P PAANNEELL,, WWOOOODD · COMBILIFT multidirectional forklifts are a popular choice in the timber sector for enabling the safe and space saving han-dling and storage of long and bulky

PPAA NN EE LL ,, WW OO OO DD&& SS oo ll ii dd SS uu rr ff aa cc eeIssue No. 103/104 December 2016/January 2017

Also inside this issue:All the latest News: pp 3-8, 16-17 l Dust Extraction & Wood Waste Control: pp 10-12

Panels & Panel Processing l pp 18-23Software for Designers & Manufacturers l pp 24-27

Weinig improves flexibilityat MH Southern

Turn to pages 16-17 for the full story

Contact us for the latest developments in wide belt & edge sanding technology

Kündig Ltd Tel 0845 833 0565 l Fax 0845 833 0567Email [email protected] l www.kundig.co.uk

Brilliant:For the utmost in surface finish using oblique sandingtechnology where at least one of the sanding heads isplaced to give a shear cut across the surface effectivelycutting away surface fibres, eliminating oscillation markswhilst giving a flatter surface and suitable for solidwood, veneer and lacquer sanding. Available with singleor multiple sanding heads.

Wide-Belt Sanders:l Standard working widths: 650 mm, 1,100 mm, 1,350 mm and

1,600 mm (1,900 mm and 2,200 mm available on request).

l All machines have a fixed working height (it is the sanding groupthat adjusts from 3-200 mm with 400 mm available on request).

l Enormatic ‘smartset’ standard on all machines for ease of settingand registering off the highest point across the full working width.

l All machines now incorporate ‘Eco’ energy saving mode.

l All machines have both colour touchscreen and manual controlelements.

l For solid wood, veneer and lacquer sanding.

l Choice of cutterblock, combi unit, calibrating roller, standard pad,electronic segmental pads and cross belts for veneer or high gloss.

Premium:Traditional style straight line sanders with 1 to 3 sandingheads for solid wood and veneer sanding.

Edge Sanders: The Uniq, Uniq-S and Flash offer

l Heavy cast iron working table

l Sand solid wood on one side and veneer on the other

l Motorised height adjustment

l Motorised tilting of the abrasive belt

l Straight or bevelled, veneered or solid edges sandedwith ease

l Technology patented worldwide

The Kündig edge sanding range offers exceptionalconstruction quality, versatility, ease of use, and anextremely high quality of finish on both solid wood andveneered edges.

The ultimate sanding machine

Panel, Wood & Solid Surface October/November 2016 Page 3

NEWS

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COMBILIFT multidirectionalforklifts are a popular choice inthe timber sector for enablingthe safe and space saving han-dling and storage of long andbulky loads such as packs oftimber, roof trusses, sheet mate-rials, mouldings and so on. AtScott+Sargeant’s base in Hor-sham a C4000 Combilift isprized for its ability to offer verystable handling of machinerywhich comes in all shapes anddimensions, often with an offsetcentre of gravity.

Woodworking machinery andspare parts experts Scott+Sargeant’sstock comprises new and usedmachines, tooling, spares andparts and hand tools and the com-pany is also an official dealershipfor the German made Martinrange of machinery. The LPG pow-ered 4 tonne capacity Combiliftthat it acquired form AndoverForktruck Services earlier this yearsolved a number of issues in one:the need for better and ratio-nalised storage in one part of thepremises and the requirement forsecure handling of irregular sizedmachines such as dust extractors,power saws and edgebanders.

“Space is understandably costlyin this part of the country,” said di-rector Paul Charnaud, “and we sawan opportunity to make much bet-ter use of a previously underutilised area if we could find the right combination of handling & storage. We hadseen a Combilift working in a plastics factory across the road and due to the nature of the products we handlewe realised that this would work for us.”

By installing racking that was configured according to the dimensions and working aisle-widths of the Com-bilift, 4,000 ft2 has been freed up where incoming new machinery is now stored prior to despatch. The truck’sability to work in tight confines avoided the need for large areas to be set aside for manoeuvring, allowing max-imum use of space. Paul Charnaud also adds that the racking has enabled much more organised — and there-fore quicker — stock location as it was often necessary to remove a number of items before accessing the onein question. Protecting stock from damage was a further consideration and even the most irregular loads can

be securely moved around: restingthem on the Combilift’s platformoffers a much more stable basethan balancing on forks.

Paul Charnaud sums up: “Com-pared to our counterbalance fork-lift which had very limitedmobility the Combilift has beenvery beneficial. Investment costswill be quickly recouped as wehave reclaimed the idle spacewhich was badly needed due toour ongoing growth.”Scott+Sargeantwww.scosarg.com

Combiliftwww.combilift.com

Combilift is a good machinefor Scott+Sargeant

Page 4 Panel, Wood & Solid Surface December 2016/January 2017

NEWS

WHEN THE DECISION was madeto purchase two Hoffmann ma-chines to add to The PortGallery’s machine portfolio, thebusiness owners instinctivelyknew that they had made theright choice. Their HoffmannMS35 double-mitre-saw trimstwo clean precision mitre cuts toan exact length, with the great-est of ease and accuracy in onemachine cycle, creating a per-fect join for ‘the best’ qualitypicture frames.

Additionally the Hoffmann MU-2P dovetail router assists withtight and secure dovetail joints es-pecially for deep and floating boxframes which can be convertedwith great speed and efficiency.

The Port Gallery at AuchinstarryMarina in Kilsyth is situated nearstunning surroundings at the sideof the Forth & Clyde Canal and isquickly being recognised as one ofthe best quality, yet affordable ‘ArtHouses’ in Scotland. Owned and personally run by John Clelland and histeam of Dot, Amy, Lynn and Maureen, it is clear to see their passion for allthe art and artists’ work displayed in beautiful quality frames.

John Clelland said: “The new equipment will allow us to streamline andcreate speed and efficiency in our rapidly extending workshop without

compromising quality. We are all very excited about what we can offer toour customers as we strive to extend our service.

“The back-up and support that we have received from Hoffmann di-rector, John Galvin, has been superb. John commissioned both machinesand fully demonstrated their capabilities. The quality of workmanship isunsurpassed, giving us a leading edge as a recognised player in the pro-duction of the best quality picture frames in Scotland.”

The Port Gallery, which is a member of the ‘Fine Arts Guild’, displays avariety of original paintings and prints by talented local artists and theirgiftware, Yankee candles and handmade greetings cards have been im-mensely popular.

Gallery owner Dorothy Clelland said, “We have created great interestfrom local people and beyond as we offer an extensive range of bespokeproducts and services which includes personalised gifts, scanning,photography, giclée and banner printing. The picture framing service hasbeen extremely busy and we have been highly complimented by re-turning customers. Our client list has soared over the past six months aswe continue to receive client recommendations.

“You can visit The Port Gallery website at www.theportgallery.co.uk forany new and exciting updates.”Hoffmann Machine Company Ltd l Tel 01524 [email protected] l www.hoffmann-uk.com

Hoffmann completes the picture at The Port Gallery

NEWS

Panel, Wood & Solid Surface December 2016/January 2017 Page 5

IN LATE 2015, we reported thepurchase by Andoras Ltd ofSouthern Ireland of an over-sized matrix table from Lamont.Technical manager, AnthonyDouglas, replied when asked ifhe would recommend the com-pany: “Definitely! It was a verypleasant buying experience. Itwas a bespoke machine Alanmade for me, anything I askedfor he did without any issue atall. I would definitely go back tohim!”

Anthony was as good as his word:he has returned to Alan Lamont tohave an existing clamp refurbished,and purchased an additional clampand two woodwelders.

