PAANNEELL,, WWOOOODD - Home of Panel, Wood & Solid …Group. Manufacturing what are claimed to be the best woodworking machines money can buy, countless cus-tomers worldwide rely on

Format 4 commissions its30,000th machine

see p 4 for the full story

PPAA NN EE LL ,, WW OO OO DD&& SS oo ll ii dd SS uu rr ff aa cc eeIssue No. 81/82 February/March 2015

Also inside this issue:All the latest News: pp 4-17 l Surfaces: The Latest Designs: pp 18-21

CNC Machinery, Equipment & Software: pp 22-28 l Doors: Design & Manufacture: p 3, p 29Woodwaaste & Dust Control: pp 30-33 l For the Smaller Manufacturer: pp 33-35

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 oscillationmarks whilst giving a flatter surface and suitable forsolid wood, veneer and lacquer sanding. Available withsingle or 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 February/March 2015 Page 3

DOORS: DESIGN & MANUFACTURE

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This journal includes editorialphotographs provided and paidfor by suppliers.

Panel, Wood & Solid Surfacesupports the work ofHearing Dogs for DeafPeople

Tel 01844 348100(voice & minicom)Fax 01844 348101email [email protected]

Sliding into 2015 with Glidor

AS A manufacturer of kitchendoors and bedroom doors, BAComponents knew it made per-fect sense to launch its latestrange — Glidor.

Always keen to meet the needsof customers through new prod-uct development, BA Componentshas made the step into the worldof sliding doors.

Glidor is a custom made, fittedsliding door solution. In the past10 years, the UK home has shrunkby 2 m2 and with this comes agrowing demand for better stor-age solutions. One in five homes is

being modified to create morespace due to overcrowding andmore possessions, so with this inmind BA Components wants tomake those lives a bit easier withGlidor.

With Glidor this is exactly whatyou get as it can be used not onlyin the bedroom but also in the liv-ing room, home office and everyarea in the home.

With three ranges, GlidorUrban, Ultra and Unique and over60 colours to choose from, Glidorwill definitely catch your eye.

David Caulfield, Sales and Mar-

keting Director, said: “We havemany very loyal bedroom dealersand for quite some time they havebeen asking us for a sliding solu-tion to complete the BA Bedroomoffer. We wanted to producesomething innovative, interestingand offering a wide choice of bothcolour and texture. Glidor ticks allthose boxes.”

This sleek new range is availablenow and can be viewed online.BA ComponentsTel 028 8676 4600www.byba.co.uk/glidorwww.byba.co.uk/brochures

Page 4 Panel, Wood & Solid Surface February/March 2015

NEWS

AUSTRIAN machine manufac-turing specialists, the FelderGroup, is starting off the NewYear with a celebration of ananniversary machine.

Fulfilling the highest require-ments for professional wood-workers in trade and industrysince 2001, Format-4 has beenleading the way as the premiumbrand of the Felder Group.

The Austrian business based inHall, Tirol, has handed over its30,000th woodworking machine intime for the start of the New Yearon 7th January. The proud newowner, Fritz Oberhauser, hasequipped his workshop in Bavariawith a kappa 550 panel sawthat ticks all the boxes.

Fritz Oberhauser explainedthat the superior build qualityand reliable Austrian engi-neering really sets hismachine apart.

Moreover, “everything froma single supplier”, the FelderGroup company motto, couldnot be more accurate.

Alongside the premiumsliding table panel saw, Fritzhas also invested in an exact63 thicknesser as well as a

complete extraction system. “Thefirst time I visited the factory inHall in Tirol, I was more than im-pressed. The standards and levelof quality are extremely high, yetthe traditional values are still atthe forefront of everything Felderoffers.”

Martin Felder is equally de-lighted with Fritz Oberhauser’s ac-quisition of the kappa 550: “Ourclose relationship with our cus-tomers enables us to take onboard their practical require-ments; which directly informs thedevelopment of our new machineconcepts.

“We are all very proud with the

sale of our 30,000th machine and Iam happy to know that this panelsaw will be in very good hands.”

Format-4 has been an extra-ordinary success story ever sinceits launch at the turn of the mil-lennium, with impressive detailedsolutions, numerous innovationsand patents, maximum operatingcomfort and perfect precision.

True to the motto, offeringeverything from a single supplier,the Austrian machine manufactur-ing specialists develop wood-working machines in combinationwith top of the range software.

The Felder Group provides aperfect, tailor made complete

package that is claimed to be in aclass of its own.

Constant innovation is synony-mous with Format-4 and the latestdevelopments in technology en-able Felder to simulate a cus-tomer’s workshop.

Format-4 is able to configuresolutions to customers’ individualrequirements. Perfect advicealong with tailor made deliveries,commissioning and service, com-plete the Felder Group full serviceoffer.

Numerous international awardssuch as the Bayerische Staatspreis,the IF-Design-Award and theAdolf-Loos-Preis, are testimony of

the passion that underpinsthe demands of the FelderGroup. Manufacturing whatare claimed to be the bestwoodworking machinesmoney can buy, countless cus-tomers worldwide rely on theFelder design and build.

As a result they profit frommaximum productivity andperfection in woodworking.Felder GroupTel 01908 635000www.felder-group.co.ukwww.Format-4.com

Format 4 commissions its 30,000th machine

Managing directors Martin and Hansjörg Felder at the handover of the machine to Fritz Oberhauser at the Format-4 factory in Hallin Tirol. The proud workforce celebrates the 30,000th Format-4 woodworking machine.

NEWS

New BWF website to drive up stair safety & qualityA NEW WEBSITE showcasingsafe, compliant and beautifultimber stairs has been launchedfor architects, specifiers andbuilders by the British Wood-working (BWF) Stair Scheme atwww.bwfstairscheme.org.uk

The website includes casestudies, an image gallery and anessential directory of all StairScheme member firms, givingbuyers peace of mind that theycan easily identify and buy well de-signed, quality manufactured andsafety compliant products from ac-credited and certified suppliers.

The site also includes technicalguidance, downloadable toolboxtalks and other resources for any-one working with stairs, includingthe BWF Stair Scheme installationguide.

Iain McIlwee, BWF chief execu-tive, said: “Stairs remain one of themost common areas for accidentsand, while not all accidents can beprevented, good design and solidquality can make a considerabledifference in driving safety. In ad-dition to safety, sound design andinstallation of a staircase savestime and money.

“Two thirds of all homes sufferfrom squeaky stairs and, in new

build, complaints such as squeaksand springy stairs are a commonarea of complaint for NHBC andmajor housebuilders and representa cost to the building sector.

“Since 2010 we have been work-ing with industry to increase stan-dards for stair manufacture andinstallation in the UK. Through thisnew website we can now deliver aneasy to use and informative direc-tory for anyone looking to sourceaccredited and certified quality de-signs and safety compliant stairs.”

The website was launched fol-lowing a sell-out seminar at theBuilding Centre in December.

More than 120 delegates weregiven a solid introduction to thepracticalities of designing stair-

cases, looking at regulation andstandards, and using a scrapbookof contemporary staircase imagesfound in the press and onlinewhich fail from a regulation andsafety perspective.

Dr Luke Whale, managing direc-tor of C4Ci, provided an insight intothe complexity of a staircase, show-ing a humble staircase can be ascomplicated from structural calcula-tion perspective as a roller-coaster,and explaining how a designer canaccess structural elements of stair-cases to enhance design freedom.

Alex Haw, director of AtmosStudio, also demonstrated how astaircase captures movement in abuilding and how it forms a fun-damental part of the design and

flow of any building. A copy of hispresentation is online atwww.bit.ly/alexhawBWFstair

Each year, there are an esti-mated 450,000 injuries and 650deaths on stairs across the UK,often caused by poor quality andbadly-designed stairs.

After the British Standards Insti-tution (BSI) declared the standard‘BS 585 Wood Stairs’ obsolete in2004, the BWF and timber indus-try responded to confusion fromtimber stair designers and manu-facturers about how to complywith the various UK and EU stan-dards, regulations and codes bysetting up the BWF Stair Scheme.

The BWF Stair Scheme is thegold standard for stair accredita-tion and certification in the UKand represents approximately70% of the timber stair market.BWF Stair Scheme members areregularly audited to ensure qualityand safety, and the Scheme labelprovides customer reassuranceabout standards with every stairbadged with a unique serial num-ber as evidence of accreditation orcertification.British Woodworking

Federationwww.bwfstairscheme.org.uk


NEWS

JOINERS are easy to recognise by the typical movement of theirhands — they lovingly stroke every edge to feel if it was well sanded.

When the German furniture component manufacturer Anawoodneeded a new wide-belt sanding machine, management and staff sub-mitted all brands to a blind test. The clear winner was Kündig.

Manufactured components, for example furniture doors and drawerparts, enjoy increasing popularity with both domestic and commercialcustomers: “Indeed, joiners today require an excellent surface quality andperfect spraying,” states Volkmar Daubner, founder of the furniture com-ponent manufacturer Anawood in Zwönitz, near Chemnitz in Saxony.

A walk through his factory with 25 employees makes it immediatelyclear what he means by that. The most important part of production inAnawood above all is Sanding: sand and sand again.

Large and small sanding machines are running everywhere. Everysmall detail is worked on fastidiously — if necessary, also by hand. “We in-deed have a very high portion of manual labour. Breaking the edges israther unusual with industrial production. However, joiners undertake such detailed work— even if they prefer of course that we do this time-consuming work for them.” Meticulouslycrafted work is one of his best sales arguments, smiles Mr Daubner.

The manufacturing plant, which was established in 2005, had to be extended in 2009.Sanding and spraying equipment play a central role. When it became necessary to replace theaged wide-belt sander. Mr Daubner and his crew drew up a list of required specifications:“Then we tested numerous machines on the market with sample works.” During the searchhe encountered the Swiss precision sanding machine manufacturer, Kündig: “I did not knowKündig at all, but then we tested this machine,” Mr Daubner reports.

Kündig was a clear winner in the blind test: and sanding quality was uppermost in the listof requirements. One can appreciate that, however, only subjectively: “So we sent specimenseverywhere and then compared them without knowing which machine they came from —a real blind test,” says Mr Daubner. The clear result surprised him: “My employees have cho-sen the sanding quality of Kündig as the clear winner — unanimously, without exception.” Theeconomic advantages of Kündig wide-belt sanders further sweetened this fact for him: “Theabrasives really last a very long time.”

Kündig’s exclusive oblique sanding technique has real benefits for him, because the abra-

sives clog less and therefore remain usable for longerperiods of time than usual. The Kündig Brilliant-31350 CCd-X-LL is equipped with two combinationheads with electronic segmental sanding pads. Oneof them can be tilted 10° for oblique sanding. In ad-dition, a cross-belt aggregate, with variable speedsfor lacquer sanding, completes the possibilities.

The impressively equipped machine is extremelyreliable, says Mr Daubner. When he calculates howmany parts are run by the Kündig wide-belt sander,even Mr Daubner is surprised: “There are from 45,000

to 50,000 parts per year which aresanded on average three times.Well, then, in fact it is very reliable.”

Good customer service and alsothe care of Ragnar London ofKündig appeals to Mr Daubner.

