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Also inside this issue:All the latest news: pp 3-6, 21-22 l Woodwaste & Dust Control: pp 6-7

CNC Machinery, Equipment & Softare: pp 8-20

Introducing dp-seamlessTurn to page 4 for the full story

Panel, Wood & Solid Surface February/March 2018 Page 3

NEWS

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Vero Software restructures its teamVERO Software has restructuredthe EMEA management of twoof its market-leading brandsAlphacam and Cabinet Vision.

Following Richard Chappell’sappointment as global director ofthe two brands last year, MichaelPettit becomes EMEA sales man-ager for them both, and Marie Cas-sidy EMEA support and servicesmanager, also for both.

Previously, Michael Pettit wasEMEA sales manager just for Al-phacam, with Marie Cassidy Cabi-

net Vision’s UK business manager.“Around 20% of Cabinet Vision

customers in the UK also use Al-phacam for different parts of theirwoodworking operations, and asthere is a significant amount ofsynergy between the brands, itmakes perfect sense to bring themtogether in this way,” says MichaelPettit.

While his primary focus willnow be driving Cabinet Vision andAlphacam direct sales in the UK,he is also responsible for the pow-

erful network of Alphacam re-sellers across the EMEA region.Christian Poupin will continue tobe responsible for the growingCabinet Vision reseller networkthroughout Europe and Asia.

Marie Cassidy will manage bothbrands’ support and technicalteams. “I’ve been managing sup-port and services for Cabinet Vi-sion for several years, and am nowaiming to bring my expertise tothe Alphacam brand as well.”

“I’m extremely excited aboutthe positive impacts Michael andMarie can make in their new roles,”says Richard Chappell. “This movemeans Vero’s expanding customerbase in the woodworking industrywill experience a consistent serv-ice across all their needs, from ini-tial sales, through training, toongoing technical support.”AlphacamTel 0118 922 6677www.alphacam.com

Cabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644www.cabinetvision.com

Norbord wins Jewson ‘Supplier of the Year’NORBORD EUROPE Ltd was pre-sented with the ‘Best OverallSupplier 2017’ award by Jewsonat Jewson Live in December, be-lieved to be the UK’s biggestbuilder’s merchant show, “forensuring the availability of itsproducts across all ourbranches, despite difficult mar-ket conditions”.

On receiving the award,Jenny Stainton, Norbord’sSaint Gobain Key AccountManager, commented,“We are absolutely de-lighted to win the JewsonSupplier of the Year. Thisrecognises all of the effortthat Norbord Europe Ltdputs into the Jewson ac-count throughout theyear and it is great to berecognised.”

Norbord faced stiffcompetition to win theaward as there are in totalaround 600 Jewson sup-pliers which receive votesfrom the Jewson network.Jenny went on to say, “Theaward is voted for by theJewson branch networkacross the UK, as well as

the sales teams, the Categoryteams and the Jewson Executiveteam.

“This tells you that the branchesappreciate the service they receivefrom all of the teams at Norbord— the BDM team and managers,internal customer support basedat Head Office in Cowie and logis-

tics to get our products to all ofthe branches. This is the third timein five years that ‘Supplier of theYear’ has been awarded to Nor-bord and of course we are ex-tremely happy.”NorbordTel 01786 812921www.norbord.co.uk

Pictured above (from left to right): Maurice Fitzgibbon, Thierry Dufour(Jewson’s managing director), Andrew Francis, Jenny Stainton, DavidWebb and Martin Lake.

IT IS exciting times at DecorativePanels Components as the com-pany is installing a fully auto-mated edgebanding line at itsstate of the art factory in Elland.Purchased from Biesse andmeasuring a staggering 59 m,this new line will focus primarilyon high quality fascia produc-tion, processing tapes from 0.4to 2 mm thick.

Replacing three manually fedand stacked high speed edge-banding machines, the line furtherincreases the overall quality of thepanels while also greatly adding tothe efficiency of the factory. Pan-els are automatically fed into themachine, sized, edgebanded allround through linked first and sec-ond pass machines, grooved if re-quired, cleaned and then

automatically stacked at speeds ofup to 32 parts per minute. As a re-sult, edgebanding capacity, is sig-nificantly increased while manualintervention is eliminated.

The main aim of this investmentwas to introduce to customers thevery best edgebanded panelstechnology has to offer. The line isequipped with three differentglueline technologies, thereforeallowing the company to offergood/better/best categories atvery affordable price points.

EVA Glue: EVA is the most com-mon glue available and allowsDecorative Panels to provide asuitable glueline for price sensitiveproduct.

2x PUR Glue: The use of PUR al-lows for absolute minimal visibil-ity of a glueline. The line has been

equipped to distribute PUR glue intwo colours; either natural orwhite subject to panel colour tofurther minimise any sight of theglueline on the panel. Of course,for example on lighter colours,white glue would be selected.

dp-seamless: To achieve thevery best finish available on themarket, Decorative Panels proudlyintroduces the new dp-seamlessedgebanding standard. The newline is fully equipped to processRehau Raukantex Pro zero jointtechnology edgebanding tapewhich cleverly creates an invisiblejoint by means of a colour co-ordi-nated functional layer on the re-verse. This layer acts as thebonding agent once heated withthe Biesse Airforce technology.

It is important to note that in

order to obtain the best results,Decorative Panels recognises thatit is not only essential to have thelatest bonding technology, butalso the very best specification ofsizing, trimming and finishing sys-tems available.

Every aspect of the new line hasbeen specified with full NC controlallowing complete fine-tuning toensure the finished tape profileglides seamlessly up to meet thepanel fascia. All of this technologypulled together guarantees a trulyspectacular finish that revolu-tionised the panel market. The ad-ditional advantage of course withNC control is automated setupsbetween panel types; ensuringcorrect settings while greatly re-ducing downtime.

In order to complement thismajor investment, Decorative Pan-els Components also now have onorder a new Biesse single sidededgebander. Recognising theneed to match the same highquality levels for smaller panels,this machine has been specifiedwith exactly the same systems andcontrol as the main line. It will alsoprocess the two colours of PURand Rehau Raukantex Pro edge-banding tape, ensuring that thefull spectrum of panel sizes, in-cluding small drawer fronts edgedon all sides, can match the newdp-seamless standard.

In conjunction with the spec-tacular scope of dp-limitless sur-faces available from theLamination division, the new dp-seamless edgebanding system willensure customers leapfrog thecompetition with the very bestthat both surface and processingtechnology has to offer.

