Panel & Joinery Magazine March / April 2019

Made In Italy

MARCH /APRIL 2019

Think CNC, Think Masterwood...

Think CNC, Think Masterwood....

Masterwood GB Ltd

Tel: +44(0) 1293 402700

Made In Italy

Email: office@masterwoodgb.co.uk

Email: office@masterwoodgb.co.uk Tel: +44(0) 1293 402700

Make your space the place

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Contents

Editor’s Pick

Cover Story

24-26

Must Read

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4-5

6-7

16-17

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12-13

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News

From 2 Hours To 15 Minutes With A Project 250

Thousands Of Visitors For The “SCM Smart” Factory

AXYZ To Launch Enhanced Machine Trade-In Programme

30 Seconds For 1,000ilbs of Wood

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EC Media Services 76 Victoria Avenue Westgate on Sea Kent CT8 8BH

Telephone / Fax:

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Email:

ernie@p-j-production.com

Homag Improves Reliability & Throughput Speed For Mobili Office

New CNC And Edgebander Adds Performance For Woodbuzz

Peanut® Making Strong Connections

A Limitless Offer From Decorative Panels Lamination

James Latham – An Interview With Chris Sutton

Dresser Adds Precision

Website:

www.p-j-production.com

Publisher:

Ernie Hollister

Designer:

Russel Goldsmith TRACE Creative Agency www.tracecreative.co.uk

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The Magazine Printing Company www.magprint.co.uk

2020 Insight Launches The Next Generation Manufacturing Solution

O&S Doors Says Alphacam Is Vital For Automation

Sylmar Technology Selects Homag Sandteq W-300

DCS Filter For Top Shopfitter

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Flexible Filtering From Dustraction

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Publishers note: The editorial opinions expressed in Panel & Joinery Production are not necessarily those of the publishers, who shall be under no liablity with respect to any article published herein.

Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

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News Filtermist International Adds DCS Group To Its Portfolio Industrial air filtration and extraction specialist Filtermist International is delighted to announce that it has successfully completed the acquisition of the Yorkshire-based DCS Group of Companies.

The DCS Group, which has a site in Dewsbury and one in Wetherby, collectively acts as a designer, supplier, installer and commissioner of fume and dust extraction systems.

This is the largest acquisition to date for Filtermist which is based in Telford, Shropshire and part of the Swedish Absolent Group. Previous acquisitions include customised air movement and air pollution control systems specialist Multi-Fan Systems in 2016 and dust filtration systems manufacturer Dustcheck Ltd in 2017.

Founded over 30 years ago, the DCS Group now consists of a number of specialist enterprises including DCS Limited which has an established reputation for providing quality dust extraction systems for customers in a number of industries, including pharmaceutical and woodworking – two key markets identified by Absolent Group as offering substantial potential for global growth.

“This latest deal is designed to significantly enhance Absolent Group’s presence in the dust and fume extraction market,” comments Filtermist International CEO, James Stansfield. “We have extremely ambitious targets over the next five years and increasing our presence in all of our market sectors is a key strategic objective. We will be combining the strengths of all Filtermist International companies to offer all of our customers a complete solution for air extraction and filtration.

“From initial recommendations and project management services, to equipment manufacture and supply, installation, commissioning and after-sales support – we offer a full turnkey service for customers that need to ensure the air is free from a wide range of contaminants.

far mean that as a company we are now able to offer dust and fume extraction, VOC abatement, odour control, solvent recovery and more.”

The DCS business assets also include Ecogate Limited and Gallito Limited which between them manufacture a range of industry-associated products including FastClip ducting and microprocessor-controlled extraction optimisation systems designed to improve extraction efficiency.

DCS’s service offering is currently limited to the UK, however, bringing these products into the Absolent Group provides an opportunity to expand the brands’ presence to overseas markets, utilising the global experience of Absolent Group’s worldwide distributor and subsidiary network whilst creating valuable synergies within the group.

In the UK, project teams comprising individuals from all Absolent Group companies work together to offer a single source solution for customers looking to benefit from cleaner, safer and more productive working environments.

Filtermist International was supported by PKF Cooper Parry and Legal Clarity during negotiations, whilst the sellers were advised by the Camlee Group.

With a consolidated turnover of £11.4 million during 2018, DCS Group will be integrated and consolidated into Absolent Group with immediate effect.

Absolent Group currently includes Filtermist International Ltd, Absolent AB, Avani Environmental International Inc., Bristol T&G International GmbH, Dustcheck Ltd and MultiFan Systems Ltd in its portfolio. Services offered include oil mist, smoke and fume extraction, dust control, VOC abatement, production waste extraction and industrial ventilation.

“Traditionally Filtermist has been known for its oil mist extraction capabilities – the acquisitions we have made so

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www.filtermist.co.uk www.dcslimited.co.uk

News Weinig Group Strengthens Voitsberg Production Site As part of its long-term growth strategy, the Weinig Group has installed a state-of-the-art processing centre at the production site of its subsidiary Holz-Her. For this purpose, a new 1,000 sqm extension hall was built in Voitsberg, Austria. The total volume of the project is around 4.5 million Euros.

The decisive factor for this major investment was the continuous positive development of the company. After it integration into the Weinig Group, Holz-Her tripled its sales by 2017. The heavy, 30 metre long Duplex CNC milling and drilling centre in Voitsberg is mainly used for frame construction. However, other large parts for various machines for panel processing offered by the company will also be manufactured on these machines in the future. With its high production capacity, the new machine creates the necessary conditions to cover a further growth of up to 40% and to be able to produce frames of all dimensions with

existing technologically by the company itself.

The CNC centre also represents a significant step forward in terms of production flexibility. The new, variable processing technology enables Holz-Her to react quickly to market fluctuations. Technically, the new machine represents the state-of-the-art. Steel components are machined on the milling machine with absolutely no set-up time. This translates into significant efficiency gains.

Holz-Her has been producing all stationary machines in Voitsberg since 1964. Today the portfolio includes CNC processing centres, edge banders as well as pressure beam and vertical saws. Voitsberg has 300 employees and the headquarters of the company, which has been part of the Weinig Group since 2010, is in Nürtingen in southern Germany. www.weinig.com

Hexagon Announces Production Software Business Vero Software, FASys and SPRING Technologies Unite

software space.”

Under Hexagon Brand to Strengthen Product Offerings Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division today announced the formation of its Production Software business, comprising Vero Software, FASys and SPRING Technologies. The move, which sees the three acquisitions adopting Hexagon’s corporate identity, reflects Hexagon’s broadening expertise in the production technology space.

Hexagon acquired Vero Software, a specialist in CAD CAM software, in 2014 and has continued to expand and diversify its offering. The 2017 acquisition of FASys brought tooling and resource management software and shop-floor automation and integration expertise into the portfolio.

SPRING Technologies, acquired in 2018, provides CNC simulation technology for G-code verification and workflow optimisation. Combining components of this rich portfolio of technology, Hexagon has already utilised this expertise to develop solutions for reverse engineering and on-machine measurement.

Norbert Hanke, President of Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division, adds: “The formation of the Production Software business complements our design and engineering and metrology businesses, enabling us to build unique solutions for our customers in manufacturing. As we develop this approach further, our experience of leveraging data from all phases of the manufacturing process will help create the Autonomous Connected Ecosystems (ACE) that will enable Smart Factories.”

“Over the last five years our available technology and solutions have evolved considerably from the CAD CAM heritage of Vero,” explains Steve Sivitter, CEO of the Production Software business. “We’re increasingly focused on developing product synergies that will help customers improve quality and productivity. Our technology experts from Vero, FASys and SPRING have been working very closely together for some time, so operating together as a single entity is a natural step for us. We’re all excited at the prospect of what’s possible now creating innovative manufacturing intelligence solutions in the production

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From 2 Hours To 15 Minutes with a Project 250 In 2011 Southern Fire Doors & Joinery was set up

by Tony Ellingworth and his son Tom, working from a good size unit they produced doorsets and bespoke joinery using classic machines like mortiser, tenoner, vertical spindle, and various hand tools.

In 2016 they decided to scale down the factory size and removed the “Joinery” to concentrate on doorsets.

These were produced mostly with hand routers and jigs for the apertures, locks, hinges, handle holes and other ironmongery housings.

The company started to look at second hand CNC machines to see if this could help their production, but soon turned their attention to a new machine after consulting with various suppliers and Masterwood, who demonstrated their basic Cad/Cam software, MasterWorks, and showed them doors and frames being fully machined.

An order was placed for a Masterwood Project 250, an entry level machine but fully suitable for the work required and within Tony and Tom’s budget. The machine features a full drilling head, main heavy duty router, a dual exit direct drive horizontal router and a patented Schmalz vacuum pod and rail bed system.

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The machine was delivered to the Southern Fire Door’s workshop on the edge of the New Forest in Hampshire in August 2018. Masterwood GB provided technicians to set the machine up and provide on-site training for the software and machine, showing how to create parametric programmes for their doors and frames.

Case Study Tom did most of the training and said:

“At the time it seemed a very daunting task, but with the technicians support and help we soon found we could create programmes on our own”.

Within five months of the installation Tony told us “We are now looking at jobs with various companies that we could never have considered pre CNC, this is a new world for us but Tom has grabbed it with both hands and not only speeded up our doorset production, but has found time to design various products that were sold off before Christmas for charity” Having called in at their works in January 2019 to see how they were getting on Masterwood GB Director Dave Kennard said “I am impressed with the way Tom has approached the CNC and the results it can give them, he has looked at ideas and moved forward and in such a short time has produced some very good work”

Owner Tony summed it all up when he said:

“What used to take us about two hours to produce a door and frame fully worked is now taking 15 minutes, or less”.

Southern Fire Doors join a large group of Masterwood customers who specialise in door production using a vast range of machines from entry level CNC like the Project 250 through dedicated machines like the Project Door and DoorLine and up to fully automated production lines.

Masterwood : www.masterwood.com Southern Fire Doors : www.southernfiredoors.co.uk

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Events Thousands Of Visitors For The “SCM Smart” Factory More than 2,500 visitors from all over the world attended the SCM central headquarters in Rimini from 31 January to 2 February. The event showcased the intelligent factory of the future for the woodworking industry, integrated with industrial and collaborative robots.

After excellent results in 2018 with the entire Group’s sales figures in excess of 700 million Euro, SCM started 2019 under the aegis of innovation with an event entirely dedicated to the new frontiers in the digital and intelligent factory. A factory at the forefront where SCM state-of-the-art technologies are integrated with anthropomorphous industrial robots, assigned to more strenuous work, collaborative robots that work safely and barrier-free alongside operators, and interconnected by unmanned vehicles with intelligent navigation systems. The result also brings progress on the work front, that not only means the factory can meet incoming demand from the market faster and more efficiently, but alleviates operators of the burden of repetitive work so they can focus on more high value-added tasks.

Inside the SCM Technology Center, set up for the occasion with more than fifty display solutions and those in progress, those attending were launched into the “Smart&Human Factory” that in three days worked on almost a thousand panels to produce four different kinds of furniture in record time.

Hundreds of professionals sought to learn more about the latest innovations researched and developed

by SCM, including the after-sales services offered on fully digital platforms: from the IoT Maestro Connect system that gathers and analyses data from machines for an increasingly intelligent and predictive maintenance, to the Maestro Smartech glasses which, thanks to augmented reality technology, ensure clients always have an SCM expert by their side, wherever they are in the world.

“The Open House - as the SCM Division Manager Luigi De Vito explains - was an exceptionally important opportunity to meet with our clients directly, so they could experience the new innovations at the factory of the future, first hand. The new frontiers in automation went on display during these few days, without forgetting of course, the human factor, as the title explains ‘Smart&Human Factory’: the power of SCM of being not just a supplier, but a partner ready to support its clients in their

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business and tangibly accompany them every step of the way, in the era of 4.0 Industry”.

The event was preceded by two days of sharing all the strong points in the range with A DETAILED LOOK AT THE PROCESS: STATE-OF-THE-ART CELLS INTERCONNECTED BY UNMANNED SHUTTLE SERVICES FOR TRANSPORTING PANELS During the three days, an example of the automated system for furniture production was explained at each stage of the process: from furniture production to the generation of machine programs and from panel processing to cabinet assembly.

In the “Smart&Human Factory”, the state-of-the-art SCM cells can be put together as you wish to meet the different panel processing requirements, with the advantage of being able to rely on a partner which has provided its clients with wholly integrated madeto-measure and turnkey solutions, for more than 65 years.

THE LATEST NESTING RANGE AND OTHER SCM NEW ENTRIES During the demonstration given at the Open House, considerable focus was placed on the new x200 and x400 Morbidelli nesting range, previewed on this occasion and designed to apply the best features of the “All-in-one” technology of the machining centres for the 5-axis panel, even to this kind of processing. In other words, in line with the demands from a market that is ever more focused on batch 1 production.

