Supplier Woodworking Magazine Aug/Sep 2020

AUG/SEP 2020

W O O D W O R K I N G DESIGN + MATERIALS + TECHNOLOGY

Digital Manufacturing at New Age Caravans, using the Empower Workshop Productivity & Scheduling Software App CASE STUDY PAGES 16 - 18 • We’re now a high technology business • Our workshop staff culture is now time and job focused. Staff now drive their own productivity • We expect a 40%+ reduction in labour time on jobs • As production manager I now have the tool & real time information to do my job • 55 inch TVs on workshop walls display: staff, jobs and job times, in real time • Empower Software is simply an App. Low-cost monthly subscription.

David Lawrence | Site Manufacturing Manager New Age Caravans, Melbourne VIC

Contents

Issue #207 | Volume 36 No 3

4

Editor’s Note

News 6

Welcome to the August / September issue of Supplier Magazine. Inside this issue you will find our Feature on Finishes and Surfaces where we discuss the evolution of modern surfaces, trend-setting design, challenges in sustainability and recycling, and the use of innovative materials.

Vale Anthony Passmore

Spotlight On 16

Digital manufacturing at New Age Caravans

Manufacturing 19

Philip Ashley explains the increased threshold amount of the instant assert write off and the implications for your business. Including why it is a great time to invest in some highlevel equipment to bolster your production.

An industry 4.0 exemplar

Talking Business 29

Instant assert write-off

Feature 32

We take a look at how Industry 4.0 can create enormous opportunity for the Australian furniture industry. Examining why we need to be at the forefront of this development.

Finishes & Surfaces

Software 42

5-Axis machining made easy with ALPHACAM

Please feel free to contact me directly regarding any industry relevant news or events by email at – michelle.cammiade@ elitepublishing.com.au

Overseas News 48

Interzum 2021 - promoting young entrepreneurs

Don’t forget to join our online community and visit on Facebook, Instagram and Pintrest.

Front Cover Empower www.empowersoftware.co.nz

Until next time,

Michelle Cammiade Editor

Find Supplier Magazine on: @suppliermagazine

Supplier August/September 2020

@suppliermagazine

@suppliermagazine

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

YOU DO NOT SEEK INSPIRATION – YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO IT. The Darren Palmer Handle Selection from Häfele is the perfect launch pad to start that journey and find a handle that helps you open that door to inspiration. info@hafele.com.au

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6

News

Vale Anthony Passmore Anthony Passmore, owner of Planit Cutting Edge Solutions, sadly passed away at the end of July. He is remembered for his contribution to the woodworking industry, as one of the leading figures in introducing many businesses to the world of software.

In 1984, Anthony started The Solution Specialists along with Theo Poulos (another industry figure) with a strong focus on providing IT services. A woodworking customer’s interest in software saw Anthony research and begin to sell Cabnetware.

Cabnetware was one of the first CAD programs specific for the Cabinet and Joinery industry to be sold in Australia.

In the late 1990’s, Anthony purchased Theo’s share, and with his small team began to take a national approach, with Anthony often travelling to different states to meet with new businesses. It was Anthony’s work

introducing CAM technology that caught the eye of Cabnetware developers. This led to great progress in the CAD to CAM philosophy, linking cabinet modelling with CNC G-Code.

In the early 2000's, Anthony’s approach and success to software gave global principals the confidence to expand and introduce CABINET VISION and ALPHACAM into the Australian market. Connecting to the latest CNC machinery and embracing the then new Nested-Based Manufacturing saw the creation of the Turnkey Approach to software integration. Technicians would be at a new customer site for multiple weeks at a time, to ensure the customer had the support on hand as they adapted to this new technology.

By 2010, Anthony had built a strong team around him. The company has been rebranded to Planit CAD/CAM Software, later becoming Planit Cutting Edge Solutions.

Above: Don Diamond (LHS) and Anthony Passmore (RHS) Supplier August/September 2020

Having a strong team allowed Anthony to step back from the day-to-day running of the business and more time to chase his sailing passion. However, Anthony always kept up to date with what was happening and was a source of knowledge and ideas for the whole Planit Team. He was admired for his ability to remember customers and their journeys, showcasing his customer focused outlook.

In Anthony’s passing, the industry has lost another icon. Anthony will be remembered by many for the way he introduced software to our industry, and the way he helped customers embrace the changes in their business. His laughter and smile will be something that will be remembered for a long time. Anthony had attended every AWISA trade show since it began in 1988, which he used to catch up with industry friends. Anthony's legacy will continue to be at the forefront of the Planit Cutting Edge Solutions team. Vale Anthony Passmore. ❚

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8

News

New Weinig-HolzHer MD Markus Ostermaier has taken over as Australian Managing Director of Weinig Australia from Neil Forbes; who retired in April. Markus started with Weinig Group in February this year and admits, “It was not the best time to start with a new company.” This year for the first few months, manufacturers were mostly positive, but the ongoing effects of COVID-19 soon saw a slowdown in orders. This was the case for most machinery suppliers across the World.

Weinig Group is the leading supplier of machines and equipment for the solid wood and panel industries. The Company occupies a unique place in the furniture industry, supplying a vast range of equipment for both the solid timber sector including forestry and primary processing with Weinig, through to the production of furniture in both solid wood and manufactured board with HolzHer equipment. Suppliers talk of a one-stop shop but with Weinig Group, it’s a reality.

Despite a twenty to thirty percent downturn in orders for woodworking machinery across

the globe, Markus tells us that Weinig Group is optimistic of the future. This sentiment is reflected by Dr. Bernhard Dirr, Managing Director of VDMA Woodworking Machinery Association (Germany) who said recently, “The basically high global demand for wood products makes us optimistic. Be it the increased trend towards industrial timber construction or affordable furniture for the emerging economies.”

Markus says, “For the first half of the year we experienced positive orders, but some manufacturers are becoming more cautious as they wait to see how things will turn out. It is unfortunate that a few companies may not survive the crisis but those that are able to work through COVID will come back even stronger.” He notes that many companies are using the opportunity to change the way they do business. “At Weinig Group we are still developing new product including new models of the popular Profimat Moulder.

We plan to do something special in the new year,” he says.

Markus has a long history with the woodworking trades going right back to his schooling when he completed his studies as a Joiner, following that up with studies in wood technology. In Europe, with 400 million residents and huge export potential, companies producing furniture and kitchen and bathrooms often operate just like the automotive industry. Markus has seen it all and worked both in the trades with a wide experience in furniture and cabinet production using machinery, and as sales and export manager for some large producers.

Markus is a man who likes to keep busy and stay healthy. A runner and cyclist, he once ran a marathon but admits he has slowed down in recent years. He regrets that so far; he has been unable to get out and meet many of Weinig’s many customers. He said, “One of my passions is meeting people from all walks of life. I travel a bit and like to get back to basics. When I am representing Weinig Group I enjoy talking to people. I think that it’s better to listen than to talk.”

Markus is no stranger to Australia, travelling here some 12 years ago to experience the country, something he and his partner have always wanted to do. They returned to Germany for a short time before coming to Australia to live, Markus working with a company he set up, selling specialist appliances to the retail sector. He says, “We love it here, it’s our home and I became an Australian citizen three years ago. It’s time for us to settle down a bit and I was thrilled when the opportunity to join the Weinig Group came along.” Markus may be new to the Weinig Group but his wide experience in all sectors of the industry will set him in good stead as the Group looks to a positive future. ❚

Supplier August/September 2020

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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10

Product Update

Oil-free rotary vane Vs side channel by Becker Pumps The saying there are more ways to 7 than 3+4 is also true in achieving the right vacuum for your CNC Table.

There is often an over emphasis placed on a pumps vacuum ability, rather than on getting the right balance of vacuum and flow.

“My parts are moving, I need more vacuum,” is a common cry for help we hear at Becker.

• Table type - Is it a grid, t-slot or pod style table? They all require differing flow and vacuum.

• Size and density of materials you are cutting as well as whether the materials are porous or nonporous.

• Condition of filters and vanes.

• Spoil board effectiveness, whether it has been skimmed correctly and how much leakage it allows.

There are many factors that can render your table ineffective and lack of flow can be as detrimental as lack of vacuum.

If you have an existing CNC table that is not performing to expectations take some time to analyse your needs and consider the balance you require between vacuum and flow.

If it is 6+1, 5+2 or 3+4, Becker has the range of pumps and the expertise to get the right solution for your woodwork needs. ❚

Consider elements like:

New Corian colour, Valente Grigio The latest addition to Corian’s organic colour collection is Valente Grigio. This dazzling white colour with fine grey veining is reminiscent of Calacatta marble. The new colour holds all the high-performance properties of Corian you have come to expect with limitless application possibilities. It will work with almost any colour combination and can be used with a wide range of finishes.

Corian Valente Grigio is suited to any highuse commercial environment and equally applicable to residential applications. Corian is easily maintained and stains are never permanent. Sweeping curves and seamless joins makes designing with Corian a breeze.

About Corian Solid Surface Corian Solid Surface is made from 2/3 natural minerals (bauxite) and 1/3 acrylic

Supplier August/September 2020

binder. Corian Solid Surface is 100% Quartz and Silica Free, meaning it can be safely cut on site if required and installed with seamless joins.

Corian is manufactured in compliance with strict standards in order to limit waste and energy consumption at all stages of the production process. Both the material itself and the adhesives used to install it are green guard indoor air quality certified.

Colours and textures run through the entire thickness of the material and cannot wear away. Corian is a solid material and cannot delaminate.

Pieces of Corian can be glued together inconspicuously to create a seamless look, giving virtually unlimited design possibilities for surfaces.

Corian is backed by a 10-year limited warranty when fabrication and installation are performed by a DuPont Certified Fabricator Installer. ❚

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Introducing AvanTech YOU AvanTech YOU is designed to impress with a sleek linear design, slender drawer side profile, hidden working components and precise adjustment capability.

The latest AvanTech YOU drawer system offers even more options for individualisation.

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12

Product Update

Darren Palmer handle selection from Hafele You do not seek inspiration – you open the door to it.

Your project deserves the highest quality of hardware from hinge to handle. Hafele’s, newly released Darren Palmer Handle Selection range will support your work and help you to make your project stand out.

