MARCH 2019
ON THE COVER: Bruno Di Napoli talks about the Nexting Generation - solutions that solve ALL your nesting problems. Christian Salvador introduces Salvamac Disruptive Décors, Flamed Wood & more The IF Peanut: ready to roll out Saving space with Chaotic Warehousing
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MARCH 2019
Contents 2
Salvamac: the Vision
“People don’t give value to ideas sometimes but ideas with vision – they drive things forward.” Christian Salvador.
7
Disruptive Materials
Some of the latest material innovations will be on show in the Disruptive Materials Piazza - hall 4.2 - at Interzum.
10 Silver Linings On the Cover SCM Group’s Bruno Di Napoli explains why Nexting is the new nesting Story: pages 42-45.
David Clouting’s B9 painted look has taken the market by storm and the colour options have just grown by another four.
11 Flamed Wood
Imaginative furniture designers will love this stunning Flamed Wood panel product from Bad Salzuflen-based VD Werkstätten
12 Going Traditional Editor: Melvyn Earle email: Melvyn@FurnitureJournal.co.uk Direct Tel: 01502 733438
Traditional kitchens need to retain traditional elements, and the style can be achieved easily with the latest décors from Renolit.
14 PerfectSense Plus from Lawcris
Assistant Editor: Olena Earle email: Olena@FurnitureJournal.co.uk
Design: Leigh Brown email: studio@leighbrowndesign.co.uk
17 Surface Design Show Highlights
Circulation: Marie Earle email: Marie@CPCbooks.co.uk www.furniturejournal.co.uk
Create an elegant, luxury environment with ease using the Egger PerfectSense Plus collection from Lawcris.
18 The New Lightweight
Lightweight sandwich panels have a number of advantages – and now there’s a new one available from Panel Systems.
20 In tune with the Elements Please note: points of view expressed in articles by contributing writers and in advertisements included in Furniture Journal do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in Furniture Journal, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for incidents arising from use of information published. All rights, including moral rights, reserved. COPYRIGHT: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publishers. Copyright CPC Ltd, 2019.
ISSN 13653-8969 Readers should note that a charge may have been made by the publishers to cover the cost of reproducing some colour photographs in this publication.
Origination: CPC Ltd Printing: Barnwell Print Published by: Craftsman Publishing Company Ltd, Landings House, Lound Road, Blundeston, Suffolk, NR32 5AT, England. www.craftsmanpublishing.co.uk
The new Elements3 solid surface range from IDS offers optimum design versatility and it’s been value engineered to give you a competitive edge.
23 No buts, use IF
Following the official launch of Intelligent Fixings’ Peanut®, interest in their innovative furniture connectors has been immense.
27 Lamello: a Perfect Fit
Fuss-free, simple to use, fast – Halstock know first hand how much easier Lamello’s fixings make assembly of high end projects.
31 Sideways progress
Hettich has raised the stakes in the sliding/ folding movement market.
34 Dawn of a New Era
HMMC - just part of the H.B. Fuller Rakoll® range now available through Kenyon Group.
36 Stick with Ostermann
Adhesives, cleaners and primers – all from Ostermann.
39 My Mirka - immediately!
The innovative sanding specialist, Mirka, has further extended its service offer enabling users with sanding problems to make contact immediately.
42 The Future is Nexting
There’s nesting and now there’s Nexting. With the new x-series machines from Morbidelli, the Nexting generation has arrived.
46 Twin Striebigs
Delighted with the Striebig Compact at its Macclesfield branch, the decision to purchase a second for its Trafford Timber Centre was an easy one for Illingham Ingham.
48 Organisation from Chaos
You need the stock but you’re short of space. Holz-Her has a solution for those who think the only solution is a move to bigger premises.
52 Homag Quartet
Consistently high cutting quality and reliability are only two of the reasons Cworkshop has invested in Homag beam saws.
54 Customisable CNC
Software Solutions
CAD+T creates flexible software solutions that are based on your machinery capabilities, the tools available, the geometry and materials you use.
57 Jewel in the Crown
Crown Imperial is the first company in the UK to take delivery of the new four-tonne capacity, electric powered Combi-CB.
2 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
“People don’t give value to ideas sometimes but ideas with vision – they drive things forward.” Christian Salvador.