The dp-seamless standard willbe available to the market fromMarch 2018.Decorative PanelsTel 01484 658341www.decorativepanels.co.uk

The perfect edge finish: introducing dp-seamless

Page 4 Panel, Wood & Solid Surface February/March 2018

NEWS


NEWS

WOODWASTE & DUST CONTROL

Brushless LXT plunge saw from Makita

Wood waste heater delivers everything promised

THE new MAKITA twin 18 V cordless plunge saw, with 36 V brushless motor,generates as much power as the AC mains machine that can drive the 165 mmblade up to 6,300 rpm, and provide a maximum cutting depth of 56 mm withthe vertical blade setting.

A plunge saw is designed to achieve a finer cut edge than a traditional circularsaw when cutting sheet material using a guide rail. As the name implies, entry intothe material does not need to be at an edge, thus enabling large openings to becut accurately in worktops for hob or sink installations. The accurate depth controlcan be used to open flooring timber without risk to concealed pipes below the floor-ing. A plunge saw and guide rail requires far less room on site to operate than atable saw and fence for cutting sheet materials or long runs of boarding.

This new Makita DSP600ZJ LXT plunge saw utilises the same saw housing, baseplate assembly and blade drive as the mains machine and delivers almost identicalperformance. This saw is powered by two 18 V Lithium-ion batteries in series whichsupplies energy to the powerful 36 V DC motor drive system. With one battery for-ward of the drive line and one at the rear, exceptional balance and stability in op-eration is achieved. Equipped with dial variable speed control, soft start and electricbrake, the new DSP600ZJ features ADT, the innovative Automatic Torque Drive Tech-nology, which automatically changes the cutting speed for optimum operation; ef-fectively by sensing the load conditions on the blade and adjusting the powersupply will maintain drive shaft speed.

The 165 mm blade will give a maximum cutting depth of 56 mm at 0°, 40 mm at45° and 38 mm at the maximum bevel angle of 48°. The narrow blade housing allowsthe plunge blade to operate just 18 mm away from a vertical wall. The rigid baseplate is designed to fit the Makita guide rail and has the capacity to fit a slide-outedge rail for panel trimming. The bevel range is –1° to +48° and the position of thecutting line is always the same regardless of the bevel angle. Splinter free cutting isachieved by engaging the depth stop which enables a 2 mm preliminary groove tobe cut before the full depth of cut is made.

The new Makita DSP600ZJ 36 V cordless plunge saw is supplied as a body onlymachine in a type 4 Makpac connector case for total protection.Makita UK l Tel 01908 211678 l www.makitauk.com

THE OWNER of a Leicestershire joinery company is delighted with his purchase of a new wood waste heater from Wood Waste Technology,as it delivers everythign promised regarding its provision of free heating.

Steve Bower Joinery & Manufacturing Ltd specialises in producing traiditonal doors, windows, bi-fold doors and stairs. Its 7,000 ft2 joinery workshopin Loughborough was freezing in winter as the workshop’s existing diesel heater was un-pleasant, inefficient and expensive to use. Someone recommended to managing director,Steve Bower, that the business should think about investing in a wood waste heater to warmthe workshop for its five employees. A quick search on the internet led to Wood Waste Tech-nology, and a realisation that a wood waste heater could be the ideal solution.

Following more information and a site survey, Wood Waste Technology’s specialist engi-neers installed a WT15 wood waste heater into the joinery workshop in February this year.

Managing director, Steve Bower, says: “Once the heater was installed the difference was ob-vious, as the workshop went from freezing cold to beautifully warm. We are delighted withour purchase, it does everything we were told it would and more than fulfils our business re-quirements. It has been a great investment.”

Kurt Cockroft, managing director at Wood Waste Technology, says: “Businesses with a sig-nificant amount of wood waste can get payback on their investment in a wood waste heaterin as little as 12 months because of the savings that can made by reducing heating and skiphire bills.”

Wood Waste Technology offers a full range of wood waste heaters, from small hand firedunits to larger fully automatic systems, and offers site survey and design, as well as manu-facture, installation and on-going maintenance. The company also services all types of woodwaste heaters and supplies genuine spares.

In addition, Wood Waste Technology is the UK’s official distributor for Gross ApparatebauGmbH, a German manufacturer of dependable, precision engineered shredders and bri-quetters. The company is also a distributor for Putzmaus boiler tube cleaning systems — apowerful but gentle routine maintenance solution that is quick and easy to use, and helps toincrease boiler efficiency and lower operating costs.Wood Waste Technology l Tel 01785 250400www.woodwastetechnology.com www.grossuk.co.uk l www.putzmaus.co.uk


CNC MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE

THE LATEST RELEASE of CabinetVision — Vero Software’s manu-facturing solution for wood-workers — includes a powerfulnew photo rendering engine,geared specifically towards thedesign market.

It provides a massive enhance-ment on the rendering capabilitiesin previous versions, and nowgives designers almost photo-likeimages which manufacturers canuse as a sales tool to show theirown customers exactly what theproducts will look like in situ.

As well as the high-end photorendering engine, which gives re-sults comparable to mainstream,generic design packages, CabinetVision Version 11 also incorporatesa host of other design features.

Cabinet Vision’s UK Northernsales manager, Harry Hunter, saysthe simplified lighting functionmeans that natural-looking lightfor the images can be createdquickly and easily.

“Also, any object can now be se-lected and modified in the 3Dview. Designers simply click on acabinet and change the finishtype, material and texture just onthat one item from any 3D view.This is all done at the job level, soyou don’t have to come out of joblevel — it’s all done specifically forthe one job.

“And major improvements tothe Auto-Fill system save consid-erable time, by allowing the userto automatically fill a room withcabinets easily and intelligently,through a single click.”

Harry Hunter says following

Cabinet Vision’s long-term recog-nition as a market leader in cabi-netry manufacturing software —driving almost all CNC machines,producing cutlists and pricing —developers wanted to provide onecomplete package from the initialdesign stage, right through to theproduct coming off the CNCmachine tool.

“Previously, users would drawup rooms and layouts in a genericdesign package, which then hadto be transferred manually intoCabinet Vision. As with any man-ual process, this led to a risk ofhuman error. Now, with CabinetVision’s new high-end photo ren-dering capabilities, and additionaldesign-led features, they can man-

age every step of the design andmanufacturing process withouthaving to transfer data betweensystems, which is faster and moreaccurate.”

And with the software being aspecialist tool dedicated to cabi-net making, he says it offers com-plete freedom in designing allaspects of cabinets and cabinetryitems.