– H1925 & H1930, Simple Contemporary – H1950 & H1335, Edgy Modern – H1960, H1910 & H1935 and Farm Style – H1715, H1565, H1530 & H1710.

What inspires you? Shapes and colours.

Materials and finishes. Your favourite furniture. The entrance portals of old townhouses. Chopin’s Nocturne Es-Dur Opus 9 No.2 or the old punk record with beautiful scratches. We find contrasts especially inspiring. It is so rewarding when they meet.

Thick and thin, big and small. Black, white and colourful. Minimalisms and exuberant life. Sweet, sour, salty. Contrasts attract. In surfaces, haptics, transitions.

Handles are an important focal point of any project as they add a visual centre to any cabinet. Just think about the different styles of handles you would use for a farm-style kitchen versus an urban kitchen.

How do you deal with that? Hafele’s, Darren Palmer handle selection is the perfect launch pad to start that journey and find a handle that helps you to open the door to inspiration. ❚

The Darren Palmer Selection covers a range of Hafele handles which can be complied into four different periods: Retro Glamour

Hygienic contact-less waste bins by Hideaway Bins Covid-19 has created an environment where we are all having to change the way we live and behave. We are more conscious of the surfaces we touch, especially in workplaces, rest homes, childcare centers, or medical centers with high use appliances such as a waste bin.

Where possible a hands-free waste bin is ideal, as the user is able to bump open the waste bin with a hip, dispose of waste, and then bump the bin closed again without having to touch the bin at all. Often integrated waste bins have separate lids on them to control odours, but they require the user to remove them by hand before disposing of waste.

Concelo by Hideaway is the ideal waste bin for commercial specification, as it works with electronic push to open. Meaning the

Supplier August/September 2020

user can open the waste bin with their hip and dispose of waste without having to touch the unit. The synchronised concealed soft close runners operate so smoothly that the double bins can open easily giving the user access to both buckets instantly.

Unique to Concelo is the hands-free Active Lid, which lifts off the waste buckets upon opening to allow hands free access to dispose of waste, and then it closes over the buckets upon closing for odour control. This used in conjunction with electronic push to open, makes Concelo the ultimate handsfree waste bin solution.

can be removed with a simple clip off action and cleaned with hot soapy water. The Active Lid is also removable with very little effort and is super simple to reinstall ensuring complete hygiene.

Concelo waste bins are available nationwide, through Hideaway’s distribution partners; Nover, Häfele and Galvin Hardware. For more information visit the Hideaway Bins website. ❚

Concelo comprises of Clip n Clean componentry which means the bin can be easily cleaned to ensure hygiene is maintained. The trays the buckets sit within

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

After 14 years in business, MadeCo is shaking up the cabinet making industry.

Last year, MadeCo hosted an industry event to launch their new branding and share exciting details on the new company direction. At the start of 2020, this new direction started to come to life when MadeCo moved into their new purpose built 3500m2 factory in the South East of Melbourne.

No expense has been spared to build a factory and office space focused on manufacturing excellence, employee wellbeing and sustainability. New machinery installations include: a high end Homag edgebander with precision CNC corner rounding; Biesse Brema vertical borer; and a Woodtron CNC fully automated with a Woodtron Cube, the largest ever built, reaching 8 meters high.

MadeCo also invested in a specialised Edgebander producing highquality beveled edge parts, to complement their new cut and edge product offer and “software to software” ordering.

MadeCo was established with a single purpose – to provide a service that would streamline the workflow for cabinet makers, freeing up valuable time and providing a better work life balance. This is still true today! With the recent introduction of a General Manager and a Production Manager to further build on the strength and experience of the MadeCo organisation, MadeCo are excited to set the benchmark for the industry even higher, with unrivalled customer service support and product quality.

www. madeco.com.au

So when you’re thinking about who could partner with you on your next project – whether it’s a multidwelling complete joinery solution, a kitchen or simply for cut and edge panels – why not take a look at MadeCo to produce the complete project flat packed or fullyassembled and delivered to site.

4 Commercial Joiners reveal how Empower Factory Productivity & Scheduling Software has transformed factory productivity and profit

By Sean O’Sullivan, B Com (Hons) Otago University

PEPPERTREE FURNITURE (ADELAIDE, SA) MARK TOZER, MANAGING DIRECTOR

“At 10 weeks of using Empower Software we got 46% increase in factory productivity, at 6 months we had got to a 86% increase and at 3 years we had got a 100% increase in factory productivity. On factory productivity increases alone generated by Empower Software our annual profit has increased by approximately $200,000”

Key Points • Empower is the tool that our factory staff use to bring their jobs in on budgeted time • Our factory staff culture is far better as a result of being time and job focused • Each factory staff member gets paid bonus for meeting their personal productivity goals. This comprises capping their downtime and meeting times on jobs each week • The brilliant thing about how Empower has worked for me from day 1 of putting it in, is it simply reported area by area, in small bite size pieces each issues that I could address, precisely where I needed to start focusing to get things in order and up to scratch, which I simply followed through on • We have used Empower accurate actual times on products to go back and accurately cost our labour and set consistent margin across our products and quoting. This has enabled us to significantly increase our profit margin across our sales.

PREMIER FURNITURE (SYDNEY, NSW) PETER LANGFORD, MANAGING DIRECTOR

“Empower Software has made a substantial improvement to factory productivity and bottom line and we would not be without it”

Key Points • Our factory staff have really stepped up to the mark and consistently meet and beat the budgeted times on the factory PCs, using Empower • Empower provides factory staff with a tool to be aware of their own productivity • The software is brilliant at staff performance reviews • We give individual factory staff reports on their weekly productivity.

This is invaluable feedback to them to keep their productivity up • Empower gives us accurate times on jobs to allow us to carry out a sensible job cost (ie back cost) on completed jobs so we can refine our future budgeted labour in our costings and quotations • Empower is designed specifically for my role as production manager to ‘track, report and substantially increase factory productivity’ and it certainly works for us • Empower times are the truth and accurate – with evidence on issues I act immediately • Empower is the most positive thing we have done in 10 years • It certainly makes guys on the factory floor focus on their jobs and their times Core Products Manufactured (or Core Business)

Wide range of standard and custom office furniture

Any Key Background Information

2009 Empower Software was recommended to us, a factory productivity software and consultancy business, which had 10 years experience in our industry and a solid track record of increasing their clients factory productivity by 15 to 80%.

Core Products Manufactured (or Core Business)

Panel and Steel Tube Framed Furniture

Any Key Background Information

We operate the largest retail outlet for commercial furniture in South Australia

# Factory Floor Staff

20

# Factory Floor Staff

15

# Total Staff

25

# Total Staff

20

Annual Revenue (approx)

$4 Million

Annual Revenue (approx)

Confidential

Factory and Office Size m2

4100m2

Factory and Office Size m2

Large

# of CNCs

We run two Sleco beam saws, two Biesse borers, one SCM edge bander and a Stefani edge bander

# of CNCs

2

Geography Serviced

All Australia

Staff Times on Jobs Recording prior to Empower

Our production manager Robert advised “prior to 2009 we were attempting to run our factory and our labour the manual way, which was no different to how factories were run in Australia over 100 years ago.

Stepping up to using factory PCs and time tracking software has been a quantum leap in professionalism and productivity for Premier Furniture

Geography Serviced

All States

Staff Times on Jobs Recording prior Our factory staff manually filled in their lie to Empower sheets at day end Years in Business

35

Staff Groups Tracked on Empower

All Factory Staff

Years using Empower

9 years to date (at 2018)

Years in Business

Since 1959

Number of PC’s on the factory floor with Empower on

8 @ 2nd hand PCs plus we have Empower on our CNC machines

Staff Groups Tracked on Empower

All staff in all work centres throughout the factory floor

Number of our Managers using Empower

3

Years using Empower

12 months to date (as at Jan 2011)

Estimated Factory Productivity Increase on Empower

I thought that my factory was productive before putting in Empower but really had no way of knowing whether I was productive or not at the time. Looking back on it I now know that my factory was terribly unproductive prior to Empower.

Number of PC’s on the factory 4 floor with Empower on Number of our Managers using Empower

2

Estimated Factory Productivity Increase on Empower

Substantial improvement to both our factory productivity and our annual profit

TASKER JOINERY (SYDNEY, NSW)

FINECUT JOINERY (SYDNEY, NSW)

GREG TASKER, MANAGING DIRECTOR

MITCHELL BLACK - PRODUCTION MANAGER

“We have achieved a 25% increase in our staff and factory productivity”

Key Points “Using Empower we are getting 20% more joinery out the door each month. Our business consultant confirmed that a 20% increase in our factory productivity would increase our annual profit by an estimated 60%”

Key Points • For the first time in many years I enjoy coming to work, because the Empower system has my entire business monitored and well in control. I am no longer stressed as I used as I used to be, due to inadequate monitoring. I now feel as if my management, office staff factory staff and site staff are now “in the same boat and rowing in the same direction” • At 2 years of using Empower our factory productivity has increased by an estimated 20% • When I finally retire I will be able to pass on to my son a business with far better: systems and controls and a business that is far more: productive and profitable

• It has been much easier and more accurate for us to provide clients with an ETA, especially when using both Empower Time Tracking and Job Scheduling Software • Empower and the factory PCs force factory staff to be aware of their budgeted and actual times on each job and take responsibility for jobs they work on • Our factory staff are aware of how long they are taking on a job realise the importance of finishing on time • Empower has helped management and the sales team ensure that our prices are accurate as far as our labour component is concerned Core Products Manufactured (or Core Business)

White Good Appliance Displays mainly

% Production is custom made - one off designs (each job different to the last)

100%

# Factory Floor Staff

5

# Total Staff

13

Annual Revenue (approx)

Confidential

Core Products Manufactured (or Core Business)

Interior fit outs, commercial joinery and kitchens

Factory and Office Size m2

1000m2

# of CNCs

1 CNC and 1 computerised panel saw

% of Jobs Custom One Offs

100%

Geography Serviced

# Factory Floor Staff

8

Mostly Sydney and NSW, however we go nationwide

# Total Staff

13 2.3 Million approx.

Staff Times on Jobs Recording prior to Empower

No form of time tracking previously

Annual Revenue (approx) Factory and Office Size m2

800 square metres approx.