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 3
Salvamac: the Vision N
ot every woodworking machinery salesman arrives in a smart shirt and tie with knife-edge creases in his trousers and polished shoes that reflect the brass buttons on his blazer. But not every woodworking machinery salesman is also an entrepreneur, a businessman, a selfconfessed ideas man, a professional networker with contacts all around the globe, or the driving force behind a new and brave venture that crosses language barriers and country divides. I’ve just met one who, though he doesn’t really consider himself a salesman, is all of those and more. Outwardly, the long hair, the beard and the sometimes extravagant eyewear set Christian Salvador apart. On first meeting, it would be easy to imagine him with paint brushes and canvases, reclused in a studio somewhere up a mountain in his native Italy. He is a creative, that’s for sure, and though I’ve never been there, his Ideas Factory in an old Venetian-style building in Conegliano does sound like a bit of a man cave. There’s certainly a hint of the
maverick in him, but there, I think, the stereotype ends. As he begins his story, it becomes clear he’s very switched on and his knowledge of woodworking machinery and the woodworking industry is only matched by his enthusiasm for it. Once the effervescent front man at Salvador, the solid wood sizing specialist, Christian was often to be seen demonstrating cross-cut technology on packed stands at woodworking machinery shows. “Working in a family business is never easy,” he explains. “There is no separation between company and person and sometimes, politics in the family get in the way. I had a different vision for the business to my Father. A few months ago, we made the decision to go different ways.” It takes courage to leave the relative comfort of an established and profitable business to go it alone and establish a new venture, but that’s exactly what Christian did. He began two years ago with a partner in Poland, and at first the new venture they set up in Poznan – Salvamac - ran concurrently with Salvador. Then, he confirms, a few months ago, with the
agreement of his family, production in Poland separated from Salvador in Italy and the machines Salvamac had been producing for Salvador – the Classic 40, Classic 50 and Classic 60 manual and semi-automatic crosscut saws and the Salvastop – were transferred formally and Christian ceased working for the family firm. Salvamac may be a small company but Christian’s focus has been on achieving faster, safer and more efficient production, not on rapid growth. To these relatively simple classic machines, he and his partner have already added new aggregates and intelligent loading and unloading systems that significantly increase their performance as well as automatic functionality that provide their users with a completely new perspective. That new perspective also includes customised products: “Our mission with Salvamac is to give our customers products that work well, and for that everything has to be of good quality,” he says. “Our approach to the product is a bit different. The machines are made so they interface with software and electronics, mechanics, etc., and they are very easy to
4 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
use and very efficient. But we can also produce specials. There is a limit, a borderline that we don’t want to step over, but we can customise a lot of things. If the market is pulling, you have to start from the market. The customer gives you the information on what he needs and what he wants to do and that tells you how to create the machine.” Among the aggregates recently launched by Salvamac is the Salvastop, a system that, through clever electronics, manages the stopping and positioning of the boards or profiles to be cut: “Regardless of the material, you can cut with high speed and absolute precision, thanks to a state-of-the-art brushless electronic motor,” Christian tells me. “The mechanical system has been designed not to require maintenance over time, while ensuring a high degree of robustness and precision.” Salvastop can be installed on the Classic 40, Classic 50 and Classic 60 models (as well as other machines), transforming machines that might reasonably be classed as entry level models into semiautomatic cutting centres. “This is made even more interesting by the possibility of interfacing them with the management software the customer is using,” he adds. Christian clearly relishes the technical challenges in the marriage between software
and engineering. There’s an elevated enthusiasm in his voice when the subject is broached. And it has been. Suddenly, Christian the ideas man is allowing his thoughts to flow freely. Hand gestures are enunciating and emphasising his words and he begins to digress into examples of how the concepts of Industry 4.0 can also be applied to stand-alone machines, delivering high performance from modest investment. I’ve barely caught up when, seamlessly, he’s already moved the conversation to the importance of having the right people in the business, of relationships, and of the twentysomething year partnerships he’s nurtured with suppliers that underpin his vision for Salvamac and make possible what might otherwise have been unachievable. Christian is very clear about where the company is and the direction he wants to take it, and already there are new diversifications on the way that will be presented at Ligna in a few weeks time: “We are in solid wood and we want to stay there,” he says, adamantly. “We are not focussed on big lines. We are focussed on repeatable individual machines that we can customise, if required. Small to medium-sized manufacturers are our ideal customers. We have people in Salvamac who can design and make electronic adjustments to software,
mechanics, etc., and we have a lot of suppliers. I have worked with them for many years and they can make the additional parts we cannot make. We want to stay close to the Salvamac philosophy but we must also move forward.” His overall vision for Salvamac includes an enriched and more extensive range of products. Salvamac Air and Painting arrived on the scene a short while ago - and it seems the fledgling company is already conquering various markets with an offer that includes painting booths (equipped with innovative, consumption reducing technology), sanding benches, ultra robust portable vacuum cleaners, bag and cartridge filters, and complete customised extraction systems. One can only speculate on what might be to follow. As Christian says, the important thing is to drive looking forward and not in the rear-view mirror. I didn’t notice as he drove me to the airport, but I rather suspect Christian’s car doesn’t have a rear view mirror. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn it had an extra large accelerator pedal, though. For more information on Salvamac and its products, visit www.salvamac.com, or, if you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, tap here to send an email from your smartphone or tablet. You’ll also find Salvamac at Ligna 2019 in May.