Andoras Ltd is a leading bespoke furniture manufacturer, whose web-site, aislingfurniture.com, says that the company’s quest “is to satisfy eachand every customer’s individual needs and desires, resulting in furniturethat is unparalleled in terms of design, construction and finish.”

On the most recent purchases, Anthony told PW&SS: “It is quite com-plicated some times to get an engineering firm to understand exactlywhat you are looking for, especially with clamping machines. Half the bat-tle is solved when you have the likes of Alan who manufactures and sells:he already has an understanding of clamping machines.”

Regarding the reconditioned machine: “We had a Nicholls Panelmatewhich needed reconditioning, but the manufacturer went bust in 2005.We gave it to Alan to be reconditioned, painted and recovered, and as hedid such a good job we realised he could take that design and make a

bigger one, as we cannot find any-one else who does that type ofclamping system.

“Because Nicholls Panelmatewas no longer trading, we knewwe were not infringing their intel-lectual property.

“The right choice was to ap-proach Alan. With such ease hewas able to copy the clamping sys-tem and give it to me in the cor-rect dimensions.

“It was exactly what I wantedand needed, and I am very happywith it. It was also very good valuefor money.”

Regarding the colour choice forthe new clamp, Alan said: “I askedAnthony what colour he wanted it

in, and he said he didn’t mind. So we painted it in the colours of the Irishtricolour.” This choice went down well.

Anthony continued, “The first set of clamps I got off Alan was for the as-sembly of in-frames, the frame mounted outside of the door onto the car-cass. This set of clamps was for the doors.

“We wanted bigger clamps to produce bigger doors, bigger in heightand width. Any bigger doors that didn’t fit the original clamps had to beclamped by hand: the new clamps have sped up the process dramati-cally, as well as keeping the operators happy.

“If I ever needed another clamp for doors I would certainly go back toAlan for the same thing.”Lamont l Tel 01461 40017Email [email protected] l www.clampingmachines.co.uk

Andoras returns to Lamont for bespoke clamp


NEWS

ADDING to its range of toolingsolutions for A and A+ BFRC en-ergy rated timber window pro-duction, Leitz Tooling haslaunched the “Lite” version of itsThermoTech Window System.

The current ThermoTech Win-dow tooling system is hugely suc-cessful and working for manyjoinery and window manufactur-ing companies around the UK.Leitz has now added ThermoTechLite — producing traditional-look-ing high performance timber win-dows — to the range.

As with their original Thermo -Tech Window System, ThermoTechLite will be available with BFRC(British Fenestration Rating Coun-cil) energy rated licences for mostvariations of timber window man-ufacture. With full and ongoingback-up and support from thecompany, Leitz’s ThermoTech Win-dow Systems are considered by itscustomers as one of the fastest,easy to use, reassuring and prof-itable systems on the market:

“The fact that Leitz has already done the work with the BFRC for energy rated window li-cences was a key factor in our decision to buy their tooling, and we are winning most of thework we quote for.” TimberMaster, Rugby

“We make timber windows for contractors, developers, housing associations and home-owners, and the tooling system from Leitz means we now make them quicker and easierthan ever before.” T O’Malley Joinery Ltd, Lancashire

Leitz ThermoTech Lite Window System is a complete, compliant and scalable system for themanufacture of high quality timber windows by large manufacturers and small sized joinerycompanies alike, opening up new markets and business opportunities and responding todemand from manufacturers as well as architects and contractors.

Offering traditional aesthetics for the UK marketplace, the ThermoTech Lite system fea-tures Leitz’s renowned durability. Easy to set-up for repeatable, precise manufacture everytime, the system is available in multi-tool or dedicated sets for spindle moulders, tenoners,CNC routers and window machines.

In addition to the ability to create thinner (60 mm vs 68 mm), more elegant box sashes,Leitz’s ThermoTech Lite system also includes capacity for triple-glazed with the addition ofsimple tooling elements — no need to buy a complete new set of tooling.

The features and benefits of the ThermoTech Lite Window System mean that all design Uvalues of the timber windows are 1.4 or better, the designs are expandable for differenthinges (including Sumo, Cotswold and Defender hinges), and the profiles on the system areeasily changed, without needing to purchase extra tools.

Brian Maddox, sales manager for Leitz Tooling UK said, “We have removed the burden ofdesign, tooling, set up and window simulation thermal testing for the energy performancerating; the only things we don’t do is actually performance test the window or make it. OurThermoTech Lite Window System gives the opportunity for much wider high quality manu-facture of A and A+ rated thermal performance wood windows.”

The system supports all variations to suit any typeof manufacturer, with any type of specification, withflexibility. As a low cost, dedicated modular system, itis as accessible and as future-proof as possible, andincludes all the support customers might need, in-cluding custom window design and the cost of sim-ulation to BRFC regulations to get the approvedenergy ratings.

As always, Leitz is focused on increased productiv-ity, reduced downtime, noise, scrap and improvedquality and safety in tested tooling design. All tool-ing from Leitz is manufactured and safety tested toBS EN847 standards helping to ensure the welfare ofcustomer employees.Leitz Tooling l Tel 01279 454530Email [email protected] l www.leitz-tooling.co.uk

Leitz Tooling launches ThermoTech Window System Lite


NEWS

THE Weinig Group can look backon another successful InTech,the company’s traditional in-house trade fair. Around 1,000customers from 32 countries ac-cepted the invitation to Tauber- bischofsheim to gatherinformation and gain inspira-tion for new investments.

Weinig presented its completerange covering the entire valuechain in solid wood processingover more than 4,000 m2 and un-derlined its leading position in In-dustry 4.0, a key issue for thefuture, with W4.0 Digital technolo-gies. A total of 30 machines andsystems were sold across thegroup. The order volume was sig-nificantly higher than the previousInTech in 2014. At the press con-ference on the eve of the in-housetrade fair, CEO Wolfgang Pöschlalso reported on the pleasinggrowth of the Weinig Group.

The mix of live demonstrationsand practical information so pop-ular with customers once againshaped the agenda at the 22ndInTech.

A central theme was digitisa-tion of production, for whichWeinig has developed an exten-sive portfolio of solutions. Theserange from “System Plus” for plan-ing and profiling and “OptiPal” forcutting to “Fencon” and “mastercomputer technology” for windowproduction. Machine monitoringand predictive maintenance arefurther key issues covered byWeinig, particularly via its innova-tive “Service app”. In addition, in“Millvision”, Weinig provides ahigh-performance solution for fur-

niture production. Group com-pany Holz-Her offers an attractiveconcept in the cutting of panelswith the “smart workshop”.

All of these systems target“maximum transparency ofprocesses”, as Chief Sales OfficerGregor Baumbusch explained. Themost important thing, he stressed,is to “achieve improvements interms of costs, availability and re-sources for customers while keep-ing operation as simple aspossible”.

The requirements placed onbusinesses by Industry 4.0 were il-lustrated by Prof Dr Hube in his ac-companying presentation, whichdrew an interested crowd on everyday of the in-house trade fair.“Data is the fuel of the 21st cen-tury,” stated the economist. He be-

lieves this development appliesnot only to components of pro-duction technology but to allprocesses in the company. In thefirst instance, he recommended acareful review of the company’sreadiness for the major challengebefore commencing with the firstpilot projects.

Besides the central theme of“digitisation of production”, theProduct Unit Planing and Profilingwas in particular demand from vis-itors to InTech 2016. A number oforders were taken for the Power-mat 2400 moulder among othermodels. The Weinig “Classic Shop”with its wide range of pre-ownedmachines was also able ot securea gratifying order tally.

The presentations from WeinigConcept, currently enjoying great

success in the market with com-plete system solutions, also drewsignificant attention.