Years in Business

18

# of CNCs

1

Associations and any positions held

FIAA

Geography Serviced

Sydney mainly

Staff Groups Tracked on Empower

Staff Times on Jobs Recording prior to Empower

Factory staff manually recorded their times on jobs daily

Factory staff, pre production staff in office and site workers

Years using Empower

3 years

Years in Business

31

3

Associations and any positions held

Housing Industry Association

Number of PC’s on the factory floor with Empower on

Staff Groups Tracked on Empower

Office, factory and site staff

Years using Empower

2

Number of PC’s on the factory floor with Empower on

2 PC’s

Number of our Managers using Empower 3 Estimated Factory Productivity Increase on Empower

Number of our Managers using Empower 3 Estimated Factory Productivity Increase on Empower

Using Empower we are getting 20% more joinery out the door each month

We have achieved a 25% increase in our staff and factory productivity. We have maintained production levels and not had to replace 2 staff that left (1 position in factory and 1 on site), so our current 8 staff are doing the workload of our 10 staff previously. This is a 25% increase in staff and factory productivity.

Please contact us anytime for an information package, a software demonstration or pricing Founding Director Sean O’Sullivan B Com (Hons) +64 27 2284211, phone anytime sean@manufacturingandengineering.co.nz

FACTORY PRODUCTIVITY & JOB SCHEDULING SOFTWARE

BE IN TO WIN FREE EMPOWER FACTORY PRODUCTIVITY AND JOB SCHEDULING SOFTWARE!

Email your company name and contact details to vicky.cammiade@elitepublishing.com.au for your chance to win.

Conditions Apply.

16

Spotlight On

Digital Manufacturing at New Age Caravans, using Empower Software Story by Philip Ashley

N

ew Age Caravans operate out of two closely situated sites in the Northern Melbourne suburb of Epping in Victoria. They aren’t the biggest manufacturer of recreational vehicles, but they are amongst the best in terms of quality. To manufacture a quality product that consistently meets the needs and expectations of their customers, David Lawrence; New Age Site Manufacturing Manager, turned to Empower Factory Productivity & Job Scheduling Software.

Empower was created through the manufacturing revolution of Kaizen and we know it today as lean manufacturing. But Empower isn’t just a time tracker; it’s much more than that, a whole lot more.

In lean manufacturing, Kaizen refers to brainstorming ideas and implementing daily activities that continuously improve processes. It involves all employees from management to factory-floor workers. It’s not just about recording what’s going on in the factory, Empower gives David the tools he needs to fit his employees to work

they are best at. A slow worker in cabinet making could be a wizard on the beam saw.

Someone struggling on the CNC machine may be better suited to carcase assembly.

Empower is not just a management tool, it’s a manufacturing aid, David says, “You need the right tools to manage your greatest resource; your people and Empower does everything I need, and more.”

On the Move New Age Caravans started out as New Age Frames & Designs in 2004, specialising in manufacturing structural framing and other

CNC fabricated componentry for a number of high-profile caravan manufacturers in the Campbellfield area. After four years New Age switched their focus from supplying the caravan industry to manufacturing. In 2009 New Age manufactured 5 caravans a week, 10 years later they make over 2000 a year.

In recent years growth can be attributed in no small part to their use of Empower, a tool that already produces around 30% in productivity gains in their parts manufacturing site.

But it’s not all about productivity. New owners Walkinshaw Automotive Group are famous for their high-performance and luxury GMH vehicles. They are an Australian icon and have integrated their unprecedented automotive expertise in engineering, design, and manufacturing to introduce a new level of innovation to the RV industry. You don’t compete successfully at Bathurst unless you understand something about reliability and performance and so, New Age use their expertise and know-how in rough durability testing; robotic welded chassis and clay modelling for prototype design that has resulted in numerous design awards.

Above: David and Tran Supplier August/September 2020

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17

Spotlight On

To achieve an outcome that could justify pay increases for workers and investment in new technology, David needed to know exactly what was going on in the factory. Empower provides David the ability to fully understand accurate job and task times and accurate costs to manufacture every single part of a caravan.

Above: High volume production High Cost of Manual Time Sheets New Age Caravans considered the high cost of manual time sheets to record staff time on jobs prior to deciding on Empower Software.

Manual time sheets were taking each workshop employee 10 minutes each day to fill out and this totals 50 minutes per person per week. This was a $66 cost per staff member per week (at $80 overhead cost per hour).

little useful information that management can use to make positive changes. In addition to that, time sheets only provide limited data when they are collated, and this usually happens at the end of the day and at some cost to a manager who has to sift through all the paperwork. It’s too little and it’s too late.

For David and the management team at New Age, this was unacceptable.

For a manufacturer with say 10 workshop staff this is 500 minutes, which is 8.33 hours lost production per week for a total loss of $660 per week. Add to this admin staff time and the cost to rekey all manual daily time sheets into job cost program of 1 hour per day for 5 hours per week at $30 per hour and you end up with an further loss of $150 per week. This brings the total cost to $810 per week which is $39,690 per year. Surprisingly, Empower Software costs New Age Caravans a small fraction of the cost of manual time sheets.

David started out at New Age eighteen months ago and set about rebuilding a team of skilled workers who would rely on each other to meet deadlines and keep New Age profitable. In addition to a plan to upgrade the company’s equipment, David set about ensuring that each employee worked as part of a well-knit team where each person’s unique skills were utilised to the full advantage of the company.

Around a staggering 90% of Australian joiners and cabinet manufacturers either use paper time sheets or no time sheets at all. This results in management knowing little about job times, task times and individual staff times and productivity in their workplace. At best, time sheets are unreliable and collect

Supplier August/September 2020

Above: Nested based cutting

A New Age There are three major influences on any manufacturing plant. These are your materials, your equipment and processes, and your labour. Of these three, your labour is the most difficult to keep track of and to utilise effectively. Empower allows David to see what’s going on in the factory at any time. It’s instant feedback and changes can be made based on real-time information that is always reliable. The software is so effective that at Asset Kitchens Cabinets in New Zealand, David took a company with eighteen factory workers and with Empower, reduced the factory workforce to six people with the same output! New Age is so impressed with Empower that the software is soon to be used at the Caravan assembly site where it is expected to contribute to further productivity gains.

Already at the New Age cabinet shop, David has reduced the number of CNC machines from six to two and although they intend to invest in a CNC machine with on-board edge banding, the reduction in equipment has saved the company not only machines, but floor space, time and labour costs. It’s a staggering saving for small to medium companies that amounts to millions of dollars even over a few years. David said, “I know exactly what’s going on in the factory without ever leaving my office. Even if I am away, I can see what’s going on as Empower Software reports real time production and productivity information to my tablet. If we make a change to our processes, we can evaluate them based on past performance; there’s never a backward move, it’s all 18 progress and savings.”

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

18

Spotlight On

In modern manufacturing, no matter what the product, high quality information is vital. Information from Empower Software is high quality. It’s accurate to the minute, reported in real time and is easily and quickly accessible to all workshop staff on the factory floor and all management and administration staff in the offices. To know what each part is costing; to understand where the bottlenecks and problems are; to be able to try new processes and evaluate their effectiveness in real time are tools that no manufacturer can afford to pass up.

Above: Ready for install The Digital Workplace In the age of Industry 4.0 Empower fits right in. Design software leads to parts and manufacturing information sent to CNC machines for an optimum output of products. Why shouldn’t your workforce benefit from digital technologies as well? Empower uses devices such as new, or second-hand computers or tablets or touch screen on the factory floor for workshop staff to access and start and finish their jobs so current factory production and productivity is reported live back to your production manager.

Facial recognition ensures that each job is assigned to the right person, who sees a listing of all jobs assigned to them.

This drives substantial increases in individual staff and factory productivity.

David even tracks his own hours to see where he is spending his time. New Age Caravans are installing 50-inch TV monitors on workshop and office walls that report Empower Software key screen continuously; all jobs, all workshop staff, and all job times, all in real time.

processes; status of all work in progress; factory staff productivity; down time and unaccounted time; current bottle necks; individual staff performance; job costing; time and attendance and optional live time tracking of staff off site via cell phone. The main goal of Empower is to increase staff and factory productivity by 30% and current clients report that at worst, the increase is 15% and even that generates a $140,000 per year wage cost saving for 20 factory workers. And as a fully supported web-based app provided via subscription, the software is priced at a point that is a no-brainer.

Industry 4.0 is described as ‘smart manufacturing’ and this cannot be achieved using manual time sheets; a system over 100 years old. Design software linked to optimisation and post-processing software for CNC machines has been a huge leap forward in productivity in Australia. It’s logical that as a manufacturer, your most valuable asset, your people, must benefit from similar technology. It’s worked for David where in three previous roles as production manager, he has doubled the production output using Empower, and it works for New Age Caravans. ❚

Below: The interior

In addition, you can build and save your own custom reports or use the more than 80 prebuilt reports including actual to budgeted times on orders, products, and

Supplier August/September 2020

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19

Manufacturing

Sachsenküchen – an Industry 4.0 Exemplar Story by Philip Ashley Industry 4.0 is a vision that evolved from an initiative to make the German manufacturing industry more competitive. Australia needs to be at the forefront of this development but is in danger of slipping behind.

Resistance to change could be the Australian furniture industry’s greatest obstacle.

Industry 4.0 creates enormous opportunity for Australia. As one of the developed economies most vulnerable to competition from low wage nations, we have a greater incentive to adopt new, smart technologies.

And it’s not just large companies that will benefit from Industry 4.0; it is expected that smart, small and medium-sized enterprises will be more innovative and faster to adopt the change needed to fully appreciate the benefits of manufacturing in the new age.

So, what does an Industry 4.0 company look like? Supplier visited one such company in Obercarsdorf near Dresden in Germany.

Sachsenküchen translates as ‘Saxony Kitchens’ and at almost 112 years old is now one of the oldest kitchen furniture manufacturers in Germany. With sales of over 70 million Australian dollars, the company achieved the best result in the company's history in 2019.

The export ratio was 51.7%, which corresponds to an increase in export sales of 7.0%. How did they achieve this excellent result? With Industry 4.0 manufacturing, and professional support from the World’s leading furniture industry consultants, Lignum Consulting.