From the work table to the heads to be drilled, from the space taken up, increasingly less invasive and ever more functional and intelligent, to the innovative warehouses: each detail in these machines, with their renewed design, has been designed extremely carefully, with a view to making all the essential features accessible, as regards efficiency, quality and

Events business evolution As far as edgebanding is concerned, the undisputed leader was stefanicell, the new generation of cells for “batch 1” processing, with high-tech solutions, even with minimal investment, and the new “pickback” bridge system for the automatic return of panels, that guarantees simple, “just in time” production management.

In the drilling/insertion island, the panels were not only drilled in the new Morbidelli ux200d CN centre but also processed with the new, exclusive system with dual variable axis broaches, that can be adjusted according to the distance between holes.

Once the working process was finalised in the operator machines, the panels were carried on a roller conveyor belt towards a KUKA anthropomorphous robot which put back together the kits, ready for the assembly of each individual order thanks to the instructions supplied by the Maestro Watch supervision, control and data acquisition software.

On the assembly island, the operators were assisted by three Universal Robots cobots to assemble the sideboards and apply the glue to the panels.

The process is completed with the passage of the preassembled cabinet in the action p clamp for a precise assembly and an efficient squaring of the piece of furniture, and with its transfer, again via AMR shuttle, towards the storage area.

Visitors were able to see the new “Smart&Human Factory” model at work in the island dedicated to surface treatment where, in parallel with the production of different kinds of furniture in other Technology Center islands, cabinet doors were worked on with the aid of a dmc system, designed to meet the needs of SMEs seeking the highest sanding and finishing quality. On exiting the sanding machine, another Universal Robots cobot further perfected the finishing.

In this island, which also included the Surfaces corner with all the latest in finishing and painting, visitors to the Open House were introduced to the exclusive integrated project for surface treatment developed by SCM. www.scmgroup.com

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Events The W Exhibition 2020: A Perfect Platform For Your Business Do you work in the furniture design and manufacturing industry? Do you supply carpenters, joiners, shopfitters or designers with the latest machinery, components or materials? Could your business and product range benefit from being exposed to over 9,200 industry professionals? If the answer is yes, isn’t it about time you considered booking your stand at the UK’s only woodworking machinery and materials show, the W Exhibition?

September 2020 may seem like a long way off but people are already booking their stands at the biennial show. In fact, 50% of the floor space has already been sold but, with new halls at the NEC for 2020 and 20% more space available, there is no better time to confirm your stand space at the W Exhibition 2020.

So what’s all the fuss about? Not only is it the only show in the UK that’s dedicated to those in the furniture production industry, the four-day event, which is set to occupy almost 24,000 square metres for the next edition, attracts over 9,200 professionals from the furniture design and manufacturing sector and is co-located with the UK’s only furniture components show, Elements. Exhibitors also benefit from great exposure in the trade press and the event organisers work with you to create your very own online portal to promote your stand to visitors in the lead up to the show. Plus, with established show partners like the British Woodworking Federation, British Furniture Manufacturers, FIESTA, the National Association of Shopfitters and Didac Training College working with the show organisers to create an event that truly benefits both the exhibitors and visitors, it really is the best platform in the UK to present your products and prototypes to the industry. www.wexhibition.co.uk

LIGNA 2019 Future-proof technologies, digitalization, integrated, manufacturing and automation are the main issues for the woodworking and timber processing industries and therefore for Ligna too.

Visitors to the show get a complete overview of what the market has to offer, along with new networking opportunities with the chance to talk to relevant experts. This is the only show featuring both primary and secondary industry side-by-side.

Showcasing state-of the-art processing solutions, applications and concepts for the entire woodworking industry. The presence of all the world’s leading technology providers will make Hannover the global hot spot for the wood-based industries. No other fair or exhibition compares in terms of international appeal.

Ligna will welcome 93,000 visitors from 100 countries to the world’s leading woodworking and wood processing machinery and tooling show in Hannover, May 27th – 31st.

INTERZUM 2019 The world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interiors will be providing the world with design impulses with Interzum celebrating it’s 60th anniversary.

Digitalization will be an added topic with manufacturers on hand to answer key questions about the fourth industrial revolution which has not only radically changed the opportunities of the industry and trade, but also the expectations of the customer.

A trend that has been challenging the furniture industry for some time is consumer demand for individualization of living spaces and personalization of furniture.

The 60-year success story of Interzum will continue with a new chapter this year – 1,700 exhibitors from 56 countries will present their innovations from May 21st – 24th at Kolnmesse in Cologne. www.interzum.com

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Profile AXYZ To Launch Enhanced Machine Trade-In Programme

Following the success of its Pacer machine trade-in programme, AXYZ Automation Group is to launch a new initiative that will have a much broader appeal to potential purchasers of AXYZ CNC routers. In addition to AXYZ and Pacer machines used as trade-ins, this latest programme will now extend to any other make of machine from a thirdparty supplier, regardless of type and country of origin.

Significantly the trade-in programme, with its enticing trade-in allowance of up to ÂŁ7,500, is also available to smaller companies wishing to replace a router that had failed to perform to the required and promised standard. Such machines are invariably purchased on the basis of price alone from suppliers that have limited resources and frequently change product lines to reduce their own costs. This often leaves buyers with unsupported equipment and no immediate access to essential spare parts and accessories or reliable ongoing technical support. Invariably, this has resulted in sub-standard and unacceptable output, dissatisfied customers and the potential for a huge financial loss.

Apart from the financial attraction of the generous trade-in discount, owners of new AXYZ routers will benefit from a raft of production enhancements.

Typically, these will include much higher feed rates, smoother motion for optimum material edge finish, a much wider choice of routing/cutting heads and

accessories, improved material hold-down capability for greater accuracy and fully integrated dust extraction and workplace safety systems. Collectively, these will enable much higher levels of productivity, radically reduced material wastage, a longer than normal machine life, enhanced customer satisfaction and increased profitability.

Purchasers of any new AXYZ router will also have shared access to a wide range of both standard and optional machine tool enhancements. These include an expanded (up to 33 stations) ATC (Automatic Tool Change) and the latest AXYZ Auto Zone Management system for optimum material hold-down efficiency.

These are supplemented with the latest A2MC machine controller that greatly reduces or eliminates ‘bounce’ and vibration caused by sudden acceleration/ deceleration frequently experienced with less technically advanced systems and the integrated AVS (AXYZ Vision System) that provides greatly improved routing/cutting accuracy. Completing the options available is the latest helical rack and pinion drive system incorporating a multiple gear teeth configuration. This enables more even distribution of the workload, faster throughput rates, reduced material wastage, quieter operation and ultimately a longer than normal machine life.

T: 01952 291600 www.axyz.co.uk

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Case study 30 seconds for 1000 lbs of wood If the processing time of a workpiece can be shortened from several hours to less than a minute, you can guarantee quite a remarkable improvement in efficiency.

The American butcher-block manufacturers John Boos & Co. got the necessary knowledge for this from Kündig, the Swiss manufacturer of precision sanding machines.

Father Conrad Boos designed solid wood blocks on three feet for blacksmith’s shops to reduce vibrations of the anvil caused by the blow of hammer. His son, John Boos, found out that these blocks are also very useful to chop meat with a butcher’s cleaver. This was 125 years ago. In the meantime John Boos & Co. of Effingham, Illinois, grew to be one of the biggest suppliers of food processing tools in America.

Butcher-blocks and cutting-boards in any shape and size are still their main products.

Butcher-blocks The end-grained wooden blocks are made from pieces of maple, walnut or oak. The surface of the unmanufactured blanks is uneven due to height-offsets and covered with thick tears of glue. Previously the pieces had to pass through their existing three-belt sander up to four times to get a suitable surface quality: “We had to turn over the blocks manually and the bulkier types were not even machinable.

They did not fit through the sander because of its low working height”, Jacob Emmerich explains, Production Manager of John Boos & Co. Solid wood machinemanufacturer Weinig USA then gave him the idea to speak to Kündig in Switzerland, the experts of precision sanders.

Emmerich was astounded when Chief Engineer Stephan Kündig spoke about combining all the steps into a single pass like a duck takes to water: “The confidence of Kündig that they can build such a machine convinced us”, Emmerich states.

Seven units versus half a ton of wood With seven heads, split into a top- and a bottom-sanding partition, a working width of 1600 mm (63 in) and a passing height of 45 cm (18 in) the Botop-7 was one of their bigger projects even for the experienced manufacturer. First the surface is flattened on both sides with two planer units.

This is followed by each respectively having two calibration rollers and oblique sanding heads with electronic segmental pads on each side. This ensures a very fine quality of the demanding end-grained surfaces, finishing without sanding traces.

Another challenge was the weight of some workpieces.

Particularly the bottom sanding part of the machine needed a rigid design – the sanding heads must take at least 1000 lbs of load. This was no big deal with the top-sanding part, Stephan Kündig explains: “All our machines have a fixed feeding table and the upper section moves for adjustment.

Therefore they could be loaded with up to one ton of weight.” First tests in the Kündig plant at Wetzikon were promising: Everything worked fine and, as expected, all steps from planing with stock removal of 3 mm to the fine finishing could be done in a single pass.

1000 lb of wood in 30 seconds The final masterpiece was the processing of an 18 inch thick luxury butcher block with a weight of nearly 1000 lbs in front of the customers who came all the way from USA. There was no rational explanation for the slightly electric atmosphere, Stephan Kündig explains: “I don’t see any reason why this should not work as expected” and he was proved correct.

After only 30 seconds the machine had completed the work which previously took several hours. The mood of the American guests was ecstatic: “We came here with high hopes. However this result beats everything we expected”, Emmerich confirms.

Unusual “centimetre tolerances” Shipping to the USA was the last challenge. 1600 mm wide Kündig sanders – including the machine for John Boos – are designed to fit exactly within an inch into the widest shipping container, the “40 ft open top high cube”. This might have been one of the rare occasions where you can hear them talking about “centimetre tolerances”. A word they hardly ever use. Especially when it comes to sanding.

T: 0845 833 0565 E: sales@kundig.co.uk www.kundig.co.uk

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CONTACT 0116 271 7155 sales@tmservices.co.uk www.tmmachinery.co.uk @tm_machinery

Case study HOMAG Improves Reliability And Throughput Speed For Mobili Office

Established in 1996, Mobili Office Ltd designs and manufactures a range of innovative office furniture. With a group turnover in excess of £15 million, Mobili produces a range of seating, desking and storage for the complete office package.

As aging machinery started to fail, Mobili Office invested in two HOMAG CENTATEQ P-110 CNC machines. Steve Holyer, production manager, explains: “Our existing CNC machine was very old, it was a 1999 model and it was simply at the end of its life. This caused us manufacturing issues as it had started to become unreliable.

“In addition to this, our CNC drill no longer fitted our production requirements. When we bought it, we were handling a lot of mass production work but the market demand has changed and we are producing more bespoke pieces at smaller quantities. We needed to invest in technology that would allow us to remain versatile and flexible within a competitive market.”

Finding a suitable replacement “When looking for a solution to replace our CNC and drilling machines, we considered the three machinery manufacturers who we had previously purchased equipment from, including HOMAG.

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“Our production facility is now mainly HOMAG machinery and all our equipment is covered with HOMAG service packages. Therefore, it was important to us that our new equipment would also be covered by a service plan. We’ve never had an issue with HOMAG servicing and they always get us up and running again if we encounter problems. This was another key factor which led us to contacting HOMAG’s area sales manager, Matt Long, to discuss a solution.

“After productive discussions with Matt, we worked out a deal to purchase two HOMAG CENTATEQ P-110 CNCs. Both machines have an identical specification and tool set-up so that everything is fully interchangeable. The CNC machines use 3-axis technology and we included the future package for larger drill heads. Our tools selection also included the router heads and sniping saw, which can move through 90 degrees, as we do a lot of grooving, rebating and trimming.”

Faster processing of large panels “One of the key features of the CNC machines for us is the size of chipboard panel they can handle. As our work is so varied, the machines need to be able to handle everything from drawer fronts right up to

Case Study desktops - which at their largest can be up to 3 x 1.5 metres.

“Our old machines weren’t capable of handling such large panels and this was limiting as our need to handle bigger panel sizes is increasing. One of our products, a seating pod, uses panels so large that it used to take five passes to complete but now it’s reduced to just one pass. This is obviously saving us a lot of time and allows for faster processing. We would have bought the machines regardless, however the larger bed sizes is definitely an added bonus for us.”

Ease of use with HOMAG software “One of the other reasons we turned to HOMAG was because the machine software is so simple and easy to use. We have several HOMAG machines in our facility and so our operators are already familiar with it. They find woodWOP incredibly simple to use and that was a big bonus of purchasing the two HOMAG CENTATEQs. “Our designated CNC operators attended a three day HOMAG training course at its headquarters in Castle Donington. One of our members of staff is trained to handle our HOMAG BAZ system and so already had a great knowledge of the software. Our other colleague, however, had only used our previous CNC which wasn’t a HOMAG machine. Despite this, he still found it extremely easy and quick to pick up.”