The numerous innovations atInTech included the OptiCut S60wflex+ cutting system for fully-au-tomated length and width cuttingin a single work stage, the en-hanced ProfiPress T Next Genera-tion gluing press and four-sidedcontour milling. The innovationsees Weinig transfer a typical pro-cessing centre application to aprofiling machine.

Visitors were also able to wit-ness complete customer systemsin action including, for the firsttime, furniture production on theConturex system. Demonstrationof complex installations will bemade possible by the integrationof the assembly halls into the ex-hibition space. “A great opportu-nity for InTech,” underlined Wolf-gang Pöschl.

On the even of InTech, the CEOjoined Chief Sales Officer GregorBaumbusch, chief financial officerGerald Schmidt and the productunit directors to answer questionsfrom 30 members of the tradepress. One recurring theme wasthe company’s financial figures.Accordingly, the group expect toachieve a turnover of €380 for thecurrent year. “On the whole, pleas-ing growth, which we expect tocontinue next year,” said WolfgangPöschl in closing.Michael Weinig (UK) LtdTel 01235 557600Michael Weinig AGTel 0049 (0) 93 41 86-0Email [email protected]

Weinig InTech 2016: Paving the wayfor the future with W4.0 Digital


DUST EXTRACTION & WOOD WASTE CONTROL

DUST CONTROL SYSTEMS Ltd(DCS) has recently completed in-stallation and commissioning ofa second dust extraction systemfor Arbor Forest Products’ MDFmouldings facility at the com-pany’s New Holland headquar-ters in North Lincolnshire.

DCS installed the extractionplant for Arbor Forest Products’first MDF mouldings unit, whichstarted production in early 2014,and the addition of this new £2.8million mill will double productioncapacity — furthering the com-pany’s aim of becoming a leadingsupplier of MDF mouldings to theUK market.

The state of the art, highthroughput manufacturing plantinevitably produces high levels ofMDF waste and the success of theprevious extraction installationwas a key factor in the decision toaward the contract for a secondsystem to DCS Ltd.

At the heart of the new systemis a ‘clean side’ inverter driven 75kW main fan which extracts to aDCS cyclonic filter with the capac-ity to clean up to 45,000 m3 of air per hour. Standing 20 m high andaround 4 m in diameter, its robust welded steel construction and sixATEX-certified explosion relief panels ensure the DCS cyclonic filter cansafely handle potentially explosive dusts.

Melvyn Bathgate, sales director at Dust Control Systems, explains: “Cy-clonic filtration is highly-suited to continuous operation processes wherelarge volumes of heavily dust-laden air are produced. The model installedat Arbor Forest is capable of collecting up to 1,000 kg of dust per hour,with the initial cyclonic separation removing over 95% of the waste,which drops into the conical hopper.”

The remaining dust is filtered from the circulating air by a patentedarray of tubular filter bags. The efficiency of the polyester anti-static nee-dle felt bags is maintained by a powerful reverse jet cleaning system, with

automatic online management of cleaning cycles. This two-stage collec-tion process enables very high filtration efficiency and the cleaned air,which can be either diverted back into the factory or discharged to at-mosphere, contains a maximum of 0.1 mg of dust per cubic metre.

All waste collected at the bottom of the hopper is discharged pres-sure-free, via a rotary valve, from where a closed-loop transfer systemfeeds the waste directly to a bulk collection trailer or, when required,waste is manually diverted to an adjacent 50 m3 capacity storage silo. Mir-roring the previous installation, the silo is 4 m in diameter, with a conicalbase, and features twin rotary valves; the main valve feeding a closed-loop transfer system directing waste to the collection trailer, and the sec-ond discharging to an emergency screw conveyor.

Commenting further on the installation, Melvyn Bathgate added: “DCSwill never compromise on safety and always incor-porate a CARZ back-pressure flap valve before the fil-ter inlet. CARZ valves are ATEX-approved and, in theevent of an explosion, are designed to prevent the ef-fects of a pressure wave and flames travelling backalong the ductwork in which it is mounted and intothe factory.”

Arbor Forest Products’ MDF manager, Gwyn Tux-ford, who has been with the company for 20 years,commented: “The extraction system that DCS in-stalled for MDF Mill 1 has been trouble-free since theday it was commissioned and provides us with a vir-tually dust-free environment — we are now lookingforward to the same working conditions in the newmill.” In conclusion, Mr Tuxford added: “Melvyn andthe team at DCS deliver a first class service — fromspecification through to commissioning — installa-tion of the extraction system for MDF Mill 2, includingthe complete ducting system, was completed in just10 days.”Dust Control Systems LtdTel 0800 040 7116www.DCSlimited.co.uk

DCS Cyclone clone for Arbor Forest

The DCS installation provides a virtually dust-free environment at Arbor ForestProducts’ MDF mouldings facility.

75 kW main fan extracts to a 45,000 m3 capacity DCS Cyclonic filter, delivering MDF waste to a50 m3 silo or directly to a sealed bulk collection trailer.

J & C O’MEARA LTDJ & C O’MEARA LTD(WOODWORKING MACHINERY)

Unit 4, Falcon Place, Burscough, Lancs L40 8RTTel: 01704 893109

Email info@ukwoodworkingmachinery.co.ukwww.ukwoodworkingmachinery.co.uk

Genisis 312SEnd saws, flush trim, buffing

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Genisis 412SUnique combined endtrim/flush trim/cornerrounding unit

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DUST EXTRACTION & WOOD WASTE CONTROL

New M-Class dust extractor from Makitasets new standards

Heater installed in new state-of-the-art joinery

DUST CONTROL is a health pro-tection priority in all commer-cial undertakings, especially inconstruction with many relatedtrade activities such as wood-working, concrete production,decoration and installation fix-ing. Makita’s range of dust ex-traction vacuums deliver safetysolutions in these environmentsto meet exacting EU standards.

The new Makita VC3012M M-Class Dust Extractor removes99.9% of dust with Limit Value foroccupational exposure > 0.1mg/m3. This means that this highspecification dust extractorachieves performance levels bet-ter than the minimum legal limitfor dust when working with haz-ardous materials including silicasand in brick, masonry, concrete,gypsum and wood dusts and plas-tic composites. The new MakitaVC3012M extractor is available in110 V with a 1000 W motor, or 240V mode with 1200 W motor. The

240 V model has power take off at1800 W to automatically link to thepower tool.

Maximum airflow is 3.2 m3/minfor the 110 V machine and 3.7m3/min for the 240 V extractor,with maximum suction of 23.0 kPaand 25.0 kPa respectively. An air-flow sensor gives an audible beepwarning when flow is reduced by afull tank, blocked filter or other ob-struction. The ‘push and clean sys-tem’ switches the air flow routingto quickly clean the main input fil-ter, dropping the waste into thecontainer in just seconds. Themotor turbine is protected by awashable PET cartridge filterwhich holds back fine dust and de-bris. The lightweight yet robustplastic container has two mainwheels and two steering castorsfor excellent stability and manoeu-vrability. The overall weight is just10 kg with a tank size of 30 litreswith a disposable bag of 23.5 litresand a wet capacity of 19 litres.

The new Makita VC3012M dustextractor is delivered with 4.0 m ofsuction hose, two adaptors andcrevice nozzle and 7.5 m of powercord and has innovative storagecapacity for tools, hose and cordon the back side of the tool box.Extension tubes and alternativefloor nozzles are available in the

Makita accessory range and canbe fixed onto the body for con-venient storage. This new Makitadust extractor will be commer-cially attractive for performanceand price.Makita UKTel 01908 211678www.makitauk.com

WOOD WASTE Technology has recently installed a new wood wasteheater into a high quality joinery company in West Molesey, London,that manufactures and installs bespoke windows and doors.