Saxony kitchens In the 19th century the company started as a brick manufacturer. After the factory was closed down, Franz Heide took over the

Supplier August/September 2020

company and started manufacturing furniture.

Sachsenküchen began producing kitchens in 1908 and saw enormous growth up until the Second World War. In 1955 and now located in East Germany, the company became owned by the state and was merged with other companies. With the political change during 1989 and 1990 and the reunification of Germany, Sachsenküchen started the stepby-step restructure of its assets and began its transformation to independence.

is not the biggest kitchen manufacturer in Germany but they are one of the best in terms of quality, flexibility, and design.

Above: (from left) Elko Beeg with Phil Ashley and Martin Kohnle

Above: Sachsenkuchen in 1908 (top) and today in 2020.

Elko Beeg has been running the business as CEO since 2007. Supplier’s Phil Ashley visited Sachsenküchen and spoke to Elko and Martin Kohnle of Lignum Consulting about the company’s transformation.

With professional input from Lignum Consulting, the company enters the next 100 years of its history full of enthusiasm with investments in new production technologies such as a fully automatic panel warehouse with connected cutting-optimization; modernisation of production processes as well as new product designs. Sachsenküchen

An overview of the company shows they employ 220 persons in two plants on a production area of 20,000 square metres.

They manufacture 800 cabinet carcases every day made up of 25,000 individual parts per week, and produce 18,000 kitchens and bathrooms each year. Their annual turnover in 2018 was just over 72 million Australian dollars. They sell within Germany through resellers and export 50% of what they produce to Europe; Russia; China; the United States and Australia through specialist retailers. Selling to other countries such as China and Russia do not pose any design problems, customers in those countries are buying a German kitchen and it must look German. Curiously, German kitchen manufacturer’s biggest export market in Europe is France.

Their major production is based on a rulebased (130mm grid) system where each new cabinet height increases by 130mm, but the company is flexible enough to produce any size cabinets to order. Sachsenküchen can

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20

Manufacturing

connection, literally a handful of people work in the carcase production areas. All the machines; robot handling; conveyor transport and storage is fully connected and works autonomously.

Above: The 130mm grid also supply cabinets where the inside is the same colour board as the outside and the ability to do this leads to their cabinets being suitable for the new, more open-plan design where the kitchen becomes part of the living space. The company manufactures under strict environmental standards and they recycle as much as possible. All their product is tested and certified by the Institute of Wood Technology, IHD in Dresden.

They can supply customers with 172 different doors and 26 carcase decors on request.

Increasingly, European customers see the kitchen as an integral part of their living space and so, the kitchen is no longer just a place to prepare meals; it must fit into the overall environment of the home. Because of this, kitchens are constantly evolving and Sachsenküchen needs to be flexible while also cost-competitive. Elko said, “We are not producing kitchens, we are producing individuality.” 79% of Sachsenküchen customers require their home is furnished according to their needs and individual taste and so, the ability to produce individual items in small batch sizes is important.

The Technology The technology to achieve these goals is readily available from a number of Australian suppliers. Biesse; Felder; Homag; SCM and Wood Tech Groups are all capable of providing a wide range of processing and handling equipment, connected to

Supplier August/September 2020

seamlessly produce and handle components for cabinet manufacture. Sachsenküchen employ robot saws for order-related cutting of sheet materials; a sorting and storage system that reduces waste; a buffering system that allows sawing and edge banding of parts to proceed at maximum efficiency (the saws don’t have to stop to wait for the edge banders to catch up); interlinked edge banding machines and a buffer with a display-based control of parts.

Above: Robotic handling Sachsenküchen’s ‘journey’ to batch size one started in 2007 with the new concept strategy that each of their customers should have an individual kitchen. Two years later they installed a data connected cutting plant for doors and carcase production and only one year later developed their SK130 rule-based cabinet line. Over the ensuing years the company has completely modernised their production with a range of equipment from multiple suppliers; all fully interconnected.

As an example of the complete data

Above: An overview of the factory At Sachsenküchen the first advantage of batch one production you notice is that there is no free space. Because every panel is either constantly on the move or waiting in a buffer area to join other parts for a particular kitchen, the entire space is filled with machinery actually producing kitchen parts.

On two occasions panels are even raised by conveyor and pass over other machines; every metre of space is utilised to produce and move parts. It’s a fully connected factory.

Secondly, cabinets are manufactured in continuous production; there are no stock parts so there is no large warehouse or the need to cut parts that may not be used for months ahead. Sheet material is optimised and when jobs are combined to reduce waste, some parts are held in buffers and re-join the line automatically when the rest of the job is cut. It’s poetry in motion!

Above: Mega edge banding line www.suppliermagazine.com.au

21

Manufacturing

The Partnership Dieter Rezbach is the founder of Lignum Consulting and Martin Kohnle is Partner from the very beginning. Dieter and Martin worked with Elko Beeg at Sachsenküchen over many years to realise their successful Industry 4.0 batch one production. Dieter said, “The nature of a machinery supplier is to sell their equipment and they will have software that links some of their machines with maybe a CAD design and production software. There is however a lot more required for the factory run more efficiently.

Lignum Consulting promote seven essential building blocks for an optimal Industry 4.0 connected factory.

These are; a strategy for what you want to achieve; well-designed products that are simple and efficient to manufacture; appropriate-to-task technology and

machinery; logistics for the supply and movement of the parts; data integration that ensures all the machines and robots are working together; organisation of the company and production clearly defined, and well-trained and effective human resources. Dieter says, “Elko is a smart guy, he knows what he is doing. That is why he and his team are working with Lignum Consulting to make their production even better.”

And it works; if it didn’t, Lignum Consulting would not be as successful as they are today, not only in Germany but also now with offices in the United States, Canada and South America. Their motto: We build Success! Seventeen years and over 300 completed projects in more than 35 countries (including Australia) speaks for itself! Lignum Consulting operate Worldwide. For more information visit www.lignum-consulting.com/en/home ❚

22

Manufacturing

Minimise costs and maximise margins with DCM Eurosand

I

f you’re still sanding by hand, then you need to read this.

In today’s modern painting and finishing shop, you will see many examples of the latest technology at work. They are used to help the painter give that eyecatching splash of colour to the surfaces we see around us in our everyday life. Spray gun applicators continue to evolve and the increasing affordability of automated spray lines give the painter more control over quantity and consistency of coverage. Spray booths are more effective, and drying rooms are more sophisticated, which allow for the perfect curing environment. The choice of coatings on the market has never been greater. But even with this growing trend of improved technology to apply the coatings, there is still one process within the painting industry that continues to lag behind. That is the time consuming and labour intensive task of hand sanding the workpiece to prepare it for the painter.

Now, let’s pass these two same doors through a wide belt sander with three on-board sanding units at a processing speed of 5 metres per minute. The very same task can be completed in approximately 30 seconds.

When these time savings are exponentially calculated over an hour, then per day and then per week, the consideration on whether to invest in this technology or not, becomes a very simple equation.

Painting and finishing companies with a keen eye on their profits and margins have identified this black hole of labour costs and as such, invested in technology to combat these losses. With the introduction of a wide belt sander into their panel preparation process, these companies immediately reap the benefits of minimising their labour costs while maximising their margins.

The time savings realised when utilising a wide belt sander are nothing short of immense. Let’s consider the time taken to prepare for painting two kitchen pantry doors with a surface area of 2,100mm x 600mm. An efficient employee with a typical 200mm random orbital sander and working his way through the correct grit sequence will take between 10 and 15 minutes to complete this task. Also consider that these two pantry doors are actually sanded twice, once prior to applying the base coat, and then, once again prior to applying the top coat.

Supplier August/September 2020

So, what type of wide belt sander best suits the painting and finishing industry? Well, that will depend on the individual requirement of the company considering an investment in this technology. A typical example is the DMC EUROSAND from SCM Australia. For decades, this model has been a popular choice amongst painting shops the world over. The popularity of the EUROSAND is attributed in part to its flexibility in being able to be customised to perfectly suit different painting shops with their unique painting process and individual requirements.

Find out more about how the SCM DMC EUROSAND can help you minimise costs and maximise margins. Contact SCM Australia. ❚

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

23

Manufacturing

More efficiency in panel processing Manufacturers are facing major challenges as customers demand changing quantities and a wide variety of carrier and decorative materials to be used in panel production.

The new DT Premium compact hogger is the solution for increasing productivity thanks to its long tool life – with perfect quality on the edge and cutting surface.

The new tooth shape provides optimum machining results over the entire life cycle of the tool. The design enables efficient chip removal and the vibration-reducing tool body further increases the tool life and thus the economic efficiency.

Long tool life, cost-efficient processing • New tooth shape provides longer tool life • Decreased set-up costs due to long tool life • Efficient chip removal due to innovative gullet geometry and integrated chipbreaker

m les-Tea a S r u Call o on today

• Ideal also for batch size 1 due to adapted cutting geometries • Resharpenable up to 15 times through larger resharpening area, providing longer tool life Perfect edges and cutting surfaces • Excellent edge quality and smooth cutting surfaces via adapted cutting geometries • Clean workpiece finishes due to efficient chip removal with DFC®-Technology • Constant cutting width over the life cycle Less dust and noise • Reduced noise and vibration due to special tool design and damping elements ❚

7

5 12 3 1 0 0 13

Efficiency Slicing manufacturing costs with high-shear tooling

www.leitz.com.au

279_INSERAT-186x135-Leitz.indd 1

29.10.2019 16:26:20

24

Manufacturing

Are you making a change in 2020?

T

he team at goCabinets understand that restrictions, reduced staff hours and other factors during this difficult period have left some small businesses needing to identify new avenues for fulfilling projects and left some individuals to seek new business ventures of their own.

While there are contrasting experiences for individuals and businesses all over, goCabinets would like to assure you that they remain operational with currently no impact to their service or support levels across Australia. You can still source complete custom cabinetry for your projects while continuing to support local manufacturing.

Is the market still there?

Yes, if not growing. As people are spending more time around the home, they are spotting those projects that need to get done.

That new pantry they have always wanted or those cupboard doors that are in desperate need of replacing. While they are faced with these projects, they may still not have the time or ability to do anything about it themselves. This is where opportunity knocks for existing professionals or those that are handy with some tools looking to make a start.