A smooth installation with high-class aftercare support “We enjoy dealing with HOMAG mainly because we always find they meet or exceed our expectations.

The installation process went extremely smoothly.

We removed the old machines before the HOMAGs arrived, so it was a relatively straightforward installation. The bonus was that the installation was actually completed ahead of schedule, taking less time than anticipated. From our point of view, that was fantastic as it meant we could start production quicker.

“We’ve not had any issues with the CNC machines since they’ve been installed - they are so easy and simple to operate. If we ever do have any queries about servicing and parts, it’s always easy to speak to someone at HOMAG. With our other HOMAG machinery, if we’ve ever needed a part, we’ve always used the superb HOMAG eParts system.

“It’s a very useful system, you can print off drawings and stand in front of the machine with them to identify which part you are looking for. On the odd occasion we haven’t been able to find what we need, the HOMAG spare parts team is always quick to help and easy to reach on the phone,” concludes Holyer.

If you’d like a demonstration or more information about HOMAG machinery and software, please contact Adele Hunt at HOMAG UK.

T: 01332 856424 www.homag.com

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Case Study New CNC Machine And Edgebander Adds Performance For Woodbuzz Based in Kirkby, Liverpool, WoodBuzz is a shopfitting manufacturer working for well-known retail outlets, food chains and hotels throughout the UK. As a growing business, it needed to bolster its equipment roster and looked to local supplier, J & C O’Meara for affordable solutions.

WoodBuzz prides itself on offering a professional, high-end service, provided by its skilled workshop and site team.

Since it opened four years ago, its team of craftsmen has produced a range of high-end shop- and barfittings to a growing number of demanding clients.

Products such as retail counters, illuminated glass display cabinets, polished solid surface bars, food bars and counters, restaurant condiment units, impulse units, wall cladding and even floor laying and a host of bespoke joinery items have become the company’s stock-intrade. WoodBuzz focuses on delivering products of the highest quality – customers in this market sector are rightly very demanding as the products need to withstand the rigours of a retail environment.

“We started off not really intending to do too much in the first year, just to grow into it, use some machines to cope with the clients we had at the time,” explains company owner Don Fenwick. Early on, Greggs, the leading bakery food-on-the-go retailer, became a regular client. At that time, Greggs was rolling out a more engaging retail format using a number of newly designed shopfittings.

“Greggs went from having a fairly straightforward retail environment to something more of the moment and multifunctional – and with that, our workload increased probably tenfold. This growth led to a fairly quick expansion of the business with eight new staff taken on in a fairly short period of time.

“So we adapted quickly and grew with the work and this gave us the platform to push on and replace some of our used machinery with new items, which obviously in turn helps us become more efficient.”

With the company’s in-house CAD set-up, WoodBuzz is able to create bespoke solutions, and this is proving beneficial in helping the business find opportunities with new customers.

For example, with hospices, where the company is designing and producing made-to-measure solutions to disguise lifting mechanisms and other such equipment – which in turn makes the living spaces less clinical and more homely for the occupants.

This additional work has led the company to begin making wardrobes, bureaux, desks and so forth to complement this.

An evolution of this application is to potentially expand into the hospitality market, where WoodBuzz has some options.

But coming back to the bread and butter business, the Greggs business is typically in small and medium batches with short-lead times. So the company’s set up needed further upgrading to offer a more capable and consistent operation.

Initially the Kirkby business managed with an old panel saw, a planer, a spindle moulder and a drill press. Things progressed with a spray booth being set up and later on an Altendorf panel saw was added as well as an SCM planer

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and a HolzHer edgebander.

“The downside of this level of production capability was that some of the more creative work had to be subbed out to third parties – which was okay, but not ideal moving forwards. We needed to be self-sustaining and we decided to bite the bullet and invest in better technology.”

WoodBuzz contacted Carl O’Meara of J & C O’Meara, based nearby in Ormskirk to see what options they might be able to provide to enable the business to improve the company’s output, become more efficient and achieve more selfreliance.

Having assessed the market, WoodBuzz decided that the options specified by Carl – a Genesis HSM 512S edgebander and an AES Sirius 950M CNC machine – provided the business not only with the ideal blend of performance and reasonable outlay, but also because of the standard of service provided by J & C O’Meara.

The AES Sirius 950M is a highly effective CNC drilling machine with optional spindle motor for routing applications. The machine has a high performance boring unit for drilling operations which is fast and precise. It features ten vertical drills, six on the X axis and four on the Y axis. For horizontal drilling there are three times two horizontal drills, two by two on the X axis and one by two Y axis. And there is also the saw blade of course.

Its easy-to-use large screen PC provides an internal CADCAM program to make operations easy to generate and adjust. It’s an accurate machine too with a laser verification system. Using the machine is quick and straightforward, the air flotation table supports the workpiece and the presser rollers and pneumatic side pusher locate and position the work piece effectively.

For routing applications, the manual tool changer powered by a 5.5kW spindle motor delivers efficiently for routing applications. The high performance spindle unit enables excellent results on routing applications including 3D processing.

Alongside the new CNC, WoodBuzz has also installed a new edgebanding machine, again courtesy of J & C O’Meara.

The all-new, compact, hot-melt edgebanding machine for coil fed edging up to 2mm thickness. The efficient little machine comes complete with colour touch screen control, pre-milling with either TCT or PCD tooling, corner rounding, scrapers and buffers.

“Immediately, this upgrade delivered what WoodBuzz was looking for – a higher performing, more accurate and dependable capability than before,” explains Carl. “The CNC machine in particular gives the business significantly higher throughout potential and guarantees a consistency that before was both challenging and time-consuming to achieve.

Now this often repetitive process is simple to achieve being both highly accurate and efficient – it’s more than proving its worth. The new edgebander is a step up from its previous option and it too is proving easy to use, totally reliable and highly efficient.”

T: 01704 893109 www.ukwoodworkingmachinery.co.uk

The Sanding Experts

Simplicity is Efficiency.

All Kündig Sanders are simple to operate. A machine that is simple to operate means it is easy to use. If it is easy to use then it is user friendly. If it is user friendly anyone can use the machine correctly. If used correctly not only are the best results achieved, but using the machine correctly means less mistakes. Less mistakes means better efficiency. Better efficiency means higher productivity. Higher productivity means higher profit and we all know time is money.

Maybe this is why Kündig Sanders are beloved by those who work with them. Easy to use, they help reduce errors under stress. A Kündig always speaks the language of its user - whether it be English, German, French or even Russian.

Just contact Carl from Kündig UK He can tell you everything about those iconic Swiss Kündig Sanders: T 0845 833 0565 E sales@kundig.co.uk

Unit 4, Falcon Place, Burscough, Lancs L40 8RT 17 www.kundig.co.uk

Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

Case Study Two SAWTEQ B-300 Beam Saws From HOMAG Deliver Quality, Reliability And New Business For C Workshop Established in 2010, C Workshop provides cut to size

“Word-of-mouth is our biggest ally. So it is vitally important for us to be able to consistently rely on delivering premium quality cut and edged panels. If the cut quality and accuracy are not spot-on, then we cannot deliver a first class finished product.

and edge banding services for wood-based panels, such as particle board, chipboard, plywood and MDF. The company offers fast, reliable turnaround and competitive prices from its 15,000 sq. ft. north London location.

“This is why we selected HOMAG beam saws; in our opinion, they are simply the best on the market. We first invested in a HOMAG saw in 2015 and immediately reaped the benefits.

As our business grew, we purchased a second saw in 2016 and then invested in the two new SAWTEQ B-300 beam saws in March 2018; these were installed in August the same year.”

Sales manager at C Workshop, Daniele Danese, enthusiastically explains what makes C Workshop so successful: “For us, it’s all about customer satisfaction. Our business has grown exponentially over the last few years because of the quality of our products and the reliability of our service.

SAWTEQ B-300 beam saws – high throughput with reliable cut accuracy for C Workshop

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Case Study

The two HOMAG SAWTEQ B-300 beam saws at C Workshop

Panel dividing saw – the HOMAG SAWTEQ B-300 The SAWTEQ B-300 offers high performance in a compact space. This panel dividing saw is suitable for producing in batch size 1 as well as in smaller series and is ready for connection to automatic horizontal storage systems.

Designed for smooth material flow and precise logistics process, it is also ideal for networked production processes.

The saw has been designed to meet future expansion requirements; these can be achieved thanks to the many options that can be retrofitted.

With a dimensionally accurate program fence and a rugged pressure beam, the B-300 produces a first-class quality cut each and every time. To shorten cycle times it features a central side pressure device which is integrated directly in the saw carriage.

CADmatic 5 – the state-of-the-art, high-performance saw control system The latest generation of the HOMAG saw controller, CADmatic 5, features a new assistance graphic that clearly shows the machine operator what he has to do next. This 3D assistance tool is intuitive to operate, shortening the training period and reducing operator errors to a minimum.

The system has a 21” full-HD widescreen monitor with multitouch display to tap and swipe commands quickly and easily.

It provides a vast range of functions and ease of use thanks to its intuitive operating concept and clear administrative functions. What’s more, CADmatic 5 is ready for connection to tapio, HOMAG’s digital platform, and also provides open communication with other machines and software solutions.

Beam saws you can rely on Daniele Danese again, “One of the biggest benefits to our business is the peace of mind the HOMAG saws give us. When we’re running at maximum capacity we can’t afford to have machines go down.

“With the four saws in our facility we can be processing up to 2000 panels a day. Irrespective of this high throughput, we have to maintain the cut quality and accuracy, otherwise

we can’t deliver the high quality products and service our customers demand.

“The new SAWTEQ B-300s have enabled us to attract bigger customers, with enquiries up to £100,000 in value. Naturally these companies demand not only high volumes of quality cut and edged panels, but also fast delivery time frames.

“Even in peak demand periods, the HOMAG saws are able to consistently perform and thus allow us to maintain our first class customer service which is the hallmark of our business.

As a consequence, our customers hold us in high regard, knowing that they can always rely on us to deliver.”

HOMAG brings a breath of fresh air “Apart from the fact that the performance of the machinery is exceptional, HOMAG’s outstanding reliability is a breath of fresh air in this industry. The certainty that we can rely on these saws day in, day out, helps C Workshop deliver on our promise to customers.

“On top of this, the service backup from HOMAG is first class. Although it rarely happens, if we have a machine issue HOMAG’s online diagnostics system solves the problem quickly.

“It has always been our company’s policy to ensure our machinists are highly trained, not only in the operation of the equipment, but also in maintenance procedures.

“As a matter of course we regularly replace the blades, and clean and service the saws to keep them in first class condition. Our quality standards are extremely high and HOMAG has definitely added to that,” concludes Daniele Danese.

If you’d like a demonstration or more information about HOMAG beam saws please contact Adele Hunt at HOMAG UK. T: 01332 856424 www.homag.com

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Case Study

Property Developer Chooses StairBox Again David Boffey contacted StairBox regarding a fourth staircase he wanted to purchase from the company.

As an established property developer he had been impressed with the StairBox quality standard and service on his three prior purchases which have all been distinctly different staircase builds to suit the varied projects in his property portfolio.

David said: “Initially we found StairBox on recommendation from one of our joiners who had used the company numerous times. We didn’t want to go into our projects blind and so welcomed this endorsement. Since then, StairBox has become our first port of call whenever we require a staircase for a renovation project.”

His largest project yet, David was restoring a Knutsford farmhouse to its former glory, modernising this five-bed property while retaining its many original features and rural charm.

Mike from StairBox explains: “This was a feature property with an attractive hallway which, at the time, had a traditional staircase with turned spindles and cupboards underneath. David wanted to modernise and fill the space with light and together we helped him design a contemporary style, chunky oak staircase with MDF treads and carpeted stairs. The finished design certainly achieved the desired look.”

David said: “The online staircase builder made it so easy for us and we have used this for all four of our StairBox staircases. We created our designs fully via the company’s StairBuilder online tool which is probably one of the easiest design tools we have ever used. This is a great aspect to the StairBox design process.”

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He continued: “A staircase can potentially be quite complicated to design and the StairBuilder tool made the design process clear and straightforward to understand. At this stage there was no additional tweaking needed to our actual design from concept to application and when the staircase arrived it was spot on.”

David set about the practical task of removing the old staircase and discovered some challenges along the way: “Once we started ripping the old staircase out we began to realise that certain aspects were missing from the original design which we had created. At this stage we informed StairBox and Mike and the team addressed our amendments quickly and efficiently to suit our revised requirements.”

Mike added: “After liaising with the customer it was agreed that the best course of action would be to supply this staircase in a two phase delivery. This way, we could ensure that all measurements were precisely checked and any amendments were factored into the original design before supplying any extras such as the landing glass.”

David said: “As a property developer I’m always looking for new things to do. We’re hoping to push the boundaries a little on our next development project and I would definitely return to StairBox again to help us with our project.”