“Drawing offices can designwhatever they want, render it, pro-duce a cut list and price list, orsend it straight through to theCNC machine. It’s now a completesolution, providing a seamlesstransition from state-of-the-artdesign to manufacturing.”

The first public showing of Cab-inet Vision Version 11 will be onthe company stand, N138, at theKBB Exhibition, March 4-7, at theNEC in Birmingham.Cabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644www.cabinetvision.com

Get the picture with Cabinet Vision

CNC machines for nesting,furniture and door production

The AES group manufactures one of the most comprehensive ranges of flat bed CNCmachines for nesting and shaping flat panels. From the entry level FLEXA which is ideal forsign makers, the NOVA for the busy bespoke manufacturer, the EXTREME for heavy dutynesting to the RAPTOR for the ultimate and efficient solution for heavy industry. Allmachines use Alphacam CAD/CAM software and have linear speeds starting from 70 m/min,future proofing the machines as tooling technology advances towards faster cutting speeds.Did you know that there is a nesting tool that can cut at 50 m/min?

AES also manufactures a comprehensive range of pod and rail style machines for thoselooking to drill, shape and process components, alongwith the SIRIUS through feed drilling, grooving androuting machine. For the processing of internaland external doors, there is a machine with ahorizontal routing head or there is even the5 axis machine for added flexibility andendless possibilities.

J & C O’Meara LtdTel: 01704 893109

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

Unit 4, Falcon Place, Burscough,Lancashire L40 8RT



“THE COMBINATION of CabinetVision and Alphacam software isa modern-day chisel.”

Those are the words of MichaelCowell, a recently appointed di-rector at Andrew Ryan Furniture.While chisels were state-of-the-arttechnology for woodworkingcraftsmen in a bygone era, he sayssoftware takes on that role today.

“Everyone uses a laptop or mo-bile device to do their job now, andthe right software is every bit asimportant a tool as CNC machines.Manufacturers are only as useful asthe tools they have, and as we onlyproduce top quality bespoke fur-niture, Cabinet Vision and Alpha-cam are vital tools for us.”

Originally focussing on high endkitchens, the company has diversi-fied into full house fit-outs withdrawing rooms, studies, libraries,bedrooms and dressing rooms.Operating out of a prestigiousshowroom and 25,000 ft2 manu-facturing plant in Wexford, Ireland,they also have a smaller showroomat Monaco in the South of France.

Working with solid timber in-cluding oak and beech, and a vari-ety of veneer boards andchipboards, all components gothrough Cabinet Vision or Alpha-cam and are outputted to theirrange of CNC machines where theyare cut and then hand finished.

“It gives us full control of everycomponent, from the start of theprocess when the raw materialcomes into the factory, right throughto shipping the finished product.”

Director Aiden Ryan, who headsup the manufacturing operation,says they began using Cabinet Vi-sion in 2006, shortly before he andhis brother Dominic took over run-ning the company from their par-ents. And Alphacam was part ofthe package when they investedin five-axis routing technologytwo years later, which he says iscritical for the business. “Many op-portunities have opened up for us,as five-axis machining gives us the

advantage of being able to pro-duce components that our com-petitors cannot.”

He says it has replaced the oldcrafts of working with handrouters and planers, both for com-ponents and making jigs. “Every-thing’s now done in a completelysafe environment, and every fin-ished component is exactly as weplanned and designed it — ab-solutely micron perfect.”

Cabinet Vision powers a recentlypurchased Homag BCM drillingmachine; and other CNC machinetools include a Holzma beam saw,Homag BMG 611 with 72-headtool changer, and BHX 200.

“The machines are interlinked,and we now work with either Cabi-net Vision or Alphacam on everypiece of timber and board that goesthrough the workshop, whether it’sa door, drawer box, cabinet, frame,plinth or moulding. Cabinet Visionproduces standard parts, with Al-phacam being used for complexshapes, especially curves … whichprobably represents one in four ofour kitchen components.”

Seven employees use CabinetVision daily, and three work with Al-phacam when required. Each proj-ect begins with a designer taking abrief from the customer regardingwhat they are looking for. The briefthen goes into Cabinet Visionwhere the room is drawn by handor using measurements from an ar-chitect’s plan to produce a conceptdesign. “After being thoroughlychecked and edited, we present itto the client either onscreen, as aprinted drawing, or as a video. Thedesign may need changing severaltimes before it is ready for manu-facture, but that is so quick andeasy to achieve in Cabinet Vision.

“Once the customer approves thedesign, our drawing team outputthe NC code for the factory floorusing Cabinet Vision’s Screen-To-Ma-chine module, with complex com-ponents going through Alphacam.”

Michael Cowell’s recent ap-

pointment to head up the techni-cal and commercial growth of thebusiness marks a new phase in thecompany’s development plans.With a background of scaling andgrowing companies, he was re-cruited from Tom HowleyKitchens, which grew substantiallyfrom 2006, opening many show-rooms across the UK. “A big part ofits success story were the systemsand software, and Cabinet Visionwas the main design tool I usedthere.”

His role at Andrew Ryan Furni-ture is to foster scalable, sustain-able and healthy growth in theIrish, UK and foreign markets.“Tools like Cabinet Vision are animmensely important part of thatbecause as well as helping us de-sign and manufacture fast and ac-curate products, they also provideus with structure that runsthrough the design, sales anddrawing teams.”

And he says their developmentplans include finding, training andkeeping key personnel to workwith Cabinet Vision and Alpha-cam. “Our staff make the productsand look after the customers, andwe look after our staff by givingthem the very best tools available.”

Concluding, Aiden Ryan saysboth Cabinet Vision and Alphacamare critical to the company’s fu-ture. “They are the backbone ofthe whole process of design andmanufacturing, giving us time tofocus on other tings, such as handfinishing.”Andrew Ryan Furniturewww.andrewryan.ieCabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644www.cabinetvision.comAlphacamTel 0118 922 6677www.alphacam.com

The “backbone” of Andrew Ryan Furniture



THE ALBERTI T-Flight is a dedicated drilling machine, which is ex-tremely accurate and fast, with a small footprint and is competitivelypriced.

It can be used as a throughfeed machine where space permits, and theinfeed table is designed with an extension which can be detached to min-imise the space requirement when processing smaller panels.

Where space is limited, or for single operator use, the Alberti T-Flightwill also send the panel back to the operator when ithas been processed, which makes it a very compactone-man machine.

The T-Flight will drill a typical kitchen gable inunder 35 seconds, and has a top-fed bed with a rollertable. The machine is fully automatic, so whateverprogramme is being run, the side fence comes inautomatically to the panel.