Directors, Ben Stanbrook and Simon Nicholson, started a business part-nership many years ago, providing bespoke joinery and carpentry ser-vices together after they met whilst studying joinery at school. Workingoriginally from a small workshop on a farm in Surrey, the business contin-ued to grow and became a limited company called Stanbrook & Nicholsonin 2006. Celebrating its 10th year of trading this year, the business recentlyrelocated to a larger purpose-built, state-of-the-art factory, in order to upscale opera-tions and meet increased demand. Thedirectors knew they wanted to install a woodwaste heater into the new factory, enhanc-ing the company’s environmental policy byusing waste wood and sawdust to heat thebuilding, whilst also helping to reduce thecompany’s operating expenses.

Director of Stanbrook & Nicholson, BenStanbrook says: “We were recommended tospeak to Wood Waste Technology by one ofour suppliers, as the company has an excel-lent reputation for providing durable, reli-able and easy-to-use biomass heaters. Asour previous premises were on a farm, allour sawdust waste would be used by thefarmer as bedding for his animals, meaningwe didn’t have to dispose of it. Once we’dmoved off the farm however, we needed tofind another solution. We knew a woodwaste heater would allow us to recycle our

waste wood and turn it into energy, to provide heating for the factory tokeep our 30 staff warm. It works perfectly, as when it was cold earlier thisyear the temperature in the factory stayed lovely and warm.”

After speaking with Wood Waste Technology, Stanbrook & Nicholsonpurchased a WT15 wood waste heater, which was installed by WoodWaste Technology’s experienced engineers into the 20,000 ft2 premises.

Wood Waste Technology’s years of expertise in wood waste solutionshave helped many companies reduce their waste disposal and heatingcosts. The company manufactures and installs a full range of wood waste

boilers and heaters, from small hand firedunits to larger fully automatic systems, andoffers site survey and design, as well as man-ufacture, installation and on-going mainte-nance. The company also services all typesof wood waste heaters and supplies genuinespares.

In addition, Wood Waste Technology isthe UK’s official distributor for Gross Appa-ratebau GmbH, a German manufacturer ofdependable, precision engineered shred-ders and briquetters. The company is also adistributor for Putzmaus boiler tube clean-ing systems — a powerful but gentle routinemaintenance solution that is quick and easyto use, and helps to increase boiler efficiencyand lower operating costs.Wood Waste TechnologyTel 01785 250400www.woodwastetechnology.comwww.grossuk.co.ukwww.putzmaus.co.uk


NEWS

TO STAY competitive and in-crease flexibility, timber im-porter, processor and merchantMH Southern & Co Ltd has in-vested in two new Powermat1500 moulders and a new Ron-damat 960 grinder and tem-plate maker from leadingwoodworking machine technol-ogy specialists, Weinig.

Last year, the decision wasmade to retire an old planing andmoulding Wadkin machine, andthe company began researchingits replacement. James Southern,managing director of this fourthgeneration family company, vis-ited Weinig’s head office and cen-tre of woodworking technologyexcellence in Germany with millmanager, Mark Williamson, to seethe full range of solutions Weinighas to offer.

The Powermat 1500 is the flag-ship moulder in Weinig’s new gen-eration of Powermats.

Ease of operation is its out-standing feature, with the Com-fortSet concept from Weinigenabling significant simplifica-tions and results with increasedefficiency. Numerous settings canbe applied tool-free and scales inside the machine help to determine thecorrect positions.

Local Weinig representative for the area Simon Bridge supported MHSouthern throughout the process and ensured the specification of thenew Powermat 1500s were right for the needs of the company.

MH Southern & Co secured an £80,000 grant from regional growthfund Let’s Grow North East as part of an overall funding package to sup-

port its expansion plans. Let’sGrow, which is administered bybusiness services company BEGroup in partnership with New-castle accountancy firm UNW LLPand The Journal and EveningGazette, supports SME growth andjob creation in the North East.

Andrew Frost, Business & In-vestment Adviser at BE Group,said, “We are delighted to be sup-porting the company in achievingits growth plans. It is really en-couraging to see an independentlong established family businessinvesting in new state of the artmachinery which will create em-ployment for the local area.”

“The processing of timber hasbeen increasing in importance forthe company,” said James South-ern. “While the Wadkin has servedus well for many years, the re-quirements of our merchant andend-use customers have changed.

Weinig improves flexibility for MH Southern

Above, MH Southern takedelivery of a new WeinigPowermat 1500.

Right, official switch on byJane Lowis, grand-daughterof the company founderMatthew Southern.

NEWS


We needed a reliable advancedtechnology solution which waseasy to use and it was clear thatthe Powermat 1500 would give usthat increased flexibility.

“Our first Powermat 1500 wasdelivered and installed in Novem-ber. It is already proving its worth,and we have a second Powermat1500 coming in the New Year.”

Malcolm Cuthbertson, manag-ing director of Weinig UK said,“Decades of Weinig’s wood pro-cessing and technology experi-ence have influenced thedevelopment of the new genera-tion of Powermat moulders. This isan exceptional state of the art ma-chine which offers outstandingease of use and helps maximiseproductivity.”

Available with useful extras thePowermat 1500 can be perfectlyadapted to a customer’s individualneeds and challenging applica-tions, always delivering top quality.

Mr Southern continued, “Overthe last few years there has been alack of consistency in business.Through our aims of strengthen-ing service and maintaining closerelationships with suppliers andcustomers, we made the decision

to be more fluid, adapt to changesand react quicker, and the ma-chines we have from Weinig helpus to do just that.

“We have received great sup-port from Weinig and are reas-sured by working with awell-established and reputable

brand with such high standards.”Founded in 1913, today MH

Southern & Co specialise in timberimporting and sawmilling andproviding a high quality, flexibleservice to all construction and al-lied industries, with locations inthe north east of England at Jar-

row, Gateshead and Berwick uponTweed.MH Southernwww.mhsouthern.co.ukWeinigTel 01235 557600Email [email protected]

with Powermat and Rondamat technology


PANELS & PANEL PROCESSING

NOW more often than not on display rather than hidden as hoarding,Norbord’s SterlingOSB is one ofthe most popular panel pro-ducts around.

A glimpse at trends in shopfit-ting and interior design shows howfar the environmentally consciousproduct has come since its concep-tion as a simple structural boardproduct; it’s great for the earthy,naturally beautiful look, strong andextremely cost-efficient.

Seed Furniture is a bespoke de-sign company that use sustainablyresourced materials to createunique furniture. Jamie Begg, di-rector at Seed Furniture, regularlyuses SterlingOSB for a variety ofapplications. On a commissionedproject for the Birds Nest Café in

Shrewsbury, Jamie used SterlingOSB to create the carcasses for the seat-ing area. Jamie says, “We chose touse SterlingOSB as the industrialtheme is becoming more andmore popular. We liked the struc-tural integrity of the product, as itis a good solid material, and foundthat it fitted with the aesthetics ofthe project.”

Norbord is a leading global man-ufacturer of wood-based panelsand is believed to be the world’slargest producer of oriented strandboard (OSB). In addition to OSB,Norbord manufactures particle-board, medium density fibreboardand related value-added products.NorbordTel 01786 812921www.norbord.co.uk

Serving style with SterlingOSB furniture

Competitive high performance sandingTHE CALIBRATING-sanding machine Sandya 900 is claimed to be the correct choice for medium tohigh industrial companies that require diversified machining with a high level of finishing quality.

After the success of the Sandya 300 and 600 models, aimed at the small and medium-size wood-working businesses, SCM increases its range of wide belt sanders with a new machine designed and pro-duced to provide versatility, high rate of production and a quality finish.

