Property owners and tenants love crown moldings, pillars and capitals made from Styrofoam and Styrodur just as much as the construction workers, who have to put them up. With the right technology, these extremely lightweight hard foams can be manufactured cost effectively. Once they are on or inside the building, these decorative elements seem like they are masterfully modeled stucco made by an expert's hand. This is how we can bring the beauty of classic architecture into modern times.
Construction workers as well as experts very much appreciate the benefits and advances of this versatile polystyrene material: it's very easy to work with, lightweight, can be sculpted into pretty much any individual design and it can be perfectly painted and coated to mirror the original finish.
With the professional grade machines by cnc-multitool, even you can manufacture cost-effective crown moldings and decorative façade elements - and increase your profit at the same time. Getting started is easier than you might think. All you need is a CNC hot wire cutting machine, a little bit of space, material and just a couple of hours of practice. Everything else will be done by the perfectly coordinated hardware and software by cnc-multitool. We will be more than happy to help you get started and offer a full integration and support system based on our extensive experience and knowledge!
You would like to cut the following or similar sculptural elements from polystyrene (EPS, XPS):
For this type of work the machine should at least fulfil the following requirements:
The following extensions will increase the flexibility and productivity:
Even the most amazing CNC Styrofoam cutting machine can't do its job right, if the hardware and software don't play nice together. Right from the start of developing any machine we very much focus on the perfect synergy between all of the relevant components. The software has to be very easy to use and standard programs should be just as easily connected. Why don't you increase your commercial success with our complete solutions by cnc-multitool? Come and visit our professional competence center in Ilmenau in Germany, where we can show you our machines live and will happily answer all your questions. We are also able to help you over your phone or via email. Please contact us directly!
ContactStein (Head of Productions, Hofinger Stuckmanufaktur)
Good productivity starts with the perfect equipment, which is why the Styrofoam cutting machine should fit your individual and personal requirements. Before you go and select your machine, you should first take a look at your very own production.
What are you focused on? Do you manufacture predominantly small stucco profiles, façade elements, columns and capitals? Then a machine with a lower gantry height and a smaller working table could be sufficient. If you are currently manufacturing mainly façade boards and panels as well as formwork and casings that do not require a lathe or rotation table? Then you might be able to forgo the extension for a fifth axis and upgrade your machine at a later stage. Do you manufacture rather small batches? Or do you sometimes take orders with larger quantities and with a very short deadline?
When choosing the right machine, it is very important to always have in mind the quantity and quality of the finished product!
Cutting decorative moldings, borders and stucco elements made from Styrofoam (EPS) or Styrodur (XPS) requires a machine with a wire length of between 2,100 mm up to 3,100 mm. Why? Stucco and decorative molding and borders are usually being manufactured at a length of 2,000 mm to 2,500 mm. Therefore, machines with a shorter cutting wire are unsuitable for this job. However, a significantly longer cutting wire will increase the time and labor needed, which will subsequently also raise your overall costs. cnc-multitool recommends the following machines for cutting any type of molding, columns and decorative façade elements:
CNC-Styrofoam cutting machine for cutting standard Styrofoam boards as well as large Styrofoam blocks. Universal machine, ideal for the Beginner and those starting up in the commercial Stucco production.
The all-rounder amongst our CNC Styrofoam cutting machines for a lot more than just crown molding, columns and capitals. Large cutting area, turning table and lathe cutting.
Very powerful CNC Styrofoam cutting machine for industrial production. Easily cuts formwork panels with up to 20 wires simultaneously. Independent y-axes allow for interlaced cutting.
Automatic cutting machine for the production of curved and rounded Styrofoam profiles and objects. Cut with a pre-curved wire fast and easily round and curved Stucco moldings and arches.
Semi-automated cutting machine for the cutting of round objects made from Styrofoam. Cut column heads, column bases or even vases with a pre-curved wire. Adjusting the machine is fast, easy and straight forward.
This machine will coat your Styrofoam facade moldings and strips. The variable speed is infinitely adjustable. For the coating material we recommend our mineral plaster material TrimCoat, which was especially developed for outdoor use.
Expandiertes Polystyrol (EPS) is better known as Styropor® or Styrofoam. BASF holds the rights to this trademark. The white material is available as boards or large blocks. The boards can be up to 300 mm thick and usually come in the size 1,000 mm x 500 mm. The Styrofoam blocks can be up to 5,000 mm long and are usually available in 1,250 mm x 1,050 mm blocks. EPS is ideal for the manufacturing of Stucco and crown molding as well as ornate façade decorations. We recommend material with a density and volume weight of 30 - 40 kg/m³. Styropor® is considered fire-resistant material according to the European Standard Norm (EN).