He summarises: “The sandingquality is really good. We need a lotless abrasives. And the result of ourtests has also been confirmed inpractice.”

Anawood makes furnituredoors, drawer parts and ornamen-tal parts out of solid wood or withveneers in industrial numbers. Kündig LtdTel 0845 833 0565Email [email protected]

Victory in blind test

Operator, Jan Leichsenring, likes the trouble-free handling of ‘his’ Kündig Brilliant-3 CCd-X-LL:“I work primarily with presets which can be adapted very quickly to every job.”

The machine is equipped with two combination heads, one ofwhich is fitted for oblique sanding, plus a cross-belt head.

l Volkmar Daubner.


NEWS

LONDON Box Sash Windowsstarted as a family business byowner John Ellis in 1981. Joinedby his two sons Patrick and Jackin 2002, they recognised that tokeep up with the volume ofwork they needed to automatesome of their manual processes.Since buying Joinerysoft’s JMSsoftware in 2012 the companyhas grown 30% year on year.

Spending large amounts oftime producing traditional cuttinglists and manually setting out,meant that both Patrick and Jackwere spending 80 hours a week onthe workshop floor and still strug-gling to keep up with demand.Hearing about Joinerysoft’s Join-ery Management Software (JMS)by word of mouth from anotherjoinery manufacturer inducedJohn to have a demonstration.

Even though John was a com-puter novice, the three Ellis’s allrecognised that JMS was the rightanswer. Patrick and Jack as the nextgeneration love the detailed cuttingsheets, which make logical sense ofthe production process. John, whohas been won over by the ‘ease ofuse’ of JMS, two years on remains astrong advocate for the software.

The joinery management soft-ware contains a number of bene-fits for joinery manufacturing;automatic generation of cuttinglists and setting out sheets beingjust one. Promoted by Joinerysoftas suitable for all sizes of manufac-turer from the one man band rightup to those with 20+ joiners andCNC machining centres, the soft-ware incorporates, design, quota-tions, order confirmation, materialordering, production sheets, de-livery notes and invoicing. Makingthis comprehensive solution even

more attractive is compliance withu-value and CE marking regula-tions, as well as providing compli-ance documentation.

Patrick confirms that Join-erysoft has enabled London BoxSash Windows to reduce its pro-duction time. With a strong orderbook stretching four monthsahead, these time savings are crit-ical in managing the business.John believes that software hashelped the company to becomemore efficient: it has also helpedwith recruitment. Work that couldhave taken three days previouslycan now be done in three hourswith JMS. London Box Sash Win-

dows has the confidence to orderglass in advance directly from thematerial order sheets produced byJMS, further reducing delays.

Both Patrick and Jack found thetwo days training on JMS useful,however they both admit, that inhind sight they should have madeuse of Joinerysoft’s offsite training,to escape workshop and customerinterruptions! Since JMS has beeninstalled Patrick and Jack havebeen able to get on top of theirworkload and have more timenow to be able to schedule addi-tional training to keep the busi-ness moving forward.

London Box Sash Windows nowemploys 16 people. Still based inits original unconventional work-shop, an old coaching house inMitcham Surrey, as the businesshas grown they have spread intomore rooms, which include theold stables! Specialists in themanufacture and supply of highquality Accoya timber box sashwindows their product range in-cludes sash windows, casementwindows, doors and a variedamount of bespoke commissions.

London Box Sash Windows usesAccoya wood exclusively for all itssash windows. Accoya wood is ahigh performance wood. Createdfrom sustainably-sourced soft-wood, Accoya undergoes a propri-etary, non-toxic acetylationprocess that permanently modi-fies the wood to the core. The re-sult: an environmentally friendly

solid wood with durability, dimen-sional stability and beauty thatmatches or exceeds even the besttropic hardwood. This enables thecompany to provide a guaranteeddurability of 50 years. There is alsoa 75% reduction in swelling andshrinkage which means the win-dows and doors stay free-slidingand free-swinging all year. Accoyaalso has the added benefit of su-perior resistance to UV exposure,making it naturally insulating.

London Box Sash Windows hasworked hard over the past 10-15years to come up with a high qual-ity product that the company issatisfied with. The lack of com-plaints received and high num-bers of satisfied customersconfirms the company has suc-ceeded in this. Patrick believesthat having software that catersspecifically for the custom joinerythe company produces helps inthis process. He says, “JMS hasmade us more efficient enablingus to reduce our production time,and stand back and take stock ofwhere we are going. The softwarehas helped us to keep up withgrowth and will help us to moveforward into the future.”London Box Sash WindowsTel: 020 8648 [email protected] LtdTel 01608 [email protected]

High performance from London Box Sash Windows & Joinerysoft

RELIED upon extensively throughout the buildingindustry for many years, Caberwood MDF Profrom Norbord is a premium grade MDF with a uni-form density across the board.

It is considered ideal for creating bespoke, versa-tile shopfittings for any space.

Suitable for straightforward machine and surfacefinishing, and available in six standard sizes, it offersall the benefits of timber without the natural defects.

It is also designed to look good and is ideal for most high quality paintand surface finishes including the application of paper foils and veneersto suit individual tastes.

The product is made in Scotland and is easy to saw, drill, shape androut without splintering or chipping.

In addition, Caberwood’s high quality fibres and internal bondstrength mean that the product boasts superior screw and fastener com-pared to other types of panel product, according to the company.

As with all Norbord products, Caberwood MDF is made from timbergrown in sustainably-managed European forests and certified to ForestStewardship Council (FSC) standards. It also conforms to European E1emission standard, complies with BS EN 622: Parts 1 and 5, and carriesthe CE mark.Norbord l Tel 01786 812921 l www.norbord.co.uk


NEWS

Cut your gluing time from hours to secondswith a refurbished woodwelder from Lamont

Tel 01461 40017 l [email protected]

PERI LTD, believed to be theworld’s largest provider and man-ufacturer of formwork and scaf-folding systems, hasstrengthened its plywood andpanel products division with theappointment of Paul Cousins asNational Panel Products Manager.

Paul, whose new role will seehim front PERI’s growing panels di-vision, has 24 years’ experience inthe timber trade and joins PERIfrom Panel Supplies Ltd where heworked within the internationalplywood group’s sales team. Priorto Panel Supplies, he has workedas managing director at Log CabinCompany for five years, while alsospending 11 years at Finnforestwhere he was Regional Sales Man-ager for panel products.

Based in Brentwood, PERI willbe looking to utilise Paul’s experi-ence in the timber industry as thecompany looks to become thepreferred chosen supplier of panelproducts. Boasting a steadily in-creasing product range, PERI canalso manufacture plywood sheets

in various sizes, thicknesses andgrades, meaning the most suitableoffering of all panel products fromfoundation to roof are readilyavailable for its customers.

Working closely with PERI’s Ger-man team, Paul will be tasked topromote both PERI’s durable andsafe plywood panels to the con-struction industry, as well as a fullrange of plywood, MDF, OSB andchipboard. Paul said: “I am de-lighted to have the opportunity towork within a global companythat is both forward-thinking andhas a proven record selling panelproducts at an international level.

“The ever expanding range ofpanel products that PERI has tooffer makes it an exciting oppor-tunity to be a part of. I am lookingforward to working with the teamand making a real contribution toproviding further growth for PERI’spanel division across the UK.”PERI LtdTel 01788 861600Email [email protected]

Paul Cousins joins Peri

Caberwoodfor sturdyshopfittings

JOIN the Rt Hon Edward Davey, MP, Secretary of State for Energy & Cli-mate Change, and Leader of the Green Party Natalie Bennett as theygo head to head in debate over the conundrum of ‘greening the grid’.

Taking place on Tuesday 3rd March 2015 during Ecobuild (3rd-5thMarch 2015) at London’s ExCeL, the question on everyone’s lips is: howwill the next government take on the low-carbon energy baton if it is a

vote loser?Edward Davey and Na-

talie Bennett will be joinedby Baroness Worthington,Shadow Spokesman for En-ergy & Climate Change,House of Lords; and the RtHon Peter Lilley, MP, Mem-ber, Energy & ClimateChange Committee.

Book your free seat to thishighly anticipated sessiontaking place between 12 noon and 1 pm in Ecobuild’s North Arena by visiting the website and registeringfor the event. Your ticket also gains you access to Ecobuild’s full conference and seminar programme andthe marketplace for sustainable products and solutions from over 800 exhibiting companies.

The Climate Change Act commits the UK to reducing emissions by 80% by 2050 and the EU has set atarget of at least a 40% reduction by 2030. The EU target includes sourcing 27% of all energy fromrenewables by 2030.

Alison Jackson, Group Director of Sustainability & Construction, Ecobuild, said: “We need to replaceour ageing, polluting power stations with low-carbon alternatives but cash-strapped consumers are frus-trated by green levies on bills, and a powerful lobby is opposing wind and solar projects. How will the nextgovernment tackle this issue?”Ecobuild l www.ecobuild.co.uk


NEWS

Datum Tools LtdTel 01892 667800 www.flipstop.com

Low-carbon electricity just one of the topics at Ecobuild

A NEW LIGHTWEIGHT 110 voltsander is being launched byabrasives specialist Mirka, en-abling builders and construc-tion workers to sand on siteeffectively.

The 110 V DEROS comes asstandard in a yellow Mirka casewith 125 mm and 150 mm back-ing pads. A Deco Solution Kit isalso available and includes thestandard 110 V DEROS sander plusa 4 m hose and a variety of thepatented Abranet 150 mm discs inpacks of 10.

The DEROS sander plugs into a110 V power supply allowing usersto meet site regulations. It is suit-able for multiple sanding opera-tions delivering a rapid,economical, consistently powerfulperformance comparable to aconventional 500 W electricmachine, even under heavy load.

The sander has a ‘closed con-struction’ which prevents dustfrom entering the motor, avoidingtypical wear and tear damage ex-perienced by electric machines,

prolonging its lifespan and mak-ing it low maintenance.

DEROS’ low profile keeps thehand close to the surface to besanded, delivering good controlover the sanding process. Its longbody encompasses a two-hand er-gonomic grip effective for heavysanding applications, minimisingvibration levels and reducing armfatigue, which decreases the riskof Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome.

The sander also has a soft startfunction, a built-in electronic motorbrake and a smooth, easy to oper-ate level to control and maintain aconstant motor speed. An innova-tive backing pad acts like a seal tominimise air leakage between thepad and the shroud, making dustextraction more efficient.

As with all Mirka electricsanders the 110 V DEROS comeswith a 2+1 year warranty whenregistered online.Mirka (UK) LtdTel 01908 866100Email [email protected]

110 V sander from Mirkamakes light work of sanding


NEWS

MAKITA UK is celebrating 100 years of global business and markingthis benchmark occasion with a portfolio of 100 different cordlesspower tools that all use the same 18 volt lithium-ion battery. Thismeans that if a Makita power tool owner has only one 18 V Makitalithium-ion battery he could still power over 100 different productswith that single battery! This is confidently expected to be thelargest inventory of power tools ever manufactured by one companythat fits one single battery format.