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INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF COMPONENTS, SEMIFINISHED PRODUCTS AND ACCESSORIES FOR THE FURNITURE INDUSTRY
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 7
Above and right: Moorwerk Moor mud grafted wood (Source: Jan Christian Schulz)
Orange Leather (Source: Elise Esser)
Paperfold made of dielectric elastomers (Joanna Dauner, UDK Berlin)
Disruptive Materials Some of the latest material innovations will be on show in the Disruptive Materials Piazza - hall 4.2 - at Interzum.
I
nnovative materials and developments in materials technology have influenced humanity since the beginnings of time. Incremental advances lead to huge changes in technology and society. If researchers and the directors of major, successful international companies can be believed, we are on the verge of the next significant change. Advances in materials research mean the features and functions that will produce a new generation of products are becoming a reality. Industry can increasingly expect to see innovative materials that are lighter, thinner, more compact, more flexible or more wear-resistant – and you’ll be able to discover a lot more at Interzum 2019.
The Berlin trend forecasting agency, Haute Innovation, has chosen the slogan Disruptive Materials – Changing the Future for its showcase of some of the latest material innovations and disruptive technologies at Interzum 2019. Dr Sascha Peters, the agency’s founder and an expert in material innovations, is curating the special exhibition and has good reasons for picking this name. It is taken from the term disruptive technologies, used in digital technology to describe innovations that replace old systems.“In contrast to material innovations, disruptive materials have far-reaching effects,” explains Dr Peters.“While innovations enable the further development of an existing market, disruptions create a new one. For consumers, the effect of a disruptive change can usually only be felt some time later.” The exhibition is divided into four large themed areas: Biological Transformation, Resource Efficiency & Sustainability, Digital Materials & Smart Systems, and Production-Related Material
Innovations. With more than 100 exhibits across roughly 400 square metres of exhibition space in Hall 4.2, the Disruptive Materials Piazza is set to be one of the major attractions at interzum. Visitors will have a chance to view innovations ranging from heatable textile surfaces, magnetic woods and sofas that double as carbon loudspeakers to bio-based materials and natural growth processes, such as leather from various plant fibres. Various manufacturers will present products using lightweight construction and resource efficiency. Among them will be Andrea Mocellin from Italy with his foldable vehicles and the German company Lightweight Solutions. There will be a strong focus on production-related material innovations, such as 3D-printed houses or e-bikes made from plywood. To find more out about tomorrow’s living spaces, head for the Disruptive Materials Piazza in hall 4.2 at Interzum in Köln this coming May (21st-24th).
8 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Silver Linings David Clouting’s B9 painted look has taken the market by storm and the colour options have just grown by another four.
S
oft greys, dark greys, greys with occasional hints of colour – these are the shades we all become accustomed to in our winter skies. They’re also the shades that lead the market and colour the fascias of some of the most on-trend kitchen, bedroom and bathroom designs now appearing in furniture studios across the country. Love them or loathe them, greys are doing well – very well - so, like our grey, cloudy skies, they’re not only here to stay for a while, they’re growing in number.
As the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining, and never has that been truer than the trend for the grey, painted wood look. According to Edward Quant, Sales Director at the décor specialist David Clouting Ltd, their B9 painted woodgrain vinyl range, which includes options from White Grey, Stone Grey and Pebble Grey to deeper shades like Denim and Indigo blue, has gone from strength to strength: “B9 and F3, which is the first variant we brought out in painted woods, now
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 9
White Grey
Dust Grey
Pebble Grey
Onyx Grey
account for around 20% of the volume we sell and that’s happened within a fairly short time,” he says. “We’ve only been selling these for three or four years. That’s a fast uptake of the look. Where printed wood has declined, painted wood has replaced it, and by far the most popular colours are the greys.” The colour options in the B9 painted look collection have just grown by a further four and now include 14 different 0.4mm vinyls:“Dust grey is one of the main colours in the industry
at the moment. We have the new White grey, Pebble grey, Dust grey and Onyx grey, as well as Graphite Grey and Cosmos Grey, which is developed and ready to bring into stock when required. This is still a bit ahead of its time. We’ve also got a Graphite grey, a Fjord blue and an Indigo, and these sit alongside warmer tones, including popular colours like Cashmere, Mussel, Ivory and Porcelain White.” Edward is adamant, one of the main reasons B9 has risen to popularity so rapidly is the
authenticity of the look and feel of this décor range from LG Hausys:“It’s a very hard finish to replicate in a vinyl format, but B9 looks very, very realistic,” he says.“There are others in the market but this is the best I’ve ever seen.” B9 is available from stock by the metre or by the roll. To order, call 01376 518037 or visit www.davidclouting.co.uk or for more information, if you are using the free Furniture Journal App edition, touch the background picture for an immediate link.
