article, PDF]

ShopBot CNC router - Fast, accurate and creative

American Woodworker (September 2008) – Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) machines for drilling, sawing and routing have been around for decades. Their precision, speed, versatility and ability to perform repetitive tasks have revolutionized the cabinet and furniture industry... [View Full Article, PDF]

Wood magazine names ShopBot Buddy one of the 15 Smokin' tools for 2008

Wood (Dec 2007) – "Wood magazine editors traveled the globe this past year looking for new tools, accessories and supplies designed to make the most of your time in the shop.  Here's the best of what we found." [View Full Article, PDF]

ShopBot: CNC for the rest of us

Woodworker's Journal (Sep 2007) – "Remember those clever all-in-one tools like the Shopsmith?  The idea was to have one machine that took up limited space but could do almost every woodworking task.  Well, say hello to ShopBot, the modern answer to that age-old problem..." [View Full Article, PDF]

In with the new at the 2007 AWFS Fair

Woodshop News (Sep 2007) – "ShopBot Tools introduced a benchtop CNC machine, suitable for a small shop or job site.  It's a scaled-down version of the company's Personal Robotic System line..." [View Full Article, PDF]

Coverage from the AWFS Fair

Woodshop News (July 2007) – Video blog and web article from the 2007 Association of Woodworking and Furnishing Suppliers Fair in Las Vegas, Nevada [View Video] [View Article]

ShopBotters converge on California

CabinetMaker (July 2007) – CabinetMaker Digest "The sixth annual ShopBot Jamboree took place May 16-18 in San Mateo and Foster City, California..." [View Full Article, PDF]

ShopBot develops new CNC router for D-I-Y boatbuilding

Boatbuilder (May/June 2007) – "ShopBot Tools has launched a new line of CNC routers for serious do-it-yourselfers. The new Personal Robotic Systems (PRSstandard) are automated cutting, routing, carving and drilling tools offering many of the features and capabilities of larger, more expensive CNC machines." [View Full Article, PDF]

CNC machinery for small shops

Woodshop News (April 2007) – "In about three months CNC manufacturers will descend on Las Vegas for the AWFS Fair, choosing the year's biggest woodworking show to unveil their new products.  Call us impatient but we wanted to know now, so we proudly present a sampling of the latest CNC machinery available for the small shop..." [View Full Article, PDF]

News Archives

How CNC routers are being used by sign shops

SignBuilder Illustrated (December, 2005) - “The key to machining any material with CNC is matching the appropriate cutter with the right feed rates and spindle speeds,” says Ted Hall, president of CNC router manufacturer and tool provider ShopBot Tools, Inc., of Durham, North Carolina. The company states that there are almost 4,000 three-dimensional capable ShopBot CNC tools in the field, many of them being used by sign makers. “Our ShopBot CNC routers are being used around the world to produce commercial, residential, two-dimensional, three-dimensional, plastic, wood, and aluminum signs,” says Hall. “Signs with carved features made from foam and wood are becoming increasingly popular ..."

[View Full Article, PDF] --

Woodworking CNCs: Routers and beyond

WoodShop News (November, 2005) - "The affordability of CNC machinery for the small and medium shop becomes more attractive with each passing year. CNC, which stands for computer-numerically-controlled, allows a shop to perform repetitive jobs with precision while cutting production time and employee workload -- resulting in a higher profit margin. "  

[View Full Article, PDF]

Tomorrow's woodworking today with CNC routers

WOOD Magazine (October, 2005) - How many times have we seen a high-tech product start out high- priced, and then watch it inch down in cost, becoming affordable for a broader audience? Computers, DVD players, and digital cameras have all traveled that highway. And now, in woodworking, CNC (computer numerically controlled) cutting machines have joined the parade. ShopBot Tools, Inc, located in Durham, North Carolina, has figured a way to produce quality, production-oriented CNCs from $6,995 to $10,995. That’s about one-fifth the cost of industrial models found in factories that mass-produce plastic and wood parts.

[View Full Article, PDF]

HIGH-SPEED, AFFORDABLE CNC

AWFS® New Products Volume 26, Number 5 (September 29, 2005) - ShopBot Tools Inc., a manufacturer of CNC tools, offers the fastest CNC routers in its class. The new line of CNCs feature the industry’s first closed-loop stepper motors that give ShopBot’s tools performance speeds of up to 1,800 inches per minute for transit and 600 inches per minute for cutting. Now, almost a year after their introduction, these PRTalpha tools are believed to be the fastest selling CNC ever with more than 400 sold in the inaugural year. “We have always aimed at being the industry leader in affordable, performance CNC,” said Ted Hall, president of ShopBot Tools Inc. “We credit the success of the PRTalpha to its ability to give our customers the maximum production possible at the most affordable price-point on the market.” The ShopBot PRTalpha is the only CNC available with the closed-loop, “alphaStep” motors and drivers. These motors combine the best features of servo and stepper motors – offering exceptionally fast and smooth cutting motion with no “tuning” or “hunting” problems. The PRTalpha technology remains very affordable. A complete 4’ x 8’ ShopBot CNC tool with a 5HP Columbo spindle and CAD CAM software starts for less than $14,500.

