Panel Routers in a CNC World

For decades, Her-Saf Panel Routers have been a mainstay in woodworking shops, big and small. From one-man cabinet shops to high-production corporations to the maintenance department at Disneyland (see "Disney's Land of Wood" in the May 1987 issue of Wood & Wood Products), the Her-Saf Panel Router continues to dado groove after groove. Many of the first Panel Routers ever sold are still in use.

In the last two decades something new arrived on the scene: Computer Numeric Control machines known as CNC's. These new high tech machines offer amazing capabilities but at a not-insubstantial price. (CNC's range from $10,000 to $500,000 or more.) After making this large investment in new technology, some woodworkers don't think they'll have a use for their simple Panel Routers anymore, selling them before discovering the limitations of their new CNC machines.

CNC machines, designed for intricate work, entail an involved programming process to get them to make the desired cuts. Even dadoing a simple straight groove requires programming the computer, often slowing down the production line considerably. After learning the hard way, many CNC owners have found themselves in the awkward position of needing to purchase a new Panel Router after having hastily sold their old one.

A Her-Saf Panel Router is an excellent "side-by-side" machine for CNC owners. They can set up the Panel Router in the same shop as their CNC and then utilize each machine for its specialty: the CNC for intricate computer-aided cuts and the Panel Router for fast dadoing.