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MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 11
Flamed Wood I
f you’re wondering how it could be possible to make furniture out of charred wood with its fragile surface and burned smell, let me assure you, Flamed Wood from VD Werkstätten is neither fragile, nor unpleasant in its odour. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. VD Werkstätten has invested heavily in massive industrial presses that impart a heavily embossed surface on panel products and it’s turned pressing into an art form. By cleverly combining multiple layers of Alpi’s man-made black, or ash-effect veneer with a deep emboss and melamine finish that emulates the surface of heavily charred timber, the company has developed a stable panel product that’s available with a 9mm or 20mm black MDF core. And there’s no burnt smell, no dark stains to contend with, no crumbling – just a raw, unlacquered surface that can be finished as required. 2602 Flamed Wood is a recent addition to VD Werkstätten’s 2588 Burned Wood
collection. Available in panel sizes of 2450mm x 1050mm that have been embossed on one side to a depth of up to 1.5mm, Flamed Wood, like the natural product, has no repeating pattern. The emboss runs lengthways up the 2450mm length of each panel. Providing a new twist to the industrial look, and perfectly in tune with in vogue blacks and greys, imaginative furniture and interior designers will find many ways to incorporate this unique and interesting surface into their designs. As drawer fronts, it’s stunning; as wall panels, or reception counter fronts, it’s eye catching; or used as table tops, it becomes a talking point. Contrast with high gloss, or glass surfaces, add a pristine white basin and chrome taps for an amazing bathroom. If product differentiation is your goal, Flamed Wood could just be the answer. For more information, contact VD Werkstätten on +49 5208 957 770 or visit www.vd-holzinform.de
Imaginative furniture designers will love this stunning Flamed Wood panel product from Bad Salzuflenbased VD Werkstätten.
VD Werkstätten specialises in deeply embossed panels.
12 furniture journal | MARCH 2019 Renolit Alkoren Onyx Grey Modern Ash
Going Traditional Traditional kitchens need to retain traditional elements, and the style can be achieved easily with the latest décors from Renolit.
W
hat comes to mind when you think about a traditional-style kitchen? Warm colours, symmetrical lines, elements that fit perfectly together in a comfortable, familiar format woodgrain finishes combined with the latest trend solid colours provide a contemporary lift to this popular style. Renolit’s collections will provide just the inspiration you need. Oak remains a firm favourite in this genre. Renolit Alkoren Kendal Oak is a smooth oak with subtle detail within the design and an even uniformity of colour. A gentle linear structure flows around
attractively proportioned swirling knots. The surface has a light distribution of linear pores giving it a natural look with a pleasant touch. It’s perfectly suited to kitchens with traditional styling. An alternative contender, and a break from the norm, is the up and coming Rockford Hickory. One the latest new décors to be introduced to the Renolit range of 3D thermoformable films, it is a robust, versatile design. The depth is created by light pores and contrasting cathedrals. Variations in the pattern and colour emphasise the design’s natural beauty. Combining with the subtle tone of Stone
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 13
Renolit Alkoren Dark Rockford Hickory
Renolit Alkoren Natural Kendal Oak
Grey Supermatt and a fresh forest green creates a sophisticated traditional effect. Another popular look for traditional kitchen designs is the painted look. Where woodgrain-textured single colour doors give a modern twist to conventional kitchen design, and Renolit’s 3D thermoformable Modern Ash is perfect. It fits the bill in new build homes where the owner wants the quality and design statement associated with a traditional kitchen but only has a small space where a full woodgrain décor may be domineering. Modern Ash surface finish is a deep ash-structured surface emboss with a contemporary painted timber finish. It fits
well with a variety of five-piece, or routered door styles. The Modern Ash emboss matches Egger’s ST27 and it’s available in seven colours. Illustrated here are two different colour ways - dark and light, to illustrate how simple changes to accessories, or even the colour of the wall paint can have a powerful effect on the overall feel of a kitchen. The dramatic dark colour of Onyx Grey makes a statement in any room. It combines easily with a variety of colours and is shown here with Tin Plate, OakENDgrain Delight and Fern, to create a pleasant interior. At the other end of the spectrum, the soft light tone of White Grey Modern Ash
Renolit Alkoren White Grey Modern Ash
provides an ideal backdrop that can be enhanced with bolder woodgrain designs such as Inedito 1 SC, or by adding warm metallic Rose Gold to provide a bright and cheerful atmosphere. For further information and to request a 2018/2019 Trend Book, contact Renolit on 01670 718222, email renolit.cramlington@renolit.com or visit www.renolit.com/design If you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, touch the picture marked with a link sign to check out Renolit’s 3D stock range, or tap here for a link to matching 2D and 3D products.