T: 01782 832555 Email: hello@stairbox.com

What’s New PEANUT® Making Strong Connections The revolutionary PEANUT® connectors are ‘making strong connections’ within the furniture manufacturing industry. Interest in the innovative furniture connectors that have simplified furniture manufacturing has been phenomenal. Luke Thomson, of Intelligent Fixings Limited, invented the PEANUT® panel connector, when his parent company, Thomson Brothers (London) Limited, decided to modernise their bespoke furniture manufacturing process by investing in a CNC machine. Although excited by what CNC machines offered in efficiency and speed, the types of connectors requiring just one machining process were not acceptable for their highend projects.

and insertion machines.

Both PEANUTS create incredibly strong joints, pack flat when pre-inserted and can be reassembled many times.

Intelligent Fixings offer high-quality products at affordable prices, by solely manufacturing the components in Europe. The PEANUT®1 and PEANUT®2 will be available to the general Luke Thomson market from April 2019, well-timed as Intelligent Fixings will have stands at both Interzum 2019 and Ligna 2019 in May. T: 01438 315111 E: sales@intellientfixings.com www.intelligentfixings.com

After a lifetime of designing and making furniture, Luke was confident that with his wealth of knowledge and problem-solving experience, he could devise a simpler, more efficient solution. He first sketched the PEANUT® back in November 2017. Months of prototyping, refining, researching materials, FIRA testing and enormous financial investment followed. Intelligent Fixings had amazing support and encouragement from machine manufacturer Biesse UK, as well as UK tooling manufacturer EMST, who championed the products from the moment they saw them.

The innovative PEANUT® system is a completely new concept. The PEANUT®1 is the self-clamping single component connector, for use with CNC machines; production is quick and efficient, as only one machining process is required. The PEANUT®2 is the self-clamping invisible connector. It is ideal for boring Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

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Decorative Surfaces Benif Interior Film On Display At NEC The NEC in Birmingham opened in 1976 with seven exhibition halls, now they have nineteen and hold some 500 events attracting over six million people every year.

As part of their ongoing refurbishment programme, Benif Interior Film from David Clouting was specified to refurbish one of the many washroom facilities located throughout the exhibition halls.

Specialist contractor T6 totally transformed the washroom in under 7 days by covering the existing walls, cubicle doors and paneling with a selection of designs and finishes from the Benif Interior Film range.

Benif Interior Film, manufactured by LG Hausys, is a self-adhesive, architectural film that can be easily applied to most interior surfaces, with over 400 designs and finishes to choose from walls, doors, paneling, skirting and architrave can be quickly refurbished to provide a stunning, cost effective finish.

Benif Interior Film is CE and IMO Certified so can be specified with confidence for a wide range of applications. www.davidclouting.co.uk

An elegant marble design was used on the walls and a classic wood look for the cubicle doors matched with a grey metallic finish for the cubicle surrounds and paneling.

Before

After

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Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

Decorative Surfaces A Limitless Offer from Decorative Panels Lamination In 2017 Decorative Panels Lamination installed a brand new state of the art laminator and launched dplimitless. After a successful two years on the market the company continues to grow and develop this fantastic collection.

The laminator uses different technology to the other Thermo-rolling lines within Decorative Panels Laminations 140,000ft manufacturing facility, which enables them to laminate a much wider range of products in much smaller quantities – significantly increasing their offer into the market place.

The laminator utilises a high bond strength PUR glue line which will ensure a superb overall finish on sheet sizes up to 3660 x 1430mm, (although 2440mm x 1220mm and 3050mm x 1220mm makes up the majority of the offer).

When viewed in conjunction with the dp-décor and dpspecialist ranges from Decorative Panels Lamination, the addition of dp-limitless gives both current and new customers the opportunity to develop new ranges and one off projects in a range of materials, which have never before been so readily available from a UK manufacturer. dp-limitless offers a truly diverse range of in Music Trendthat Board of enhancedVoices surfaces, quantities make them available to a much wider market including architects, specifiers, shop fitters, exhibition constructors, the leisure industry and of course the furniture industry. dp- limitless stock range comprises the following:

Thermo Oak

an extension to the dp-specialist Senoplast Acrylic offer – bringing the number of designs available to 62, including the incredible 2mm thick Acryl Glass Senoplast Acrylic. Other products available are High Pressure Laminates from both ABET and Egger, Faux Leather products, Real Stone veneers, Technical surfaces, Real Wood Veneers and of course anything else that can be sourced to fulfil specific needs.

Product Highlight- Prefinished wood with a difference Part of the dp-limitless Wood Veneer Collection, Alpi Veneers are a range of new generation, ready to use, pre-finished woods. Designs created to enhance and bring out the natural character of wood by offering natural textures and aesthetic impact to a previously unprecedented degree.

Two different finishes enhance tactile and visual sensations; the full-bodied Groove and the delicate Wax, both possibilities stylishly characterise the end result of your product. Available as standard in sheet size 3050 x 1220 x 15 and 18mm laminated on Chipboard or MDF in quantities from as little as just one board. Once laminated these finishes reduce the time devoted to installation, varnishing and finishing.

Look out for new additions to the dp-limitless Echoes of year Nature collections later in the andTrend to viewBoard more ranges within dp-limitless today. www.decorativepanels.com

Oak in Groove or Wax Effect

T: 01670 718222 E: renolit.cramlington@renolit.com www.renolit.com Titanium Oak

Panel & Joinery Production - March January/ /April February 2019 2019

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Decorative Surfaces Elements3 Solid Surface Combines Unlimited Design Options With Cost-Saving Benefits

The new Elements3 collection, available from January 2019 exclusively from IDS, is a 3mm mineral-based solid surface material that is easy to fabricate for the creation of high-end signature designs while offering significant cost-saving benefits, backed by the assurance of a ten-year warranty.

Ideal for retail interior projects, Elements3 is suitable for both horizontal and vertical applications and can be cut, shaped, moulded, thermoformed and seamlessly jointed, offering unlimited design possibilities. In addition, an existing 12mm solid surface product can be colour matched creating an identical 3mm version at a fraction of the cost.

The material can be used with standard woodworking tools to create counter tops, cash and wrap desks, displays, furniture and has a myriad of other uses with sheet sizes of up to 4100 x 1250mm available for added design flexibility.

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Coping easily with the demands of high traffic retail environments, the high-performance and low maintenance non-porous material is resistant to impact, heat, mould, bacteria and household chemicals.

Damage and minor scratches are repairable to maintain its luxury looks and the hygienic material meets EN and CEN/TS standards for food safety, so can be safely used for food counters and in restaurants and bars.

The Elements3 collection offers a choice of 15 designs including natural stone, pearlescents and organic neutral colours, offering a treasure trove of inspiration for any retail project.

Free colour sample swatches and a brochure are available.

T: 0845 603 7811 www.elements3.co.uk

pre-finished woods with a difference bonded to the substrate of choice

Part of the dp-limitless Natural Wood Veneer Collection, Alpi Veneer is a range of new generation, ready to use, pre-finished woods, created to enhance and bring out the natural character of wood by offering natural textures and aesthetic impact to a previously unprecedented degree.

Available in quantities as little as just one board.

Contact us for more information.

Century House, Premier Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland, West Yorkshire, HX5 9HF

T: +44 (0) 1484 658341 E: info@decorativepanels.co.uk www.decorativepanels.co.uk

Profile James Latham plc: An Interview with Chris Sutton PJP: Did Latham’s business start in Liverpool?

CS: Yes, it was started in Liverpool in 1757 by James Latham the first. Guinness was established in 1759 so we’re older than Guinness and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born just one year earlier in 1756 so our business began at the same time as Mozart was born!

PJP: And what prompted the move to the South of England?

Chris Sutton will be leaving James Latham plc at the end of March after over 40 years of service. Ernie Hollister caught up with him at their London showroom at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London.

PJP: How long have you been at Latham’s?

CS: I joined 5 June 1978 at 9 o’clock – it’s very true 5,6,7,8,9 and I remember it as though it were yesterday. Latham’s Wigston, as they were, were half a mile from my home so I could get up at 8.30 jump in the shower, quick shave pick up a pint of milk from the bottom of the stairs and walk to work and be in by 9 o’clock. I remember it all very well.

PJP: What was your position?

CS: I was a trainee. I had done 2 years previously with Jewsons.

PJP: Was that as a buyer?

CS: No, I just came in as a trainee. In those days Latham’s had a 2-year plan, something they still do now, you came in worked in the yard, transport department – you worked in credit control, you worked in sales. You did everything, you had full schooling and in those days we did the Institute of Wood Science in Leamington Spa. So, I’d done work with Jewsons from August ’76 to April ’78 had a month doing something else then I joined Latham’s. I’d already done some of my BMF training with Jewsons, I’d done two years there but had to start again with Latham’s as it was a different business, but it was fantastic because in those days literally you had to learn everything. It’s something we still do and I think it’s so important you have to learn about the business it certainly helped me to understand all facets of the business, and when you worked in the yard you weren’t a labourer you were learning everything about materials so you were actually looking at materials thinking ‘well this is strange’, ‘this is red’ and the construction of ply you look at and think, ‘well that’s heavy’, so when you enter the sales division you’ve got basic knowledge of products you’ve been handling and that’s a really good start. I loved it.

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CS: We started by importing Mahogany logs when Africa and South America traditionally went in to Liverpool so it was the port of entry and the family were originally from Liverpool.

But early 20th Century London was a thriving capital, so it made sense to have a location there. And the interesting thing is that from the early 20th Century to the 1970’s we just had one site and then went to four and now we have eleven plus the port facilities so you could in effect say we have thirteen sites. At the start of the 70’s the motorway system was improving and we wanted to get closer to our customers and didn’t want to be more than 60 or 70 miles away from the furthest customer, other than Scotland of course which is slightly different, but even there we wanted to aim to get to our customers by the next day.

PJP: It’s unique that you’re MD of Latham’s and also handle marketing.

CS: It is, but it’s a role I have really enjoyed. Marketing has had a big impact on our business, and we have always been very proactive marketeers. We did have a marketing department which, when the bad times came in 92/93, we closed and I then started again in 2001 with Tim Roberts PR & Marketing who is still with us today 18 years on.

PJP: At the end of the 70’s Latham’s was, I believe, still on the River Lea? CS: Yes, when I joined Latham’s in ’78 it was classed as Clapton, Lea Bridge Road and I did a lot of my training at Clapton and that was a hard apprenticeship. Although it does hold a lot of fond memories for me. They used to barge things up from Tilbury and load it on to our wharf and then into the sheds – that was a long time ago!

I remember those days well. We do have some old photographs from that period in the boardroom at our head office in Hemel Hempstead but it’s all luxury flats now!

PJP: Latham’s being a family run company and you becoming Managing Director must have been quite an honour.

CS: Yes indeed, I’ve worked with six Latham plc Chairmen starting with Michael, Christopher, David, the late Roger Latham, Peter and currently Nick Latham. They have always had a Latham as the plc Chairman and my aspiration was always to become number two in the company if I

could and I was very proud when I was given the title. All of the chairmen I have worked with have been incredibly supportive and we have enjoyed an open and honest working relationship and if there is anything I can pass on to my successor it would be the way to deal with people which I have found particularly beneficial which is to be open, treat them fairly and earn their respect.

Another thing I am proud of is that we have developed the James Latham brand and I believe it is a very strong brand and I think the people in the business have helped to create that. Part of this has been down to how the structure and framework of the business has evolved The big change came early in the 21st century when David Latham as Chairman agreed to sell the old Clapton site which enabled Roger Latham and then Peter Latham to develop the group and we went from four sites in 1999 to today’s sites in a relatively short space of time. This was the catalyst for that phase of development. We have had other acquisitions along the way and of course we’ve now got 11 sites as we’ve just bought the leading Irish timber merchant Abbey Woods.

We’ve also got some specialty divisions with Advanced Technical Panels and Latham Direct Timber, however, I think one of the biggest developments we have made in my time at James Latham is our showrooms at the Business Design Centre in London. (52 Upper Street London N1 0QH) and the Product Specification Showroom in Manchester (31a Tib Street Manchester M4 1LX). I think that is something we, as a company, and myself, as an individual, are very proud of. We have created something completely unique and something which sets us apart from our competitors. People are quite surprised when they learn that we have a permanent showroom in London and Manchester but they have been really well received, both by our customers and our suppliers who make good use of them for meetings with customers, architects, designers, and staff for training etc plus we do product presentations CPD’s, networking events etc so I think it’s impressive to see where we’ve come to from four sites in 1978 to go to national distributors that we are now with the facilities we’ve got.

We had always been seen as a traditional timber company but in fact we have always been an extremely forward thinking and progressive business. For example, in 2003 we became the exclusive UK distributor for LG HI-MACS® solid surface which has been an extremely successful range for us and since then our added-value product portfolio has developed dramatically. Amongst others, we now carry extensive collections from Kronospan, Xylocleaf, Egger, AE Core, Abet Laminati, Garnica, WISA, Avonite, Kydex, Valchromat and we have exclusive rights of the Decospan added value range of veneers. All different offerings and they all complement each other in different areas of the market.