Sandya 900 allows all calibrating and sanding requirements, by offering a wide range of technologi-cal solutions allowing the possibility of customising the machine’s compositions. The availability of of-fering many types of operating units such as planing units, roller units (with 175, 220, 250 and 320 mmdiameters), pad units and superfinishing units guarantees the very best results on solid wood elements,MDF panels ready for veneer finishing and painted (matte or gloss finishes) or veneer panels.

The superfinishing unit ensures uniform finish and sanding at the best level thanks to the chevron beltwhich improves the cooling of the abrasive action on the work piece and the copying capacity of the‘MESAR’ electronic pad. Integrated electro-fan provides extreme compactness and noise emissions.

The programming work is simple and effective thanks to the ‘Logic TS’: the control with LCD display andtouch-screen function allows the complete and safe control of the machine, easily and intuitively. The

possibility to store upto 120 work programsto retrieve the ma-chine settings mostcommonly usedmakes it perfect evenfor unskilled operators.

Further key featuresare:l Heavy stock re-moval during the cali-brating operation dueto the wide availabilityof motor powers (up to22 kW) for each oper-ating unit.l Easy-to-use withthe worktable at afixed height from thefloor that allows the combining of the machine with systems forloading/unloading and movement of the workpiece.l 2,260 mm abrasive belt length for perfect finishing and maxi-mum productivity.l The possibility to equip the machine with grain evidencing orbuffing units to carry out particular finishing operations (rustic orweathered effects).SCM Group UK Ltd l Tel 0115 977 0044 l www.scmgroup.me.uk



MATTHEW Elton Ltd, estab-lished in 2002, is a Londonbased workshop specialising inhigh-end cabinetry and the de-sign and manufacture of hand-made furniture and interiors.

Elton’s contemporary, whilsttraditionally informed design lan-guage, is guided by a decade of di-verse experience, continuousresearch and ever evolvingmethods and practices. Head-quartered in Hackney Wick,Matthew Elton Ltd provides a dis-tinctive range of bespoke furni-ture and creative interior solutionsfor both private and notable com-mercial clients such as Heals, ZahaHadid Architects, Liberty, Self-ridges and Harvey Nichols, to

name but a few. “Each and everycommission and individual piecewe produce combines highlyskilled craftsmanship with care-fully selected materials,” saysMatthew.

The recently launched “solidand popular” A Frame systems arethe master collection for new on-line retailer Ambrose. Matthewadds that when making bespokepieces “the thought is in the de-sign and having ideas in your headfor about 10 years creating an en-ergy and passion”. This is thentranslated into the design andmanufacturing process, enablingall components to be completedto perfect standards.

Manufacturing bespoke interi-

ors for clients and residential prop-erties is Elton’s speciality and ac-quiring top end machineryenabled him to cater to his nichemarket. He stated that the ma-chines give them “more time tofocus on making, rather than man-ufacturing” and allow them tohave more versatility. After equip-ping the workshop with the FelderK500S circular saw unit and F700Zspindle moulder, they immedi-ately saw a difference. “The set-upof the machines was very fast andthey enable us to produce com-ponents to such a high standard.”Currently drawing up designs for aresidential project in Hertford-shire, Matthew and the team arefocusing on the next big job,which will feature walk-inwardrobes and more square andpanel work.

Matthew explained how the“hub of the workshop is now thesaw”, which is exceptionally accu-rate and was “the best investmentfor the workforce”. The significantincreased productivity and timesaving aspect of the machinesleaves Matthew Elton delightedwith consistent results, time andtime again — “Investing in machin-ery is the way forward and it helpsto push a vision even further.”Felder Group UKTel 01908 635000www.felder-group.co.uk

Bespoke perfectionwith Felder forMatthew Elton Ltd

NORBORD has launched a new promotional campaign which is designed to optimisesales of the company’s innovative CaberBoard flooring range through the builders’merchant; and add a bit of fun to the yard.

Four dog breeds have been chosen and each allocated a product in the portfolio de-pending on given properties. CaberFloor P5 is aligned with a Labrador — stable and reliable;CaberDek and the German shepherd — protective; CaberShieldPlus and the Newfoundland— excellent waterproof protection; and Caberfix with a Jack Russell — these fixings won’t tireor wear easily!

David Connacher, Norbord’s brand and communications manager, explains more: “Quali-ties such as loyal, reliable, protective and trusted emerged when we explored this idea fur-ther with those that use our products. Indeed, these very qualities were expanded upon withfeedback including: ‘it won’t let you down’, ‘we know it will do the job’ and ‘dependable prod-uct I always turn to’. From this, the comparison with the qualities of ‘man’s best friend’ be-

came very apparent and, as such, our promotionalcampaign giving each flooring product its own dogmascot was born.”

Advertisements and PoS items are also included inthe promotional mix.NorbordTel 01786 812921 l www.norbord.co.uk

GLASS is a special material. It has a unique upmarket, quality feel and is becoming in-creasingly popular for use with top quality furniture and bathroom fitting such as officepartitions and shower doors. Recognising this trend, Blue Diamond has expanded itsscope of supply to include high quality door handles, hinges and latch systems for glassin a range of finishes including polished, linished and brushed.

Although glass looks good, especially when combined with chrome or polished alloy fit-tings, fixings in glass are notoriously difficult to engineer and manufacture. Glass is a fragilematerial and drilling holes in it is both difficult and expensive. Designs are restricted by Stan-dards that dictate how close a hole can come to the edge of a sheet of glass. This varies ac-cording to the type and thickness of the glass — limiting the designers’ scope.

Blue Diamond can design and manufacture hinges and handles for individual applicationsto provide a perfect fit. Accuracy and repeatability are vital and using a custom design en-sures that the overall look and feel of the product is not compromised by an ‘off the shelf’component. Glass is heavy and components have to be strong enoughto carry high loads while at the same time avoiding problems associatedwith glass panels acting as sound amplifiers.

An example of Blue Diamond’s design and engineering skills is in thesupply of glass door handles, hinges and latch systems for a leading sup-plier to the new build industry. When supplies of fittings for office parti-tions and door products started to falter, fast action was required to find analternative supplier. The engineers and designers at Blue Diamond workedclosely with the customer to develop and agree a new design — that metall the mechanical and aesthetic requirements — as well as durability.

The complex designs required a range of cast and pressed compo-nents, springs, metal and plastic parts, some of which had to be platedor polished. Based on their experience designing similar components,Blue Diamond’s engineers were able to improve the assemblies by en-hancing their appearance, reducing cost and increasing durability.

All drawings were originated by Blue Diamond using its advancedCAD-based system. Prototypes were sourced from approved suppliers inlow cost base countries and following evaluation of the design and test-ing of the samples, the new handles, hinges and latch systems were ac-cepted immediately for volume production.Blue Diamond Technologies Ltd l Tel 023 8025 8966Email [email protected] l www.blue-diamond.co.uk



CaberBoard flooring campaign launched

Fittings for use on glass



MURRAY & MURRAY Ltd is recognised as one of the leading Scottish designersand manufacturers of high quality handmade bespoke kitchens and interiorswith a reputation for excellent workmanship and customer service. The designportfolio is diverse covering all styles from period country houses to contem-porary city apartments and everything in between. To enhance this reputation,the company completed the purchase of a Kündig Brilliant-2 1350 REd-L sanderat W16.

“The new sander was needed to improve the quality of the finish of our productand to speed up production,” workshop manager, Adam Cleghorn, told PW&SS. “Wealready had a wide-belt sander but it was about 15 years old and we greatly neededto improve the quality of finish that we were achieving.