Starting on your own Many Australians have turned towards starting their own business and becoming their own boss. Is this a guarantee of success? For those already running your own business, you know it’s not that simple.

There is uncertainty in building your own business. Sometimes the trickiest aspect is knowing where to start. You need to look inwards at yourself and identify your own

Supplier August/September 2020

assets and passion. What skills and traits do you have that you can translate into the business and is this something that you have enough passion for that will keep you motivated?

“If you have the ability and drive to find projects, goCabinets is the free online platform that can help you quote and supply your project’s cabinetry requirements.”

Where are my options?

There is a variety of options if you are looking to work for yourself. Franchises of all sorts have seen a boost in sign-ups recently as people look to an established brand name to support them. However, building that initial investment required is easier said than done. This can be said for plenty of independent business start-ups too.

Plenty of assets and equipment are required

for a lot of business types. However, just some tools, a pair of hands and a brain can still get you quickly up and running.

How simple can it be?

If you have the ability and drive to find projects, goCabinets is the free online platform that can help you quote and supply your project’s cabinetry requirements. With goCabinets you can instantly quote a full room of custom cabinetry or just a few panels. Enter the exact measurements you require to generate an instant quote and when you are ready, have your project cut locally by an independent manufacturer.

With plenty of projects to be found, you will be able to supply them. With any business, your time and effort will go a long way to building success. You can find advice, support and great initiatives but without your own effort to plan effectively, work hard and put in the extra yards, success will remain out of reach.

Check out the goCabinets website for more information. ❚

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

OTT The Quiet Achiever

OTT edge Banding machines are supplied in Australia by I&J Machinery in Perth and Tuckwell Machinery in Brisbane.

Both companies supply a range of equipment for both solid wood production and panel (cabinet) construction and work closely together to ensure that all of their customer’s needs are met in a timely manner.

Both companies pride themselves on their service and their ability to maintain a close, personal contact with their customers. With I&J Machinery and Tuckwell Machinery, spare parts are always available, and you won’t be directed to a website or end up talking to a machine. Ian and Patrick are heavily involved with their customers and are particularly good at what they do.

“

With I&J Machinery and Tuckwell Machinery, spare parts are always available.

who

are the suppliers?

In West Australia, Ian Patterson of I&J Machinery have been supplying the OTT brand for twenty years. Ian, who has been in business for 43 years, reports that several customers have up to four machines and that a number of their installations have been running continuously for more than fifteen years, impressive stats for a machine with so many moving parts! Ian describes the OTT as, “Everlasting and extremely strong machines.”

Up in Brisbane, Mark and his son, Patrick Tuckwell, took on the OTT brand in 2016 and have reported steady sales of the well-known Austrian range of edge banders. Patrick and his crew have been particularly busy this year and have seen a large amount of enquires and sales on a range of their products. Patrick attributes this to a combination of repeat business, word of mouth and the instant asset write off initiative of the Federal Government.

OTT

The Machine Many innovations have been achieved over the years, such as the perfect gluing system CombiMelt for both EVA and PUR adhesives.

CombiMelt is at the heart of every OTT edge bander and is suited for processing both EVA and PUR glues. It allows the quick changeover of the machine to different glue swap containers and thus to new types and colours of glue. A near-invisible glue joint can be achieved using PUR glue. The proper glue dosage is critical to achieving an invisible glue line and with OTT, the glue dosage is managed from the machine controller by a stepper motor on the CombiMelt.

The glue roller is driven from above, so there are no seals in the bottom of the pot that could eventually leak and contaminate the universal joints and drive motor found in other edge bander brands. A ‘dry box’ is available to store PUR adhesives for several days.

A changeover of glues, especially between PUR white and PUR transparent, is made as easy as possible by using the optional OTT Service Station. The application head and glue pot, which are able to be removed separately, can be

“

CombiMelt is at the heart of every OTT edge bander and is suited for processing both EVA and PUR glues. It allows the quick changeover of the machine to different glue swap containers and thus to new types and colours of glue.

preheated on the Service Station and are ready to use quickly. The mobile Service Station can also be used for cleaning; it’s an especially useful option and saves a lot of time. Daily cleaning of the PUR pot and hopper are no longer necessary. With OTT you get the full value of PUR because maintenance has been reduced to just a few minutes, and there is no wasted glue.

OTT edge banders are well-known in Australia for the quality of their output, due to the heavy-duty construction of the entire machine, starting of course right at the beginning with the frame. The frames are particularly wellmade and designed to reduce vibration, the enemy of all quality machines. The strength of the machine construction allows for the most

delicate of adjustments, such as in the case of panels with protective films. Edges are flush trimmed without operator adjustment according to the high gloss program that automatically adjusts to the thickness of the protective film.

This produces a perfectly flush trimmed panel edge every time. Ott Edge banders also feature automatic radius scraping workstations with either two or four independent radius profiles.

The modern cabinet shop rarely manufactures for stock; every job is different so machinery must be flexible and easy to set up. OTT has designed their machines for easy access and ease of use. An example of this is the fact that a new glue pot can be installed in just over fifteen seconds!

For three years OTT has been supplying edge-roll management warehousing solutions and only a few months ago, announced a new machine model, FlexEdge that sits between their popular Tornado and Storm machines. OTT machines are reliable, take very little time to set up, deliver high production output with exceptional panel quality and with the use of PUR adhesive, achieves an invisible glue joint. From the simplest application to the highest output, automated edge banding cell, OTT are able to supply a complete solution for any customer.

supplier contacts I&J Machinery Sales Pty Ltd

A | 144 Francisco Street, Belmont WA 6104 T | 08 9478 1911 E | ijmach@westnet.com.au www.ijmachinery.com.au/

Tuckwell Machinery Pty Ltd

A | 1/34 Goodooga Drive, Bethania QLD 4205 T | 07 3805 5444 E | general@tuckwellmach.com.au www.tuckwellmach.com.au

HP-Technologies Ltd

A | 81 Bolt Road, Nelson New Zealand 7011 T | +64 3547 6699 E | info@hptech.co.nz https://hptech.co.nz/

29

Talking Business

Instant asset write-off Story by Philip Ashley

A

s part of the Federal Government’s recent Coronavirus Stimulus Package, eligible businesses can claim an immediate deduction for the business portion of the cost of an asset in the year the asset is first used or installed ready for use. Instant asset write-off can be used for multiple new and second-hand assets as long as the cost of each individual asset is less than the relevant threshold. From 12th March 2020 until 31st December 2020 the threshold amount for each asset is $150,000 (up from $30,000). The eligibility has been expanded to cover businesses with an aggregated (total) turnover of less than $500 million (up from $50 million).

This is a great time to invest in some highlevel equipment to bolster your production.

While some of the bigger CNC equipment from Europe costs in excess of the new threshold, there are still some smaller CNC’s from Europe and certainly almost every machine made in Australia would fall under this amount. With only a few months to go before the end of the year, some European equipment would not make it to Australia in time to qualify, unless it’s already in a showroom in Australia or on its way here.

Supplier August/September 2020

It cannot be used for assets that are excluded from the simplified depreciation rules. These are assets that are expected to be leased out for more than 50% of the time on a depreciating asset lease; horticultural plants; some software and depreciation and capital expenses and allowances. You should seek financial advice on what is included and what is not. Some of the items you could purchase are cash registers and other POS devices; cars, vans, and utes; fittings and fixtures; plant and machinery; computers and laptops, and security systems.

The write-off could include a motor vehicle designed to carry a load less than one tonne and fewer than nine passengers, and for the 2020–21 income year this is $59,136. If the motor vehicle is used for 75% business use, the total you can claim under the instant asset write-off is 75% of $59,136. If the vehicle is not considered a passenger vehicle and costs more than $59,136 you can claim the whole amount up to the $150,000 threshold.

This tax break is not a cash hand-out, but a deduction that reduces your taxable profit.

Nearly two-thirds of Australian businesses are under-utilising the scheme but in the cabinet industry, suppliers advise that plenty of companies have taken advantage of the initiative and containers of equipment are on their way to Australia. If you operate as a company and spend, say, $40,000 on a capital purchase (net of GST), then assuming a tax rate of 27.5 percent, the company will receive a 27.5% deduction, which equates to a $11,000 reduction in tax. This means that the company will still have a net cash outlay of $29,000 on this purchase. The Australian Taxation Office website has more information on this initiative. ❚

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

30

Talking Business

A Perfect Trifecta

A

rranging finance for your capital equipment can be time consuming and stressful. It takes away from what you do best: running your business. Traditionally, businesses operating in the cabinet and furniture industries have used brokers to source funding from banks and alternative lending sources. But with banks recently tightening their lending criteria in order to limit exposure to risk, financing is getting harder to come by.

BIESSE PAYS YOUR FIRST 6 MONTHS

All this is about to change.

Biesse Group is set to make financing your equipment a whole lot easier with Biesse Finance Australia. Biesse Group has formalised a long-standing partnership with an Australian underwriter that will make your equipment purchases and financing simple, streamlined, and stress-free. You can expect the same level of service excellence from Biesse Finance Australia that you have come to know from the Biesse Group.

Biesse Finance Australia was established to meet the needs of its customers, who were demanding smarter financing solutions for their Biesse equipment. The goal is to provide your business with the most efficient and competitive financial solution possible.

Partnering with professional financial consultants, Biesse has consolidated its expertise so that customers can purchase and finance their Biesse equipment all under one roof.

Supplier August/September 2020

and with the government incentives, a good chunk of your equipment will be paid by Biesse and the government.”

Ask us how

Now is the time to finance with Biesse.

As an introductory offer for the launch of Biesse Finance Australia, Biesse is offering to pay the first six months of your repayments.

With Biesse also making the initial payment, you will not have to make a payment until 2021. The finance offering is competitive, and to ensure the best outcome for Biesse customers, Biesse Group will not be receiving a cut. Add to this that interest rates are at an all-time low, and the Federal Government is offering a generous instant asset write off, and you have a Perfect Trifecta.

