technically, this is a robot ice sculpture, not an ice sculpting robot.
updated 8/16/23 with fulfilled prophecies, more info, formatting, and seo
ice sculpting robot
For those who don’t know, the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine was adapted for cutting ice by Iceculture Inc. a number of years ago. CNC machines are widely used in other sorts of manufacturing industries and it was likely just a matter of time before someone applied it to ice carving.
Still, the introduction of the CNC represented a quantum leap for the ice sculpting industry and its use has opened up a number of new opportunities in ice sculpture. The precision and straightforward repetition that CNC offers has made it possible to easily create ice sorbet pieces and small table centerpieces in the large numbers required for large events. The precise cuts of a CNC enable production of complex color logos and complex attachment points in an assembled sculpture.
Because the information required to produce ice pieces is preserved in computer files, the pieces can be consistently recreated, over and over. This consistency of product is very attractive to companies interested in marketing their products and properties with elaborate ice displays. This also preserves the creative artistry of an ice sculpting business and enhances its salability.
The CNC machine that I used was at Ice Carver’s Choice in Memphis, TN and then at Ice Pro in Florida. Sometimes I ran the machine myself and sometimes I emailed designs to be run. This CNC is unusual in that the table itself originally came from Iceculture Inc., whereas the software and control elements are from Dean Carlson’s I-Sculpt. It’s based on an early model, so it doesn’t run as fast and newer machines, but it definitely got (and STILL gets, actually) the job done.
Iceculture Inc. is in Hensall, Ontario and was headed by Julian Bayley at the time I initially posted this. I-Sculpt is Carlson’s (NICA national champion ice carver) brand and he is based in West Palm Beach, Florida.
While Iceculture was the first to use CNCs as ice sculpting robots, Dean innovated by being the first to produce CNC machines that can sculpt much of an ice sculpture while the block stands upright. Some amount of human intervention is required, but it drastically reduces the physicality of sculpting ice and vastly increases the precision and reproducibility. Sculptures that are cut on this “3D” machine (It’s not really a 3D machine, but it’s kinda close!) are hand-finished and detailed as a finishing touch.
The CNC that I used at Ice Carver’s Choice in Memphis and Ice Pro in Florida is a flatbed model and consists of a large metal table over which a computer controlled router bit can travel in any direction required. The depth of the router bit (Z axis) can be controlled over a certain distance and the height of the router can be adjusted as well to enable a wider range of cuts. However, you can’t work on a full 10” thick block on that machine; the maximum ice thickness is about 7 inches. For the most part, however, you work on 4-5 inch thick slabs of ice that are secured in place while the router engraves the programmed design.
this ice sculpture for the Baton Rouge premier of “All the King’s Men,” was cut primarily on an iceculture/I-Sculpt hybrid CNC machine
The All the King’s Men sculpture above was cut on that CNC. For some reason it had a little trouble on this carving with the lettering while the ice portrait of Huey Long (a former governor of Louisiana) ran fine. Even though it didn’t do as well as usual, it still looks better than most hand cut snowfilled lettering.
After you’ve seen enough of it, it’s usually easy to pick out graphics and lettering cut by an ice sculpting robot from lettering that’s been engraved by hand. Hand cut lettering just can’t match the precision of CNC robotics. However, there are those that feel like it’s cheating and that it detracts from the art. I respect that opinion, but I only feel like you run into problems if you’re saying that something’s hand cut, but it’s run on a CNC instead.
Darren's foresight
The comment from Darren at the bottom of the post, which was on the original ice carving secrets post, is pretty damn spot on. As I update this post, there are 6 ice sculptors that I know of in Louisiana. Four of them, myself included, use ice sculpting robots (CNCs) to create most of their ice sculptures. Even if you assume that all 6 have the same output, you’re still at nearly 2/3 of the ice sculptures in backwards-ass Louisiana (kidding! sort of 
) are created with CNCs! Then can the rest of the country be far behind? Or way ahead?
I actually don’t think that the adoption of CNCs is problematic. I think it naturally leads to better ice sculptures and also that eventually it will make ice sculpting more accessible to others as the price of CNC machines continues to fall (relative to other technology). Machines that used to be $50K or more are closer to $10K now. The only annoying part is that the freezers that you have to run the CNC in have not fallen in price; not even close, lol!
Let the ice sculpting robot uprising begin…, er, continue! As long as they pinky swear not to try to pull a Skynet! 
Wait, they don’t have pinkies…
links and stuff
This post is listed on the CNC ice sculpting page, and you could also find photos and info from this entry on the ice sculpting secrets Instagram account or the facebook page. You can comment there as well as below. And if it won’t LET you comment below, then definitely comment on fb and/or IG. Thanks!
an old comment
The following comment was on the original blog entry. After some technical difficulties etc., the blog was reconstructed, and this was the only way to keep the original comments. Unfortunately, the hyperlinks from the original comments are gone in some cases. You can add your own new comments at the bottom.
Darren
I think that it eliminates alot of time consumiing tedias work for those who can afford a machine but am afraid that as the technology of these machines progress they could eliminate the majority of hand carved pieces
Thursday, May 24, 2007 – 08:20 AM
