A small Canadian based company, using advanced CAD/CAM techniques, has developed a method for replacing plastic components with customized wood components. The process is used for the computer mouse and will soon be used for other gadgets and technology.

At http://www.depuz.com , advances in CAD/CAM and decreasing machinery prices have allowed a small Canadian based company to manufacture and sell custom wood computer mice. The company has plans, using the same process, to manufacture other technology and gadgets.

Due to various health hazards, with plastic components facing scrutiny, a transition to more traditional materials seems obvious. However, few manufacturing techniques can compete with low cost injection moulding.

The wood machining process, besides aesthetic and health benefits of technology and gadgets constructed with wood, provides another enormous advantage: Owner of Depuz.com, Mr. Lochner, explains: "We do what injection moulding is not capable of, on the fly customization". Including the customers engraving specifications, each component is made from a unique set of instructions. "We do standard versions and company logos, but our primary objective is to provide the end user with the kind of personalization that simply cannot be done by overseas mass production outfits."

In the future, Depuz.com intends to manufacture and sell a wide range of custom technology and gadgets. Mr. Lochner, when asked why they chose the computer mouse as their first product, responded, "Think about the amount of time the average person spends holding a computer mouse each day. It ends up being their single most handled object. Besides poor aesthetics, allergies and other health concerns associated with plastics make wood a far superior candidate for such an application. In 1963, Douglas Engelbart was a step ahead of us when he created the first computer mouse out of wood."