The panel is fed in automatically, drilled and eithersent out of the back of the machine or returned to theoperator.

Laser recognition of the panel picks up the leadingedge as it enters the machine and starts the drillingsequence 9 mm from the edge.

Because the laser references the back of the panelas well as the front, if the panel varies in size, the con-struction drilling remains accurate.

Any error is always thrown to the middle of thepanel, so steps between rails and gables, either up ordown, simply cannot happen.

The parametric programming is very easy to use:change the panel size and everything changes with it,or programme a left-hand gable, then mirror image itto create a right-hand gable.

The Alberti T-Flight comes with 12 vertical drills, horizontal drilling onall sides of the panel, a router head for grooving and a saw blade on thelongitudinal axis. Butt and scribe joints, locking slots, sink cut-outs, cabletidy cut-outs — it will process everything, even machining a 40 mmworktop.Ney LtdTel 024 7630 8100 l www.ney.co.uk

The Alberti T-Flight, available fromNEY Ltd: for fast, accurate drilling



A CNC ROUTER is one of the mostversatile and flexible productiontools available to a diverse rangeof industries, including industrialwoodworking, furniture manu-facturing, panel processing andplastics and metal fabrication, toname only a few.

Understanding the technologyavailable, the decisions that needto be made prior to the purchaseof a CNC router, the operator train-ing necessary and the differenttools and settings available arecritical to maximisation of the po-tential that exists for fuelling busi-ness growth and increasingprofitability. Application engineerat AXYZ International in the UK,Ged Lodge provides some usefulguidelines to help CNC routerowners understand all of these in-fluencing factors.

Make sure machine settingsare correctThis commences with use of thecorrect feed rates, router spindlespeeds and the depth of cut specificto the material being processed.This information should be availablefrom the supplier of the machine.

These settings are interrelated.For example, cutting at a higherfeed rate may require a faster spin-dle or a reduction in the depth ofcut. Tool selection and the type ofprocessing program employedwill also have an effect. Again asan example, a small-diameterrouter tool will normally be run ata lower feed rate than that of alarger-diameter tool. This is one ofthe areas where expertise gainedover time will make it easier foroperators of CNC routers to sensewhen there is a potential machin-ery malfunction, with the noise ofthe router when cutting providinga good indicator of whether or notthe settings are correct.

Selecting the right routing/cutting toolThis will relate directly to the typeof material being processed. Forexample, operators should con-sider if the material could be moreeffectively processed using a tra-ditional router spindle and if so inwhat size or, for more malleablematerials, would an oscillating ortangential knife be the betteroption.

When processing new and pos-sibly unfamiliar materials, it is ad-visable to run some preliminarytests involving different spindlesor knife blades to establish whichof the two works best for a givenapplication.

Again, the machine suppliercan help or the information will beavailable via the router/cutterguides supplied.

Use the right material hold-down systemInvariably this will be vacuum-based: that better ensures the ma-terial is held firmly in place toavoid an incorrect cutting depthand tolerances not maintainedthat will lead to costly scrapping ofthe material being processed. Fur-thermore, insufficient vacuumstrength due to leakage in the sys-tem could lead to shifting of thematerial that is barely noticeableuntil the job is complete and ei-ther deemed satisfactorily routed/cut or rejected because it is not.

Always ensure that the surfaceof the material is smooth and flatand free of dust and check for anyleakages in the vacuum pipes orgaskets. Warped sheet, for exam-ple, is more difficult to hold downsecurely on the vacuum deck.

Provide machine operatorswith the appropriate trainingExperienced and well-trained ma-chine operators will be able to nar-row down issues that may arise onthe shop floor. They will be able toidentify root causes of any prob-lems from the data programmedto the type of tool used and therouting/cutting speeds and feedrates required.

Today’s CNC routers are de-signed to be intrinsically user-friendly and to make problem-solving so much easier than hith-erto. However, in common with anyother form of machinery, the moreexperienced the machine operatorthe easier it will be to identify andcorrect any problems. Most of theleading suppliers can provide ap-plication-specific training.

Develop a program strategyand incorporate quality dataQuality of the data installed is thefirst consideration. If CAD/CAMdata is of a sub-standard, the fin-ished routed/cut product will becorrespondingly so. Make sure thecut lines of a job are straight andthe curves smooth.

Program strategy is equally im-portant. The positioning of the‘start’ points, cut direction and theorder in which parts are processed

can make a huge difference to thequality of the end-product. It is im-portant to master programmingtechniques such as holding tabs,lead-ins and ramps and where andhow these may be used to im-prove routing/cutting efficiencyand avoid problems caused bymaterial movement or machinevibration.

In conclusionDue to its wide-ranging capabili-ties, a CNC router can rout/cut vir-tually any material cleanly andefficiently using a variety of rout-ing/cutting tools. This means allwork undertaken can be com-pleted in-house, without the needfor outsourcing and the variablesthat can then arise in terms of fin-ished quality and delays that willerode profit margins.

It is important to fully under-stand a CNC router’s capabilitiesand how it should be managedproperly. Learning to use a routerdoes not take long (invariably twoto three days), although applica-tion-specific knowledge will begained over a longer period andinvolves a continuous learningcurve.AXYZ InternationalTel 01952 291600www.axyz.co.uk

Maximising the potential of CNCrouting technology



A “BRILLIANT and very clevertool” is how Dominic Ash, ownerof Dominic Ash Ltd, describesCabinet Vision, as the businesslooks to the future with newdraughtsman, Ed Muir.

Dominic Ash Ltd is an internal ar-chitectural joinery company oper-ating from an 8,000 ft2 manu-facturing facility, based near the vil-lage of Yanworth in the Cotswolds.The company, which has been es-tablished for over 20 years, isowned by Dominic Ash and his wifeKate, who work with six employeesto create high quality, impressivelydesigned furnishings for interiors.

The vast range of bespoke cre-ations includes kitchens, ward-robes, staircases, tables, chairs,free-standing pieces of furniture,built-in book cases and internaldoors. The client-base includesprofessionals such as architectsand interior designers, as well asindividuals looking for beautifulbespoke furnishings for theirhome. Dominic Ash says, “Whilewe do focus on high end cabi-netry, we also offer some basic

products. A couple recentlywanted some very high end prod-ucts such as a high end kitchenand fireplace surround, but morebasic items for their utility room,so I can cover both aspects.”