Since 2005, when Makita became the pioneering tool manufacturer tolaunch lithium-ion powered cord-less tools, the company’s marketshare has risen consistently to be-come what is believed to beBritain’s number 1 professionalpower tool manufacturer. TheMakita 18 V lithium-ion platformhas featured increasing torque out-puts from tools continually reduc-ing in overall weight and size withconsistently longer battery life andwhat is believed to be the fastestcharge time of any power tool bat-tery in its class. Tools in the rangeare powered by 2.0 Ah, 3.0 Ah, 4.0Ah and now 5.0 Ah variants. The lat-est developments in this rich sagais the twin-18 V concept where two18 V lithium-ion batteries are em-ployed to power one tool and de-liver a mighty 36 V of power.

The ‘100 professional cordlesspower tool range’ includes justabout every type of power tool avail-

able, anywhere! From entry level drill drivers and impact tools, to screwdrivers,staplers, planers, jointers, circular saws, in fact saws of every type, sanders,grinders, vibrating tools, steel cutters, blowers, caulking guns and sprayers,radios, torches, vacuum cleaners and even a coffee maker, and every singleproduct is bursting with the most advanced innovations and technologies toensure maximum performance with comfort and safety guaranteed.

Then of course there is the rapidly expanding grounds maintenance,landscaping and gardening range for grounds care contractors, professionalgardeners and domestic users offering lithium-ion battery powered hedge

trimmers, mowers, chainsaws andgrass trimmers. Makita’s lithium-ionbatteries are also used to powerheated jackets for winter warmthon site and around the rugby pitch!

Away from the official Makita‘100 professional cordless powertool range’, this ubiquitous 18 Vlithium-ion battery has deliveredits many attributes to win the Wa-tercraft Makita Cordless CanoeChallenge for battery poweredriver craft; it has been used topower the fastest UK motorbiketravelling at up to 186 mph in justseven seconds; to deliver addedpower to a unique Makita brandedbicycle and even power the small-est vehicle in the world built forTop Gear’s Richard Hammond.Makita (UK) LtdTel 01908 211678Email [email protected]

100 Makita products powered with just one battery!


NEWS

FOR CENTURIES, bead detailshave been used by craftsmen todecorate fine pieces of furni-ture. The delicate lines and care-fully rounded edge add a subtleelegance to even the most utili-tarian cabinets.

Architects, designers and con-sumers have rediscovered thisstyle and consequently, demandfor beaded face-frame cabinets ison the rise.

The most common approach isto construct the face frame withsquare profiles and to apply a sep-arate bead moulding.

The major disadvantage is thetime required to produce the com-pleted frame.

Other problems which arise in-clude mismatched grain andcolours as well as mismatchedmitre joints due to inconsistentbead moulding.

Another big concern is the po-tential for glue-joint separationbetween the square profile andthe bead moulding.

Even small cracks are especiallyobvious on painted cabinets andoften require on-site touch-up andrepair.

An unsatisfied customer or acall-back, damages not only thecabinet shop’s reputation, but alsoits bottom line.

Clearly, the best way to producebeaded face frames is to start with

Beaded face frame

machines


NEWS

a profile which is beaded. All of theabove mentioned disadvantagesare avoided.

The Hoffmann Beaded FaceFrame System offers furniture andcabinet makers of all sizes a fast,precise and efficient way to man-ufacture beaded face frames.

Starting with beaded profilesthe stiles are notched and the railsare coped on a fixed-blade,MORSO guillotine-style notchingmachine Model NF.

For a standard stile-to-rail con-nection, this operation takesabout five seconds with theMORSO NF manual notchingmachine.

A second step takes place on aHoffmann dovetail routing ma-chine equipped with special fix-tures for notched profiles.

Dovetail keyways are routed inall mating parts and the frames areassembled by simply applyingsome glue and inserting Hoff-mann Dovetail Keys.

The frames can be sandedand finished immediately uponassembly.

The notching machines are sup-plied complete with an instruc-tional video.

The routing machines are set-up with a complete fixture set toprocess stiles and rails, but canalso be used to process regular

mitre joints and butt joints. Solidcarbide dovetail bits are installedand the machines are delliveredready for operation.

MORSO machines are manufac-tured by the Dan-List Company inDenmark. This family owned com-pany has been building qualitywoodworking machines since1911 and enjoys a reputation forreliable, high quality products andoutstanding customer support.

Hoffmann Dovetail RoutingMachines are made in Germanyand available as manual andpneumatic bench top models oras free-standing production ma-chines. The pictured models arethe company’s standard models:Hoffmann also offers many differ-ent design variations to suit spe-cific production requirements.

Both machines are available ex-stock from Hoffmann MachineCompany Ltd, Unit 8, BorrowdaleBusiness Park, Whitegate, More-cambe, Lancs LA3 3BS. Brochuresand information are available fromthe details below.Hoffmann Machine Company

LtdTel 01524 841500Email [email protected]


NEWS

WHEN THE MANAGER of thescenic workshop at the world-famous Royal ShakespeareCompany (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon had to decide re-cently which make of verticalpanel saw should replace an eld-erly model, he plumped for aStriebig Compact.

The workshop is housed in alarge, modern building in StratfordEnterprise Park on the outskirts ofthe town.

It is here that a 70-strong highlyskilled team, which includes 16joiners and 12 carpenters plussupport staff, produce nearly all ofthe sets needed for RSC produc-tions staged in its theatres in Strat-ford as well as in London andother venues.

Scenic Workshop manager, PaulHadland, a veteran of over 30years with the RSC, said: “The 20-year-old wall saw we had beenusing was getting past its sell-bydate, so after I was given the go-ahead to buy a new one I began tolook through the internet for asuitable replacement.

“I narrowed down the choice toa Striebig and one other make andcame to the conclusion that al-though the Striebig was the moreexpensive of the two, it was amuch better quality machine andideal for us.”

Following a visit from a repre-sentative of TM Machinery Sales,

the sole UK distributor of theSwiss-made saws, who advised MrHadland which model would bebest for the RSC’s specific require-ments, he placed an order for aStriebig Compact 4220.

The easy-to-operate saw is usedby the joiners and carpenterschiefly to size a variety of wood-based panels, plus the occasionalplastic panel.

“One of the main reasons I de-cided to go for the Striebig wasbecause of the cutting accuracy itpromised, and I have not been dis-appointed,” said Mr Hadland.

“For example, each productionrequires its own stage covering, soif any of the sections we makehere are out of true by even thesmallest amount they will not fittogether on site.”

In addition to improved sizingaccuracy the Compact has alsocud down the time it takes to sizethe polycarbonate sheeting usedin the sets.

“These come in sheet sizesmeasuring 6 m long x 2,050 mmbut because the were too big togo on to the old saw, which couldonly cope with a maximum sheetheight of 1,900 mm, we had tomanually saw a strip off each oneso that it would then fit on,” saidMr Hadland.

As the Compact model theworkshop bought has a cuttingrange of 3,100 x 2,200 mm this ad-

ditional laborious task is no longernecessary.

Striebig Compact series ma-chines are available in nine framesizes to suit all requirements.

They feature central supportand small parts support over theentire length of the saw, makingthe cutting of small work piecesvery easy.

They have a powerful 3.9 kWmotor coupled with a maximumcutting depth of 60 mm, allowingfor multiple cutting of thin panels.

The Compact is suitable for cut-ting practically all sheet materials,including MDF, plaster board, plas-tics and aluminium panels.

All models are now available inversions incorporating an auto-matic cut cycle facility to makethem even more productive.TM Machinery SalesTel 0116 271 7155Email [email protected]

Striebig takes centre stage at Royal Shakespeare Company

The Striebig Compact bought for the scenic workshops at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre inStratford-upon-Avon.

Workshop manager, Paul Hadland, is extremely satisfied with theStriebig Compact wall saw.

COMBILIFT LTD is to invest €40million over the next two yearsin a new manufacturing facility,which will also create 200 addi-tional jobs over the next fiveyears. This announcement wasmade by An Taoiseach EndaKenny along with the Ministerfor Jobs, Enterprise and Innova-tion, Richard Bruton, on a visitto Combilift’s current HQ inMonaghan town on Friday 6thFebruary.

This expansion will enable Com-

bilift to proceed with its plan todouble its current €150 millionturnover over the next five years.The majority of the 200 new jobsto be created will be for skilledtechnicians and design engineersand a further 200 jobs will also becreated during the two year con-struction period of the new facility.

Combilift has recently pur-chased 40 hectares of industrialzoned land on the Monaghan by-pass where the new purpose-built,40,000 m2 greenfield manufactur-

ing site will be built. This will in-clude a dedicated Research andDevelopment building and adjoin-ing administrational offices and willbe more than double the size ofboth of the company’s presentmanufacturing facilities. These arecurrently in Monaghan Townwhere Combilift’s forklift ranges areproduced and in Clontibret, wherethe Straddle Carrier range is built.

Combilift is best known for itswide range of multi-directionalforklifts, Aisle-Master articulatedforklifts and other innovative ma-terial handling solutions such asthe Combilift Straddle Carrier de-signed to handle large containersand over-sized loads. The com-pany was set up by managing di-rector Martin McVicar andtechnical director Robert Moffettin 1998 and thanks to the contin-ued 7% investment of turnover inR&D, Combilift has produced in

excess of 24,500 units since 1998.It currently employs over 300people at its two facilities andproducts are exported to over 75countries.

Commenting, Martin McVicarsaid: “With this greenfield invest-ment and sufficient land availableon the new site for future expan-sion, Combilift is committed tocontinuing its organic growth inMonaghan for many years tocome.”

He also stated that “Combilift,on behalf of the mid-Tier Irish en-gineering companies is verypleased to announce that it is inthe process of submitting anApprenticeship Application toaccredit our employees andemployees of other Irish engineer-ing companies as ‘Original Equip-ment Manufacturers (OEM)technicians’. This apprenticeshipaims to educate technicians to becompetent in hydraulics, electrics,and troubleshooting diagnostics.”

Welcoming the announcement,An Taoiseach Enda Kenny said: “Itis growing and dynamic Irish com-panies like Combilift which aredriving a recovery across Ireland’sregions. Combilift’s new €40 mil-lion facility in Monaghan will makea profound difference to the localeconomy and the national exporteconomy.” Minister for JobsRichard Bruton, who has been ac-companied by Combilift on sev-eral Enterprise Ireland trademissions around the world sincetaking office, said: “Combilift is aworld-class Irish exporting com-pany, developing and manufac-turing cutting edge products in aregional location for sale abroad,creating employment for hun-dreds of people in Monaghan.”Combilift LtdTel ++353 47 80500Email [email protected]


NEWS

Martin McVicar, An Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Robert Moffett.

Combilift announces €40 million investment in newmanufacturing facility


NEWS

OSMO UK’s eco-friendly UV-Protection-Oil has been used to safe-guard, restore and rejuvenate a Gothic Revival porch at an 18th Cen-tury listed property in Cambridgeshire.

The porch had been deteriorating forsome time but after an incident with a lorry,the owners decided it was time to restore it.Andrew and Mark Hoskins, antique restora-tion specialists, brought it back to life and re-instated it to its former glory, using Osmo’sUV-Protection-Oil to not only protect thewood, but also to enhance its naturalbeauty.