14 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
F302 – Ferro Bronze Gloss Main image: F302 – Ferro Bronze Matt
PerfectSense Plus from Lawcris Create an elegant, luxury environment with ease using the Egger PerfectSense Plus collection from Lawcris.
E
gger has picked up a clutch of European awards for its PerfectSense collection – a range of super-smooth lacquered MDF boards with premium matt and gloss finishes. After seeing their sales rocket for the PerfectSense collection, platinum distributor, Lawcris Panel Products, approached Egger to ask if they could apply the premium matt and gloss finish to other popular décors in their 2017 – 2019 collection. Working closely together, they hand-picked a selection of their most sought-after décors to create an additional range, conveniently named the PerfectSense Plus collection. Dean Carroll, Lawcris Procurement Manager, explains, “We are finding high-gloss finishes with contrasting matt textures very
popular at the moment. The PerfectSense collection seems to be the range that everyone wants to get their hands on. The gloss surface shows exceptional depth and has a glass-like finish, unlike anything we have seen on the market. But perhaps one of the highlights for this range is the antifingerprint surface of the matt boards which makes them ideal for many spaces in the home. Whilst the feedback from the current range is very positive, the boards are so good that our customers wanted more options. Working hand-in-hand with Egger, we came up with 12 additional décors to add to the range which provide even more definition and interest, named PerfectSense Plus.”
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 15
F186 - Light Grey Chicago Concrete Gloss
U960 - Onyx Grey Matt
Industrial décors
Lawcris has launched a selection of grey tones, aqua shades and industrial surfaces to complement the current range. Each décor is available in the PerfectSense Matt and Gloss finish. Dean continues, “Cool, contemporary greys are gaining prominence within interior design, whilst warm, yet natural greys, such as taupe, are also starting to come through. In response, we have added five new grey tones to the collection. We have also introduced various aqua shades into this range, giving designs an often-needed injection of colour. Aqua colours are also complementary when combined as accents with popular woodgrains and grey tones within furniture design. Finally, whilst
solid colours continue to dominate, particularly in the form of frontals, material finishes are gaining traction, with people looking for something a little different. Industrial materials add tactility and interest to the overall design and this is where décors such as concrete and bronze come to life for a high-end look and feel something our customers have been chasing us for.” Egger UK’s head of décor design, Elliott Fairlie adds: “PerfectSense and the PerfectSense Plus collection are much more than a conventional finish. Thanks to an innovative coating process, based on UV lacquered technology it combines striking design with a unique feel.”
PerfectSense Plus is now available from Lawcris. Create a high-class look with the 12 new décors. Mix and match the gloss and matt surfaces - two unique textures which complement each other perfectly. To complete the look, Lawcris also stock PerfectSense Plus edging. Specifically matched in design and texture, the edging is the perfect accompaniment to the range, meaning you can create an elegant, luxury environment with ease. For more information call 0113 217 7177 visit www.lawcris.co.uk or, if you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, touch the main image for a direct link to the PercectSense Plus collection on the Lawcris website.
Service, diversity and speed
Length. Width. Thickness.
Made to measure! Ostermann delivers the matching edgings for more than 70 board suppliers, from 1 meter and within 24 hours.
www.ostermann.eu Ostermann UK Ltd π Droitwich UK: Phone 01905 793 550 – sales.uk@ostermann.eu IE: Phone: 0044 1905 793 552 –sales.ie@ostermann.eu
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 17
Highlights 1
2
1. HTS Riva is a unique ribbed panel solution from Arnold Laver. Its depth and texture brings a new lease of life to traditional veneered panels. Its ribbed hardwood surface mounted on MDF makes it a great product for interior design projects such as feature panels, store displays, door fronts internal cladding solutions. 0843 382 1920. www.laver.co.uk 2. Presented to the UK market for the first time was Mundy Veneer’s Tabu that respond to the desire to enhance the natural charm of wood. Using flat slices of sustainably sourced natural wood which has been dyed, the collection combines the natural wood structure and quality of colour throughout the veneer thickness. 01823 666175. www.mundyveneer.com
3
3. Take a look at one of Sterling studios bespoke surface offers. The decorative surfaces can be used on furniture, walls or doors. Jewel-like metals and resins, embellished glass, gesso and leather and a huge variety of painted finishes and papers can be customised to create a showstopping look. Pictured: Verre Eglomise which features gold leaf laid on glass and protected by a layer of paint. 02084 539360. www.sterling-studios.com 4. From Daedalian Glass Studios: etching and sandblasting technique used to create designs onto glass using abrasion, fused glass, digital samples and layered and deeply carved etching decorative panels. Beautiful! 01253 702531. www.daedalianglassstudios.com 5. Finsa’s new ‘Expressions by Finsa’ range comprises 25 décors based on the upcoming trends stated in their 20182019 trendbook. It includes deep-textured woodgrain décors, unicolours and unique patterns. The new range is also available on Superpan. Pictured: Vintage Grey Oak. 0151 651 2400. www.finsa.com
4
5
18 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
The New Lightweight Lightweight sandwich panels have a number of advantages – and now there’s a new one available from Panel Systems.