Within the manufacturingprocess, Dominic Ash Ltd usesCabinet Vision and Screen To Ma-chine to produce all cabinetryfrom plywood, MDF and veneeredMDFs. They chose to invest in Cab-inet Vision a year ago to make theprocesses more efficient and re-move human error. He says, “It isvery interesting to us that eachcomponent is high precision sothey can assemble perfectly.”

Before implementing CabinetVision, the many processes in-volved for each job were time con-suming and repetitive. “We weretrying to eliminate some of thoseprocesses and the human error.Previously we would draw every-thing in CAD, break it into the com-ponents for the CNC machine, putthose into a DFX file and load thatinto the proprietary software as in-dividual pieces, and then through

into the CNC to create nests. Cabi-net Vision speeds up the processand does away with the need formanual cutting lists.” Now the CADdesigns are imported into CabinetVision where the cabinets are cre-ated, and then Screen To Machinesends the NC code to the three-axis Biesse Skill CNC router.

The company had been seeingtime benefits and were enjoying astreamlined manufacturing pro-cess until recently when the trainedCabinet Vision user left the business.They are now eager to evaluate thesituation and get up to speed againwith the support of the new em-ployee, draughtsman, Ed Muir. Al-though Cabinet Vision is anextensive system with wide-rangingfunctionality, Ed Muir is finding iteasy to learn with no prior experi-ence of using the software, al-though, he says, there is a steeplearning curve. “Cabinet Vision’s bestfeature for me, is keeping every-thing within the master template. Itis very quick to be able to adapt thetemplate to work on a particular job.You can change any element of acabinet, which makes creating new

cabinets so much faster. You caneasily adapt and change any part ofan existing cabinet using the para-metric function,” says Mr Muir.

“This ensures that once a panelor cabinet is created in ‘Job A’, if ‘JobB’ involves a similar cabinet, theparametric function allows us totake the item from ‘Job A’ and moveit to ‘Job B’, adapt the size, andeverything else will follow suit.”

Due to the many bespoke itemsthat Dominic Ash Ltd produces, EdMuir says: “We have different tem-plates of different materials forconstruction as well, so it is reallysimple to drag and drop.”

The company is now setting thefoundations to take it forward withCabinet Vision, and possibly utilisemore of what the software has tooffer. It is aware that investingtime up front will pay dividendslater, as previously the companyhad been more focused on usingit, rather than on how they weregoing to use it in the future.

Dominic Ash envisages thatCabinet Vision will be an integralpart of the processes in the yearsto come as they continue to ex-plore new functions of the soft-ware. “It is a brilliant and veryclever tool. I can see a lot of bene-fits in it and it is probably every-thing I thought it was going to be.For us, we are not a factory pro-ducing the same item time andtime again. We are creating newitems and new methods all thetime, so we are probably exploringCabinet Vision a lot more than theaverage user would.” He has alsobeen impressed by the speed ofthe software when converting de-signs into CAM and accuratelysending NC code to the router, aswell as the “superb” support theyhave received.Dominic Ash Ltdwww.dominicash.co.ukCabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644www.cabinetvision.com

Dominic Ash looks to the future withCabinet Vision



AFTER TAKING their first steps infive-axis machining, a high end,top quality furniture manufac-turer quickly realised it was thebest way forward, and also in-vested in a machine with twofive-axis heads, believed to bethe first one of its kind in the UK.

Having used eight older CMSthree-axis single table and twintable machines for a number ofyears, ercol Furniture researchedhow technology could help themreact to customers’ requirementsquicker.

Roy Graves, who manages op-erations which support the entirefactory, looked specifically at ma-chining and CNC programming,and opted for the Alphacam solu-tion from Vero Software. “Once wehad decided to go down the five-axis route we knew we’d need asoftware that could optimise ourmachine so we could meet evershortening lead times. We partic-ularly liked the Alphacam technol-ogy and what we could do with itand how we could manipulatetoolpaths effectively with it.”

He says that after setting up apowerful CMS Ares machine, therewas “a lot of trepidation” aboutdriving the five-axis simultane-ously, but they quickly discoveredhow easily Alphacam producedthe complex toolpaths. “It meantwe saw immediate benefits inwhat we were able to machine. Theaccuracy of driving it into differentwork planes, and simulating thefull five-axis cutting cycle was sosimple and meant we developedour processes, improving consid-erably on the three-axis methodswe were using previously.”

ercol was founded in 1920, orig-inally based in High Wycombe, be-fore moving to the current 160,000

ft2, purpose-built factory andshowroom in nearby Princes Ris-borough in 2002. The ercol brandof high quality, solid hardwoodproducts includes tables, chairs,cabinets and upholstered furniturefor dining rooms, living rooms,bedrooms and home offices.

Alphacam produces its parts toa very high tolerance, ensuringperfect aesthetics and ease of as-sembly. “It is extremely importantto be able to guarantee the correctlocation of individual sticks, legs,backrests and rails, so they meetother components at the rightplace and at the right angle.”

Following the success with theAres, ercol has now invested in aCMS Pro Evolution machine withtwo five-axis heads, believed to bethe first one of its kind in the UK.“It’s based on a rail module systemwhich takes the components intothe machining centre, carries outthe first part of the machining, andthen exchanges them on the raildisplaying the other side for themachining to continue. It is a fullyautomated process, and con-trolled through Alphacam.”

Working largely with ash andoak, along with smaller quantitiesof beech and walnut, around 90

per cent of the components arenow programmed with Alphacamfor cutting on the CNC machinetools. “We manufacture wholly tocustomer orders. In an averageweek we will produce around 300orders, each consisting of a num-ber of products — and many ofthose separate products will com-prise between ten and 25 individ-ual components. So we aremachining a total of around 2,500parts a week.”

Which he says would be impos-sible without Alphacam. “It notonly saves up to 30% on time, butbecause of its accuracy we are ma-chining everything correctly firsttime. It’s also helped reduce waste,and provides faster set-ups.”

For CNC programmer KieranGunn, the Pro Evolution led to amajor change in his job role. “I feelreally privileged, as I’ve been givenresponsibility to create all the partsthat go on it. I find it exciting thatI’m writing programs for the firstmachine of its kind in the country.Previously, I was a setter, just load-ing and operating the three-axismachines. But now, I’ve beentrained in programming with Al-phacam and I have much moreinput in creating the individualpieces that are assembled togetherto make the finished furniture.”

The components are designedin SolidWorks, and once he has im-ported the CAD file into Alphacamhe creates a bounding box so thathe knows the full dimensions ofthe part. “I add extra stock so I

know the size of the blank piecesof rail I’m going to put into the ma-chine. Then I reposition the modeland assign the material. After that,I put it into reference points in Al-phacam where it will be loadedinto the machine.”