“The woodwork repairs were a real jigsawof reusing everything possible. We neededto replace about half of the timber and usedmuch of the original wood for patching upjoints and decorative details. Once work wascomplete, we needed a product that wouldprotect the wood as well as maintain itsbeauty,” commented Mark Hoskins.

The existing varnish was scraped and sanded by hand before a clear-wood preservative was applied as a foundation. Once dry, two coats of

UV-Protection-Oil were applied with a brushand cloth. A combination of clear, cedar, oak,walnut, rosewood and patina grey tints wasused.

It is common knowledge that weathercan have a damaging effect on wood. Osmodeveloped UV-Protection-Oil to address thisissue by integrating clear UV protection intoan oil-based pigment-free finish, which en-sures the natural appearance of the wood ismaintained. Osmo UV-Protection-Oil is asatin-matt, clear finish designed for interiorand exterior application. Based on naturaloil, the finish does not crack, flake, peel orblister. It is moisture regulating and reducesswelling and shrinking of the wood.Osmo UKTel 01296 481220 l www.osmouk.com

From Gothic to Glorious with Osmo UK

HELD EVERY TWO YEARS, theWorldSkills Competition is thelargest vocational educationand skills excellence event in theworld. The competitors repre-sent the best of their peers andare selected from skills compe-titions held in member coun-tries and regions. The technicalabilities demonstrated both in-dividually and collectively to ex-ecute specific tasks arerigorously measured.

A proud sponsor of the compe-tition, Starrett has supplied a com-prehensive set of measuringequipment that contestants andmentors are using to check andprove their abilities.

A global hub for skills excel-lence and development throughinternational co-operation anddevelopment between industry,government, organisations and in-stitutions, WorldSkills promotesthe benefits of and need for skilled

professionals through grass-rootscommunity projects, skill compe-titions and knowledge exchange.It highlights how important skillseducation and training is foryouth, industries and society bychallenging young professionalsaround the world to become thebest in the skill of their choice.

Head of furniture studies atChichester College, Christian Not-ley is also WorldSkills UK trainingmanager for cabinet making. Heexplains that the competition isthe world’s largest professional ed-ucation event.

“Competitors from the UK willface entrants from over 60 coun-tries and regions in North andSouth America, Europe, Asia,South Pacific and Africa. They willtake on similar challenges thatprofessionals in their chosen disci-pline would encounter. They willbe measured and must meet in-ternational standards of quality if

they are to finish in a medal posi-tion, or even win,” says Mr Notley.

Supporting the cabinet making,carpentry and joinery skill entrantsthe high quality measuring equip-ment supplied by Starrett is worthseveral thousand pounds. It in-cludes 300 mm combination setwith square, centre and reversibleprotractor heads and regularblades; 150 mm electronic digitalcalipers; 175 mm and 300 mm ProSite protractors; steel square sets;173MCT mm reading thicknessgauge with tapered leaves rang-ing from 0.03 to 0.50 mm thick-ness; Starrett 59A trammel heads;1,000 mm satin chrome steel rule,and long range 1,000 mm elec-tronic digital calipers.

Each of these three skills sup-ported by Starrett has a number ofyoung people competing at vari-ous events for just one place intheir discipline at the WorldSkillscompetition in August 2015,

which for the first time will be heldin Sao Paulo, South America. Theevent is expected to surpass therecord number of competitorsregistered for the competition,WorldSkills 2013 held in Leipzig,Germany, which attracted nearly1,000 participants from 53 coun-tries and regions who competedfor medals in 46 skills.

Christian Notley says: “Skillscompetitions are held around theworld to showcase and inspireworld-class excellence in skills andintroduce young people to a vari-ety of skilled careers.

“These provide us with the op-portunity to see how well the con-testants work under the pressureof being constantly watched andtimes, as well as their ability to fol-low the instructions issued.”The LS Starrett Company LtdTel 01835 863501Email [email protected]

Starrett supplies measuring equipment to WorldSkills


NEWS

ALROW Services, a family-runproperty maintenance businessbased in Gateshead, Tyne &Wear, is an enthusiastic user ofNorbord’s SterlingOSB.

One of the most versatile tim-ber board products on the market,SterlingOSB is widely used in con-struction, repair and maintenancefor everything from partitioning toflooring. But Alrow’s most fre-quent use of the product is inboarding-up vacant properties ortemporarily securing broken win-dows and doors. “We often havechallenges — usually at very shortnotice — for which we offer anemergency service and use OSB,”explains founder and managingdirector, David Phillips.

“We have accounts at quite afew national suppliers — Plum-base, Parts Centre, Howdens …and Travis Perkins. The latter iswhere we purchase all our build-ing materials, including NorbordSterling OSB,” adds David.

The company also carries asmall stock of 9 mm SterlingOSBitself, as boarding up tends to hap-pen out-of-hours. “We generallyuse half-inch [9 mm] for boardingup, though recently we used somethree-quarter [18 mm] OSB for a

roof job,” says David. This job was,in fact, the re-roofing of the AOneBusiness Centre where Alrow hasits headquarters.

“Four years ago, I put together ateam of chaps I knew who were alllooking for office space when abuilding came up for sale in mystreet,” says David. “We eventuallypurchased the flat-roofed officeand, after a £40k refurbishment,we created AOne Business Centre.”

The building now has ten offices,all rented out to small businesses.But three more years passed beforethe team could raise enoughmoney for essential repairs to theleaking flat roof. “In July, we finallyhad the roof replaced using Nor-bord three-quarter-inch OSB sup-plied by our local branch of TravisPerkins,” says David. “It’s not ourmain business, replacing roofs, butwe have a range of sub-contractorswhich undertake our repairs so wehad a felt-roofer on hand to under-take the work.” Because the officeswere occupied, it was not possibleto remove the old roof, so it was de-cided to over-board the existingstructure. “It was the easiest andleast disruptive route,” says David.

However, the team had “a few is-sues” with the 1960s guttering

which was hidden behind a brickfacia, creating an inbuilt channel,says David. “This was causing mostof the leaks. The solution was todrop the brick facia, level off thewall using strips of Norbord OSBcut for us by Travis Perkins andfixed into the top edge of the brick-work. We then fixed an OSB faciaover-cover with PVCu facia boardand deep flow guttering.” Finally,the roofer over-boarded the old

roof with more than 60 sheets of 18mm SterlingOSB before finishingwith three layers of hot-laid felt.

Using SterlingOSB is somethingthe company does do on a routinebasis, and installing the new roofwas no great challenge. “It was agreat success: we have a watertightroof at last!” says David.NorbordTel 01786 812921www.norbord.co.uk

Alrow puts its faith in SterlingOSB from Norbord

Pictured is a before and after image of how Alrow Services usesNorbord’s SterlingOSB.

THE STRENGTH and versatilityof SmartPly OSB3 has been usedto create the curved green roofof Britain’s latest motorwaylandmark.

The new M5 service station atBrookthorpe in Gloucester is de-signed to sit within its Cotswoldlandscape, with an undulatinggreen roof constructed over aSmartPly OSB3 structural roof deck.

SmartPly OSB is a logical choicefor the roof decking at Gloucester

service station. It offers a fully FSCcertified alternative and carries theCE mark in accordance with theConstruction Products Regulation.

The building, designed by AFLarchitects, is designed to set a newstandard and provide a sustain-able model on the motorway net-work. Set within the CotswoldArea of Outstanding NaturalBeauty, it was vital that the build-ing design and material specifica-tion reflects this location.

Elements have been designedwith a low impact on their imme-diate landscape and the environ-ment, with the aim being to retainthe long distance views the site af-fords. An integrated approach wastherefore taken to landscape andbuilding form. The buildings aresite specific, intended to appear asif knitted seamlessly into thelandscape.

Defined by its roof, the organicshape and height combined with

the natural surface help to softenthe building profile. Installed bySpan Roofing, SmartPly OSB3 wasthe obvious choice over which toconstruct the green roof.

18 mm SmartPly OSB3 wasfixed directly to the structuralmetal decking to create the undu-lating roof, which appears to becurved in two planes. An ‘intensive’green roof application, intendedto be viewed as both a decorativeand ecological feature, has certaindemands when it comes to theloading imposed by the substrateand planting. The roof of theGloucester service station is a typ-ical cold, intensive green roof withhydroseed. The final finish isachieved using a wildflower mix, amesh of drought tolerant plantsthat are sustained with naturalrainfall, with no need for a dedi-cated irrigation system.

The strength of SmartPly OSB3makes it ideal for a variety of struc-tural applications in humid condi-tions including protected externalenvironments, such as roofing, floor-ing, hoarding and wall sheathing.Coillte Panel ProductsTel 01322 424900www.smartply.com

The smart green roof of Gloucester with SmartPly OSB3


SURFACES: THE LATEST DESIGNS

THE NEW Kronospan Trend collection 2014-15 has been pre-sented in the last few weeks.

A collection of 13 melamine face chipboards is combining newConcrete patterns, a popular Oak selection (URBAN & CRAFT) andcompleted with a heavywalnut selection. Last butnot least also keeps theFresh Loft Pines.

Hranipex is proud topresent what are believedto be the best ABS edgematches for the KronospanTREND collection.

ABS edges have beencarefully produced to keepthe MFC decor structure:see the table below.

Edges are available from1 m, or in full unrewindedrolls. If you are looking forfast delivery, Hranipex willoffer next day for all avail-able decors.

Any special width can beprepared per request froma Jumbo roll.

If you need 28 mm or 32mm, for example, manag-ing director AlexandrAlexandrov MSc confirmsyou can order it from 1 roll(MOQ)! It can be deliveredwithin 10 working daysmaximum. Perfect serviceand prices from Hranipex.Hranipex LtdTel 0121 767 [email protected] www.hranipex.co.uk

Hranipex is proudto match decorsfor the UK market!

Kronospan Trend 2014/15 Hranipex Express Collection Codes Dimensions Available on UK stock within 24 hr Jumbo

K001 PW 24001 22 x 0.45 mm, 22 x 2 mm, 42 x 2 mm, 22 x 0.45 mm preglued YES









K010 HE 25010 22 x 0.45 mm, 22 x 2 mm, 42 x 2 mm, 22 x 0.45 mm preglued YES

K011 HE 254032 22 x 0.45 mm, 22 x 2 mm, 42 x 2 mm, 22 x 0.45 mm preglued YES

4298 NT 294298 22 x 1 mm, 42 x 1 mm YES

4299 NT 294299 22 x 1 mm, 42 x 1 mm YES


SURFACES: THE LATEST DESIGNS

SO another year has passed and,as we wave goodbye to 2014and say ‘Hi’ to 2015, it’s all aboutwhat’s hot and what’s not. It isheating up in the kitchen stakes,with the Pantone colour for2015 just announced asMarsala, but will this be intro-duced into the kitchen?

BA Components’ Head of Prod-uct Development, Kieran Mc-Cracken, gives us his views onupcoming trends.Colour mixing cabinetsThe colour-mixing trend has takenoff massively in 2014 and we haveseen this trend pop up all over theInternet. People are no longer opt-ing for the ‘safe’ option when itcomes to the kitchen, but daringto be different.