L
ooking for a lightweight panel product? The architectural, decorative and composite panels specialist, Panel Systems, has just introduced a new range of lightweight structural sandwich panels with a ThermHex core. ThermHex is a polypropylene honeycomb that is strong and lightweight. The material’s optimised cell size and the specific structure of the honeycomb core offer exceptional surface quality and provide optimal performance in composite sandwich structures, even with very thin skin material layers.The panels can be specified with a variety of facings, including: powder coated aluminium (0.5mm – 4.0mm); anodised aluminium (0.5mm – 3.0mm); GRP (glass reinforced plastic), including anti-slip options, painted or coated steel; and high pressure laminate, such as Formica or Trespa and MDF. A spokesperson at Panel Systems, said: “We are seeing a larger number of enquiries for lightweight sandwich panels, particularly from building product, vehicle and caravan manufacturers looking for a structural material that is strong but lightweight. As such we have extended our range to meet varying demands and ensure that we are catering for our customer’s requirements.
“Panel Systems’ ThermHex-based panels have incredible strength, yet are up to 2½ times lighter when compared with plywood core panels faced with 2mm GRP. ThermHex is resistant to chemicals and moisture and therefore offers durability and longevity. The material is 100% recyclable to ensure ethical and sustainable sourcing of materials.” Alongside ThermHex, Panel Systems’ is also offering sandwich panels with a Styrofoam XPS, Aluminium Honeycomb or Banova Plywood core for applications including van conversions and linings, flooring, automotive and truck bodies, furniture, structural decks and architectural developments. Panel Systems offers a bespoke structural bonding and fabrication service, with the expertise to work with a wide range of facing materials, such as metals, plastics, timber and decorative laminate. The company has three and five-axis CNC routers with a bed size of 3600mm x 1500mm that facilitate the production of flexible designs and panel shapes. For more information visit www.panelsystems.co.uk, call Panel Systems direct on 01142 752881 or, for pricing enquiries, email sales@panelsystems.co.uk
THE LOOK AND FEEL OF VENEER THE STRENGTH OF MELAMINE
Kronodesign® Pure Wood MF Boards This is a new generation of textured woodgrain decors in Kronodesign® Pure Wood (PW). A range of stunningly realistic timber effects with a semi-matt finish that looks uncannily like a lightly polished veneer, but with all the manufacturing benefits of Melamine Faced Boards; strength, reliability, easy to work and a totally consistent performance. For more information, or to order samples, please visit: www.kronospan-express.com Decors featured: K086 PW Natural Rockford Hickory, 0190 AM Black, 4298 SU Light Atelier wall.
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20 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
In tune with the
Elements The new Elements3 solid surface range from IDS offers optimum design versatility and it’s been value engineered to give you a competitive edge.
T
he new Elements3 collection, exclusively available in the UK from IDS, is a premium 3mm solid surface product boasting high performance qualities, sleek appearance design and value engineering benefits. Suited to a diverse range of retail, hotel and leisure applications, its versatility gives the furniture manufacturing industry a number of options to create counter tops, cash and wrap desks, displays and furniture. Sheet sizes of up to 4100 x 1250mm add to the design flexibility, and the Elements3 collection is backed by a guarantee of 10 years.