PJP: During the tough financial times Latham’s continued to grow and to innovate, how was that achieved?

CS: In 2007/8, when we had the big crash, we were in negotiations to open three new sites at that time and we convinced the plc board that we should still go ahead with them because we’ve always believed that we had a strong business model. We knew the downturn and recession would hit us but because of our broad business offering it wouldn’t hit us as hard as other companies. We sell our products into 56 different sectors so we’re not purely into construction we’ve got lots of different areas we can sell into and the chairman of Latham’s at the time, Peter Latham, said let’s go ahead with these. We relocated our Eastleigh depot to Fareham, we opened in Scotland and relocated the Dudley depot and ten years on they are all a success, so we’ve always been mindful of market conditions. Since then we’ve invested in a new site in Leicester, a new site in Yate and we’re redeveloping Gateshead plus we’re investing over £2million in the Purfleet and Thurrock sites.

The Surface Design Show, which happens in London each February, has been very successful for us and we’ve had specifications written already from this year’s show, orders have been taken and if we hadn’t been at the show, we wouldn’t have got those orders. I’ve always believed in snakes & ladders where I think Lathams always scores eight out of ten, if you have a bad year or two and you slip down to a six, you’ve still got a decent business whereas if you start at six and slip to four, then your business is a little rocky. We tend to stay within seven or eight and as I’ve always believed in our model and always believed in our people, and as a result I think one of the things that has stood us in good stead is that we have always invested in our business.

Another reason why Latham’s is so successful is that the board trusts each other so if someone suggests or proposes something we support it – there’s never a vote there’s no need for one it’s just a case of ‘Yep, put a report together and let’s go for it’ and there is a lot going on at the moment which is all really exciting, you’ll see that Latham’s will be developing a lot in the next 12 months.

PJP: What are the biggest changes you’ve seen?

CS: Well the products are the biggest change. MDF wasn’t in the UK market when I started so when you think about how it came in to the market – I think it probably came from Portugal originally, Latham’s first took it in 1979 and people said it wouldn’t sell but now it’s a 1.2 / 1.3 million cubic metre market, you’ve got everything from standard MDF to Medite Tricoya to FR to Light Weight to High Density. I remember proudly in 1983 that we took the first board from the Medite factory so when I think back that was 36 years ago, incredible. You’ve seen the building of MDF plants in the UK, you’ve seen OSB become a major player in the construction sector in the UK. I think another big change has been the way that Melamine and Laminates have developed into the market. If you look at the innovation now in decors and the finishes and the structures, it’s incredible. Look at how MDF has replaced a lot of soft wood. Continue >>>

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Profile And the sources of supply have changed as well. When I joined the industry, West Africa was a big supplier of plywood to the UK and it was gold label, silver label, blue label, Cresta from West Africa then it was Luaun from the Philippines then Luaun from Korea and on the solid side it was Mahogany from Brazil and the Philippines and Japanese Oak. So I think the product innovation has changed dramatically. If I could go back to 1978 and visualize what a Latham yard would look like compared to what it is now, it has completely changed.

Another area where the industry has developed enormously is the handling and the equipment. The type of racking utilized today means that the height is more important than the square footage – there have been massive changes in the handling of timber products.

I look back and I will be leaving Latham’s with great pride on what we have achieved. If somebody had told me at 17 when I left school that I would end up working for James Latham for 40 years and I would have the career I’ve had and the opportunity to travel the world and meet the people I’ve met and see the innovation I’ve witnessed and the changes I’ve seen well, I wouldn’t change it and its been a privilege. I think if I’d worked for somebody else, perhaps I wouldn’t have stayed so long, and I might have ended up drifting from one company to another.

James Latham used to be synonymous with old-fashioned, traditional, expensive maybe and possibly a bit complacent but now we are seen as forward thinking and innovative and that’s a massive change. I’m not being disrespectful to the old employees and directors as they know that’s how we were perceived, but my job was to change that and with a lot of hard work with a lot of support from the people around me we’ve done that.

PJP: What will you miss about going to work on a daily basis?

CS: One of the things you realise when you work for Latham’s is that it is quite a special company because the ethics, the morals, the stand point we take on a number of issues are really strong and that crosses over into your personal life. But it’s mainly the interaction with the people that I will miss. I’ve had tears already as I’ve been going around saying goodbye to people that I may never see again which is really sad. There are two people in the business that I’ve worked with for almost all of the 40 years have been here, and we’ve had a few very emotional conversations reminiscing about starting work together, working as trainees and so on.

The cut and trust of being involved in a deal I shall miss that – whether it’s buying a company or negotiating with a customer or bringing a new member of staff on board or a new product I will miss all of that but most of all it’s the people I’ll miss, I absolutely love the people.

PJP: What are your plans for the future? Not withstanding cricket of course!

CS: Yes, I am mad on cricket! I plan to spend more time in my place in Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. I’m reading a book at the moment about forest bathing which is about the

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wellbeing you feel when being in a forest and I know how I feel when I go to the pine wood near the sea and I need more time in the forest. I’m going to be an ambassador for the National Forest, which I’m really proud of. 12 years ago we got involved with the National Forest and it’s been absolutely fantastic and we have a brilliant relationship with them. We sponsor the National Forest but we’re not just someone who gives them a bit of money, we do actually get involved with them so I’m going to do a bit of work with them. I’m also going to do a bit of consultancy I can’t just drift into retirement. I’ve got two or three people I’m going to be working with that aren’t in the timber industry but I’ve met through the trade, I’m going to be working with a startup business to do with an innovation of paper production as well as an American company whose operations in Europe need a bit of help developing some strategic business plans which is the thing I really enjoy looking at, so I’m probably going to be working two or three days a week for a period of time. I’ll also be doing some consultancy for Latham’s, but I’ve told Nick Latham that if there’s a project they’d like me to be involved with then of course I’ll do it. I won’t be completely lost to the timber industry, but I look forward to having a bit more family and social time.

PJP: I’m guessing you won’t miss the long distance travel and being away from home?

CS: Long distance travel will reduce, but I will still be travelling quite often as the consultancy I’m doing will involve European travel although the areas I will be travelling to mean that I can jump on Eurostar and my wife can come with me now. Over the years she has been hugely supportive and I’ve been very lucky to have that support. The long hours have meant a lot of sacrifices, but I’ve managed a good work life balance and have a great relationship with my two children. I feel now that I want a little more time for me to do more of the things I enjoy, and more often. Maybe watching a bit more cricket, spending more time in Norfolk and I don’t want the alarm going off at 5.30am every morning! I will definitely not miss the 7-day a week working which has been an inevitable part of the job that I do. The travel has been amazing (although getting to China or Indonesia has been sometimes testing) but once you get there the experience makes it worthwhile.

It’s been fun Ernie.

PJP: Thanks very much Chris and we wish you every success in the future.

Profile Torwood Scouts Thanks Norbord For Brand New Flooring A group of Falkirk Scouts has thanked Norbord’s team at the Cowie plant for helping youngsters take to the floor for even more community activities.

The 2nd Torwood Scout Group, based at the hall near Glenbervie golf course near Stirling, called upon Norbord to help with a flooring issue.

Gordon said: “The hall is our base but it’s also used by people throughout the whole community, so due to natural wear and tear, the old hall floor was in need of repair.

“With the flooring donation, Norbord has helped bring the hall in line with modern standards and has set us up happily for many years to come.

The group unveiled a new section of the hall in 2014 but, as the hall is used so much by the Scouts and groups from surrounding communities, the flooring in the old hall had fallen into disrepair and needed to be replaced.

Nick Fedo, general manager at the Norbord plant in Cowie, said: “As a business at the heart of the Cowie community, it’s important that we support local groups and organisations wherever we can.”

As Norbord provided the flooring for the new part of the hall back in 2014, Gordon Laing, chairman of the group’s executive committee, approached the business to ask for another favour. The company donated CaberFloor P5 flooring to cover a total of 720 sq ft to replace the old hall floor. Norbord flooring now covers a total of 2275 sq ft of the floor space in both halls.

T: 01786 812 921 www.norbord.co.uk

Nick Fedo, General Manager of Norbord’s Cowie plant with Gordon Laing, Chairman of Torwood Scout Group’s executive committee.

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Finishing Dresser Adds Precision Dresser Mouldings, one of the UK’s largest bespoke timber manufacturers specialising in quality, bespoke timber mouldings, is now offering Sansin Precision Coat factory finishes.

Sansin’s Precision Coat products have been developed to meet the demand for coatings that balance wood protection and performance along with stunning colour and aesthetics.

Backed by over 30 years of proven experience protecting large commercial, residential and mass timber wood buildings and structures, Sansin’s factory finishes deliver high performance and durability in low-VOC, water-borne formulas for modified, engineered and specialty woods.

Bill Gunn, Managing Director of Dresser Mouldings commented, “This is a great fit for us and one which will add real value to our customers. Here at Dresser Mouldings we pride ourselves in having the largest selection of bespoke manufacturing for exterior timber substrates, backed by state-of-the-art technology, machinery and expertise. The addition of Sansin’s Precision Coat factory finishes combines both the beauty and protection of a class-leading product with the commitment to quality manufacturing and attention to detail for which Dresser Mouldings is known.”

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Offered in a variety of stunning colours, Sansin’s Precision Coat factory finishes include; Precision Coat SDF for wood siding, cladding and decking; Precision Coat Foundation, a penetrating base coat that offers up to six months protection against weathering and UV during construction; Precision Coat ENS, a self-priming and tough, durable satin two-coat finish that can be applied to virtually any surface – from millwork to cladding and decks; and Precision Coat WoodForce, a durable, water repellent wood treatment for exterior wood surfaces designed to achieve a natural weathered look, while ensuring dimensional stability by reducing moisture absorption up to 74% during wetting periods.

T: 01706 658900 www.dressermouldings.com

WOODWORKING MACHINERY Introducing the NEW ATACAM CNC Routers

This new range of affordable CNC Routers from ATA Engineering offers the same high quality build that you come to expect from a company that has been supplying CNC’s for over 20 years, along with support and technical back up.

Standard sizes: 8 x 4, 10 x 5, 3m x 2m (Special sizes available on request) Standard Features: HSD HSK Spindles, Rotary ATC, Location Pins, Tool Digitizer.

3 and 4 Axis machines in stock.

Call for more information or a demonstration, or visit www.atacam.co.uk

Castle Pocket Routers from ATA Engineering

TSM22 Pocket Router The most popular Pocket Router in the Castle range has been re-designed with a new lift up table top to provide the following features: • Easier and quicker access when replacing the router cutter, drill and other parts during routine servicing and repair.

• Additional safety feature which automatically disconnects the electrical supply to the Bosch motors.

This long established and widely used model continues to provide the quickest and strongest method for kitchen and bedroom carcass manufacture, retail display stands and other interior fitting applications.

Router Cutters A comprehensive range of routing cutters in HSS, Carbide tipped and solid carbide to suit a wide variety of applications in aerospace, woodworking, plastics and composites. Enquiries welcomed for special cutters.

Extensive Stock ATA Engineering carry an extensive stock of cutters, tool holders and collets, all for next day delivery.

ATA Engineering Processes Ltd ATA House, Unit B, Boundary Way, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP2 7SS t: 01442 264411 e: sales@ataeng.com www.ataeng.com

VISIT US | 27th - 30 May

Software Phased by Complexity and Deadlines? Not With Cabinet Vision and Alphacam A joinery company wasn’t phased when an order required in three weeks’ time was suddenly doubled.

“We’d recently commissioned a new Anderson Spectra 510 and invested in Cabinet Vision,” says Sam Haxby, a partner at the business started by his grandfather more than 50 years ago. “We were confident we’d get the order out by designing everything in Cabinet Vision, and using its powerful Screen-To-Machine Centre to send NC code to the machine tool.”

The job was completed and despatched within the deadline, and he says it’s likely that the software paid for itself with that task alone. “We couldn’t have got it out without Cabinet Vision. The benefits of the package were immediate, and, along with our other CAD/CAM software, Alphacam, it makes a major contribution to our bottom line.”

BA Haxby (Barnsley) Ltd focuses on bespoke shopfitting contracts, and some heritage work such as sliding sash windows. Alphacam Advanced Router had a major impact on a heritage job – reducing work that would otherwise have taken them around 50 hours, down to just 16 hours. “The client needed a fanlight frame above a door. We originally planned to produce each curved and straight bar individually, but Alphacam made it easy to machine it in one piece.”

Cabinet Vision is used mainly for designing and manufacturing components for their bespoke restaurant and shop products, such as cupboards and

laminated shelves, many of which, he says, can be completed in an hour.

