WMS 2025 Recap: The 5 Most Exciting Timber Frame Innovations (and 1 That Made Us Say “Wait, What?”)

Toronto got cold in November.
Our jaws dropped.
Sparks flew—safely.
(Seriously, no fire extinguishers were needed. We checked.)

At the Woodworking Machinery & Supply (WMS) 2025 Conference—Canada’s biggest stage for sawdust dreams and digital precision—the air buzzed with more than just CNC routers and demo runs. It buzzed with ideas that could reshape how we cut, join, and even document timber frames in 2026 and beyond.

But let’s be honest: trade shows overflow with shiny toys.
So we skipped the glitter—literally (one booth used gold-leaf veneer just to demo a sander)—and focused on what actually helps you build better, safer, and smarter.

Here are the 5 innovations that genuinely earned a spot in our “Worth the Trip” list… plus 1 wild card that made us pause, blink twice, and ask:

“Is this genius… or just weird?”

🛠️ Innovation #1: Felder’s PCS® — Safety That Moves Faster Than You Do

Picture this:
You lean in—just a little too close—to check a cut.
The blade senses your hand before contact.
Whoosh.
It retracts in under 12 milliseconds.

Felder’s Proximity Contact Safety (PCS®) doesn’t wait for skin to touch steel. Instead, it uses invisible magnetic fields and high-speed sensors to detect approach, not impact.

At WMS 2025, they demonstrated it with a tomato—
No, not a metaphor.
A real tomato, waved near a spinning cutter.
The blade vanished mid-slice, leaving the tomato unharmed but emotionally shaken.

✅ Why it matters for timber framers:

• Zero “close call” stories at the coffee break
• Huge safety upgrade for apprentices, veterans, and the chronically distracted
• Meets tightening global safety standards (EU, UK, Canada)
• Adds no slowdown to production

Punchline:

“It’s not paranoia if the machine actually has your back.”
(And yes, we’re now side-eyeing our old table saw like it’s plotting something.)

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📦 Innovation #2: Castaly’s On-Bed Labeling — Because ‘Which Beam Goes Where?’ Shouldn’t Be a Puzzle

Every timber framer knows the ritual:
Cut 47 beams. Stack them. Come back Monday. Stare. Guess.
(Spoiler: you guessed wrong.)

Castaly’s 5×10 CNC Router with Integrated Labeling solves this by printing QR-coded labels directly onto the workpiece—immediately after cutting.

A fixed printhead sprays weather-resistant ink with:

• Part numbers
• Orientation arrows
• QR codes linking to BIM models or assembly videos

No secondary machine.
No manual labeling station.
Just: cut → label → load → done.

✅ Why it matters:

• Cuts on-site assembly time by up to 25%
• Reduces “wrong beam” errors—the #1 cause of rework in modular builds
• Perfect for multi-team workflows—QR codes speak every language

Punchline:

“Finally, a machine that reads your mind—and your build plan.”
(It won’t fetch your coffee… yet.)

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⚙️ Innovation #3: Salvador’s Superangle 660 — The “Start Small, Grow Smart” Machine

Most heavy-duty timber machines ask:
“How much can you spend today?”

Salvador’s Superangle 660 asks:
“What do you need right now?”

It’s a modular beam-processing system built on the idea of Customized Standard. Start with the core unit for precise angled cuts (up to 60°) on beams up to 400 mm deep.

Then—only if you need them—add plug-in modules:

• Inline drilling
• Milling attachments
• Peg-hole drilling units

Each module snaps in like LEGO for grown-ups.
(But heavier. Much heavier.)

✅ Why it matters for startups & small shops:

• No $150K all-in gamble — start at ~$65K
• One footprint, multiple functions
• Perfect for “small batch, high complexity” workflows

Punchline:

“It’s like a Swiss Army knife—if the knife also weighed 800 kg and could cut oak like butter.”

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💻 Innovation #4: Cabinet Vision & Alphacam 2025 — CAD That Thinks Ahead

The new releases shown at WMS don’t just draw joints—they predict where you will mess up and gently stop you.

Highlights include:

• Smart Nesting 2.0 → avoids knots + optimizes grain for structural performance
• Real-Time Label Preview → see your QR label before cutting
• Client-Ready Renders → photorealistic timber walk-throughs with true species textures

✅ Why it matters:

• Fewer shop mistakes = fewer 10 p.m. panic calls
• Better client buy-in = faster deposits
• Cleaner CNC exports = no more G-code edits at 2 a.m.

Punchline:

“It’s like having a project manager, designer, and optimist all living inside your laptop.”
(And none of them ever need a coffee break.)