Steven Fisher, the Product Manager says, “As a responsive distributor in decorative surfaces, we know cost effective solutions are highly sought after but, understandably, no one wants to compromise on the quality of the product. Elements3 overcomes this and offers furniture designers the opportunity to create the same design aesthetics. The beauty of Elements3 is it achieves the performance of most 12mm products with the cost of a 3mm one.� With its malleability, Elements3 can be used for both horizontal and vertical applications and can be cut, shaped, moulded,
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 21
thermoformed and seamlessly joined, offering unlimited design possibilities. Furthermore, compared to other solid surfaces, the tempering process Elements3 undergoes enhances its durability, creating a long-lasting, low maintenance surface and, IDS confirms, the Elements3 collection holds all necessary industry certification. The colour palette available within the Elements3 collection includes 15 different design choices from white and organic neutral shades to on-trend greys. The range offers a unique batch match guarantee ensuring colour consistency, which is especially important for national roll-out programmes. IDS can also colour match to specific requests. “With our large range of designs, we have the capability to give businesses the chance to colour match existing 12mm solid surface products, creating identical 3mm versions for a fraction of the cost,” confirms Steven. Elements3 is available ex-stock and IDS is confident, it has put together the largest exstock range available in the UK. Available though any of its 17 branches nationwide, Elements3 can be supplied in quantities from just one sheet, in 24-48 hours. With a national salesforce of over 30 and specification team dedicated to architecture and design, the distributor assures high level customer service, technical support and 24 hours sampling service. “We already offer both 12mm and 6mm solid surfaces within our product portfolio,” says Steven.” Adding a 3mm surface will make IDS a one-stop shop for customers, ensuring we’re able to meet the varying needs of furniture designers and fabricators for design, service and value engineering. “We’re proud to be able to provide customers with a reliable, full-service package so they feel guided throughout the design, specification and fabrication process. Our sales force is deeply knowledgeable and with the creative options Elements3 has to offer, we have the ability to help customers achieve cost effective projects with stylish, long-lasting solutions.” For more information on the Elements3 collection, call 0845 603 7811 or, if you are reading this article with the free Furniture Journal App, touch the main picture for an immediate link to more information. Alternatively, contact IDS by touching solutions@idsurfaces.co.uk
NOVA PRO SCALA DRAWER SYSTEM
Inspiring design, creative and functional. Simple. Clear. Timeless. More glass. More height. More space. Alongside the familiar Crystal and railing options, the Nova Pro Scala range also includes a high glass version and a drawer side in height 250 mm. Nova Pro Scala incorporates the best of Nova Pro. And much more besides! Elegant edge definition is a striking feature of Nova Pro Scala. The broad spectrum covered by the product range enables segmentation from the entrylevel version through to the premium segment and provides the individual styling option of designer panels which fit snugly on the drawer sides.
www.grass.eu
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 23
Accuride 5321EC
Furniture by Thomson Brothers (London) Limited
No buts, use IF Following the official launch of Intelligent Fixings’ Peanut® Connecting System at the W Exhibition in Birmingham, interest in the company’s innovative furniture connectors has been immense.
Y
ou read about it first in Furniture Journal, you saw the amazing Peanut® panel fixing system when it made its debut at the W Exhibition, and now, customers who pre-ordered Starter Packs last October, have been rewarded for their patience: the packs were sent out in early January and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. “We’re very, very happy with Peanut® 1 Starter Pack,” commented a large specialist fitting firm. “Quality is very high.” “We are overwhelmed with the Peanut® fixings,” reported another, adding, “The carbide cutter is of high quality and makes light work on the CNC. It has really sped up our construction times and helps massively when having to de-construct due to limited access.” Others enthused over the time-saving benefits of the Peanut® system, noting that, “Compared to our old system it is
significantly faster.” The accolades just keep on rolling in. Thomson Brothers (London) Limited, the parent company of Intelligent Fixings, was looking to invest in CNC technology to modernise its bespoke furniture manufacturing process. After researching CNC machines and visiting various manufacturers, they were wowed by the efficiently and speed of nesting machines. But then came disappointment when they couldn’t find connectors that were suitable for high end furniture and required just one machining process. After a lifetime of designing and making furniture, Luke Thomson, Managing Director of both companies, with his wealth of knowledge and problem-solving experience, set about the task of designing an altogether simpler, more efficient solution. Luke sketched his idea for the Peanut® connector back in
Luke Thomson
24 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
December 2017 and created a prototype using a 3D printer that Thomson Brothers had previously used to produce bespoke handles for their London projects. The initial testing of the Peanut® connector was carried out by Luke - with hand tools, in his home workshop. For Luke, who generally orchestrates Thomson Brothers’ projects from the warmth and comfort of his London office, being in a chilly barn was an invigorating change. “The exhilaration of being ‘back on the tools’ on such an exciting project, brought an enormous sense of anticipation,” he recalls. “I was both thrilled and shocked by the early results. The solidness of the joint was outstanding.” Although Luke’s idea was a very simple solution, it was in fact, a very complicated one to produce. Fundamentally, the Peanut® is a
dovetailed system that bolts two panels together, but to achieve the accuracy, the size, the right look from the material and the fit meant constant tweaking of the design. Biesse UK, as well as tooling manufacturer EMST, both provided support and advice, helping shorten the path to bringing the innovative fitting to market. Months of prototyping, refining, researching materials, FIRA testing and massive financial investment, as well as visiting other specialists and trade shows, followed. In Luke’s words, “It has been a complete labour of love.” Despite the trials and tribulations, it was the genuine need for - and complete lack of – such a product that’s driven development. Thomson Brothers can now produce cabinets and drawers in minutes that require no gluing or clamping, that are
incredibly strong and are suitable for high-end furniture. And now you can, too. From April 2019, the first main stock of both Peanut® 1 and Peanut® 2 will be available – and both will be on show at Interzum 2019 in Cologne and Ligna 2019 in Hanover this coming May. Ahead of this, the Peanut® connecting system will be shown at open house events hosted by Homag, Felder and SCM, as well as on Biesse India’s stand at DelhiWood 2019. Visit www.intelligentfixings.com to find more information on the Peanut® connecting system. Readers using the free Furniture Journal App can watch video demonstrations of the system by touching pictures marked with a link sign. For more information on Thomson Brothers (London) Limited, visit www.thomsonbrothers.com
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MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 27 Halstock uses a wide range of Lamello fixings to create luxury bespoke furniture for the residential market.