He finds Alphacam’s solid fea-ture extraction function especiallyuseful for taking a face and pro-jecting it into the work plane. “Iuse work planes regularly for thedifferent sides of the part — andmachining styles are also useful tohelp me work quicker and use sim-ilar toolpaths and styles, particu-larly for mortice and tenon joints.”

Kieran Gunn describes the soft-ware as “extremely flexible”, allow-ing different working style forindividuals. A point echoed byKevin Dover, who programs theCMS Ares, and assists on the ProEvolution. He mainly programsseat frames, along with a numberof components from the bendingshop, such as arms and back railsfor stacking chairs, which he saysrequire more complex programs.He imports the SolidWorks file intoAlphacam, uses the feature ex-traction function to finalise geo-metry parameters, and assignstools before outputting the post.

“Whether I am programmingfor the Ares or the Pro Evolution,Alphacam’s versatility means itcommunicates successfully withdifferent types of machines.”

Roy Graves concludes: “UsingAlphacam with the Ares and ProEvolution gives us much fastercycle times. We can now start tolook at reducing our batch sizes,and get down to single batch pro-duction. We are typically lookingto use the improved machiningprocess to change our productionmethods further downstream onthe shop floor. That will enable usto load the factory more often,meaning we can respond quicker,improving our customer turn-around times even more.”ercol Furniturewww.ercol.comAlphacamTel 0118 922 6677www.alphacam.com

Alphacam programmes 5-axis twin head CNC for ercol

SCM’s digital and smart Open HouseOVER 2,500 visitors, includingcustomers and distributors fromall five continents, were wel-comed at the SCM Digital Daysevent, which took place fromJanuary 25 to 27 at the SCMRimini headquarters.

It was the first such event to bededicated to the new woodwork-ing industry trends in the digitalage. Visitors were most curious tosee SCM’s Digital Hub and all thelatest developments in productiontechnology.

Industry professionals arrived atthe SCM Headquarters in Riminifrom all over Europe, Asia, the Mid-dle East and South America.

The event focused on new pro-duction technologies that arebased on digital developmentsand Industry 4.0 concepts, whichcompanies have been adopting inrecent years. Most popular withvisitors were; the SCM TechnologyCentre, where more than fifty op-erating solutions were on display,and the Digital Hub, the event'strue and proper command centre,offering live demonstration of thelatest developments in digital,smart, connected and integratedproduction processes. Hundredsof industry professionals flockedto the Hub to experience for them-selves the immersive augmentedreality wearing the SCM-designedsmart glasses, which allows com-pany service technicians to offerremote and interactive assistanceto customers. A thousand visitorsattended demonstrations of SCMsoftware applications (in Italian,English and German). And a pre-view of an IoT (Internet of Things)network was a major success dur-ing this three-day event amongrepresentatives of companies thatseek to adopt the "Factory 4.0"principles.

The "Work Simple. Work Digital."slogan was the event's catch-phrase, its underlying concept andthe common thread in the entire

display of a series of technologicaland digital innovations, which hadbeen developed in order to makedaily work of industry profession-als simpler and easier, all based ona high level of expertise andknow-how. Indeed, the vision thathas inspired and driven SCM hasalways been focused on tyingtechnical development to thepractical needs of its end usersthrough a systemic study and in-tent listening to their real situa-tions and needs. And today, largefactories as well as small work-shops seek to employ optimisedcustom integrated productionlines, that is, to meet the individ-ual requirements of each taskwithout sacrificing the advantagesof industrial production.

All these concepts make up thedriving force behind SCM's tech-nological innovations, its develop-ment of digital instruments whichmake every production phaseever more customisable.

The Maestro Digital Systems arean SCM project that is a prime ex-ample of this intent. It embracesall the latest woodworking toolsand digital developments.

"The Digital Days were an op-portunity to experience live andfirst-hand the true benefits offeredby the Maestro Digital Systems,"says Luigi De Vito, SCM Wood Divi-sion and Group Sales & MarketingDirector.

"It is an ambitious project. Asign of the times, certainly, butalso of a corporate commitmentand spirit, that is of SCM, whichhas always been at the service ofeach and every woodworking op-erator and followed the real needsof the target market. Change isunderway.

“And SCM is dictating its pace,having presented to thousands ofvisitors who attended this eventmachines and applications thathad been designed to employ allthe latest technological trendsand anticipate future ones, shar-ing the new arguments that drivethe current evolution of our in-dustry and turn them into com-mon assets."

In the Digital Hub, the stand setup at the centre of the SCM Tech-nology Center, visitors could at-tend live demonstrations of thenew Maestro Digital Systems plat-form and instruments: Eye-M, theMaestro eye on the world, is thenext-generation multifunctionand multi-touch operator panel,with a 21.5" screen, which intro-duces the mobile-device feel andapproach to the industrial produc-

tion environment; MaestroSmartech, the innovative remoteassistance and maintenance sys-tem which employs augmentedreality glasses so you can have anSCM technician at your side whileexperimenting with the futurewearable technology; MaestroSuite, the powerful software col-lection with applications for anytype of machining and productionprocesses; Maestro Xplore, a sim-ulation system for integrated cellsand lines based on the use of theOculus 3D virtual reality viewer, abreakthrough in the quest to fullyknow every detail so as to be ableto optimise a production pro-gramme; Maestro Datalink, thehighly innovative IoT (Internet ofThings) tools platform which en-ables the collection of machinedata for later analysis.

These systems are guided bythe Smart Factory concept, aimingto monitor and improve produc-tion processes in order to providea reliable predictive maintenance,which predicts when extraordi-nary maintenance is required andthus minimises production idletimes.

The digital evolution of produc-tion systems requires new skillsand the ability to follow day byday the ever-evolving industrialculture.

One has to be prepared, inshort, to face the new frontiers.Plenty of industrial insights wereoffered during the packed pro-gramme of meetings at the SCMArena during the Digital Days:Tech Talks that focused on trends,



SCM Service Department moves forward in 2018AFTER 18 years at the helm ofSCM Group (UK) Ltd Service De-partment, John Allenby hastaken the decision to moveaside to allow a new chapter inSCM aftercare to begin.

The team John has built overthe years accounts for over 30 en-gineers on the road, a team of six,office based, to support customersremotely and to organise the timeof travelling technicians, plus twoadministrative assistants who linkdaily action with IT systems to cat-egorise, register and evaluate thejobs accomplished. The wholeprocess has been developed in co-operation with SCM’s Italian HQbut has a lo of John’s experience init.

