Inventables has just announced a substantial Pro upgrade to its popular X-Carve line of CNC machines. Unlike 3D printing, which adds material to create a final object, CNC machines carve away material (hence X-Carve) to produce a result. 3D printing is considered "additive manufacturing," while CNC production is considered "subtractive manufacturing."
While CNC devices have long had their roles in factories and mass production, it's only been in the last 20 years or so that we've seen CNC machines become available for small makers and designers. And it's only been in the last decade that those CNC machines didn't require tremendous mechanical skill and patience to set up and use.
X-Carve was one of the first desktop fabrication mechanisms[1] designed to be approachable and reasonably affordable. That's not to say it was easy to get started. Look up the early X-Carve machines in internet forums and YouTube videos, and you'll find stories of folks struggling to get the configurations just right.
Fiddly though they may have been, the X-Carve machines were transformative[2] for many users. As we've seen with 3D printers, there's been a move from just offering basic capabilities[3] to vendors producing tools designed for busy professionals[4]. There has been a real need for a desktop CNC designed for the busy professional.
Announced this week, but not shipping until next April, the X-Carve Pro[5] is what the company calls a professional-grade solution intended for building large CNC projects. The company is targeting the X-Carve Pro to entrepreneurs, makers, and businesses who want to grow, and who need a machine that's fast, accurate, and easy-to-use.
"This year, our customers have relied on X-Carve and Easel to do more than