Waiter-points – where cutlery and serviettes are stored – are the mainstay of their restaurant work, and Sam Haxby says every component for them goes through Cabinet Vision. “As soon as we know we need to produce any type of cabinet or cupboard we turn to Cabinet Vision. It’s vital that all the parts coming off our CNC machine tools assemble together with no issue. If we get the designs, stops and tool diameters right when we input everything, we know that everything created in Cabinet Vision will be faithfully reproduced on the CNC machine. It easily shaves a full day off the time taken to produce one waiter-point.”

While Cabinet Vision’s powerful Screen-To-Machine module mainly drives the Anderson for nesting – with Alphacam programming their older Busellato to cut timber – both software packages can drive either machine, which he says is vital to manage their variety of work in an effective and cost-effective way.

Before installing Cabinet Vision, Sam Haxby provided drawings to the shop floor, and they produced cutting lists from them. “In the early days of Cabinet Vision it quickly became obvious how nesting would transform our business, even though we didn’t have the flat bed machine and were nesting on the Busellato. That wasn’t ideal, as we were having to nest on the pods, and there wasn’t enough suction to pull the sheet through. So we had to nest it, take it off, trim it, and put it back on to finish the cutting. And while that was better than before, when we got the Spectra the difference was more noticeable.”

It also means they have been able to take on work they couldn’t have done before. For example, he cites a case where a customer contacted him with an order for delivery that same day. “They needed two 600 mm square bar cupboards that were a metre in height. That would have been impossible with just a dimension saw, even if we’d had an employee free to work on it immediately, as each would have taken around six hours. With Cabinet Vision both were done during the morning.”

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Software day to set them all out, as I was quite slow then…we’d only just commissioned the Anderson Spectra, and hadn’t used Cabinet Vision much. But when we came to create the NC code with Screen-To-Machine, the nesting process literally took about a minute. That was on the Friday – we got the 60 sheets of MDF that we needed on the Monday and every component was fully machined by the following Friday, just working one shift. And that included slotting in a couple of smaller, urgent, jobs.

And Alphacam makes complex ceiling rafts child’s play.

“We had a job at a restaurant at Heathrow Airport, featuring 12 different circles, where the drawings came in as a PDF. I’d normally expect a dxf or dwg file, but in this case I drew a series of radiuses from scratch in Alphacam and joined the geometries together. I drew each circle to the correct radius and offset it.

Then I just needed to ensure the outside radius fitted the sheets we were using. It took a couple of hours to come up with 12 different pieces that were a repeating pattern…Alphacam makes it so easy to break each raft down into individual components and then edit those components to the required size.”

Once the toolpaths were created, he says nesting the rafts took around 30 seconds on nine 8’ x 4’ and six 5’ x 5’ sheets, followed by tool selection.

“Everything was saved onto one program, which took the operator around a day to run.”

He also says Alphacam meant they could work on another ceiling raft where the original contractor did not have the technology to do it. “There was a shallow groove between each panel, and detailed curves around the corners. Also, one 4’ x 4’ panel contained a complex series of 1,350 holes. No problem with Alphacam.”

“There’s no way we could have done that without Cabinet Vision. It showed us how important the software was going to be to our business, right from the start. Cabinet Vision, Screen-To-Machine and Alphacam are vital and integral elements of our process now. They increase our capacity by getting products out of the door much quicker, and make a major contribution to our bottom line.”

BA Haxby: https://www.bahaxby.co.uk/ Cabinet Vision: http://www.cabinetvision.com/ Alphacam: http://www.alphacam.com/

In conclusion, Sam Haxby recalls that early job with Cabinet Vision, where the number of display cabinets for a wine shop was suddenly doubled.

“We’d priced it at £25,000 and everything was ready…but when the drawings came in, it was for £50,000 worth of work.”

He says four different types of Oak lipped, polished, cabinets were required, either as singles or repeated into doubles. “It took me a Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

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BY THE NUMBERS

45,000+ ACTIVE USERS WORLDWIDE

According to the latest CMA Benchmark Study, more woodworkers choose our products than any other software system. In fact, it’s not even close.

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HOW LONG WE’VE BEEN DEVELOPING SOFTWARE

97%

SATISFACTION WITH OUR SUPPORT

We’ve learned a thing or two since we started offering software for woodworkers in 1983.

Whether via phone, email, support portal, or our online forums, our technicians are here to help.

117,950,504 DATA ITEMS TESTED EVERY WEEK

We run our software through test after rigorous test to ensure that we only release the most stable products to our customers.

85 / 11 COUNTRIES/LANGUAGES

Our software can be found all over the world and it’s available in 11 languages.

HexagonMI.com

We may have only a couple of days to do an impossible job, but ALPHACAM makes it possible.

Jason Szukalski Director – Anarchy Ltd

Without CABINET VISION, we’d probably need three additional members of staff to achieve what we do.

Ruth Lovelock Hetherington Newman

ALPHACAM & CABINET VISION THE WORLD’S #1 SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS FOR THE WOODWORKING INDUSTRY ALPHACAM & CABINET VISION offer the complete engineering solution for the woodworking industry. Our strength is in providing innovative solutions that can grow with your company.

ALPHACAM provides unparalleled ease of use, process automation, and sophisticated toolpath generation, seamlessly integrating both 2D and multi-axis cutting strategies which can be applied to any type of component.

CABINET VISION is capable of custom cabinet and room design, photo realistic rendering, material optimisation, bidding and costing, cutlists and bill of materials.

Combined with the powerful Screen to Machine Center, it can automatically create machine ready G-Code for your CNC machinery.

Alphacam.com | CabinetVision.com

Software 2020 Insight Launches The Next Generation Of Its Enterprise Manufacturing Solution For The Furniture Manufacturing Industry The new release of 2020 Insight by the OsnabrĂźckbased software company 2020 contains extensive improvements as well as a multitude of new functions. This new release incorporates improvements and new functionality that have been requested from a wide range of furniture manufacturers to meet their specific business requirements.

2020 Insight version 11 continues the evolution of 2020’s end-to-end solution by adding a Service

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Management module that supports a journey from design, manufacturing, delivery and now through the complete install. The new module helps the manufacturer focus on customer-driven manufacturing, enabling complete monitoring and supervision over the personnel, equipment and requirements of all installations, with the added ability to initiate work orders in the field.

In addition, 2020 Insight version 11 includes a new, cleaner and more intuitive user experience and extends its reach beyond the plant by launching a

Software suite of mobility applications for Business Intelligence, Field Sales and Field Service. Maximizing inventory throughput, increasing productivity and improving accuracy are key goals for manufacturing operations and the new mobile applications will dramatically reduce unplanned downtime and enhance worker productivity.

“A flexible and dynamic enterprise manufacturing solution is fundamental to the success of every furniture manufacturers’ strategy. Leveraging 2020’s deep domain expertise, we are excited to release the

latest version of our software to help our customers accelerate their own customer satisfaction and digital transformation initiatives,” said Diane Burgess, Product Manager, 2020 Insight. “2020’s expanded suite of fully integrated modules works together to connect processes and create a seamless flow of information from sales order to installation and provide greater access to real-time data that empowers customers to reach new heights in efficiency and productivity.”

T: 0049 541 3550 140 www.2020spaces.com

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Software ALPHACAM Update Allows Kitchen Door Manufacture to make Significant savings In A Year O & S Doors Says ALPHACAM Is Vital For Automation And Efficiencies A company manufacturing around 65,000 doors a week for kitchen cabinets says its future lies with robotics, automation and increased efficiencies.

Based at Dungannon in Northern Ireland, O & S Doors uses ALPHACAM CAD/CAM software to drive 17 Biesse CNC Routers, four Reichenbachers and one Homag.

The Biesses, including two 5-axis machines, and the Homag, are all programmed for full production runs, with the Reichenbachers largely used for bulk production.

The company’s range includes cabinet doors and drawer fronts made principally from an MDF core with PVC or acrylic fascias, along with some solid wood doors.

While recent updates to ALPHACAM’s powerful nesting function have substantially improved their material yield, O & S Doors’ Projects Manager Paul McCullagh says the software’s 5-axis capability is also an important part of the equation. “Our 5 axis machines give us the capability to produce the widest and most flexible range of curved doors made to order in the UK and Irish markets. Virtually every design we offer can be recreated in a curved format along with matching accessories. The use of the ALPHACAM software is invaluable in this regard.”

ALPHACAM’s new nesting engine improves material yield by between six and eight per cent on each sheet, which he says equates to a lorry-load of board every week. “This is contributing towards offsetting increased raw material costs.”

“Increasing efficiencies in this way allows us to continue investing in other automation projects within the factory, and ultimately adds to the company’s bottom line.”

It’s automation that Paul sees as being the way forward. O&S already have a robotic arm for loading boards at the start of the process where the acrylic

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front is laminated onto the MDF core. In addition, two ALPHACAM modules – AUTOMATION MANAGER and CDM (Cabinet Door Manufacture) -- work in conjunction to automate bulk programming.

Once the team have imported an Excel file of all the doors of mixed sizes for a production run, the software produces NC code for any machine on the shop floor. ALPHACAM Area Manager David McIntyre says: “Irrespective of how many doors they’re working on, AUTOMATION MANAGER takes the list and creates the code for all the door sizes. It means O & S Doors don’t have to carry out individual part programming.

So whether they’re working on 50, 150, or 500 doors, the whole batch is fully programmed in the same time it would take to program just one door.

“Nowadays, a conventional OEM CAM system processes each file individually, but it won’t write 50 or 500 programs in just a couple of minutes.

ALPHACAM’s AUTOMATION MANAGER means 2D and 3D CAD files, along with solid models from third party software, can be batch processed, from file preparation right through to applying toolpaths, with the NC code automatically generated.”

ALPHACAM have also worked with O & S Doors on several bespoke operations to improve efficiency further, including the ability to show accurate timings for producing every sheet. Paul McCullagh says: “We found we had a number of jobs waiting to be processed on the factory floor, but no way of knowing how long they’d take…a full sheet could take between ten minutes and an hour.”

Software An ALPHACAM engineer spent two days working with them to set up a time management project for the routers, by making bespoke amendments to the software and postprocessor, and liaising with a company that produced a web interface to monitor production on the factory floor. “We’ve now got a module to show the time each router spends on cutting each sheet. This has led to several improvements as we can now easily monitor the efficiency of every router to ensure we’re getting the absolute best we can from each one.”

Operating from a 400,000 square foot factory with around 350 employees, O & S Doors say their Sage Line 500 ERP system has been adapted to integrate with ALPHACAM. “Once the orders are keyed in, we take a CSV file across to ALPHACAM’s Cabinet Door Manufacture module, which produces our nested sheets.

“On a project basis, we design our doors in ALPHACAM and send samples to the customer. Once they’re approved, the production run is nested, and the

nested sheets go to the factory floor, while the stores bring the board to the routers ready for machining.

ALPHACAM creates the NC code and reports, along with labels which are then applied to the back of the doors.”

Another ALPHACAM benefit is that it allows the parts to be fully rotated on the nest…or if specific grain direction is required, it locks the axis, so the boards all face the same way.

Concluding, Paul says while automation already plays a key role in their manufacturing process, they are continually seeking to drive further efficiencies with fewer clicks and less manual input. “Around 90 per cent of our products go through ALPHACAM, and most orders have a three-day lead time, which includes a full day from order entry, through the nesting operation, to the shop floor for machining. “We’re currently looking at ways of how ALPHACAM can help us reduce that to just three hours.” www.alphacam.com

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Case Study Sylmar Technology Selects HOMAG SANDTEQ W-300 Wide Belt Sander When Alfreton based Sylmar Technology came to replace its aging wide belt sander, the £14.5 million turnover company left no stone unturned in its search to find the very best machine for its requirements. The evaluation process included all the leading brands in the sander market and Sylmar ran lots of tests on the machines to see how they performed.

Sylmar’s managing director, Peter Holt, takes up the story: “For us, a quality sanding machine is a vital part of our production process. We sand a large volume of solid surface sheet material and both the finish quality and speed of manufacturing are critically important to the success of our business.

“Consequently, when it came to sourcing a replacement wide belt sander we wanted to take our time and ensure that we found the very best solution for our operation. In the end, the decision to invest in a HOMAG SANDTEQ W-300 was unanimous. It’s the first time we’ve bought machinery from HOMAG, but from the word go their professionalism, knowledge and positive attitude won us over.”

HOMAG SANDTEQ W-300: a first class solution “The machine itself is first class. Of all the brands we tested it clearly outperformed the competition.

The W-300 is a superbly engineered machine, as you would expect from a German manufacturer. The finish quality we achieve with this machine is far better than anything else we tested.

“From the first time we saw the machine at LIGNA, to sending product for testing in Germany and visiting the manufacturing plant out there, HOMAG couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating. Their expert engineers worked closely with us to agree the specification that would give us the precise performance we needed. We settled on a cross belt Q-Head, a wide belt H-Head and an additional cross belt Q-Head for premier finishing.