John commented, “I officiallynow have about 18 months leftbefore my retirement date, and soI feel that the time is right to en-courage some new blood, to con-tinue what has already beenestablished. Adam Chambers hasbeen Assistant Manager for anumber of years now and thismove will allow Adam to expandthe Service Department furtherwith some new fresh ideas. Mynew role will not see me disappearhowever, as I will be more focusedon new machine installations. I willbe following the order process all

the way through, to ensure thatthe end user is totally satisfiedwith what they have purchased,which is in line with SCM group’spolicy to strive for customer totalsatisfaction. This role combinedwith H&S and Warranty analysisshould be enough to keep mebusy,” stated John.

The new Service Manager,Adam Chambers, says: “Since 2004I have been part of the SCM familyand now very proud to be headingup the service operations for theUK subsidiary. John Allenby hasbeen, for the past 18 years, instru-

mental to our success and alongthe way we have built a fantasticteam. Our skilled technical team isdedicated and focused on our cus-tomer base and we strive to be thebest. We will continue to provideongoing in house training to ourtechnical team, and to grow ourapprenticeship program. This isvery important to us and provingits worth. All of our successfultrainees have remained within ourbusiness and are at the top level oftheir skill set. My appointment willbe to honour John’s success andcontinue to build the business and

support our valued customerbase. I believe we are in excitingtimes with new technologies andinnovation to get stuck into andwith the strong support of my col-leagues I will strive to achieve ourcommon goal to be the best.”

During the past few yearsAdam, on top of being a very wellrespected CNC specialist and co-ordinator, has developed IT sup-port systems that allow clear andprompt reporting of service visits.Customers benefit from the de-rived clear records of their equip-ment service history, and SCMgrows its knowledge base using italso to cross train and upskill alltechnicians in the team.

Together with the recent intro-duction of new high tech toolsprovided by SCM Italy, we can nowsee ourselves at the forefront ofService capabilities within thewoodworking industry, ahead ofthe curve in a crowded competi-tive arena.

If you would like to know moreabout the new Service SmartGlasses, the Service Contracts, orto congratulate John and Adam,they will be happy to answer callson the number below.SCM Group UK LtdTel 0115 977 0044www.scmgroup.me.uk

Adam Chambers and John Allenby.

strategies and success stories andheaded by SCM experts andspecial guests from leading com-panies. Among these, the IFTRosenheim Institute, regarded asone of the highest technical andscientific authorities on the sub-ject of windows, doors andfaçades, which led discussionscentred on the Smart Home andon the future smartphone-con-trolled windows; Lignum Consult-ing, a consulting firm at theforefront of the wood and furni-

ture industries, which describedthe new Industry 4.0 and the Con-nected Factory technological fron-tiers; representing SCM, ChristianTerfruechte explained "productionmethods and technology in thedigital age", whereas Albin Siegertdescribed the new challengesfaced by machine producers oftaller and taller wood high-risebuildings.

On display at the SCM Technol-ogy Center were new solutions forevery type of industrial produc-

tion processes – from furnitureand boat building to windows anddoors and to wood construction –and the most reliable woodwork-ing machinery to offer them.

A fit companion for all the vari-ous types of production processes,with their specific requirements, isthe powerful Maestro Suite, acomplete software collectionshown at the Digital Days in its lat-est version with its hugely im-proved performance, opensystems that allow all types of con-

nection and full control over ma-chine operations, while makingoperators' work easy and intuitive.Examples include the new Opti-miser for beam saws, which cutscalculation times by 80% and ma-chining waste by 40-50%. Highlysuccessful was also the MaestroWatch supervising system whichoperates independently lines ofintegrated cells.SCM Group UK LtdTel 0115 977 0044www.scmgroup.me.uk





AS ONE of the UK’s leading architectural door and door set manufacturers,Hanson & Beards provides quality and service to all of its customers.

Combining its vast experience and a tradition of craftsmanship with the mostefficient manufacturing techniques, the company ensures that projects can behandled successfully.

Hanson & Beards manufactures everything in house from raw materials but withtwo tired, old three-axis CNC machining centres that were a bit slow and not as ac-curate as they used to be, the company recognised that it was time to look at moremodern five-axis CNC machining centres to improve productivity as well as the qual-ity of machining and gain a much higher accuracy.

Owner, Adrian Hanson, said: “We attended the W16 woodworking show and hada look at all the machines that were available. We wanted two machines and weneeded them to be relatively compact but we really needed a quality machine thatcould cope with two shifts as we normally are running 20 hours a day here.”

Adrian went on to say, “Felder had a very attractive stand, we spoke with them,got on really well and liked the look of the product. From there we were invited tothe showroom, which has a great set up with live demonstrations going on.”

In December 2016 Hanson & Beards purchased two Profit H350 CNC machiningcentres from Felder Group’s Format-4 range.

Adrian commented, “Not only did the product appeal to us but so did the serv-ice, back up and the warranty. It was all exactly what we were looking for! The five-axis machine added the flexibility that a five-axis machine brings but it also reducedour production times and even though the H350 has a small footprint it is still a veryheavy duty machine.

“Since the machines have gone in CNC machining is no longer an issue for us andwe have increased our productivity massively. CNC machining used to be the bigbottle neck in our factory, issues on the old machines meant that pieces had to bere-machined, that has been eradicated now and we get the right product off themachine first time!”Felder Group UK l Tel 01908 635000 l www.felder-group.co.uk

Hanson & Beards turns to Felder Group UK


NEWS

GEORGE Nicholson of BraewickPartnership set up business in2009 on the island of Shetland.His main business is the manufac-ture of 'polycrubs', a particularShetland form of polytunnels(http://www.nortenergy.co.uk/),which can be manufactured atthe rate of one a week with onecompleted approximately everythree weeks, with weather beingan important factor. He can alsoturn his hand to the manufactureof anything, such as gates andhouse refurbishments, as theneed requires.

George recently purchased a La-mont matrix table for its advantagesin speeding up his production and inensuring a perfectly square product.

“I had six gates to make and notenough sash clamps to do it,”George told PW&SS.“By the time Iwould have bought enough I wouldhave spent a quarter of what the La-mont matrix table was. I felt it wasbest to buy the matrix table andhave it for evermore than continu-ally buy clamps, of which you wouldnever have enough.

“I had a corner in the workshopwhere I could set up the machinewithout any problems: it is veryspace saving. It does not limit any-thing you do, and it is easy andquick to use. Most of the work I doon my own: when you have glueand lots of gates and need to gluethem up and clamp quickly beforethe glue goes off, it is much easier todo it with the push of a button withthe Lamont matrix table.”