Kieran, how can we follow thetrend of this Pantone colour?

“As the Marsala colour is a redtone, opting for two colours in the

kitchen would allow you to intro-duce the Marsala colour withouttotal commitment.”

Presenting two colours to thekitchen introduces the fun factorand allows you to have your basecabinets a different colour to thewall cabinets, or you could opt fora different coloured kitchen island.Matt kitchensWe are seeing Matt kitchens pop upa lot. Can you tell us more about thistrend?

“It has been all about the glossfor the past few years but we areseeing an increase in the demandfor a matt finish.”

We asked Kieran about noticingthe even more popular texturedmatt finishes.

“Yes, not only do they lookgreat but these finishes are ideal ina family home because you won’tsee the finger marks as much asyou would on a gloss door.”

Gloss kitchensWe won’t be seeing the death ofthe gloss door, according toKieran. In fact, with the softcolours, gloss is still very popularand seen as a modern optionwhen you team this look withhandle-less doors. Indeed, handle-less doors were covered in a blogentry dated 4 November 2014 onthe BA Components website,byba.co.ukWood grainHaving visited several countries in2014, Kieran tells us how woodgrains are coming back into fashion.

“In mainland Europe there hasbeen a surge in demand for woodgrain finishes. So rest assured thistrend will sweep this directionvery soon.”Mix and matchIf you have limited space and asmall kitchen then the trend ofmixing finishes would work well.

This look is gaining momentum as“people are mixing light unicolourmatt wall doors with contrastingbase doors in gloss to reflect thelight.

“This can also be seen with themixing of strong wood grains usedin base units or islands and matt orgloss light unicolour used on wallunits, this is to reflect the light andworks especially well when youhave a North facing kitchen withlittle direct sunlight, or a kitchenwith small windows.”

So there you have it, the kitchentrends for 2015. What will you optfor?

Illustrated above are the stun-ning Verona Paintable kitchendoors from BA Components’ Bellarange.BA ComponentsTel 028 8676 [email protected]

Kitchen Trends for 2015 with BA Components

THE COMPLETE RANGE ofArtCAM artistic CAD/CAM soft-ware has been upgraded withmore options to create complex2D and 3D designs. In addition,new modules have been intro-duced to further extend thecapabilities of ArtCAM Express.

ArtCAM ExpressArtCAM Express is the entry-levelversion in the range, offering 2Ddrawing, over 600 free pieces ofrelief clipart, and 2D and standard3D machining functions. A rangeof modules is available to addextra functionality.

The 2015 release includes new

tools to speed up the editing ofvectors. Firstly, selection of vectorshas been made easier and quicker.Dragging the mouse across anyarea of a model now selects all thevectors either completely or par-tially within that area.

Selection can also be made of aset of nodes, either from a singlevector or from a group of vectors.Once selected, the group of vec-tors or the set of nodes can be ed-ited simultaneously in either the2D or the 3D view.

Movement of relief clipart andvectors has been made simplerand more accurate with the abilityto specify the exact distance to be

moved. The ability to create andedit text has been extended sothat now all users can write text inthe 3D view as well as writing texton a curve as well as rotating, scal-ing and angling text after creation.

CNC machining is often easier ifall the vectors are in either theclockwise or anticlockwise direc-tion. ArtCAM Express can nowidentify all vectors created in onedirection automatically, ratherthan having to check each vectorin turn.

Users that create 3D designs

from importing 3D models orusing ArtCAM’s free relief clipartwill appreciate the new combinereplace tool. This allows reliefs tobe overlapped and intersected togive more complex designs.

Four new add-on modules arenow available for ArtCAM Express.The toolpath-panelling module al-lows larger jobs to be divided intosections for machining and re-assembly once cut. With the bevel-carving module, a hand-carvedlook with bevelled edges can beadded to frames, moulds or signs.Multiple items with different texton the same basic design can becreated with the multi-plate mod-ule using data from text or csvfiles. Finally, the new fluting mod-ule allows ramping moves in andout of the material to creategrooves or textured surfaces. Thisuses the vectors together with thegeometry and motion of the cut-ting tool.

The existing modules for ad-vanced 2D machining and nestinghave been enhanced to allowbridges associated with a group ofvectors to be amended simultane-ously, while the vector-tools mod-ule has a new option wherebyvector layers can be preservedwhen a selection of vectors arecopied and pasted.

ArtCAM InsigniaArtCAM Insignia combines all thefunctionality in Express with addi-

Create and edit vector text in the 3D view. Write text then rotate,scale and angle it as well as write text on a curve live!


CNC MACHINERY, EQUIPMENT & SOFTWARE

ArtCAM 2015

This draining board was created in ArtCAM Express together with the Fluting module.

The ArtCAM Express Multi-Plate module is a quick and simplemethod of creating production plates, badges or plaques.



tional 3D modelling and machin-ing tools, making it suitable forvolume production of artisticitems in 2D or 3D by signmakers,woodworkers and engravers,amongst others.

A significant enhancement inthe 2015 version is the ability tocreate and edit 3D shapes with theshape editor and two rail sweeptools in real time, allowing the userto see changes instantly.

Previously, this live update wasonly available when distortingvector artwork.In addition the ex-trude, spin and turn modellingtools previously available in Art-CAM Pro give more methods tocreate freeform 3D shapes andnow also operate in real time.

Rotary models can be devel-oped as the basis for designs, withthe ability to wrap reliefs aroundthem.

On the machining side,custom tools can be createdusing an open vector to representthe tools profile, while reliefslicing is available to divide highreliefs for machining, laserengraving or 3D printing as a se-ries of layers.

A number of machining optionspreviously available in ArtCAM Prohave also been included in Art-CAM Insignia.

The weave option can turn vec-tors into 3D weaves to providecomplex decorations and the abil-ity to use offset machining can

give a superior finish in manyapplications.

ArtCAM ProArtCAM Pro incorporates a widerrange of 3D modelling and ma-chining options for skilled artisanswishing to design and manufac-ture complex 3D designs andsculpted reliefs.

A key development for 2015 isthe new putty tool for modelling.This allows models to be edited bypicking an area to be moved,swirled, pinched or puckered. Aswith the 3D editing tools in In-signia, these extra operations op-erate in real time.

They will be especially valuable

when creating a series of variantson a repeating element in a de-sign, such as a number of flowersmaking up a bouquet or subtlychanging the details of a designsuch as facial expressions.

Together with the existing 3Dtools in ArtCAM Pro, they will helpthe most ambitious designers cre-ate any shape they can imagine.

Also new is the ability to selectmultiple relief elements from amodel’s project tree and then addthem to the clipart library.DelcamTel 0121 766 5544Email [email protected]

offers new modules and real time 3D modelling

See 3D shapes take form instantly with the interactive 3D shapecreation tools.

Interactively alter your design by displacing, whirling, pinchingor puckering (the Putty tool).



A WOODWORKING machine tooldistributor has diversified intocutting wood for customers whoare working to capacity andneed to fulfil another order, or ifthey are asked to cut a differentmaterial from normal and do nothave a suitable machine for it.

CNC World is believed to be theUK’s sole distributor of Multicamthree- and five-axis routers, offer-ing them with Alphacam, fromVero Software, in order to optimisetheir performance. Alphacam alsodrives the Series 1000 demonstra-tion machine which the companyuses for the new cutting service.

“When our machine was notbeing used for demonstrations itwas standing idle,” says sales di-rector, Jason Rowe. “Customers re-ceiving orders for cutting adifferent material has to subcon-tract it out, and we were oftenasked to recommend companiesto undertaken emergency cutting,so decided to start using our ownmachine for it.” They have alsohired a programmer with exten-sive knowledge of Alphacam toensure they provide customerswith the best possible solution.

The service has proved particu-larly useful for machining overspillwhen a manufacturer’s shop floor

is full to capacity, and when a cus-tomer needs to work with materialthey do not normally cut. He ex-plains that as CNC World also sup-ply lasers, plasmas and water jetsdriven by Alphacam’s sister soft-ware, Radan, they are able to cutmetal, which wood-focused cus-tomers cannot undertake.

“It means we can offer metalcutting for woodworkers, andwood and plastic cutting for metalmanufacturers. For example, awoodworking company recentlyneeded to cut a couple of palletsof stainless steel as part of a cabi-net-making contract. We wereable to do that for them.”

The cutting service has alsohelped CNC World to secure a ma-chine order. “We have been cut-ting parts for a manufacturerwhich led to him winning a majorcontract. The additional work thatis bringing in justified them in-vesting in a new machine from us,”says Jason Rowe.

CNC World distribute a range ofMultiCam routers including theClassic entry-level, 1000, 3000 and5000 series, along with the fasthigh performance 7000 series andthe 5-axis 8000 series. “Many dec-orative furniture parts andmoulded plywood chair parts re-

quire simultaneous 5-axis machin-ing, and the 8000 features stan-dard X, Y and Z axes plus arotational C axis and swing A axis,meaning it can machine in all fiveaxes simultaneously or rotatearound a part, machining on allfive accessible surfaces.”

A number of customers haveused MultiCam routers to manu-facture sets for film and televisionproductions including Harry Pot-ter, James Bond and X-Men, andare currently working on the newStar Wars films.

When specialist builders FacitHomes were creating a customisedhouse for the Grand Designs TVprogramme an 8 x 4 MultiCam1000 series router was taken to thesite in Hertfordshire to cut the ply-wood sections. “Whenever the pro-gramme’s repeated we getenquiries about the 1000 fromwoodworking companies whohave seen it on television.”

He explains why they decided tooffer Alphacam to customers as anoption with all their routers, andwhy they use it to program the1000 for the new cutting service: “Itis extremely powerful software thatcan be adapted to every customer’sspecific, individual requirements,and that is vital as everyone needssomething different.

“Customers using the cuttingservice simply send us the files —often their own machines are pro-grammed with Alphacam anyway,so they send us Alphacam files —and we prepare and run the jobfor them.”CNC Worldwww.cnc-world.co.uk

AlphacamTel 0118 922 6677www.alphacam.com

Alphacam helps CNC World diversifyinto wood cutting

A HIGH END kitchen specialistuses Cabinet Vision software toensure that designs created inits London studio are accuratelymanufactured 65 miles away onthe South Coast.

Higham Furniture has six li-censes of Cabinet Vision Ultimate,from Vero Software, and an Ad-vanced Screen-To-Machine mod-ule to drive the nesting flatbedSCM Pratix router.

The company uses the CADfunctionality to maintain its reputa-tion of creating kitchens withoutcompromise, whether a customerhas unique ideas, wants to make adesign statement or simply requiresa personal made-to-measurekitchen. And with Screen-To-Machine being what is claimed tobe the most powerful automatedCAM solution in the woodworkingindustry, they have been able todramatically reduce material usageand labour time by streamlining themanufacturing process.

Company owner, Tim Higham,says: “Before investing in CabinetVision three years ago it was diffi-cult to make sure that what thecustomer and designer wantedwas the exact end product comingout of the workshop.” But now, Cab-inet Vision provides the essentiallink between the six designers attheir Fulham studio and the work-shop, which is near Portsmouth.The software is used to create theinitial 3D designs which helps thecompany to make a sale, and pro-duces the necessary NC code to cutthe components accurately.