“I chose a Kündig sander because everybody told me that they were the best,”Adam continued. “I will be 40 next year and have been doing this since I was 15: andwhen I spoke to the reps and engineers, they all said that Kündig was the best. I hadseen the advert in trade magazines over the years, and the company always seemedto be getting good write-ups.

“We did get another company in to quote, but they could not understand what wewanted to achieve. In a 15 minute conversation with Carl O’Meara of Kündig Ltd hegot exactly what we wanted: he understood completely what we needed to do.”

Adam said that the ma-chine had basically beensold on the phone, but thecompany did want to see the machine in action before making a final decision. Murray &Murray Ltd was purchasing the machine that was on display at W16 and paid a deposit be-fore the show, on the understanding that if demonstrations at the show did not meet withtheir approval they would not buy it.

“Carl provided veneered boards for us at the show which we sanded: the boards were sim-ilar to those which we use, so we could see the quality of the sander without having to carryboards around ourselves. He put one board through the sander and it was sold! You couldsee the quality straight away from that one compared to what we were achieving in theworkshop.”

Adam emphasised that the quality that is achieved by the sander is “way beyond expec-tations.” He continued, “We were running proper jobs straight away, we had so much confi-dence in it. The first week we put over 1,000 metres of material through the sander. Both Carland the engineer who installed it said it would be wise to try a couple of test panels first, butwe saw the quality when the engineer installed it and felt test pieces were unnecessary evenwith lacquers and veneers. I was sanding lacquered panels today: you can sand off a layer oflacquer, it is that accurate, without going into the wood.” The Kündig sander is used acrossthe full range of Murray & Murray products.

Adam has seen significant time savings since installing the Kündig sander. “Work that tookthe boys four to five days to sand by hand, can be done on the machine in four hours, sav-ing us 5,500 hours a year.” And the reduction in hand sanding to just the edges of panels hasimproved health and safety, reports Adam, as the “boys on the benches” are not exposed toso much dust.

“We are getting the sandpaper for the machine off Carl as well: the quality of the sand-paper he supplies is exceptional and is lasting waybeyond what was being achieved on the previousmachine.”

Adam selected a machine with oblique sanding,and has it permanently set up with the oblique sand-ing option as “it totally gets rid of the marks”.

Where all sanding heads are in line with the direc-tion of travel of the workpiece, tiny flaws that developover time on the abrasive belts can be transferred tothe workpiece. In oblique sanding one head, oftenthe last one, is set at a slight angle to the direction oftravel: marks are not transferred to the workpiece, adefinite asset when expensive materials are beingprocessed.

When asked if he would recommend Kündig,Adam replied: “Certainly, without a doubt. I wouldn’teven hesitate. My only regret is that I did not buy oneof these years ago: I cannot believe how good thismachine is.”Kündig Ltd l Tel 0845 833 0565Email [email protected] l www.kundig.co.uk

Murray & Murray selects Kündig Brilliant sander

Adam Cleghorn with theKündig Brilliant sander



AXYZ router sets the scene at specialist builder

Jody Brown joins Cabinet Vision

Datum Tools LtdTel 01892 667800 www.flipstop.com

CABINET Vision has appointed a new UK cus-tomer service representative. Jody Brownjoins Cabinet Vision from a similar role with BP.

Marie Cassidy, Cabinet Vision business man-ager, says: “Jody Brown’s commitment and pas-sion to achieve results in his previous CSR rolesmean he will be a very useful asset in helpingwoodworking companies get the best from theirsoftware investment.”

Discussing his new role, he says he is lookingforward to providing focused support for CabinetVision customers. “I am really pleased to be join-ing this dynamic Cabinet Vision team, to provideour clients with excellence, proving that CabinetVision is the way forwards for their business insaving costs and time, and preventing errors.”Cabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644 l www.cabinetvision.com

AN AXYZ 6000 series router, supplied by AXYZ International, is saidto have made a significant contribution to the continuing success ofKent-based All Scene All Props.

Established in 2002 by founding partners Danny Hayter and Piers Ross,the company’s primary business is the provision of scenery and props fortheatre and related performing arts venues that are renowned for theiroutstanding quality and ingenuity. These specialist building construc-tions have been used for many of the best known and most popular pro-ductions staged at prestigious theatre locations such as The National,Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and The Palladium in London and the Minervain Chichester.

Operating from a 25,000 ft2 workshop near Tunbridge Wells, All SceneAll Props offers a full range of services, from initial design concepts, ma-terials specification, in-house construction and on-site installation, withthe ability to handle all kinds of project regardless of size or complexity.The comprehensive in-house production facility includes specialist car-pentry, engineering and scenic arts sections, together with a full-scalespace to enable every project to be pre-built prior to delivery.

The AXYZ router now installed at the company is a single-head AXYZ6012 model with a bed size of 2.1 m (width) x 3.6 m (length). It includesa seven-station ATC (automatic tool change) facility to help speed up pro-duction and accommodate different tooling requirements.

As managing partner Piers Ross explained: “Purchase of the AXYZ 6012CNC router was facilitated by the generous trade-in discount offer madeby AXYZ International that enabled us to part-exchange our old AXYZ4008 router for thisnew and higher-per-formance model. Thishas resulted in signifi-cantly increased pro-duction levels andfaster turnaround onthe work we under-take.”

The router is usedto process a widerange of disparatematerials used instage and relatedconstructions. Theseinclude hardwood,plywood, MDF, alu-minium compositematerial, aluminium,

acrylic and plastic sheets, polyurethane foamed boards and high-impactlaminates.

Piers Ross added: “We use the router for virtually everything we need toprocess. It is a massively versatile production workhorse which is easy towork with and which, unlike other similar production machinery, does notraise any health and safety issues that need to be addressed before use. Anadded benefit is that we can now source all of our tooling requirementsform AXYZ international’s 24/7 online CNCRoutershop facility.”

In common with all AXYZ routers, the 6012 model can be supplied witha host of additional machining options. These include the AXYZ AutoZone Management function that ensures the material being processed isalways held securely during the routing/cutting cycle and the latestA2MC machine control system for optimum precision and smooth oper-ation. The A2MC has a massive 16 GB of memory for program storage andprovides network connectivity for error-free program transfer.

A further optional production tool enhancement is the latest AXYZ hel-ical rack and pinion drive system. This incorporates a multiple gear teethconfiguration that helps spread the workload more evenly, leading togreater routing/cutting accuracy, faster throughput speeds, reduced ma-terial wastage and ultimately a longer than normal machine life.

As to how the AXYZ 6012 has performed since installation and theservice provided by AXYZ International prior to, during and following in-stallation, Piers Ross concluded: “In a single word, the router has per-formed flawlessly. The service provided by the AXYZ International teamhas been exceptional, with help and advice always available if required.

In addition to servic-ing all of our coremanufacturing re-quirements, therouter has also en-abled us to offer aCNC machining facil-ity to other com-panies who need tooutsource this par-ticular productionrequirement.”All Scene All PropsTel 01892 752221www.allscene.net

AXYZ InternationalTel 01952 291600www.axyz.co.uk


SOFTWARE FOR DESIGNERS & MANUFACTURERS

EMP Furniture Ltd is a bespokefitted furniture specialist offer-ing a complete service from de-sign through to the full turnkeysolution. Alphacam software al-lows them to undertake projectsthey could not have attemptedpreviously.

Established in 1980 and basedin Williamstown, Co Galway, Ire-land, EMP Furniture has become amarket leader in the residential,education, health care and hospi-tality sectors manufacturing be-spoke furniture tailored to specificclient requirements.

All components manufacturedon the Comac MF four-axis CNC router are designed and machinedthrough Alphacam from Vero Software. CAD/CAM supervisor NoelMullarkey says: “Alphacam is a crucial part of our business. Not only is itallowing us to save materials giving cost savings, we are also undertak-ing projects which we would otherwise be unable to do.”