“When everything was agreed, they also sorted out a three year finance deal through the company’s own HOMAG Finance division; it made life very easy for

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us. Not surprisingly, given its high performance and engineering standards, the SANDTEQ W-300 wasn’t the cheapest solution. Delivery time was also a little longer than some of the other manufacturers; the wait and additional cost, however, have been well worth it.

“As you’d expect from the Germans, the installation went like clockwork. The machine was installed and commissioned within three days and the HOMAG engineer then spent another three days providing comprehensive training for our operatives.”

The SANDTEQ W-300 wide-belt sander The W-300 series offers an all-round solution for small and medium-sized carpentry and joinery companies.

It is ideal for calibration, high gloss, veneer and paint sanding. With seven sanding units to choose from, you can specify a configuration of up to three heads to suit your precise needs.

The SANDTEQ W-300 offers a 1350 mm working width and boasts a heavy, stable machine frame designed to provide exceptional smoothness and torsional resistance. The sander is controlled using HOMAG’s powerTouch operating panel which features a 21” HD multi-touch display screen.

The right heads for your tasks Depending on the focus of the application and the volumes to be processed, machines can be specified with one to three heads. If you need to machine large quantities of solid wood and calibrate to full width with high removal rates then the R-Head with a

Case Study profiled steel roller is ideal.

The cross belt Q-Head ensures smooth, very highquality surfaces with the cut direction rotated by 90 degrees. It is ideal for high-gloss paint finishes up to grain P2500. And finally, the X-Head is a multifunctional single-head all-rounder ideal for calibration sanding (P80 - 120), fine sanding (P120 - 320) and paint sanding (P320 – 1200).

pressure beam system delivers a guaranteed quality finish.

If versatility is more important than high volumes, and you need calibration and fine sanding, then the universal 2-in-1 L-Head is right solution. For the added security of the segmented pressure beam at lower volumes, the C-Head will calibrate and fine sand.

To obtain a premier quality finish for veneer, paint and filler sanding the H-Head will provide the utmost in surface quality. For intermediate sanding of veneers, varnish and fine wood sanding, the E-Head prepares surfaces for an H-Head.

“What’s more, the machine looks the part and that’s very important for creating the right impression when potential customers visit our manufacturing facility.

As they say, you never get a second chance to create a first impression – the HOMAG machine takes care of that beautifully.”

For high accuracy finish sanding, the eps® system developed by HOMAG has individual segments (25 mm wide) which automatically adjust themselves to uneven sections in the workpiece within a tolerance range of 2 mm (max.) to ensure that each part of the workpiece always receives the correct sanding pressure.

For increased accuracy, the mps® segmented pad system uses a super sensitive 12.5 mm grid for workpiece detection; this very fine detection, coupled with HOMAG’s rapid and frictionless magnetic

Manufacturing results Peter Holt again, “Since we’ve had the SANDTEQ W-300 we’ve seen not only a very significant improvement in finish quality, but also a faster throughput of work in the factory.

HOMAG – professionals through and through “Throughout our dealings with HOMAG, they’ve continued to impress us with their open, honest and transparent approach. They are true professionals whose knowledge and experience is a fantastic benefit when it comes to specifying the right machine for a task.

“It is not, therefore, surprising that we have put our faith in HOMAG again and are now investing in a second wide belt sander from them. Being German engineered and manufactured we know it is going to be technically advanced, reliable and above all else it will deliver a premium quality finish,” concludes Peter Holt.

If you’d like a demonstration or more information about HOMAG wide belt sanders please contact Adele Hunt at HOMAG UK T: 01332 856424 www.homag.com

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Power Tools Precision Made Possible: Introducing Festool’s New Cordless Oscillator Festool is expanding its range of cordless tools by adding the new Vecturo OSC 18 cordless oscillator for fitting and assembly work.

The Vecturo OSC 18 includes the innovative StarlockMax tool holder, enabling the user to quickly and conveniently change the tool blade, without the need for additional equipment.

Intelligent system accessories allow for dust-free work, precise cut-outs on the scribe mark and precisely guided plunge cuts. In addition, the powerful, brushless EC-TEC motor and the large oscillation angle of 2°/2° achieves optimum working progress. Thanks to the clever design and the vibration isolation, the Vecturo OSC 18 makes ergonomic work possible.

Maximum flexibility in your everyday work thanks to StarlockMax.The new Vecturo OSC 18 is equipped with the innovative StarlockMax tool holder system, which enables the user to change the required saw blade easily and in just a few seconds. The patented Starlock tool-holder system covers three performance classes: Starlock, StarlockPlus and StarlockMax. As the new Vecturo cordless oscillator comes with the StarlockMax tool holder, it falls under the performance class designed for heavy-duty applications.

Particularly practical for everyday use, StarlockMax can accommodate accessories from all of the Starlock performance classes. The new Vecturo therefore shows itself to be extremely flexible to use.

Intelligent system accessories The versatile system accessories for the new cordless oscillator mean that this newcomer is the perfect allrounder, and enables the user to work in a way that is healthy, comfortable and, at the same time, precise. With

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the new dust extraction device, users can also start sawing without generating dust – this improves safety and provides a clear view of the work area. The new positioning aid for precisely guided plunge cuts allows for accurate positioning on the marking, and simple orientation on the guide rail.

The positioning aid is also equipped with a depth stop, for precisely setting the plunge depth. These system accessories can be fitted onto the adapter easily and without the need for additional equipment – depending on requirements.

Maximum power The new Vecturo is especially suitable for heavy-duty applications. Thanks to the anti-vibration system, the housing and motor are completely decoupled. This reduction in vibrations and running noises leads to optimum comfort while working. The powerful, brushless EC-TEC motor with variable speed control allows for a large oscillation angle of 2° to the left and 2° to the right, and therefore achieves optimum working progress. In combination with the powerful and durable 18 V Li-ion compact battery pack, the cordless oscillator achieves maximum freedom of movement without any cables – even for heavy-duty applications.

The new Vecturo OSC 18 cordless oscillator will be available at specialist retailers from April 2019. Festool also offers full investment security for their new Vecturo OSC 18 thanks to Festool Service. The free-of-charge service package guarantees direct, practical and comprehensive service for the tool throughout its entire service life.

For further information about the OSC 18: www.festool.co.uk.

CNC Machinery for Nesting Drilling & Shaping Joinery Door Production

Everything you need for... ◼ Kitchens

◼ Furniture

◼ Bedrooms

◼ Shopfitting

J&C O'Meara Ltd. 01704 893 109 www.ukwoodworkingmachinery.co.uk Unit 4, Falcon Place, Burscough, Lancashire, L40 8RT

Dust Extraction DCS Filter For Top Shopfitter Dust Control Systems Ltd (DCS) has installed a complete dust extraction system, including external filter unit and energy-saving Ecogate® system, for Lincolnshire fit-out specialist NH Shopfitting & Interiors.

Located on the edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, officially an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, NH Shopfitting & Interiors provides a tailored service to clients across the retail, commercial and leisure sectors, but the company has become recognised for its specialist work in the fit-out of petrol forecourt shop interiors, food outlets and washrooms.

Established over 20 years ago by MD Nicholas Hunt, the company has enjoyed exceptional growth over recent years, and has partnered with key site operators to meet the growing demand for customerfocused convenience and food service outlets at UK filling stations.

Joinery manufacture is at the heart of the company’s activities, and the growth in sales has necessitated investment in both machinery and premises.

NH Shopfitting now operates from a 4,000m2 site, with workshops and offices, a generous parking and

DCS Ltd installed an NFSZ3000 2H JLR rotary valve unit with 18,345m³/hr air volume capacity

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A section of the joinery production area at NH Shopfitting & Interiors loading area, and a joinery production space that has increased by 50% since the business moved here in 2014.

Ray Townley, Area Sales Manager for DCS, visited the site to discuss NH Shopfitting’s growing dust extraction requirements with Project Manager Stephen Jordan and, as Ray explains: “Dust extraction was previously provided by several stand-alone bag filter units located adjacent to production machinery but, as the production area expanded and new machines were installed, the ageing bag units had finally reached their limitations.” The system design for NH Shopfitting was going to be relatively straightforward; the old bag units would be scrapped and replaced with a high-efficiency, externally-sited and ATEX-approved filter unit with a 30kW direct drive extraction fan, new FastClip ductwork system routed to all the machines and, as recommended by the ATEX regulations, a CARZ back-pressure isolation valve which, in the event of an explosion in the filter unit, prevents the effects of a pressure wave and flames travelling from the filter, back along ductwork, and into the factory.

NH Shopfitting operates a typical range of highpowered machinery including a number of saws, an edgebander, a heavy-duty wide belt sander, and a high-speed HOLZ-HER CNC machine. However, and again typical of fit-out joinery manufacturing, constantly varying production demands dictate that all the machines are never in operation at the same time. “Having surveyed the premises and reviewed the extraction requirements with Stephen, this installation appeared to be a shoo-in for the inclusion of an Ecogate® controller and automatic dampers,” says Ray Townley, “so I agreed with Stephen that I would visit again with Ian Rayner, Ecogate’s Sales Manager.”

As anticipated, Ian Rayner was able to demonstrate that incorporating Ecogate technology into the system would significantly reduce the amount of electricity

Dust Extraction effective system that we can virtually forget about; we’ll be making savings on electricity costs for years to come and in winter we can heat the factory with clean, warm air from the filter unit.”

Ecogate® PowerMASTER variable speed drive unit and greenBOX12 controller

T: 0800 040 7116 www.DCSlimited.co.uk

consumed by the extraction fan; effectively halving the extraction system running costs. Ian Rayner’s calculations showed that including Ecogate in the system would generate sufficient savings to recover the additional capital expenditure in less than 3 years and, in addition, installing the Ecogate system negated the need to include Star-Delta starters; reducing the base cost of the extraction system.

“Installing Ecogate® technology optimises fan speed, in real-time, to exactly match extraction demand”, says Ian Rayner. “At NH Shopfitting, the maximum air volume capacity requirement is almost 15% less than the total air volume would be with the fan extracting continuously from all machines – as it would be without Ecogate – and the average volume requirement is reduced by a minimum of 22%.”

DCS installed an NFSZ3000 2HJLR rotary valve filter, with patented antistatic Superbag filter media, and a reverse air regeneration fan provides efficient filter cleaning. Side access doors, reached via an elevated gangway, allow access to the filter media for inspection and maintenance, and the waste dust is delivered pressure-free from the filter unit, via rotary valve, into a covered skip. “We were impressed by the professional service DCS provided from start to finish”, says Stephen Jordan. “We’ve now got an efficient, cost-

Clean warm air is returned to the factory in winter and maintenance access is from elevated gangway

30kW main fan and CARZ valve, with waste dust delivered pressure-free via rotary valve

Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

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Dust Extraction Say Hello To Alko performance when used as a decentralised unit to boost an already existing stationary extraction system.

Models may be compact in size - its smallest measuring just 1,178 x 650 x 1,973mm - but each unit includes a whole host of design and technical features created with impressive performance, low energy consumption and simple handling in mind.

The Power Unit range’s innovative design centralises around a large air surge tank that incorporates AL-KO’s revolutionary ALKO Opti Jet®, a unique, high-performance filter system that offers optimum filter cleaning whist using the least amount of compressed air possible. GS and H2 marked, each unit also includes energyefficient motors (tested to IE2 standard) and guarantees 100% air recirculation without loss of temperature (residual dust < 0.1 mg/ m3). An integrated pre-separator, extendible control system and sound-insulated air recirculation (for optimum noise emission values) are incorporated into the design, with larger models also featuring a lowmaintenance automatic fire extinguishing system with manual and automatic operation and a PLC control as standard.

Filter bags made from antistatic polyester needle felt material (BGIA-tested for dust class M) with snap ring locks and an ergonomically shaped clamping lever for simple container locking complete the all encompassing design, which is delivered ready for connection.

Are you looking for a dust extraction solution that offers German build quality, powerful filtration and fuss-free installation?

If the answer is yes, then AL-KO’s mobile ‘Pure Air’ dust extraction systems could be the ideal solution for you.

Distributed exclusively in the UK by dust extraction and woodworking machinery specialist, TM Machinery, AL-KO’s Power Unit range, which comprises of eight standard Pure Air models ranging in size, filter type and extraction capacities, has been designed to extract dust from multiple woodworking machines simultaneously. They are also offer excellent

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Additional products in the range include an AL-KO briquette press and rotary valve, jet stream vacuums, AST 1.0 Basic sanding table and a range of accessories including automatic machine start detection, shut off gates with automatic activation and demand driven control via frequency converters.

For more information on the complete AL-KO dust extraction range offered by TM Machinery Sales Ltd: T: 0116 271 7155. www.tmmachinery.co.uk

Woodwaste Timber Frame Specialist Benefits From Investment In Wood Waste Heater A business that designs and builds timber frame buildings has purchased a new wood waste heater from Wood Waste Technology to save money on waste disposal bills and heating costs.