Once you have taken up this offer, your equipment can be reserved. Biesse Finance Australia will keep you informed on the progress of the loan, and work with you so that you have the very best opportunity to secure the equipment you need. Biesse finance cuts through the difficulties of equipment finance. Lee Barlow, Biesse Group’s Oceania Sales Director for Wood and Advanced Materials said of the offer, “Our offer of six months repayments paid by Biesse Group is valid until the end of the year

The advertised payments are based on 365 days in the year. With Biesse Finance Australia, you will pay $86 a day for a flatbed CNC router and an edge bander with corner rounding.

It is commonly understood that a CNC cell such as this is capable of producing at least the normal workload carried out by four or more persons. Each added employee can cost an additional $2,000 per week to your business. Any way you cut it, moving to CNC production saves your business -money, and financing this equipment today is as easy as it’s ever going to be.

Jisikaran Navarathnam of Supreme Building Solution Pty Ltd is one of the many Biesse customers who have already taken advantage of this new service. He said, “We’re incredibly happy with the interest rate and Biesse providing six months of repayments. It was also much easier dealing with one company.” Lee Barlow said, “The industry is doing reasonably well and those companies who use these benefits to their advantage will be well placed once the current health situation is over.”

There has never been a better time to purchase the equipment you need, and with Biesse Australia Finance that purchase has never been easier to make. ❚

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ENJOY 6 MONTHS ON US!

Finance your next Biesse using Biesse Australia Finance to receive up to 6 months of repayments on us.*

ENDED! PROMOTIOtoN31EDXecTem ber 2020 Offer extended

48

$ AKRON 1130 EDGEBANDER Corner Rounding & Pre Milling

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*Payments are made monthly in arrears and offer is based on a chattel mortgage with a 60 month term and 20% balloon with a once off establishment fee on any new Biesse equipment. Different terms and structures will result in a recalculation of the offer. Speak to your Biesse Australia Finance Manager for further details. Offer is available subject to stock availability and finance applications must be received and approved before 31/12/2020. Biesse Australia Finance is provided by MKP Finance Pty Ltd ABN 56 611 706 784 to approved Australian business customers only (GST registered) Biesse reserves the right to change, extend or withdraw an offer at any time. Terms, conditions, fees and charges apply. This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

32

Finishes & Surfaces

Feature

Story by Philip Ashley

S

urfaces are a visual and sensory part of our lives, our first impression when we enter a room; visually, then by touch.

Surfaces define a space with colour, light, and shadow, and should create a lasting impression. Surfaces are associated with materials such as concrete; wood; stone; laminated boards; glass; cork; tiles, and finishes such as lacquer; paint, and applied surfaces like paper; textiles and plastics.

Surfaces are seen in furniture; floors; cabinets, and through design and trends; they define our environment.

In the 1980’s and 90’s everything was the same. School furniture for example was specified as quarter cut, straight grain Tasmanian Oak with no variations in colour or grain structure. Every school desk or bookshelf was identical. In the last decade though, people have demanded a change to the uninspiring ocean of sameness. In the office, purposeful work merits meaningful places that blend design, character, and performance. How a space performs is just as important as how it looks and feels. In the home, surface design creates clean, functional, calming spaces offering character and personal style.

Top: EGGER compact worktop. Below: Cosentino Silestone Loft Supplier August/September 2020

Particleboard with a white melamine surface is the norm for interiors of cabinets, but in Europe the trend leans towards the carcase being of coloured board. Black is popular as it highlights the cabinet contents. Bench tops with either a post-formed high-pressure laminate or square edged top are reported to be on the wane, but as a budget material, it will obviously always have a fair market share. Post-formed tops are almost non-

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33

Feature existent in Europe. Polymer-based solid surfaces like Corian, launched by DuPont in 1971 is amongst the host of either engineered or natural stone products. Among these products, the use of engineered quartz is reported to be the fastest growing material.

Wood and board products are still the staple of kitchen, bathroom, and cabinet production in Australia. The manufacture of cabinets with a seen surface starts with accurate and well-maintained equipment.

It’s almost impossible to add quality at the end of a production line. Poor cutting of boards leaves an edge that is difficult to edge-band, so sharp, quality saws and cutters are an important first step. Poor wide-belt sanding may leave an uneven surface, and this cannot be improved during the surface coatings with veneer or melamine, or thermoformed plastics using a membrane press.

Surfaces Innovation Manufactured boards with surface coatings have undergone rapid development over the last few years and will continue to develop as the demands of designers and consumers increase. The scale of development is such that the printing quality increases by 80% every two years. As an example, Egger spends eighty million Euros every year on research and development on edgings and surfaces. Two of their recent developments are PerfectSense Topmatt laminate with scratch and fingerprint resistant properties, and surfaces with not only the look, but the (real) feel and touch synchronised with the printed pattern.

Above: Surteco Decor Supplier August/September 2020

Above: Hafele Loox Arpa Industriale produce the groundbreaking Fenix product with both aesthetic and technical properties. The FENIX surface is extremely opaque, soft touch and antifingerprint. Thermal healing of superficial micro-scratches is also possible. ‘Bloom’ is the new lignin-based technology created by the company’s R&D department to increase the use of natural raw materials in the core of Arpa HPL and FENIX NTM. With Bloom, lignin technology has been introduced to significantly reduce the amount of phenol included in the resin by 50%.

Internationally, Schattdecor introduced decors with a special watermark incorporated into the decor surface as an invisible structure.

Using an app to scan the surface, customers can access the decor manufacturer’s app page and will find information about that product.

Sonae Arauco’s 3DF is a Three-Dimensional Fibreboard, a mouldable formaldehyde free wood-based composite that can be shaped into an endless variety of designs. There is even a surface with scattered hay that holds the smell if you like that sort of thing. Not so inspiring are tiles coated with human urine; seriously!

In the age of COVID, people are looking at surfaces in a different light. Many surface materials used in furniture or cabinets are finished with polymer-based materials that

allow COVID to survive for over two days.

Alternate materials could be beneficial and one such product, used as far back as 3200BC is copper. The material has a specific atomic makeup that kills germs very effectively and surfaces installed over 100 years ago still have the same antimicrobial effect as they had when new.

The evolution of modern surfaces connects trend-setting design with challenges in sustainability and recycling, and the use of innovative materials. Living spaces provide a challenge to designers as they become smaller and necessarily more multi-function.

Office spaces will also change; Dutch design studio Van Eijk & Van der Lubbe have been designing for cultural institutions and businesses that focus on the future. They note it would be difficult to say how an interior would look even ten years from now. One thing is certain, surfaces will play a major part in whatever that new look is. ❚

Above: Hettich www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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Sanding automation that can improve daily paint shop M2 Story by Bob Kory New Showroom Kory Dubay Mfg. (Est.1982) moved into a brand new Showroom/ Warehouse earlier this year with its sanding equipment and sanding consumables and was successfully completed even with the shock of the COVID pandemic, and a lot had to do with planning that started two years prior.

Management COVID and the shutdown has landed us in the first recession since the early 90’s. Fortunately we survived the 90’s recession, that was the one “we had to have”. We have learnt valuable lessons to help deal with the current challenges of the COVID economic impact and I still believe focussing on quality is one of the most important ingredients in the fight for survival during these difficult times, quality is always what brings customers back.

In finishing, calibration sanding to achieve an even flat surface is crucial, “if you want glass start with glass,” a quote from the late Poul Erik Jesperson of Flex Trim.

Starting at entry level, with a handheld orbital sander made in Finland, the Mirka brushless compact electric motors not only give excellent speed and torque control but also has less weight, a very important consideration when being used all day.

Hand held brush sanding

Above: New Kory Dubay warehouse and showroom The new normal Working conditions have dramatically changed this year, we now provide a noncontact COVID safe workplace with a COVID safe plan. The new normal for the safety of employees, restriction with visitors to prevent the potential spread into the community of COVID, a devastating disease. The key to avoiding infection is remaining vigilante to the 1.5M social distancing rule, acceptance of the use of face masks and regular attention to personal hygiene without any room for complacency.

Planning and adopting a Quality Management System, is a perfect place to start, and in the 90’s Kory Dubay Mfg. also became a licenced AS/NZS 9001:2000 company (5 ticks). It gave everyone in the organisation ownership. All procedures were clearly written down, perfect for training and induction, everyone involved contributed to product improvement and success through consistency of the product.

Conformity leads to quality results. Whilst making kitchen doors we achieved a reject rate of 70 pieces in 70,000, 0.1%, but have since retired from door mfg. almost 10 years ago.

However, supplying state of the art sanding equipment and consumables to the trade around Australia has continued to grow since its establishment in 2002 and have seen many paint shops make great improvements in daily M2 produced with our technology.

Hand held orbital sanding

Above: Mirka DEOS Compact electric hand sanders

Supplier August/September 2020

Above: Flex Trim Miniflex hand held brush sander A brush sander on the other hand sands by conforming to surfaces, resulting in smoothing profiles ready for paint application, for this job there is the Miniflex hand held brush sander, developed by Flex Trim in Denmark. It not only conforms to the shape beneath but also arises sharp edges which prevents surface tension of wet paint, which can result in visible black lines in the finish. Brush sanding is a perfect complement to calibration sanding which

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leaves behind sharp edges. After coating and sanding with a finer grit, avoids rub throughs because of the memory effect on the previously raw arised edges.

80% machine, you still need an operator but a day’s work may now only take 1 to 2 hrs with a great deal of control using sanding automation.

Automated belt sanding

An automatic wide belt sander with fine segmented pads like the Weber can calibrate very efficiently at a feed speed of 6 - 8M/ min, but the capital investment is substantial when compared against a hand held sander and there is the government incentive for asset write off. Automation allows you to set the sanding belt and feed speed as well as the pressure applied through segmented pads that can be individually adjusted to the work surface avoiding rub throughs and great efficiency without compromising quality.