Once a customer decides on atraditional or contemporary style,Higham’s designers use CabinetVision to create an initial designwith standard cabinet and doorassemblies, adding beading if re-quired. “It’s just an outline layout

at this stage — drawers and rackscome later. Some customers onlyexpect 2D plans, and are fasci-nated that we can show them 3Dimages, not only of the cabinets,but the whole kitchen space,showing how everything fits in.Cabinet Vision gives us the depthto be able to do this easily — get-ting the beading and end pan-elling correct. It makes thedifference between putting a fairlystandard design together withplain shaker doors, and accuratelypresenting cock beaded frame-work and moulding on doors.”

He says the software also givesthem the ability to produce com-plex parametric chimneys andmantels, along with ancillary partsand curved units, producing a farsuperior final visual for the cus-tomer, helping them to make a sale.

“We spend a lot of time up frontwith Cabinet Vision to get the de-sign absolutely right, but it en-sures the workshop produces it

accurately first time.” Using thesoftware means they go from theirbespoke design to the cutlist au-tomatically. “Before investing inCabinet Vision we had a numberof issues with spreadsheets andthe manual process of convertingattractive designs into cutlists. Butnow, once we have got the wallsaccurately dimensioned and thekitchen fitting accurately to thosedimensions, along with correctdoors and cabinets, we simplypush a button to create assemblysheets, cut lists and parts.”

The designs are emailed toworkshop manager, Jason Frizzell,who strips the job down into indi-vidual components. “We have sep-arate cutting lists for the doors,cabinets, drawers and framework.Cabinet Vision gives me a full setof information, providing exactlywhat our craftsmen need to man-ufacture each kitchen.

“Before installing the Pratix NST-48 CNC router and Cabinet Visionwe cut all the components on a di-mension saw, which was labour in-tensive. Now the operation isaround 20 times faster.” It alsosaves him considerable time in hisown job, as he used to go through

everything on the cutting listmanually, to ensure it was correct.

“Cabinet Vision is a massively im-portant tool in making sure weachieve what we do, especially onthe intricate jobs. Everyone in thestudio can create a Cabinet Visioncomponent in London, that all 24 ofus in the workshop here can fullyunderstand. If we need to change adimension or where a panel is posi-tioned, we can do it here … it doesnot need to be sent back to Fulham.”

Tim Higham also makes full useof Cabinet Vision’s support service.“As well as an annual maintenancecontract which means we alwaysget the latest release, I have a spe-cial arrangement for one day’sconsultancy a month. I sometimesdon’t h ave time to create a newparametric chimney or mantel, orto work on a new style, so a Cabi-net vision engineer comes in oncea month to handle the parts I don’thave time to do. This ensures weutilise Cabinet Vision to the full, toget the very best out of it.”Higham Furniturewww.higham.co.ukCabinet VisionTel 0118 922 6644www.cabinetvision.com

Cabinet Vision bridges the miles for Higham





THE INCLUSION of a host of new and enhanced functionality in Alphacam 2015 R1 from Vero Software ensures manufacturers can competein a global economy. The latest release is the largest ever delivered by the Alphacam development team and a release they are very proud of.The focus has been on helping manufacturers drive down costs, by speeding up their design and production processes, improving efficiency,productivity andprofitability.

A new advanced5-axis machiningmodule is intro-duced in Alphacam2015 R1, which in-cludes a compre-hensive set ofstrategies with ad-vanced tool axis con-trol and intelligentcollision avoidance,to quickly and accu-rately machine sur-face and solidmodels. Alphacamgeneral manager,Nick Spurrett, says:“Incorporating theModuleworks tech-nology into Alpha-cam shows ourcommitment to thecomplex Advanced 5 axis market. The new toolpaths can also be analysed against the machine tool constraints using Alphacam’s 5-axis independenttoolpath optimiser.”

He says, a new ribbon bar interface brings Alphacam 2015 R1 right up to date as far as interface technology exists, the new interface enables usersto quickly find the commands they need, as they are arranged in logical groups, assembled together under tabs. “Each tab relates to a type of activ-ity, such as creating geometry, or machining,” he says. “Clear icons and text labels ensure that commands are easily recognisable and accessible.”

The Quick Access Toolbar can be displayed above or below the ribbon bar and includes the most commonly used commands, such as Open andSave. Users can cus-tomise the ribbonbar by adding theirown favourites. “Wehave 50 new icons inAlphacam, becauseribbons have re-placed menus.” AllAlphacam modules,including Alphaedit,have the new ribbonGUI.

Also new in 2015is aggregate toolholders. “They are awelcome addition inthe new release, en-abling users to de-fine them withgeometry extusionsand rotations, STL,and solid CAD models. Users can

now create a library of toolholders. These toolholders, or aggregates, can either be extruded, evolved geometry or solids. Common applications ofaggregates are horizontal routing and drilling. C-axis aggregates are also supported in Alphacam simulation.”

Significant updates to the Project Manager give it a more contemporary look, including specific icons for each Operation type. And the new lookFile menu now includes a Recent Files page listing Alphacam and CAD parts files, displaying a preview image and their properties.

Multi drill heads now have graphical support — as with the aggregates, they can be defined using geometry extrusions and rotations, STL and solidCAD models. Tools are loaded and selected in Project Manager and fully simulated.

Using the View Comparison function compares the part with the machining operations. “This means manufacturers can see whether there is anystock left, and allows them to select an alternative or extra machining operation,” says Nick Spurrett.

Finally, the ability to import files from Google Sketchup adds to the extensive list of third-party file formats which Alphacam supports.Alphacam l Tel 0118 922 6677 l www.alphacam.com

Alphacam 2015 R1 provides efficiency and productivity gains



366,918 different configurations from AXYZ

Vollmer launches new circular saw grinding machine

TODAY, manufacturers are con-stantly looking for suppliers ofproducts that offer a winningcombination of high productiv-ity and increased profitability.

For example, in the industrialwoodworking, furniture produc-tion, joinery and panel processingindustries that operate within a par-ticularly competitive climate, sup-plying a limited range of CNCrouters is no longer acceptable. Forthis reason, AXYZ International hasdeveloped a technically advancedmanufacturing facility that is said tobe capable of producing distinctiveone-off bespoke machines as fastas other manufacturers can buildstandard off-the-shelf machines.

AXYZ International understandsthat each industry requires a widechoice of machine options thatoffer multiple processing areas androuting head configurations to ac-commodate a wider range of dif-ferent applications.

In consequence, the company isnow able to deliver a staggering366,918 standard machine config-urations to enable all of its cus-tomers, regardless of the industry

in which they operate, to have thebest possible platform for businessdevelopment and profitability.

For the woodworking-related in-dustries, ,the preferred machinesare those in the 4000, 5000 and6000 series, with a markedpredilection for the 5000 series thatfeatures a larger capacity auto-matic tool change (ATC) facility,pop-up location pins and a pneu-matic or multi-head drill. The 5000series also offers an extended (up

to 12 metres) cutting length capa-bility and triple routing heads thatare designed to allow pendulumprocessing for continuous machineoperation and maximum through-put speed. Dedicated design andprogramming software and a hostof optional production tools enablea high degree of machine configu-ration for high-volume production.

For applications involving plas-tics and their derivatives, AXYZ In-ternational offers its Pacer

heavy-duty machines as alterna-tive solutions. These are renownedfor their inherent strength and ro-bust construction that enable theelimination of machine vibrationand thus to a much more precisecutting capability on and perfectedge finish to these materials.

A particular strength of AXYZInternational is its ability to offermachine configurations that willaccommodate virtually any manu-facturing requirement. These con-figurations incorporate bothstandard and optional productiontools, different processing areasand cutting head options to en-able materials in virtually anylength and width to be processed.These options include a choice ofsingle or dual gantries, each offer-ing two carriages incorporating upto three cutting heads in any com-bination of router and cuttingtool/s (routing spindles, knivesand drills), with the option of anautomatic tool change facility.AXYZ InternationalTel 01902 375600Email [email protected]

FOR the universal sharpening of carbide tipped circular saw blades up to 840 and with the option of 1,300 mm diameter, Vollmer has nowlaunched its new line of CHP840 and CHP1300 grinding centres. The next generation grinding centre has four CNC-controlled axes for theaccurate grinding and polishing of virtually all tooth geometries in a single cycle.

This groundbreaking new grinding concept delivers ease of use with an ingenious new multi-function hand wheel and programs for use in the alu-minium, plastic, wood and the metal cutting sectors. The result is a new range of machines that provide the perfect combination of precision, pro-ductivity and flexibility for the universal machining of TCT saw blades from 80 up to 1,300 mm diameter.

The latest addition to the prestigious Vollmer line has been optimally designed in everyconceivable way. This includes a compact footprint to save floor-space, a 10-inch LCD colourdisplay with a multi-function hand wheel for fast and safe operation and an operator friendlylarge viewing window. In addition, the new CHP machines are fully enclosed for maximumsafety, noise and emission protection that is on a robust vibration free platform for optimalsharpening performance. The four axes on the CHP permit the complete machining of all com-monly used tooth geometries in a single cycle — this includes axial angles and group tooth-ing geometries. With oscillation grinding as standard and motor driven hook and clearanceangle adjustment, the CHP provides high material removal rates with the flexibility to rapidlyswitch from face to top grinding. This productivity is further enhanced by an optimum move-ment co-ordination for short movements that reduce non-grinding times considerably.

For the saw mill, solid wood and furniture producing sectors, the CHP has diagonally in-tegrated feed pawl with pneumatic lift that ensures even chipper segments pose no prob-lem for the new machine. The new CHP also has a wide-opening blade clamping mechanismfor processing saws with a collar or reinforcement ring. As an option, the CHP can be suppliedwith an optional second feed pawl for tooth pitches up to 180 mm and a hollow face grind-ing device for processing hollow face saws.

The new CHP marks the arrival of a new operating philosophy for Vollmer with its multi-func-tional hand-wheel that makes work easier and faster. It ensures the axes are controlled by onlyone module. This prevents the possibility of incorrect operation and the wheel can also be usedas a potentiometer to conduct speed and feed adjustments in automatic mode. Errors are alsominimised by the feed pawl sensor system that eliminates the need for tooth pitch input, whilstthe automatic adjustment of the hook and clearance angle through digital detection alsoavoids operator errors. As with all next generation Vollmer machines, the new CHP guaranteesto reduce costs, cycle times and environmental impact whilst simultaneously improving flexi-bility, productivity, efficiency, precision, quality and above all profitability.Vollmer LtdTel 0115 949 1040 l [email protected] l www.vollmer-group.com


DOORS: DESIGN & MANUFACTURE

FRAME FAST (UK) Ltd, based in Derby, has in-stalled an SCM CNC machining centre, Model Ac-cord 20FX, for the processing of Composite Doorsthat have recently been added to the wide rangeof Frame Fast’s products supplied to their cus-tomers, including small independent installers,builders, large construction companies, local au-thorities and housing associations in Derby andthe surrounding areas.

