12 EDGEBANDING MATERIALS & TECHNOLOGY
Starbank opts for Makor edge-processing machine from Homag UK Established in 1976, Starbank Panel Products is one of the UK’s premier decorative panel fabricators for interior fit-outs. The company specialises in manufacturing decorative panel products from highpressure laminates, wood-based panels and solid surfaces, as well as commercial and industrial plastics.
It consistently develops its own brands, exclusive to Starbank, which extend the material options for projects or component outsourcing. Phil Darbyshire, MD at Starbank, takes up the story: “We are continually investing in the latest machine and IT technology to enable our team to meet and exceed customer expectations. “As a bespoke fabricator we love to work on projects from the everyday, to one-off assignments that are too difficult for our competitors. Recently, the growing trend for more precise tolerance edge detail – such as on compact laminate or lacquered plywood, with perhaps a radius or chamfered edge – led to us wanting to replace our existing Homag machine for the very latest technological gain. Makor wide-track edge-processing machine “At Starbank, we produce about half a million panels a year. Around 80% of these are bespoke to the customer’s design and may never be produced again. So, when we’re specifying machines, we are not only looking for the usual attributes like reliability, price and service backup, but we also look for a machine that is flexible. “In addition, it has to be quick and easy to set up, because every production day is different, every job is different, and sometimes every panel is different – so the speed of set-up is vital for us. “We manufacture a lot of custom, post-formed worktops for healthcare, as an example – HTM 63 profiles being a speciality – so we need a reliable edge-processing machine to put the radius on the edge before we wrap the laminate around. “Our association with Homag goes back a long way, so the first person we talked to about this was their area manager, Jon Lawman. Knowing our business inside out, Jon immediately understood what we were looking for and suggested the Makor wide-track edgeprocessing machine.
Tracing units provide accurate edge processing, regardless of changes in panel thickness
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