Three examples of projects completed which he says would be im-possible to manufacture without utilising Alphacam:

Galway County Council Chamber (Oval desk): “This large desk wasmanufactured utilising various materials, delivered to site in several sec-tions which were either fixed or movable, and contained integrated ser-vices such as cable management for microphone and data points. Theproject required pinpoint accuracy during manufacture, so that all com-ponents fitted in a seamless fashion when they were assembled on site,which would not be possible by traditional means.”

Allergan Biologics 2 (Trespa units): “We manufactured a large numberof clinical units entirely from Trespa. Due to the compact nature of thematerial and jointing methods to be utilised we knew from the outsetthat this project must be manufactured using Alphacam. Machining in-cluded operations such as countersinking, drilling holes, pocketing,grooving, jointing, chamfering and nesting — all of which were viewedin a simulation prior to manufacture.”

IT Sligo Extension (Trespa worktops): “This very large project involvedthe machining of worktops from the original sheet form. All services wererequired to be machined prior to delivery to site which included grom-mets, data points, sinks and integrated drainers. We imported our Auto-cad drawing into Alphacam and nested to quantify materials. Waste wasreduced and joints were seamless when installed.”

Noel Mullarkey says the vast majority of their products are processedon the CNC machine at some stage of the manufacturing process forrouting, drilling and nesting operations.

“It’s so easy to import a drawing from Autocad into Alphacam. We findthe simulation feature is particularly valuable as it shows the finishedcomponent in a real-life environment before we commence machining.We also use the nesting functionality to quantify materials and show theproducts on the sheet material.”

On occasion the Alphacam support portal has helpedthem with queries about the software, as well as advisingon machining strategies, tools, feeds and speeds for specificprojects.

“Updates in the last couple of years have focused on au-tomation, making it even easier and quicker to use, there-fore we always keep up to date with the latest twice-yearlyreleases.”

This philosophy is in line with EMP Furniture’s policy ofregular investment in state-of-the-art machinery, allowingthem to transform seemingly impossible projects into aphysical reality.

The continuous improvement schemes have led to thecompany bringing many functions in-house which were pre-viously outsourced, giving them greater control over leadtimes and quality which have improved client satisfaction.EMP Furniture Manufacturerswww.empfurniture.ie

AlphacamTel 0118 922 6677 l www.alphacam.com

Alphacam: EMP’s gateway to impossibleprojects



TOMLINSON Parbans has a longhistory with Tomlinsons estab-lished in 1850. Nearly fifty yearsago it combined an establishedtimber yard with a workshop forbespoke joinery to becomeTomlinson Parbans.

The company expanded veryquickly and the workshop hasbeen built on traditional valueswhich has a reputation for highquality craftsmanship in theCheshire area. The 18 employeesinclude four joiners and two ma-chinists who provide bespokecasement windows, sliding sash,doors, stairs and conservatories toboth public and trade customers.

The timber yard complementsthe workshop with shop countersales, skirting board, PVC win-dows, machined hardwoods andmouldings.

Philip Roberts, joinery manager,started with the company 20 yearsago, as an apprentice sweepingthe yard and putting timber away.He says, “Our company growth isbased on using skilled employeesand providing a high quality prod-uct.” Philip’s promotion three yearsago has seen a distinct shift to-wards modern technology, in par-ticular software for quoting andmaterial ordering, which he be-lieves reinforces their traditionaland high quality approach. Hesays, “My object was to modernisethe business and find a solutionfor CE marking.”

After a demonstration of thesoftware at their premises Philipsays it was the ease of use thatsold the system to him. He adds,“Though I am computer literate,you don’t need to be an expert touse the software. Our previous es-timator had never used computers

and he is now more than happy totake over quoting with JMS whenI’m on holiday. It’s a big testamentto the success of the software.”

Quoting prior to JMS Philipwould have to write down everytype of material used, includingironmongery, just to calculate aprice. On a big tender this couldtake two to three days, but he says,“With JMS I can complete bigquotes in just a few hours! Evenbetter, if the customer changesthe order I can recalculate a re-vised price at the touch of a but-ton, rather than starting fromscratch.”

Philip confirms that Joinerysofthas provided a good solution forthem. He says, “Our workforce

matters to us and we wouldn’tautomatically implement othernew ideas or technology thatwould jeopardise their jobs. That’snot what we do or what we areabout. We prefer to employ skilledcraftsmen rather than technologyfor the sake of it.”

Philip explains, “Each joiner hasa real pride in his work and seesthe whole job through from startto finish to ensure attention to de-tail and quality.”

JMS has however helped thejoiners with accurate drawingsand job specifications. It has par-ticularly helped the joinery ap-prentice learn his trade andimprove accuracy while he islearning.

One of the reasons Philip pur-chased JMS was for its compliancewith u-values and CE marking. Heuses JMS u-value calculator on al-most every job, saying, “I am ableto make customers aware if theirspecification/request does notcomply with u-value regulationsand suggest ways of making itemscompliant.”

JMS helps him do this with u-values calculated on the fly so assection sizes, timber and glass arechanged so the u-value changesautomatically. Philip confirms cus-tomers are impressed with thisextra service.

During two days of trainingPhilip was impressed with thetrainer/installer from Joinerysoftwho as a joiner himself had an ex-tensive knowledge of how joineryworkshops are run.

He says, “His advice was invalu-able and enabled me to incorpo-

rate further improvements intothe workshop, apart from JMS!” Hecontinues, “Joinerysoft support isalso very helpful. Its technicalteam ring back quickly and sortout any queries I have.”

The savings in the time to quotewith JMS are ‘unbelievable’, saysPhilip and he’s sure his wife ispleased too that he doesn’t needto take quotes home anymore de-spite becoming so much busiersince purchasing JMS! As a directresult of improvements in thebusiness, which includes the pur-chase of JMS as well as new ma-chinery, Philip has seen turnoverincrease by 17% over the last threeyears. Profit margins have alsogone up by 4%.

Concluding, Philip says, “I be-lieve software is important be-cause times are changing and youneed to stay competitive to winwork. JMS saves us time and iseasy to use. It has made our com-pany more professional and madequoting much easier. The im-proved customer service has wonus work.” He adds, “Our competi-tive edge is based upon our tradi-tional values, supplying thehighest quality product and out-standing customer service. JMShelps us deliver this without com-promising our values.”Tomlinson ParbansTel 01663 762233sales@tomlinsonparbans.co.ukwww.tomlinsonparbans.co.ukJoinerysoft LtdTel 01608 [email protected]

Joinerysoft software complements traditional values



“WITHOUT Cabinet Vision wemight as well be using a hatchet.”

Those are the words of Fitz-gerald Kitchens’ managing direc-tor Eamonn Fitzgerald, who in-vested in the specialist woodworkCAD/CAM software in 2015, andsays it was only when he startedusing it that he realised how indis-pensable it really is.

Initially installing Cabinet VisionSolid Essential, the company —based in County Wicklow, in theIrish Republic — quickly upgradedto Solid Ultimate, along with theScreen-To-Machine Ultimate mod-ule for sending accurate NC codeto their two Homag Weeke nestingmachine tools; a DHP 210 with 9 x7 bed, and BHP 200 with 9 x 5 bed.

He says Cabinet Vision has beeninstrumental in expanding theirtrade operation, particularly re-peat business from housing devel-opers. For example, a recent fourweek 500,000-Euro job for a de-veloper in Limerick, saw €145,000worth of furniture leaving the fac-tory each week, with only twofully-qualified cabinet makers andeight semi-skilled workers in-volved with the manufacture.