The SCM machine was part of a £500,000 invest-ment in machinery that also included glass process-ing machinery, so that Frame Fast can now produceitself, more products previously bought in and there-fore substantially improve quality, delivery times andcustomer service.

Production manager, Jason Pascoe, comments,“We used to buy our Composite Doors in, but upontendering for a large council contract, it became ob-vious we had to invest in a CNC to process Nan Yadoor blanks and therefore, after discussing our re-quirements with SCM’s area sales manager, IanMcCarthy, and having a reference from another localmanufacturer who had an SCM machine, we decidedto go ahead with the Accord 20FX.”

The Accord 20FX is a new generation modular machining centre designed for machiningoperations requiring heavy duty stock removal along with high precision and provide a topquality finish over the entire machining area due to the rigid mobile portal structure andsafety systems designed to exploit the maximum production capacity of the machine with-out any movement limitations.

With a 3,680 x 1,380 mm table size to accommodate any size of door, there are six mobilebars each fitted with vacuum suction cups which securely fix the door blanks to the table forsubsequent machining via a 250 m3/hr vacuum pump. Rows of front and rear stops enablesthe operator to easily position the door blanks and is assisted by two lifting supports that de-scend when the vacuum is activated and the machining cycle commences.

A powerful 8.5 kW, 24,000 rpm routing head, trims the outside of the door blank to the re-quired dimensions and then machines any profiles or apertures for varying sizes and shapesfor glazing cassettes. Machining is then carried out for various door locking systems using apowerful independent horizontal routing head with two outputs for the heavy duty toolsnecessary for machining the lock and hinge recesses. Then machining for letter plates,handles, etc is carried out by the vertical routing head.

The Accord has a TR10 side tool magazine that accepts up to 10 tools to enable fast toolchanging of the vertical routing tools. With the very latest “Pro-Space” safety system fitted andthe machine running at 25 m/min, the Accord does not require safety mats or light cells, sothe operator is able to remove trim off-cuts and aperture waste material during the ma-

chining cycle,thus savingvaluable pro-duction time.

All the machine’s electrics, pneumatic and electronic equipment is lo-cated in the Accord’s base saving valuable floor space. The operator hasthe latest “Tecpad” mobile control console with a 7 in touch screen thatenables full control of the Accord while the operator can view all the ma-chining operations through the front safety guard window.

Jason Pascoe concludes: “We are very happy with the SCM machiningcentre and are currently processing 30-40 doors a week, but this is soonto increase to double that number in our traditional busy period up toChristmas. If we already stock the Nan Ya door slab to the requiredcolours, we have been known to turn around a door in just 24 hourswhich, obviously, pleases our customers and word soon spreads that thenbrings in more business. Our aim is always to go that extra mile!”Frame Fast l Tel 01332 344459 l www.framefastuk.com

SCM Group (UK) Ltd l Tel 0115 977 [email protected] l www.scmgroup-uk.com

SCM CNC machining centre installedby Frame Fast for composite doors


WOODWASTE & DUST CONTROL

DUST extraction spe-cialists Dust ControlSystems has recentlycompleted a majorinstallation at thenew premises ofHydewood Ltd — aleading UK manufac-turer of wooden fur-niture components.Moving from a site inHarpenden, whichthey had occupiedfor 23 years, to a con-temporary 11,500 ft2

facility in WelwynGarden City, pro-vided Hydewoodwith the opportunityto transform its pro-duction operationwith the implemen-tation of a modern,efficient layout.

Run by husbandand wife team, Peterand June Bush, Hyde-wood produces highquality turned prod-ucts for clients in theupholstery and furni-ture manufacturingsectors. Queen Anne, Georgian, Louie and Spade Toe legs, as well as ‘bunfeet’, stools, stair spindles and table lamps, are all included in the large port-folio of products manufactured by Hydewood. With a dedicated team of long-standing employees, everyone at Hydewood is justifiably proud of the

firm’s reputation forquality and first classservice.

Peter Bush says:“Over the years our oldpremises had becomesomewhat crowded asnew machines were in-stalled and, with theplanned move to newpremises, we werekeen to ensure that weshould make the bestpossible use of theavailable space it wasalso time to replaceour existing dust plantand we knew that thedust extraction instal-lation would play a keyrole in planning thelayout of the factory.”

Dust Control Sys-tems were called in atan early planningstage and were in-volved throughout therelocation process —working closely withHydewood, DCS wasable to recommend anoptimum machinery

Major installation for DCS at the new premises

Peter and June Bush – happy in their new surroundings.

W10 wood waste heater produces 300,000 btu/hr of warm air.



layout and accurately assess dust extraction re-quirements for the new factory.

Melvyn Bathgate, sales director at DCS, says:“With so many machines to be re-installed andcommissioned, the move necessitated a two-week production shutdown, but our engineerswere able to install the complete extractionplant in advance of the closure, and pre-installextraction points ready for machinery to bemoved into place.”

The new extraction system was sized on aduty of 42,300 m3/hr, and comprises a high-ef-ficiency, externally located, modular filter unitwith two 37 kW low-noise main fan sets.

Waste collected in the filter is discharged‘pressure-free’ via a rotary valve into a closed-loop waste transfer system, which transportsthe waste to sealed boxcarts.

Energy saving measures involved the instal-lation of an Ecogate extraction optimisationsystem which employs two Ecogate green-BOX12 controllers, together with variablespeed drives to each main fan.

The greenBOX12 detects changes in extrac-tion load and adjusts the variable speed fandrive accordingly.

The result is a highly efficient dust extractionsystem, providing precise extraction volumes,only when needed, and reduced noise levels inthe production facility.

Ecogate confidently expects that the systemwill reduce power usage by around 60% whencompared with a traditional fixed-speedsystem.

Melvyn Bathgate adds: “For the Hydewoodproject we were able to call upon other ex-pertise within the DCS Group by supplying andinstalling two Gallito bench-type spray booths

and exhaust stacks, as well asspecifying a manually-fed work-shop heater which is fuelled bywood offcuts.”

Obviously delighted with theirnew premises, Peter and JuneBush are quick to acknowledgethe contribution made by DCS.

“The project was handled in avery professional and caring way,”says Peter Bush, “and we havenothing but admiration for theinput and expertise of the DCSteam in helping us kick-start a newera for Hydewood.”Dust Control Systems LtdTel 0800 040 7116Email [email protected]

of Hydewood Ltd

Above: High-efficiency modu-lar filter handles 42,300m3/hrof dust laden air. Left: Two Gallito 1.5m dry backspray booths.



New boiler quietly delivers RHI payments to rural company

Devon furniture maker invests in wood-fired heating systemJOINERY and furniture manu-facturer, Warren Hughes Furni-ture, has invested in the latestwood waste-fired heating sys-tem for its drying kiln, factoryand offices — thanks to WoodWaste Control (Engineering)and the RHI.

The family business, based inTiverton, Devon, specialises in pro-ducing bespoke, high-endkitchens, joinery and furnitureplus green oak building frames.“We have customers all over theUK — and even as far as Moscow!”said Warren Hughes, who runs the

business with wife Wendy. A num-ber of other family members alsowork in the 20-strong team.

The company moved into its14,000 ft2 workshop in Tiverton 15years ago and also has its ownsawmill on a separate site. Warrenhas invested heavily in the busi-ness — including purchasing thefirst Resch &3 mobile diesel 1200Pro bandsaw in the country. He re-cently turned his attention to up-dating the company’s dustextraction system.

He said: “For the past 20 years orso we have always turned to Wood

Waste Control (Engineering) for ourwood waste requirements. Theysupplied the heating and dust ex-traction system for our factory 15years back then and this included asmall hot air system for heating.

“The system has been incrediblyreliable and valuable to heat thefactory and to get rid of the wasteshavings,” said Warren. “But after 15years it was time to upgrade. Weneeded a new hot water system tofeed the timber drying kiln and toheat the factory and showrooms.”

The solution developed byWood Waste Control was basedaround a 195 kW Ranheat wood-waste-burning low pressure hotwater boiler with purpose-made airhandling unit. The system heats thefactory using Sabiana high-levelheaters, provides heat to drypainted materials in the spray shop,and feeds a radiator circuit heatingthe office and two showrooms. Thehot water cylinder is also now pow-ered by the new wood-fired boiler.

Warren Hughes added: “Also, onour drying kiln we are saving £100every week in electricity charges,by using hot water from the boilerto dry the green oak gently andcarefully. It dries it all out perfectly.”

Previously, Warren Hughes Fur-

niture was giving away all thewood waste shavings and sawdustfrom the sawmill and workshop tolocal farmers, who collected theloads and used them for animalbedding. Now all of this and anytimber wastage from the sawmillthat would have been sold off asfirewood can be used to heat thepremises and processes.

The introduction of the Renew-able Heat Incentive (RHI) was a keytrigger in enabling the companyto go ahead with its plans. “Wehave been looking at renewableheat equipment for quite a fewyears and have visited the Lagunashow to understand the options.RHI has enabled a company of oursize to go for this environmentally-friendly option,” said Warren.

“We are saving on our electricitybill and receive a regular RHI pay-ment which gives a genuine finan-cial return: we have calculated thatthe system will pay for itself withinfour years. Everything is running fineand we are now seeing the benefits.We wish we had done it earlier!”Wood Waste Control

Engineering LtdTel 01628 [email protected]

WOOD WASTE Technology hasrecently installed one of its newbiomass hot water boiler systemsto a company located in a veryquiet area of rural Shropshire.

The boiler was installed into Ven-ables Brothers Ltd, a timber mer-chant and joinery manufacturingcompany in Market Drayton thatspecialises in buying, sawmilling,processing and working oak andother European hardwoods.

Brothers Paul and Chuck Ven-ables started to look at biomassheating options for their businessa few years ago, in order to savemoney on waste disposal andheating bills. They purchased aWT15 from Wood Waste Technol-ogy in September 2010, which hasserved the company well and isstill operational today.

However in 2014 the brothersheard about the Renewable HeatIncentive (RHI) and discoveredthey could qualify for generous RHIpayments by purchasing one ofWood Waste Technology’s biomassboilers. As well as providing heat-ing for the factory, and heatingand domestic hot water for the restof the building, the new boilerwould also enable the company tocreate a ‘climate room’ where they

could season special oaks in a frac-tion of the usual time. The Govern-ment’s Renewable Heat Incentive(RHI) offers substantial financialbenefits to companies who investin new biomass technology. WoodWaste Technology’s boilers havebeen designed and tested toBSEN303-5-2012, the highest stan-dard for efficiency and emissions,allowing customers to maximisetheir return from the RHI schemeby getting more money from everykilogram of fuel burnt.

The new boiler was installedinto Venables Brothers in summer2014 into its own boiler house justnext to the factory, and usesstrategically placed air handlingunits to distribute the warm airfrom the boiler to the factory.

As the factory is situated in sucha quiet rural location, the team atWood Waste Technology was ableto ensure that the backgroundnoise from the boiler was less than40 decibels. They achieved this byimplementing quiet sound tech-

nology, using Wood Waste Tech-nology’s exclusive specially de-signed biomass fans. The noiselevels were even further reducedby soundproofing the boiler housewith sound absorbing panels. As aresult, the owners and other localresidents who only live around 100m from the boiler house are un-able to hear the boiler at night,even with their windows open!