Above: Weber KSN sander touch screen and segmented pad pressure points Regarding efficiency, we would normally say that an operator of a hand held sander has 80% control of the process, and the sander the other 20%, but work fatigue over the whole day or week can adversely affect consistency, quality and efficiency. To reverse these statistics to 20% operator control and

The state of the art Weber sander made in Germany has fine adjustable segmented pads ideal for top coat or lacquer sanding 36

IMPROVE PAINT SHOP M2 OUTPUT KORY DUBAY CAN HELP WITH QUALITY BRANDS AND EXPERTISE

• Compact 240V Orbital Hand sanding

• Miniflex Hand held 240V Brush sanding

• Precision Surface calibration & laquer belt sanding

• Automated Brush profile & surface sanding

• Abranet abrasives to suit all orbital sanders

• Replacement Brush sanding strips to suit various brands

• Weber Disc aggregate with brushes

• Edge sanding with brush & disc 4 -13 station

E bobkory@korydubay.com T (03) 9311 1113 15 Ralston Ave Sunshine North Vic 3020

www.korydubay.com AUSTRALIA-WIDE DISTRIBUTION

OPEN FOR BUSINESS WITH STRICT COVID SAFE RESTRICTIONS

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Feature

including veneer or melamine. It also comes with the brush sanding disc aggregate at the end, which arises all the sharp edges.

support of its partners can help find the ideal solution.

Edge sanding automation

Automated brush sanding

Above: new automated sanding machine design

Insert images x3 of the 4 Head edge sander,

Kory Dubay Mfg has been working on an improvement to the original automatic orbital sander it introduced in mid-2000 from Gottschild. This new automated sanding machine has been designed to fit between hand held sanders and the feed thru sanders but with an affordable budget. This product can sand a flat surface, pocket sand as well as brush sand depending on the head set up, and will be released later this year.

Above: Southern Contours 5 head profile and surface brush sander, touch screen and cross sanding heads One of the keys to automated brush sanding is the North, South, East and West sanding action. MDF has random fibre laying through the core so the four direction sanding ensures that fibre can be cut off during the sanding process for a smooth finish. Again, automation allows you to set the brush sanding head rpm, the feed speed as well as the brush pressure applied to the work surface, the choice of grit, brush length and cuts or fingers are also critical. Kory Dubay’s expertise as well as the technical

Supplier August/September 2020

Above: (from top) The 4 head edge sander, the 13 head edge sander and the Raw to finish sand Edge sanding automation can start with the smaller 4 head edge sander and progress up to the 13 head edge sander, capable of working a feed rate of 14M/Min with an optional boomerang return system.

This machine is capable of sanding all 4 edges of 20 standard boards in 20 mins with one operator, from a raw edge to a primed edge.

Above: Kory Dubay spare parts store www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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Kory Dubay has spare parts as well as a wide range of stock consumables for fast backup to suit the new and used equipment it has available.

Back up Support is critical to maintain equipment in good condition so Kory Dubay has spare parts as well as a wide range of stock consumables for fast backup to suit the new and used equipment it has available. Also, if you have another brand of brush sander and are looking for replacement sanding strips, Flex Trim has a custom range available.

Simply emailing us with some pictures, we may be able to help you out.

Expertise With plenty of experience over the last 18 years installing finishing equipment, we can help you find a sanding solution that suits your individual needs, additionally this is supported by the resources of our overseas

partners who are leaders in the field of sanding.

Open Kory Dubay is open for business with strict COVID safe restrictions in place. web www.korydubay.com â?š

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Feature

The coating for a safer future

T

he current pandemic is challenging businesses in all sectors of the economy and as we prepare for the future, a ‘new normal’ awaits us all.

Companies that adapt will set the standard and succeed past the crisis. Many industries are undergoing momentous changes in response to the outbreak. One significant revolution is the growing need for agile and resilient engineering solutions with antimicrobial properties to provide better protection against the transmission of microorganisms while reducing the threat of cross contaminants.

Microorganisms including bacteria, fungi and mould can be deactivated effortlessly using alcohol-based products that are useful to prevent the growth of such pathogens, however these products are only effective for a maximum of two hours after which, any new contamination pose a fresh risk of infection.

To address this shortcoming, companies are developing innovative products to inhibit the spread of these microbes.

Bio-Guard Coating, developed by Pylon Coatings is a dedicated range of antimicrobial coatings that incorporates

Above: Ron Pajor Supplier August/September 2020

Biomaster Antimicrobial Technology. When bacteria come into contact with a Bio-Guard protected surface, the silver ions attacks bacteria in three ways. The silver ions bind to the bacteria cell wall preventing growth; they stop bacteria from producing energy and interrupt the DNA preventing replication. If a bacteria cell cannot grow, produce energy or replicate, it dies. Surfaces that have been protected with Pylon’s Bio-Guard Coating will also reduce levels of cross-contamination, plus improve decontamination and maintenance procedures.

This innovative technology is based on silver ions. The benefits of silver as a natural antibacterial have been known since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Ancient civilisations applied silver to open wounds, ships captains placed silver coins into storage barrels to keep drinking water fresh as did early settlers in Australia by placing silver forks or spoons into their water tanks.

Silver has been used throughout history to prevent growth of bacteria without the high toxicity associated with other metals.

Biomaster pioneered the use of silver based antimicrobial additives and is now the recognised leader in antibacterial additive technology. Biomaster has been tested in hundreds of applications to provide up to 99.99% reduction against harmful bacteria.

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During the manufacturing process, the antimicrobial technology is dispersed throughout the batch, which becomes an integral part of the coating structure. This offers permanent, highly active antimicrobial protection 24/7 for the lifetime of the coating.

Pylon’s Bio-Guard Coating has been independently tested for antimicrobial efficiency by one of Europe’s most recognised microbiology laboratories to meet ISO 22196 standards. Bio-Guard is available in a vast variety of colours, clear finishes and gloss levels. Pylon’s Bio-Guard Coating range is supplied within the joinery industry, though the companies’ research and development laboratory and offer tests on various substrates where increased levels of hygiene are fundamental.

Bio-Guard Coating range is one of Pylon’s latest innovative systems for commercial and residential areas that pose a significant risk of contaminants. Pylon has appointed a selection of qualified ‘accredited applicators’ for the BioGuard Coating range.

Pylon Coatings is a third generation Australian made and owned company that is dedicated to developing, supporting and supplying premium quality coating systems for a wide range of industries. Formulation and manufacturing experience, combined with high company ethics, innovation and stringent quality control methods has resulted in continual growth for the company.

Pylon’s highly qualified technical team constantly interact with industry professionals and monitors global trends. This results in premium coatings, efficient application systems and state of the art technology. The

According to Ron Pajor, Managing Director of Pylon Coatings, “there is an increase in demand for antimicrobial coatings due to the pandemic and the fact that most Australians are now more than ever conscious of living in a more hygienic environment.”

As a company that boasts over 70 years of experience, Pylon Coatings is proud to continue supporting the Australian manufacturing industry and will continue to strive in providing innovative solutions for a safer future. web www.pylon.com.au ❚

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42

Software

5-Axis Machining made easy with ALPHACAM

V

ictorian based Stonnington Group are leaders in high-end architecture and residential construction. The growth of the company saw them expand and establish a manufacturing arm to the business which sees them manufacturing cabinetry and joinery items for their design homes, alongside launching a bespoke furniture business, Campus & Co. Enzo Campus, the Managing Director of the Stonnington Group explains that the manufacturing arm is involved in solid surface fabrication, general internal cabinetry for their designer homes as well as producing a range of custom high-end furniture for the Campus & Co business.

Before integrating ALPHACAM, a lot of Stonnington Group’s work was done by hand. This included a lot of hand routing on the bench and hand finishing each piece.

Because it was all done by hand, they were getting slight variations in their pieces, and many projects became time-consuming.

Research and Development, or prototyping

work, is quite common for Stonnington when creating one-off pieces and components. Therefore, the manufacturing process needs to be as simple and streamlined as possible, whilst maintaining a very high level of perfection.

This lead Stonnington Group to purchase their own machinery to take more control.

Researching a 5-Axis machine seemed like they were jumping into the deep end, however their end goal was always having a machine that they could push the boundaries of their design and manufacturing capabilities.

Software was the other limiting factor in achieving their goal. Through research and trialling, it saw Stonnington explore a variety of software packages and in Enzo’s words, “a very expensive process, ultimately disappointing and, frankly, also a bit defeating.”

When they discovered ALPHACAM, Enzo explained, “very early on, it made sense.

We find the software user-friendly, whilst

Supplier August/September 2020

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Software

PYTHA proficiency

very intuitive at the same time.” Purchasing ALPHACAM’s Ultimate 5-Axis solution meant that again, they had the tools needed to ensure they could achieve the high level of craftmanship they expected.

Explaining their process, Enzo shares, “everything starts with the design process.

Everything we do, we model up in specific 3D CAD software. We then import the model into ALPHACAM and apply the machining. The integration of ALPHACAM with their HOLZHER 5-Axis CNC was seamless”. ❚

To get the maximum value from your software purchase, you’ll want to invest in well-structured, purposeful training.

Knowing the ins and outs of your software - along with operational tips and tricks - is essential for user efficiency.

The Pytha Partners team is keenly aware of this, and offers a range of ongoing learning opportunities for skill development and PYTHA proficiency. They have designed packages to suit all learning types and business setups, including face-to-face

5-Axis Machining made easy with

ALPHACAM Stonnington Group use ALPHACAM combined with their 5 axis CNC Router for their Cabinetry and Joinery items, design homes, and bespoke furniture.

“We found that with ALPHACAM, very early on, it made sense.

We purchased ALPHACAM, so that, again, we wouldn’t have any limitations” - Enzo Campus - Managing Director

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training, a range of online options and convenient evening TAFE short courses.

Katie Sayour

All training is delivered by a dedicated team of Pytha professionals.

Meet the Training Team Paul Hadfield

In his previous position as a designer and CAD operator, Michael conquered the craft of creating easy-to-sell kitchens, bathrooms and other interior spaces. Combined with his knowledge and experience in manufacturing, he offers a well-rounded perspective to PYTHA customers. In his position at Pytha Partners, Michael is using his technical proficiency to deliver support, training and testing.

Aaron Meyer

With a trade qualification in Cabinetmaking and over a decade of detailed production drafting and CNC machinery operation, Katie Sayour knows her way around PYTHA. Her super efficiency will keep you on the move and help your team operate to their best potential.

Michael Dominick With over twenty years’ experience in all facets of joinery and shopfitting – from preparing the factory floor to managing million-dollar fit outs – Paul has a solid understanding of the need for speed, accuracy and efficiency in the CAD and CAM areas of your business. Paul is now based in Melbourne and is on hand to provide comprehensive sales, implementation and training services to our Victorian customers.