George chose Lamont as his sup-plier as “It was about the easiest oneto find on the internet. I did speak tosome one else who had a secondhand one coming which I couldhave had in three weeks, or I couldbuy one from Lamont immediately.I chose to go for Lamont.

“I could not find any bad reports

on the internet; he is in Scotland;and the price was right.

“I spoke to Alan [Lamont] on thephone and he is a very genuine fel-low: that is important when buyingtools. I know if I phone him I will getan answer from him quickly and itwill be the right answer. He will al-ways see you right.”

As well as the gates for whichthe matrix table was originallypurchased, George used theclamp to make a toy box for his sixmonth old nephew as a Christmaspresent: the clamp held the boxwhile it was glued up.

George sums up the advantagesof the Lamont matrix table as “Itsaves space, it is easy to operatesingle handed and is guaranteed tobe square. That is a very big thing asthe gates are not complicated, butthere is a lot in them and everything

is very tight, so once you have gotthem all cramped up to move themwould take a bit of effort. By havingAlan's machine I know it is square intwo directions, down and across: ithas to be square as his machine issquare. It is a very good piece of ma-chinery for that type of operation.”

When asked if he would recom-mend it, George replied, “Yes, noproblem. It has a lot of power to dothe job. With sash clamps you feel youare getting a bargain but you can'tget any pressure. This machine has agood amount of power behind it.

“The company is very swift andeasy to deal with: it was a pleasureto deal with Alan. If he said it wasgoing to be delivered on Thursday,it was ready to be delivered onThursday. That was Alan's way ofsaying thank you very much for thebusiness. It was a great help as herein Shetland you know it has to bein Aberdeen at a certain time or it

is not going to get on the boat thatnight and it might spend the nextfew days in Aberdeen at the back ofa shed: machinery and equipmentcan get stuck in Aberdeen for aweek if there are other things in theshed in front of it. Knowing it is onits way when it says it will be is verymuch appreciated.

“We have not had any problemsyet, but I am sure that anything thatdoes arise can be sorted over thephone. Alan would send up to any-thing required with no hassle. He al-ways seemd to be very keen thatyou got the right machine youneeded. He was very genuine, andwent out of his way to explain thedifferences between each machinehe had. It is his name that is on themachine, so he has to be good!”LamontTel 01461 40017Email [email protected]

Lamont matrix table speeds up production

Prompt delivery to Aberdeenfor shipping to Shetland wasvery much appreciated.


NEWS

Look, no hands! Blue Diamond addresseshanded products

A new 130 mm triangular sanding padfor multi-tools

WITH MANY years’ experience inthe production of customisedmechanical components, theengineers at Hampshire com-pany Blue Diamond have identi-fied the propensity ofcustomers to spend thousands

of pounds, unnecessarily, on themanufacture of handed prod-ucts, ie right and left hand ver-sions of the same part.

Careful consideration of the “de-sign for manufacture” aspects ofthese products provides the op-

portunity to reduce cost dramati-cally — customers should not beobliged to order equal quantitiesof left hand and right hand prod-ucts when they are not needed,just because it is not economicalto set-up for smaller productionruns.

It may be possible for parts tobe machined in such a way thatleft hand and right hand featuresare only added at the end of themanufacturing process, allowinghigher numbers of the base part,containing common features, tobe produced more economically.

Blue Diamond endeavours tore-engineer handed parts in sucha way that left hand and right

hand attributes are assigned at theend of the manufacturing process— for example, the handed sub-components can be slotted into,screwed into or welded to themain assembly.

The streamlining of handedparts has become something of aspeciality for Blue Diamond whoexamine all applications to see ifby adapting, or adding matingcomponents, parts can be rotatedor adjusted to fit in such a way thatthe need for handed componentsis completely eliminated.Blue Diamond Technologies LtdTel 023 8025 8966Email [email protected]

FEIN approached Jon Sanders,an experienced bespoke car-pentry & joinery businessowner, to review its 130 mm tri-angular sanding pad whilst op-erating multi-tools in theworkplace.

The Surrey based carpentry andjoinery business fit kitchens, deck-ing, flooring, as well as construct-ing furniture and projectmanaging various shop fittings/retail projects.

Jon says, “I work on very high-end bespoke kitchens a lot of thetime and so it is crucial that thetools I use deliver precise work,with good finishes.”

Jon puts a great amount of em-phasis on planning, delivering allcutting and sanding work in ad-

vance. During such stages Jonuses other tools to deliver the job,but when on the job, the Feinmulti-tool and accessories saveJon valuable time and effort, andprovide the best finish.

Recently Jon needed Fein tosave his bacon whilst deliveringsome bespoke cabinets. He hadsanded them down before lac-quering, using a circular oscillatingmachine with a 3 mm oscillatingpad in order to achieve the sand-ing results he needed. Later in thejob he realised he had forgotten tofinish the backs with a finer grit, sohe pulled out his corded Fein ma-chine, and the new 130 mm pad tohelp. He attached the piece ontothe oscillating machine, placing a180 grit sheet over the sandingpad.

He liked the 130 mm pad as itsecured tightly into the fitting sys-tem, without wobbling when themachine is operated. He found itoutperformed the smaller pad hehad used before in such circum-stances. Despite being bigger hefelt it got into tighter areas, and itwas much easier to manoeuvre.He liked the foam backing withinthe pad itself, offering nice densityand balance. Overall, Jon loved the

new 130 mm sanding pad andsheets, and would highly recom-mend it.

Key benefits to the 130 mmsanding pad:

l Offers the end-user a muchlarger surface area to work onmedium-sized surfaces, providingan alternative to sanders, for mostmulti-tool end users.

l The pad is part of the Star-lock system, so it can attach to themachine easily and fits securely.The pad and the attaching ofsanding sheets is easy to achieve,and the sheets can come as perfo-rated, used with or without dustextraction. There is a plastic carrierplate for preventing damage andmarks on the work piece.

l The 130 mm sanding pad(edge length 130 mm) can be pur-chased as part of a standalone kit,containing the pad and two eachof grit 60, 80, 180 or is available invarious OMT kits, most notably theAnniversary Edition set which waspromoted from September 2017-January 2018. Some are still avail-able at larger dealers. For thoseseeking a bargain, Fein offers amultipack deal containing 61pieces (including circular andsmall triangular pads, sheets and acarbide rasp).Fein Industrial Power Tools UK

LtdTel 01327 308730Email [email protected]/en_uk/

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