Director, Paul Venables, says: “Iwould definitely recommendWood Waste Technology and thenew biomass boiler. As a companythey are very professional, alwayscourteous, and continually deliverwhat they promise. The boiler ismaking a positive difference to theway we work, as well as allowingus to generate extra income fromthe RHI scheme.”

Wood Waste Technology is alsothe UK official distributor for GrossApparatebau GmbH, a Germanmanufacturer of dependable, pre-cision engineered shredders andbriquetters, available in varioussize and specifications to suit allbusiness applications.Wood Waste TechnologyTel 01785 250400www.woodwastetechnology.comwww.grossuk.co.uk



New Nova pelleting facility installed in Shetland

Festool Unplugged: a new generation of independence

GREMISTA Biomass facil-ity in Lerwick in theShetland Isles has re-cently funded a projectto reduce scrap woodwaste, pallets, cabledrums etc and turn itinto pellets for use inbiomass heating boilersthat are used to transferheat into various leis urecentres and swimmingpools around Shetland,including the latest facil-ity in Brae (North Main-land Leisure Centre).

The Nova Pellet EcoSystem line, supplied byUK agent JJ Smith, com-prises of a 10 mc capacitywood chip hopper with a walkingfloor which loads through a screwinto a magnetic screener andseparator.

The wood chip is then fedthrough a hammer mill/refiner toreduce the size of the chips downto smaller particles suitable tomake the pellets.

The cyclone fan then takes thewaste material directly into thepellet press for processing.

The pellets are producedthrough a die specified exactly forthe type of waste material to beprocessed and then with the aid oftwo separate rollers, the pelletsexit out through a vibrating con-

veyor and onto a bucket elevatorwhich loads the pellets directlyinto bags or alternatively into apellet silo.

The Eco Pellet Plant is con-trolled through a full PLC operat-ing system which monitors andcontrols all the main productionsettings and functions.

The full line is capableof producing around 400kg of pellets per hour andis now fully operational.

Nova Pellet produce afull range of different sys-tems starting from theentry level N-Pico modelthat can produce upwardsof 40 kg per hour right upto 2,500 kg per hour onthe N Plus model.

Pellet sizes can be spec-ified at either 6 or 8 mmdiameter depending onthe model/specification ofthe machine supplied.

In addition to beingused in biomass facilities,

pellets are also now widely used inboth domestic and commercialheating systems.JJ Smith & Co (Woodworking

Machinery) LtdTel 0151 548 9000Email [email protected]

THE NEW AND EXCITING launch of Festool Unplugged seesthe brand develop its cordless offering. A combination ofnew 5.2 Ah high-performance battery packs with brushlessEC-TEC motors guarantees excellent results every time. Plusthe introduction of PowerSelect offers users more buyingfreedom and flexibility.

The improved battery range sees all 15 V and 18 V batteries in-creasing from 4.2 Ah to 5.2 Ah, meaning the tradesman can work25% longer between charges. This combined with brushless EC-TEC motor technology ensures optimal power usage, greater effi-ciency and longer tool life.

“With our cordless range, we are focusing on increased intelli-gence, increased efficiency and longer tool life,” explains Festoolproduct manager, Patrick Haußmann.

To this end, Festool is focusing on the intelligent interplay be-tween its tried-and-tested brushless EC-TEC motor technologyand the latest cell technologies.

Festool offers tradesmen a secure investment alongside sus-tainable compatibility — as Mr Haußmann explains, “Our batterypacks and tools have all been compatible for years. This even appliesacross systems for older battery packs with NiCd and NiMH cells, whichcan be used in current-generation Li-ion tools.”

The new PowerSelect offers three different buying variants providingthe greatest possible flexibility in configuring tools to suit a tradesman’sspecific cordless needs.

The Basic Version includes the cordless tools without battery packs orcharger, but still comes in a high quality systainer and with core accessories.

The Plus Version includes the cordless tool, systainer and core acces-sories and comes with the battery packs and charger.

The Set Version offers the same as the Plus Version but with addedextras and accessories.

PowerSelect offers the freedom and flexibility to buy what is neededwithout any hidden extra costs if batteries and chargers are purchased ata later date.

Service all-inclusive now also applies to battery packs and chargers. Itincludes: protection from repair costs and theft protection for 36 months,“risk-free purchasing” for 15 days and a 10 year “replacement parts avail-ability guarantee” (once a model has been discontinued).

The entire Festool Unplugged cordless range is available at specialistretailers from January 2015.Festoolwww.festool.co.ukwww.festool.co.uk/unplugged l www.festool.co.uk/service

FOR THE SMALLER MANUFACTURER



BEING what is believed to be the world’s largestmanufacturer of classical woodworking machinery,SCM can supply a complete range of machines forthe smaller manufacturer, whether making compo-nents for joinery, furniture or any other productsfrom all types of timber, panels or other materials.

From both the SCM and Minimax ranges, spindlemoulders, panel saws, planers, thicknessers, routers,bandsaws, universal combined machines, plus edgebanders and borers, can all be supplied at specifica-tions and prices to suit the smaller manufacturer’sbudget and requirements.

The Minimax FS52 ELITE S is a surfacing and thick-nessing machine with a 520 mm capacity that is pro-fessional, well built and compact, for small, medium,high level and flexible production and is ideal for thedemanding woodworker and manufacturer.

The many advantages include a very high powermotor output of 7 kW (9.5 hp) in the standard version.Productivity optimisation with the FS 52 Elite S is easy with the user friendly four-feed speeds selector (5/8/12/18 m/min). Optimal planing with min-imum effort with the 120 mm spindle diameter with 4 knives (“Tersa” cutterblock is available as an option). The surfacing table length is 2,250 mm.

Long lasting stability and precision is assured as the thicknessing table lifts on four lifting devices with trapezoidal threads protected by dust-freebellows. Total safety and control during the surfacing and planing operations with the large dimensioned support fence, a high rigidity fence with asmooth movement due to the central locking on a round bar. Versatility comes with the practical morticer (option) to drill holes or machine mortices.

The S400 ELITE S panel saw with tilting blade to 45° provides the smaller manufacturer with a professional performance for high quality withoutcompromise. Top performance is assured because of a cast iron saw unit with a 400 mm saw blade and a scoring unit with an independent motor, ad-justable from outside the machine.

It comes with what is claimed tobe the very best support in all ma-chining due to the 330 mm widthsliding table. Maximum precisionand stability comes with the liftingof the saw blades by means of a“dove-tail” guide system and thesaw unit tilting by means of two,large, lateral trunnions.

The system for the sliding car-riage is on hardened, ground, pris-matic guides, which allowsprecise, straight cutting. Lastingprecision is guaranteed by the ex-clusive SCM assembly processwith no glue used to secure theguides, since the thickness could affect the sliding motion. They are secured with a procedure for aluminium riveting along the entire length of theguide.

A large squaring frame with an idle roller at the end makes panel loading easy. The telescopic squaring fence, with reversible stops, allows 3,200 x3,200 mm panels to be squared and cuts at an angle of up to 45° on both sides of the table. It comes with a powerful 5 kW (6 hp) main motor and acutting width on the parallel fence of 1,270 mm.

The TI 105 Nova spindle moulder guarantees top quality at the operator’s finger tips. It is very easy to use, with a high degree of productivity, effi-ciency and flexibility. Setting up is precise and reliable as the oper-ator easily adjusts all movements by handwheels and mechanicaldigital readouts located on the front of the machine.

The TI 105 Nova spindle moulder has table dimensions of 1,200 x855 mm (1,200 x 530 mm with an optional saw carriage) and man-ual tool-holder spindle lifting complete with mechanical readout ofthe working height.

The spindle tilts to –45°. An adjustable fence with wooden facingsis supplied as standard. Aluminium fences are optional as is me-chanical programming of the fence.

The powerful motor power is 5 kW/6 hp with reverse spindle ro-tation an option. Spindle speeds are 3,000/6,000/8,000/10,000 rpm.An MK4 interchangeable spindle is standard for the UK specification.

The TI 105 Nova “LL” version comes with two profiling extensions.A front sliding table with a swinging arm support can be supplied,plus a carriage on the fixed table for small tenoning operations.

For other machining operations, in addition to the above, SCM/Minimax can supply any machinery for the smaller manufacturer.SCM Group (UK) Ltd l Tel 0115 977 [email protected] l www.scmgroup-uk.com

SCM can supply everything for the smallermanufacturer

S400 Elite Spanel saw

FS52 Elite Ssurfacer and

thicknesser

TI 105 Novaversion LL

STUART SHORT, founder of theHouse of Alexander, a companybased near Gatwick, which spe-cialises in high quality pictureframing predominantly to thetrade, believes in having a wellequipped workshop with highlyproductive machines.

Having built his reputation over30 years on producing frames ofthe highest quality, the slightestdefect in, for example, suppliedframing material, results in rejec-tion. His customers know thatwhat he supplies will be first rate.

Stuart has a wide range of cus-tomers, mentioning in an amusedtone that one is a “floral taxider-mist” doing 3D dried flower dis-plays. Clearly the frame andbacking have to be just right toachieve the required effect and tobring out the full creativity of thedesign.

When moving to his presentworkshop Stuart knew that therewould never be space for a tablesaw for speeding up the cutting ofthe backing boards, and that hecould only consider a verticalpanel saw for cutting these pre-cisely to size. With almost no ex-ceptions, all the competitivemachines were foreign built, muchto expensive, and far too big to fitinto his workshop.

On seeing the Sagetech KoolkutKK12 machine at the W12 show,with its 8ft x 4ft capacity, he knewthat it was ideal for what heneeded, ordering it immediately.

Stuart explained that “When Icut an infill panel, I need to havean even gap all round the inside ofthe frame, typically of about 1/2

mm so that I can just insert theframe hangers. One of the things Iparticularly like is that is that I can

put, as I often do, four sheets of 6mm backing boards on the ma-chine and cut them quickly, easilyand accurately.

“One of the tests is what I callthe ‘thumbnail test’, where I have abulk order for a stack of panels,which when aligned are so consis-tent that I can’t catch my nail be-tween them when running up thestack.”

As Stuart pointed out, onceproperly set up (and as he com-mented, you don’t need to be anengineer to do it, just follow theManual carefully, using commonsense), this is a great machine. Ithas got all the adjustments neces-sary to give a high precision result.

Stuart’s KK12 is the smallest inSagetech’s Koolkut KK range,which extends to machineswith a capacity of 3.1 x 2.1 m, sofully capable of handling thelarger plastic 3 x 2 m sheets andthe big “jumbo” timber basedpanels. Sagetech now offers theKF range with similar sizes in itsKoolkut brand, along with theZapkut ranges for those withlighter cutting requirements.

These include the lightweightportable saw, believed to beunique. This innovative Britishmanufacturer is now extendingthe capability of the ranges by of-fering router heads with most ofthe machines.

As Stuart explained of themachine, “I use it to get the resultsI want in a very exacting industry.I am not prepared to ‘bodge’ it likesome do. It’s my reputation that ison the line.”Sagetech LtdTel 0118 970 1950Email [email protected]



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