Adam says: “This was definitely the right route for our business. It’s a good investment that will save us money whilst providing a more comfortable working environment for our staff.”

White Haus is one of the UK’s leading providers of timber frame homes and modular buildings. Established in 2004, the company operates from its 650 sq metre workshop based on the Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire border.

Kurt Cockroft says: “A wood waste heater is most definitely a cost effective and productive solution for companies that generate a large amount of waste wood, and the investment can pay back within less than 12 months.”

Managing Director of White Haus, Adam White started to look at ways to reduce the amount of money spent on waste disposal whilst also finding a solution to the problem of the freezing cold workshop in the winter months.

Wood Waste Technology’s years of expertise in wood waste solutions have helped many companies reduce their waste disposal and heating costs. As well as offering site survey, design, manufacture, installation and on-going maintenance for new units, the company also services all types of wood waste heaters and supplies genuine spares up to 60% cheaper than other suppliers.

Someone suggested he looked into the benefits of investing in a wood waste heater and referred him to Wood Waste Technology. Following more information and a site survey, Adam ordered a WT15 which was installed earlier this year

by Wood Waste Technology’s experienced engineers.

Adam says: “Our workshop was freezing cold in winter and we were spending around £1800 a month on skip hire to dispose of waste wood, so a wood waste heater seemed an obvious investment to efficiently dispose of our waste wood whilst generating free heating for our 30 employees.”

The company also purchased an add-on heat-dump-system to provide the flexibility to send the heat to the atmosphere rather than into the factory in the warmer months.

In addition, Wood Waste Technology is the UK official distributor for Gross Apparatebau GmbH, a German manufacturer of dependable, precision engineered shredders and briquetters, available in various size and specifications to suit all business applications.

T: 01785 250400 www.woodwastetechnology.com www.grossuk.co.uk

The WT15 woodwaste heater installed at White Haus

Panel & Joinery Production - March / April 2019

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The modular filter unit installed by DCS Ltd has an air volume capacity of 18,150m3/hr and collected softwood shavings are transferred to a 30m3 storage silo.

DCS Saves Sampson’s Shavings Following the company’s recent relocation to larger premises, Sampson Products Ltd, a West Yorkshire-based timber processing and furniture component manufacturer, has benefitted from the extraction expertise that Dust Control Systems Ltd (DCS) consistently delivers to the UK woodworking industry.

As the company’s managing director, Simon Banks, explains: “Sampson Products was previously occupying part of an old two-storey mill, but the space was not ideally-suited to the needs of our expanding manufacturing output.” In spring last year, however, an opportunity arose to move the business to a more appropriate large open mill building just 2 minutes down the road, mostly on one level, but with ramps allowing fork truck access to all areas. “The layout of the old factory meant that all dust and woodwaste extraction was provided by a number of independent open-bag filter units, but the relocation presented us with the chance to investigate alternative extraction equipment and, specifically, the possibilities and benefits of implementing an integrated system.”

“We invited a few companies to evaluate our extraction requirements at the new premises, but Dust Control Systems were selected to undertake the project based on their comprehensive appraisal of our needs; they took an interest in our company and fully appreciated the challenges of our manufacturing process – including identifying and accommodating potential future changes.”

Ray Townley, Area Sales Manager at DCS, continues: “The bulk of the wood waste produced at Sampson

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Products comes from two Weinig Unimat planer moulders; typically generating around 3 to 4 tonnes of clean Scandinavian softwood shavings every day.

Rather than paying for disposal, Simon was keen to monetise the waste shavings and had purchased a second hand baling machine ready for installation at the new factory.” At the heart of the system proposed

by DCS is an externally-sited NFKZ3000 2+1 HJLR modular chain filter which has the capacity to handle around 18,000m3 of waste-laden air every hour, and includes integrated regeneration fans to provide powerful online reverse-air cleaning of the patented antistatic SUPERBAG filter media. Constructed from galvanised steel panels, this compact, cost-efficient

Waste exits the filter unit pressure-free, via rotary valve, and is then propelled vertically by a transport fan to the cyclone unit.

Dust Extraction From the cyclone, clean shavings are delivered pressurefree, via rotary valve, to the galvanised steel silo below.

unit comprises two filter modules plus one inlet module and, with a combined inspection and explosion relief door fitted to each module, is fully ATEX-approved. NFKZ3000 modular filter units are virtually maintenance-free and are designed for continuous operation; ideal for timber processing factories such as Sampson Products where planer moulders are profiling softwood furniture components around-the-clock.

Powered by a 30kW motor, the direct drive main fanset extracts woodwaste from the workshop, via 600mm diameter FastClip ductwork; delivering it to the filter unit where the softwood shavings collect in the base of the hopper section. A chain and flight conveyor continually directs the collected waste to the outfeed end of the hopper where it is discharged pressure-free, via a rotary valve, before being propelled by an 11kW transport fan, to a height of over 8 metres, where the waste enters a cyclone unit mounted directly above an adjacent storage silo. From here the shavings are transferred by a second rotary valve, again pressure-free, into the 30m3 capacity silo.

Manufactured by Gallito Ltd, a DCS group company, the silo is a galvanised steel panel construction, with several sight windows to visually monitor the fill level, plus a rotary paddle level switch which triggers an audible alarm as the maximum fill height is neared.

Once sufficient volume has accumulated in the silo, the shavings are discharged via screw conveyor and through a rotary valve, before a second transport fan blows the material to the baler. Above the baler, DCS have installed an NFSZ 1 HELR filter to quickly slow the flow of shavings which are finally delivered to the baler for packing into 20kg bags ready for sale as animal bedding.

To allow uninterrupted production when the baler is undergoing maintenance, design engineers at DCS also included a manually-operated safety divert to one of the redundant bag filter units. Other machines such as the cross-cut saws and double end tenoner, which generate a finer dust waste, along with a couple of clean-up hoses, continue to utilise 2 of the company’s existing bag filter extraction units – as part of the turnkey project, DCS re-sited the bag units at the new premises and installed a new FastClip galvanised ductwork system throughout.

From the silo, shavings are discharged via screw conveyor to a rotary valve and then blown at speed to the baler.

The system has been fully operational for about 3 months now and Simon Banks has nothing but praise for the DCS sales and engineering team: “The project was undertaken over a period of 4 weeks at the end of the summer” says Simon, “and I had no complaints whatsoever with the installation. We had access to the new premises before we had to vacate the old factory, so DCS were able to plan and install the complete system in readiness for machines to be re-sited. Once the extraction was up and running, the team of engineers from DCS simply fitted in with our production schedule and, since we have two of each of our key production machines, we were able to continue production on one machine at the old site while DCS fitted extraction to the other one at the new premises.”

In conclusion, Ray Townley added: “The modular construction of the NF3000 series of filter units allows for astraightforward expansion of the system when required – effectively future-proofing the extraction system to accommodate potential growth in output at Sampson Products.”

T: 0800 040 7116 www.DCSlimited.co.uk

A second filter reduces the airflow speed before finally discharging shavings to the baler, pressurefree, via rotary valve.

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Dust Extraction Flexible Filtering From Dustraction When faced with a new factory unit to home its growing components manufacturing business, Oliveti Cubicles turned to leading wood waste extraction specialist, Dustraction, to provide a custom-built extraction solution for its new premises in Leicestershire.

“We had simply outgrown our old premises in Willoughby and we needed more space if we were to continue working on such a broad range of construction projects,” begins Julian Beardsell, Cubicles Department Manager at Oliveti Cubicles. “The old unit homed an old extraction system that was simply not up to the job anymore. It was out of date and we were spending increasing amounts of time trying to keep the system healthy. It was clear that we couldn’t take the system with us. Instead, we needed to invest in a new, lowmaintenance system that could offer us ongoing reliability, solid performance and room to grow.”

With a six-year lease on their new premises in Leicester, Julian was also keen to future-proof his investment. “We have grown significantly since we began trading and adding new machinery to our line-up is inevitable. With this in mind, we also needed a system that could offer us a minimum of 30% expansion.”

“Disruption to the team was minimal throughout the installation,” explains Julian. “Dustraction was working in an empty building and it didn’t have an existing extraction system to work around. The only thing the team needed was electrical supplies to different parts of the equipment and access to hoists and positioning equipment. This allowed for the first stage of the installation to be completed in under six weeks, with the tails for each machine attached to the ducting, ready for the machines to be dropped into place.”

It was at this point of the installation that the components manufacturer received an order that needed to be completed quickly. “We were just about ready to start moving machinery into our new workshop when we were given a time-sensitive job to complete. This stopped the final stage of the installation being completed for over eight weeks.

Julian continues, “This is where Dustraction’s understanding, cooperation and experience came into play. They were happy to work around us and, when we were in a position to relocate, the second phase was done quickly and efficiently to limit any downtime. Each piece of machinery was connected as per the floor plan and our technicians and Dustraction’s engineers went thought each machine, oneby-one, to make sure everything was in full working order.

Having the support from Dustraction at that stage of the installation was very important and their flexible approach to the whole project made working with them a real pleasure. If I had to sum up my experience of working with Dustraction, I would have to say they were efficient, obliging and on budget!”

This led the components company to Dustraction’s door. “I work with a lot of Leicestershire-based businesses and I was keen to use as many local companies as I could during the relocation process. I received quotes from several extraction specialists but Dustraction was my first and last port of call.

I found them to be the best overall value. They were not necessarily the cheapest but they offered a clear and concise package. They also gave me confidence in their abilities from the off - and offered the infrastructure needed to complete the job in a competitive time-frame.”

The initial stages of the project required Dustraction to work closely with Oliveti Cubicles and the first step was to create a workshop floor plan. In order for all criteria to be met – including the simultaneous use of an edgebander, dimension saw, vertical spindle moulder and four sided moulder - a Dustrax No 27 Series filter system was installed. The system itself, which has been designed to handle a total air volume of 3.32m³/sec (7035 cfm), utilises a tubular sock-type filtering system and comes complete with an automatic shaker cleaning mechanism. In order to fulfil Julian’s expansion requirements, the system’s modular bolted construction also allows for later fitting of further filter chambers, bagging base extensions and increased fan power.

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T: 0116 271 3212 www.dustraction.co.uk info@dustraction.co.uk.

Suppliers Directory Reconditioned machinery specialist, Ferwood Group UK, offers a unique 10-step process that sees machines being stripped and rebuilt to the highest standard. With established machinery partnerships and a global sales network, you can experience its global machinery inventory on its website.

Combilift’s customised handling solutions ensure the safe, space saving and productive handling of long loads, pallets and oversized products.

The wide range includes multidirectional forklifts and sideloaders, pedestrian pallet stackers and narrow aisle forklifts, with electric, diesel or LPG power options.

T: 0113 286 6689 E: sales.uk@ferwoodgroup.com www.ferwoodgroup.com Twitter: @FerwoodGroupUK

T: 00353 47 80500 M: 07870 976 758 www.combilift.com

Masterwood have been developing and building CNC machinery for over 50 years for all areas of manufacturing. Supplying machines for the bespoke workshop through to fully automated systems for the larger production companies.

Our software range covers doors, windows, stairs, cabinets, and furniture, and 3D.

BA manufacture high quality decorative board panels and laminated sheet material for application in the kitchen, bedroom, furniture fit-out and interiors market worldwide. From industrial, architectural and domestic uses coupled with the widest choice, BA can design and manufacture solutions tailored specifically for your needs.

Masterwood GB Ltd T: +44 (0)1293 402700 www.masterwood.com

Blum specialises in the manufacture and distribution of furniture fittings. Their main product groups are lift, hinge and drawer systems for furniture, predominantly in kitchens.

Manufacturers can combine Blum fittings with mechanical and electrical motion technologies to deliver enhanced user convenience.

Blum UK T: 01908 285700 www.blum.com

T: 01302 890 555 www.byba.co.uk

A leading producer of machinery and systems since 1952, as well as service provider of the woodworking industry, SCM supply and install equipment that supports customers’ premise application and offer comprehensive demonstrations on the machinery.

T: 0115 9770044 www.scmgroup.com

Manufacturers of all sizes and industries can benefit from our knowledge and innovation. We are able to help you achieve a high level of performance and quality with the HOMAG machines and lines.

Decorative Panels is privately owned and managed by the third generation of the founding family and are proud to be Europe’s leading supplier of decorative faced sheet materials, panel components and flat pack furniture.

T: 01332 856500 www.homag-uk.co.uk

Tel: 01484 658341 www.decorativepanels.co.uk

2020 provides software, services and content to help professional designers, retailers and manufacturers in the interior design and furniture industries bring their ideas to life, inspire innovation and streamline processes.

Palamatic provide vacuum lifting systems for top lifting and rotating wood products including doors, large panels, boards and staircases weighing up to 350kg. Systems provide a safe handling solution for operators to load and unload CNC’s, edge banders, saws, laminators and paint lines.

T: +49 541 3550 140 www.2020spaces.com

T: +44 (0) 1246 452054 E: sales@palamatic.com www.palamatic.com

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