SHOPBOT ANNOUNCES NEW AIR-DRILL ATTACHMENT

DURHAM, NC (July 26, 2005) - ShopBot Tools Inc., the leading manufacturer of affordable CNC routers, announced the release of the new ShopBot Air Drill Attachment at its annual Jamboree in April 2005. The attachment allows ShopBot CNCs to drill holes without changing bits. The Air Drill Attachment is great for cabinet and furniture makers who desire new capabilities for their ShopBot CNC. The attachment fits next to the cutter head on the Y carriage. “We are very excited about the new ShopBot Air Drill Attachment,” said Ted Hall, president of ShopBot Tools Inc. “It is just another step in our commitment to offer our customers the most affordable, competitive advantages possible for their ShopBot CNCs.”
 

SHOPBOT ANNOUNCES THE “SHOPBOT CABINET SYSTEM” – A COMPLETE NESTED BASED CABINET PRODUCTION SYSTEM

DURHAM, NC (July 10, 2005) - ShopBot Tools Inc., the leading manufacturer of affordable CNC routers, is proud to announce the release of the “ShopBot Cabinet System.” This all-inclusive system combines the ShopBot Cabinet Machine with industry-leading KCDw and ArtCAM Cabinetmaker software for easy design and fabrication of cabinet components.

“We are very excited to offer cabinet makers the most affordable nested-based cabinet package on the market,” said Ted Hall, president of ShopBot Tools Inc. “This all started two years ago when we developed a tool with increased speed and accuracy. When the ShopBot PRTalpha was introduced last year, we immediately began work on putting together a complete system for cabinet shops. The ShopBot Cabinet System is a great package that is complete, effective and priced for less than what most Cabinetmakers would pay for just a CNC tool.

”The system comes with a ShopBot PRTalpha96 featuring alphaStep closed-loop motors for transit speeds of 1,800 inches per
minute and cutting speeds up to 600 inches per minute. The Machine is fitted with the new ShopBot Air Drill Head allowing cabinet makers to drill holes without expensive tool changers. The software includes industry leading KCDw and ArtCAM Cabinetmaker for streamlined design and fabrication of cabinet components. The ShopBot Cabinet System also includes a 5 horsepower Colombo Spindle and 15 horsepower vacuum pump.
 

SHOPBOT APPEARS ON NEW YANKEE WORKSHOP

DURHAM, NC (March 22, 2005) - A ShopBot PRT 96, a computer numerically controlled (CNC) cutting machine produced by ShopBot Tools of Durham, N.C., appeared on the hit show “New Yankee Workshop” on PBS on March 26, 2005.  The show highlighted a variety of sign making techniques at the Lincoln Sign Company in Lincoln, NH, the place where the original “New Yankee Workshop” sign was crafted.  

“The show has always wanted to pay [the Lincoln Sign Company] a visit and to find out how professionals create these masterpieces,” officials from the “New Yankee Workshop” stated on their website.  “In this program, Norm [Abram] does just that and finds out how a router, a sand blaster, a hand chisel and a sophisticated computerized machine can be used to carve out modern signs.  Then he learns how the professionals design, hand letter, paint and gild these beauties.”  

The ShopBot was used in J.D. Iles’ workshop where, during the shoot, the tool is V-carving a sign.  Also, the benefits of using a CNC machine are discussed.  

“J.D., his family and crew were great,” said Gordon Bergfors, ShopBot technical assistant on the set.  “They were very friendly and excited about the event.  J.D. is very enthusiastic about his ShopBot and how it is helping his company grow and produce some of the most amazing signs.  It was also exciting to meet Norm and to talk to him about woodworking.” 
 

SHOPBOT APPEARS ON EXTREME MAKEOVER HOME EDITION – HOW’D THEY DO THAT?

DURHAM, NC (February 23, 2005) - Ty Pennington went to the hospital with appendicitis, and it was a ShopBot CNC that helped keep his “secret room” project on “Extreme Makeover Home Edition” on schedule.

A ShopBot CNC router, manufactured by ShopBot Tools Inc. of Durham, N.C., made another television appearance on “Extreme Makeover Home Edition – How’d They Do That?” in February. The episode featured a segment on how CNC routers are used in furniture making. The ShopBot CNC was used to cut key parts of a piece of furniture for Pennington’s “secret room” – a ribbed bench called “the sternum.”

“We are very proud of our product,” said Ted Hall, president and owner of ShopBot Tools Inc. “We believe the high profile attention it receives is a direct result of the performance of our tools and the quality of support we provide.”

The ShopBot woodworking machine is not an official product of the ABC show, but is owned by Pennington who purchased it in the fall of 2003. Rob Williams, Pennington’s shop manager, operated the ShopBot on the episode when the filming took place in his workshop in Atlanta, Ga. earlier in February.
 

About ShopBot Tools, Inc:
ShopBot Tools, based in Durham, N.C., designs and manufactures low-cost, high-value Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) cutting systems.  ShopBot was founded by CEO Ted Hall, Ph.D., a Duke University professor of neuroscience, who developed the tool while building plywood boats as a hobby.  After several years of development, the company began shipping tools in 1996.  With 6,000 ShopBots in 54 countries, ShopBot is one of the largest producers of CNC systems for woodworking and plastics in North America.  The company employs 25 people in the Durham, N.C. area.  For more information, visit www.shopbottools.com.