BASF's trademark Neopor® represents silver-gray foam made from expandable polystyrene (EPS). Graphite particles give this material its typical color and they also absorb heat radiation as well as releasing it. This is the main reason why Neopor is predominantly used as insulation. The material is available in boards or blocks of 1,000 x 500 mm up to a thickness of 300 mm. Since Neopor insulates about 20% more sufficiently than Styrofoam, it is mainly used for floor, ceiling, indoor and outdoor insulation as well as formwork. Stucco elements made of Neopor will prevent so-called "cold or thermal bridges", which will allow heat to escape more easily. Neopor meets all the relevant criteria for fire-resistant material according to the European standard Euro class E, which is classified in the European Standard Norm (EN).
Styrodur® is also a trademark of BASF. Chemists call this material (XPS). Compared to EPS, XPS has much finer pores, is homogeneous and the surface is smooth. The high quality finish makes this material especially suitable for small or very finely chiseled ornate Stucco elements as well as premium quality lettering and logos. The white XPS polystyrene is available as boards in the standard size of 3,100 mm x 1,000 mm and up to a maximum thickness of 120 mm. The white Styrodur meets all the necessary criteria for a fire-resistant material according to the European Standard Norm (EN).
On request, our sister company Hartschaumzuschnitte Ilmenau, a specialist for hard foams, manufactures any kind of XPS and EPS objects and sculptures. Benefit from the fantastic conditions, that we as bulk buyer can take advantage of from our suppliers: Simply order your polystyrene directly from us. We will be happy to help you choose the right material. Please give us a call or send us a quick message. We look forward to hear from you.
The brain of any CNC hot wire cutting machine is its software. The machine can only perform in a smart way, if it is supported by the programming, which transforms initial graphic designs into the relevant cutting data. Other modules will control the machine and its performance. To guarantee a completely satisfying solution, we also add software for the calculation of pricing or for the documentation of your projects. For the cutting of crown molding, columns and façade decorations we recommend the following software:
Easy to use vector drawing software for crown molding, trim & stucco, letters and logos. The layout can be exported into the multiCut Software by cnc-multitool, which will then calculate all the relevant cutting data and control the entire production.
The strength of this CAD program is to create fast and easy drawings in vector format. The subsequent DXF or DWG export can be processed immediately thereafter.
Cloud based Software (SaaS) for the calculation of the costs and pricing for e.g. trim & stucco profiles, column heads, ornaments (painted, unpainted, coated).
Cloud based software (SaaS) for the creation of numerical control data for the cutting of standard 2D objects with and without any entry and exit cuts.
The 3D CAM Software will calculate the numerical control data for the 4 axes for 3D cuts.
This software is also part of the package and is available as a cloud based service (SaaS). It creates symmetrical rotation cuts provided in the 2D DXF or PLT files.
Cloud based software (SaaS) for the calculation of numerical control data for horizontal standard 2D rotational cuts.
This cloud based software calculates the cutting data from DXF/PLT files for the segments that are needed for curved crown and Stucco moldings.
Would you like to also cut objects and sculptures other than Stucco and crown molding, columns and facade decoration? cnc-multitool offers the perfect program and machine for any kind of application. You can find more information here: Letters, Logos and Symbols - as if they were cast in one piece:
Read more about our software and hardware for the cutting of beautiful letters, impressive logos and amazing symbols.
The brand new cut object or element made from Styrofoam, Neopor or Styrodur is just a blank workpiece. Without the proper protection this foam sculpture won't last very long in harsh outside conditions or for a long period of time - not unless it is treated correctly. For this, we recommend the following processes:
To make it look like real Stucco, any interior molding, trim or decoration made of foam needs a coat of paint. For this, we recommend high quality dispersion or wall paints without any solvents. These paints are available in any color and ready to use. If you wish to mix up your own color, we also recommend a mixing bench.
For any outdoor use, any Stucco elements made of polystyrene should be sealed completely. This is the only way to protect the façade decoration elements from water, wind and harsh weather conditions. The protective coating will then be spackled with a mineral plaster to make it look like real Stucco. This material will dry very hard and therefore protects the Stucco elements perfectly against any weather conditions. Depending on the profile and shape of the polystyrene object, the coating material can be applied by hand or in our very own coating machine, which will apply the protective layer automatically. The product can then be processed as usual.
Stucco molding and facade elements can be painted and coated just on the visible side: The decorative color will cover only the visible areas. This also applies to any type of lettering that will be mounted to facades, where it is sufficient to paint the letter front and sides. An additional protective coating on the back side of the elements is only necessary if the waterproof adhesive used to glue the letters and logos in the desired location does not already seal the entire product.
Would you like to experience our hot wire cutting machines live and in action? We would be delighted to show you how our hardware and software works - right here in our very own competence center in Ilmenau in Germany. Our cnc-multitool experts will happily answer all your questions right there and then. If you prefer to write to us, then please use our contact form. The fastest way would be a simple phone call. Why not give us a call right now?
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