Supplier August/September 2020

Aaron Meyer offers both manufacturing and design expertise to switched-on business owners considering a move to PYTHA 3D CAD or learning the ropes with their new installation.

He is a RadioLAB master, too – Aaron’s our goto-man for all things rendering, and will help you get well on your way to delivering efficient and impressive concepts to your clients.

Contact Pytha Partners for training enquiries. ❚

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Design & Trends

Hettich’s fast growing dealer network expands throughout Australia

A

ll over Australia, the demand for premium quality furniture fittings is rapidly on the increase. In particular, the nation’s woodworking and cabinetry industry is experiencing an influx of customers demanding furniture that’s more smartly designed, functional, and longer lasting than ever. Rising to the demand, Hettich Australia has proudly announced a further expansion of its network of hardware dealers which covers every state in Australia.

Doubling the network in just five years Hettich Australia has one of the fastest growing dealer networks in the country – doubling in size over the last five years. Today, Hettich has as many as 16 hardware dealers nationally as the brand moves to further extend its footprint for supporting and servicing the Australian woodworking and cabinetry industry.

Specialising in cutting-edge German engineered products, Hettich Australia is part of one of the world’s leading manufacturers of smart drawer systems and hinges, with every product skilfully designed to help cabinet makers create furniture that’s exciting and highly practical in its environment.

Some of the most popular products include drawer runners and entire drawer systems, hinges for all types of applications, and folding and sliding door systems – all accompanied by a wide range of quality accessories.

A faster and more efficient service industry Now with one of the most expansive dealer networks in the market, Hettich Australia has the infrastructure and resources to service the woodworking and cabinetry industry faster and more efficiently through the capabilities of local stock holding and supply.

At each location, Hettich dealers can offer customers a huge range of products that are already stocked and ready-to-go. At the same time, dealers have the freedom to quickly order in other products from Hettich’s complete and extensive innovative product assortment.

But the benefits of an expansive dealer footprint are expected to be much more far-reaching than the speedy supply of products. As part of its growth plan, Hettich remains committed to ensuring every dealer is supported and provided with ongoing technical training on its comprehensive range of furniture fittings, so both dealers and their customers can enjoy the best possible service locally.

Supplier August/September 2020

Continued expansion to focus on regional areas As the trend towards intelligently designed high quality furniture gains momentum, Hettich plans to continue to cast the net even further. With the aim of reaching even more customers in Australia’s growing woodworking and cabinetry industry, Hettich will be focusing on developing its dealer network across regional areas throughout Australia.

Find your nearest dealer by visiting the Hettich website. ❚

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46

Design & Trends

Kinvaro T-Slim: A new dimension of invisibility

O

verhead wall cabinets are still one of the most popular storage solutions in the kitchen. With Kinvaro, the GRASS portfolio offers a range of different flap lift mechanisms with the motto Super Slim. T-Slim. Kinvaro T-Slim is the thinnest, most efficient fitting ever developed

by GRASS. It combines purist looks with outstanding durability and the art of perfect movement in a unique way.

Reduction is what it's all about. "If less is more, then maybe nothing is everything."

This quote by pioneering architect Rem Koolhaas inspired the development of Kinvaro T-Slim. The new flap lift mechanism makes the dream of invisible fittings come true – and will therefore provide furniture designers all over the world with inspiration.

"We have been a furniture industry pioneer for over 70 years," says GRASS flap lift mechanism product manager, Harald Küper.

"With Kinvaro T-Slim, we are adding a new chapter to our innovation history. After the first-ever concealed hinge or the invention of the double wall drawer, we have now developed a new dimension of invisibility with Kinvaro T-Slim."

Kinvaro T-Slim blends into the furniture almost invisibly, thereby unlocking

Supplier August/September 2020

completely new possibilities for overhead wall cabinets in response to the current trend. Particularly wide, rather than tall, storage solutions with lift-up flaps are currently undergoing a renaissance.

Whether fitted at eye level directly above the kitchen worktop, sink or cooker, above a desk or the television in the living room – overhead wall cabinets with flaps are an essential design feature in modern interiors.

A movement mechanism that does not distract from the design The challenge here is obvious, as every technical detail is visible on a piece of furniture fitted at eye level. This fact prompted the development of Kinvaro T-Slim: the GRASS engineers have managed to reduce the complex mechanism of a lift-up fitting down to an overall size of 12 mm. This minimal size provides furniture designers with maximum flexibility.

Anything is possible from a minimum side wall thickness of 16 mm upwards.

In material terms, there are hardly any limitations: wood can just as easily be used as MDF, and Kinvaro T-Slim's effect on the furniture's aesthetics really comes into its own on glass front flaps with aluminium frames. The fitting becomes one with the furniture.

"The best movement mechanisms distinguish themselves by the fact that they give precedence to the design of the furniture they have been fitted to," says brand manager Harald Klüh. "Kinvaro T-Slim perfectly exemplifies this philosophy."

Besides the obvious aesthetic bonus, this

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Design & Trends reduction in size offers another advantage: the flap lift-up mechanism takes up very little room; the available storage space can therefore be used to its full potential.

A wider range of fitting possibilities When it comes to the fitting options, the latest GRASS product offers several possibilities: Kinvaro T-Slim can either be inset or overlaid and screwed on, the most commonly used alternative in the industry.

The design of this fitting version is also impressively slim and space saving. No tools are needed to fit and remove the two-part covering pelmet. The flap lift system can therefore also be adjusted after it has been fitted, if necessary. It is attached to the front with a clip, a solution that is as elegant as it is simple. The fully-adjustable spring tension can be adjusted from the front – to ensure that the fronts move easily and elegantly.

Kinvaro T-Slim is available in a choice of design versions: GRASS offers the mechanism in its standard colours ICE,

STONE and SILVER. A paintable covering pelmet is also available; it can simply be painted to match the body finish. ❚

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48

Overseas News

Interzum 2021 - promoting young entrepreneurs

T

he newly launched Start up Area gives company founders and entrepreneurs from across the world an international stage where they can make contacts and grow their business.

Interzum, the world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design, hosted in Cologne, is the key 360° event for decision makers in the sector.

The established biannual B2B supplier event covers a broad spectrum of themes comprehensively, offering its visitors insights into diverse future issues and product innovations for tomorrow’s home living.

The next generation of entrepreneurs in all regions of the world are especially important to the trade fair organisers. These emerging businesses are a source of innovative and often disruptive ideas. In times of crisis, however, such as the current economic climate, they experience difficulties reaching customers and opening up new markets.

Koelnmesse is therefore devoting a pavilion specifically to start ups for the first time at interzum 2021.

Nearly all start ups face the same situation.

The first phase of launching a new business is incredibly challenging – even if it already has a host of unique ideas and concepts waiting to be put into action.

Support is therefore most welcome, and that is exactly what Koelnmesse will offer company founders and pioneers starting from interzum 2021. – the world’s leading trade event for suppliers to the furniture and interior design industry.

platform for new entrants to the sector.

Interzum provides the industry with crucial momentum for the global interiors business – it is where entrepreneurs, opinion leaders and multipliers make new contacts and sign lucrative deals.

The new start up area is formed of a cluster of stands that are open to each other and cover four square metres of floor space each. The full-service package for young entrepreneurs from across the globe includes as standard, stand construction, lighting, a bundle of various communication measures as well as admission and parking tickets and an array of other benefits. With participation at a low price, the costs are transparent and fixed.

Start-ups that book a stand in the pavilion are supported with content in trade journals, on social media, in newsletters and in a company account on ambista, the industry networking platform operated

by Koelnmesse. They can appear in the Speakers’ Corner and take advantage of the Matchmaking 365 service. They are also promoted with an online listing on the interzum website and via the high-profile presentation of the start up in the trade fair catalogue, the interzum app and the online press box – the opportunities are many.

These activities go beyond accompanying a young company’s trade fair participation.

They support a sustainable market entry for innovative up-and-coming businesses. ❚

An event where decision makers from the manufacturing industry and the skilled trades, architects and designers gather to discover new materials and production processes, and to discuss changing ideas and concepts in a variety of forums is the perfect

Supplier August/September 2020

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Overseas News

Successful re-start to international trade fair circuit Interzum Guangzhou in China (27 to 30 July 2020) demonstrated that trade fairs with strict hygiene regulations and a limited number of admissions – in the food-service areas, for example – are possible despite the pandemic.

With over 145, 000 visitors, Interzum Guangzhou 2020 broke previous records.

Interzum Guangzhou marked the first major platform for the international furniture manufacturing and supply sector in the second half of the year. 1,607 exhibitors from 16 countries and almost 145,363 visitors met vendors, customers and business partners again in person, building relationships and reconnecting as an industry.

“In the current situation, the most important thing is for our customers to feel comfortable and safe at our events”, Keith Tsui, Managing Director of the Chinese Koelnmesse subsidiary, explained. “As event professionals, we see ourselves in a position to create conditions that are conducive to trade fairs, even in times such as these.”

As expected, the total number of exhibitors was lower compared to the statistical results of the previous Interzum Guangzhou.

Nevertheless, there were still international exhibitors taking advantage of the event. Making the event a role model for returning to normalcy following months of

uncertainty. A successful digital extension of the event for international customers who were unable to travel to the venue due to travel restrictions, Interzum Guangzhou offered ‘Offline2Online Live Business Matching’. International visitors joined in the proceedings digitally from home, virtually meeting with the exhibitors on hand to cultivate business relationships and present new products. Exhibitors' feedback on these virtual meetings and on the event as a whole was consistently very positive.

The next Interzum Guangzhou will take place from 28 to 31 March 2021 in Guangzhou, China. ❚

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DYNESTIC SERIES Nesting technology for perfect formatting

The nesting CNC machining centres from HOLZ-HER enable you to machine and cut panel materials with optimised cutting patterns and minimum waste.

With nesting technology in a gantry design, the DYNESTIC series expands the limits for nesting technology to new dimensions.

The automation components for unmanned material handling make the DYNESTIC series even more efficient.

Contact your local HolzHer Expert for further details and to register your interest for a live domonstration.

Michael Weinig Australia Pty Ltd 3 Widemere Road Wetherill Park NSW 2164 1800 736 460 sales-australia@weinig.com www.weinig.com.au