HOMAG CENTATEQ E-700

Nested-based processing (NBP) loads full 4 x 8 ft or 5 x 10 ft panel sheets on a vacuum table, then CNC routes all cabinet component shapes from the sheet in one continuous program. The nesting software arranges (nests) all required parts in the most material-efficient arrangement on the sheet, minimizing waste material between parts. After routing, the finished parts are lifted from the remaining skeleton sheet. Compared to cut-to-size panel saws followed by separate routing, NBP consolidates two operations into one, reduces material handling, and enables processing of irregular part shapes that panel saws cannot cut. For furniture production, NBP is the dominant production method for shops with CNC routing capability.

woodWOP is HOMAG's Windows-based CNC programming software for their routing machines. It provides: graphical part drawing with drilling, routing, and milling definition; automatic toolpath generation from part geometry; nesting of multiple parts on panel sheets; and post-processing to the HOMAG machine CNC. woodWOP accepts DXF geometry from CAD software and part data from cabinet design software (CABINETIC, Cabinet Vision, Winner). For furniture production, woodWOP can receive job lists from ERP systems (job order number, required parts, quantities) and automatically generate production programs. The graphical programming interface allows machinists to verify toolpaths visually before running on the machine.

Primary materials: MDF (medium-density fiberboard) in 3–38 mm; particleboard/chipboard in 12–38 mm; plywood in 4–38 mm; HPL (high-pressure laminate) composite panels; melamine-faced boards. Secondary materials: solid wood (routing, not flat panel oriented — specialized tooling required); aluminum composite panels (dibond, Alucobond — requires carbide tooling and slow feeds); solid-surface material (Corian, Staron — routing and profiling); acrylic and polycarbonate sheet (with appropriate router bits). Routing wood generates significant dust — the CENTATEQ E-700 requires an industrial dust extraction system (sold separately) with appropriate filter class for fine wood dust (typically class M or H filter for MDF dust).

CABINETIC is HOMAG's cabinet design-to-production software that connects customer orders directly to machine programs. A designer creates or modifies a cabinet order in CABINETIC (or imports from a compatible point-of-sale configuration system). CABINETIC calculates all required component dimensions, hardware specifications, and machine operations. It generates the woodWOP program for the CENTATEQ router plus the edge banding programs and drilling programs for other HOMAG machines in the production line. The system eliminates manual programming for standard cabinet production — an operator can process a customer cabinet order from receipt to router program in minutes. CABINETIC is licensed separately from the machine.

An aggregate head is a modular add-on spindle that mounts in the ATC (automatic tool changer) like a tool and connects to the machine spindle to provide additional motion capability. Common aggregate types for furniture production: angling head (tilts the routing spindle to cut compound bevels, V-grooves, and angled profiles without repositioning the workpiece); horizontal routing head (routes horizontally for edge profiles and pocket cuts on panel edges without rotating the panel); saw aggregate (applies a circular saw blade for cut-to-width and groove operations). Aggregate heads expand the CENTATEQ's capability beyond standard vertical routing — enabling profiled edges, compound angles, and horizontal operations in the same setup.