“A couple of years ago we werebarely turning over €500,000 ayear. Now, in the first six months of2016, the business-to-businessside of the company turned overalmost €2m.”

He says the fact that Cabinet Vi-sion does what skilled workersused to, is not simply a question ofthem setting out to save money.“Skilled people just are not outthere anymore. A lot of them wentabroad during the difficult eco-nomic times of a few years ago,and haven’t returned to Ireland.”

The company incorporated anumber of the different construc-tion methods they use, into adrop-down menu in Cabinet Vi-sion. These include Briarconnect,face frame, groove back, inframe,onefix, robes, standard, and stan-dard dowel. And for manufactur-ing four different styles of kitchen— Painted, In-Frames, Contempo-rary and Shaker — they use fourdifferent production processeswith different hardware.

“We just scroll down towhichever dialogue we want andopen it to edit the cabinet. Be-cause of Cabinet Vision’s para-metric capabilities, everythingchanges in proportion, ensuringwe get a perfect assembly that willfit together on site, and it meanswe can change things like goingfrom a cheaper hinge to a dearerhinge, immediately, at the click ofa button.”

Producing something ‘off-stan-dard’ was difficult in the pre-Cabi-net Vision days. “If we were usingthe beam saw to make a numberof kitchens with units of 720 mmhigh by 300 deep, they wouldthen go on to point-to-point forstandard drilling for shelf holesand locations for the hinges …after which, the fabricator assem-bled the units. If someone wantedunits of a different size it was verytime consuming.

“But using Cabinet Vision, if aunit needs to be a metre high, in-stead of 720 or 900 mm we can doit by simply editing an existingcabinet in our library.” Workingmainly with 2.8 x 2.1 m boards ofMDF and chipboard a typical nestcomprises between 15 and 20panels. “It is absolutely vital that

every component is cut to an ac-curate, perfect shape with all holesin the right place.”

Which was something thebeam saw could not always pro-duce, as he says the componentswould often move off-square. “Wehad to create a program on thepoint-to-point so it would goround the parts and square them.”

He says there is no doubt thatCabinet Vision has transformedthe company in the short timethey have been using it. “Thenesters run on the early shift from6 am, driving both machines, anddo the same for the late shift from12 noon to 8 pm. All programs aregenerated in Cabinet Vision, cut-ting everything we make, ensur-ing we can ship around 40completed kitchens and 250 bed-rooms each month.”

Eamonn Fitzgerald, who runsthe company with his brother, Des,designs his initial cabinet drawings,then transfers them into Cabinet Vi-sion for editing and manipulationto ensure that the NC code enablesthe machines to cut exactly whatthe customer requires.

“This is vital for cases where theback of a unit has to be cut to fitaround a pillar, or the create a winerack in the unit. Also, a lot of devel-opers need oven and microwave

configurations, which need ot becustomised. That’s all done in Cab-inet Vision, and is cut in the work-shop instead of the fitter having tocut it to fit, when it gets on site.”And he says whenever a design iscompleted it is stored in CabinetVision for use as a possible startingpoint when a customer wantssomething similar.

Overall, the combination ofCabinet Vision’s ability to quicklyproduce accurate componentsand then nest them, with theScreen-To-Machine module gen-erating NC code for perfect cut-ting, means that in addition totheir standard turnaround time ofsix to eight weeks, they can alwaysmeet some housing developers’demands for getting the units tosite within a fortnight.

“Cabinet Vision has been vital inincreasing our piece part activity,which is the only way to increasemargins, as the jobs we are gettingare being cut to the bone all thetime. To get a profitable margin wehave to make our furniture faster,cheaper and better, while ensur-ing high quality.”Fitzgerald Kitchenswww.fitzgeraldkitchens.comCabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644www.cabinetvision.com

Increased piece part activity with CabinetVision boosts Fitzgerald Kitchens’ margins



THE LATEST edition of Alphacam, from VeroSoftware, is rich with new features rangingacross the modules, making it easier to use andimprove productivity.

Amongst the new and enhanced functionalityare: user interface improvements; new 3D machin-ing command; updates to machining cycles; sawingenhancements; simulation updates; automationmanager improvements; new CAD files andversions.

The overall user experience has been augmentedin a number of ways, including restyled dialoguesto provide a more intuitive layout, with images andtooltips included to help the user. An example is thenew 3D Machining dialogue which provides the in-terface to multiple machining strategies in a con-sistent manner. Strategies available in the 3DMachining command are: Along Intersection; Con-stant Cusp; Cylindrical Parallel; Cylindrical Profiling; Drive Curves; and ZContour Roughing.

The Work Plane Properties option in the Project Manager displays awindow with a grid containing details of the work planes in the activedrawing, such as the name and offset number, which can also be editedin the grid. Additionally, it is now possible to rename the move clamp/fix-ture operation in the Quick Edit window.

A new option in Drawing Notes means the Add-Ins dialogue will onlybe displayed if the opened drawing file already contains notes.

In Machining, the Cylindrical Parallel strategy now gives the option ofsetting the width of cut as a distance, and when editing settings, theDrawing Area will update with a preview of the tool and holder, if appli-cable. The machining area is indicated by a transparent shaded regionaround the part that is automatically updated when settings are changedin the dialogue, allowing the user to visualise the effect that a change hason the operation.

Alphacam Router now includes improved foul avoidance for sawing.Previously when using a saw to cut parts, the risk of fouling other partswas increased due to the size of the blade. Alphacam 2017 R1 sawing op-erations now checks for fouling against all geometries selected for thesame operation, resulting in toolpaths being trimmed, if necessary. Thismeans that parts can be laid out on a sheet and all sawn as the same op-eration, using the automatic fouling check. The operators can use thenew path extensions tool with options for extending saw paths by eitherDistance, to Boundary or Pick Point, with reversing options.

For Simulator, the new release sees XY configurations supported onboth the head and table.

The transfer of five-axis toolpaths between Alphacam and the simula-tor has been optimised, meaning that complex operations containingtoolpaths comprising thousands of individual elements are much faster.Furthermore, if program stops are included in the operation, they willnow be recognised. All these improvements make the user experiencemore realistic and speed up the simulation process.

Automation Manager sees several new options that provide flexibilityand performance improvements, these include:l Feature Extraction — From Faces: An option that enables the user toextract the solid body outline of the part.l For non-nested job files the ‘From Job’ option is now available in theMachining Order drop-down menu in the Processing tab. This is now setas the default selection for non-nested job files.l Alphacam 2017 R1 gives the ability to copy and paste styles in the layermapping setup tree by right-clicking and selecting Copy or Paste on themenu.

Settings are retained when copying, which enhances efficiency by re-moving the need to re-apply settings each time a style is applied to alayer. It is also possible to copy and paste a complete setup, if required.

General enhancementsl Work Volume support has been added for the Parametric Sketcher —useful with many post processors that require the work volume dimen-sions for the NC controller.l User configurable Default Layer Setting — useful when creating de-signs with set layer configurations.l Improved Solid Model Assembly Splitting Support for Solid Works and

Solid Edge assemblies.l The Area Estimate routine has been improved totake account of drilled holes.l Alphacam’s Network License Profiles allows usersto save their own selection of system and modulelicenses as a single profile, making it quick and easyto select pre-defined license options.

For example, all network licensing users can cre-ate their own set of License Profiles and copy themto a shared folder on a nominated network PC, en-suring that all users can access the same ones.

A particular profile can be specified when Profilesare being configured, or an option can be checkedto select one from the list displayed when the li-censed application is running.AlphacamTel 0118 922 6677www.alphacam.com

Alphacam 2017 R1 enhances bothsimulation and automation

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