Lamello: a Perfect Fit H
alstock Cabinet Makers have over 25 years of experience in designing, manufacturing and installing luxury bespoke interiors for the high-end residential market. Working in a sector that expects the very highest standards, the Somerset-based craftsmen have joined forces with fixings specialist, Lamello, to simplify their most challenging furniture designs and streamline their production processes. Following a chance demonstration of the Zeta P2 profile biscuit jointer and the Clamex P-System connector range at the W Exhibition four years ago, Halstock Cabinet Makers introduced an impressive range of Lamello fixings into their workshop. “It was the ease and simplicity of the products that first attracted us to Lamello,” begins Mark Woodhead, Workshop Manager at Halstock Cabinet Makers. “We create a wide range of bespoke furniture and our reputation as creative craftsman often results in our team working on unique and challenging designs. This means we need to work with fixing
products that not only offer us a practical and aesthetical design solution but also offer us ease of use, speed, durability and strength. It was clear from the very beginning that you get the complete package with Lamello.” With a full range of Lamello joining systems in stock (including the P-System), Halstock is equipped with fixings to suit the most challenging furniture applications. “Our projects differ massively – no job is the same – which means our production methods vary on each job. Some fixings are more suitable than others when working on certain projects. It also depends on how we’re manufacturing the products and whether we opt to use our CNC machine to create face and side fixings or whether we choose to work by hand, but it’s refreshing to know that Lamello’s products have the capabilities to work on nearly every project we manage.” Quality is of utmost importance throughout the design and manufacturing process for Halstock and it is echoed throughout the business. “It’s important for us
Fuss-free, simple to use, fast – Halstock know first hand how much easier Lamello’s fixings make assembly of high end projects.
Fixing high end cabinetry has never been easier and Lamello offers many different solutions.
28 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Cutting slots is made easy with Lamello’s Zeta P2.
All of Lamello’s fixing solutions can be cut using a CNC.
to be using the most effective products on the market,” explains Mark. “I don’t think the fixings themselves necessarily enhance the quality of our products but what they do is enhance our ability to fulfil a wider range of projects more efficiently. Traditional fixing methods such as cams, dowels and biscuits are a means to an end and still have a place at Halstock but Lamello’s fixings provide flexibility, speed and fuss-free application, which allows us to adopt a more innovative approach to furniture design, manufacturing and installation. A great example of this is our use of Clamex P connectors and Tenso fittings. When we’re incorporating things like dishwasher doors into our designs, we don’t want the fittings on the side of the carcass to be on show. By using the Lamello fixings, which are invisible, on the outside of the carcass, this issue is easily resolved and the end result looks impressive. We couldn’t get this finish with traditional fixings.” The installation process is extremely important to Halstock and this is where Mark
admits Lamello’s products really come into their own. “Everything is removable and flexible. The beauty of the P-System means our fitters can break down our furniture into component form and reassemble the design in its new location without reducing the strength or fluidity of the design. You simply couldn’t guarantee those results with traditional fixing methods. The process is also quicker – which saves us money on installation – and it’s particularly helpful when we’re working in tight spaces.” Mark continues, “Depending on the application, we might use the P-System in tandem with wooden biscuits or, if we’re working with heavy doors, we often use the Tenso P selfclamping connector and Domino fixing in unison to distribute the weight. The Tenso simplifies the installation process and doesn’t require the need for screw clamps or pressure. In combination with the Tenso preload clip the design allows you to bring the Tenso P fitting half way before it clicks, allowing the fitters to fully align the frame
before snapping it into place. It may sound simple but it makes a huge difference to the installation process and it makes it much more efficient.” Mark adds, “We structure our business in a way that sees one third of our production outsourced to local companies. Many of our trusted sub-contractors hadn’t used Lamello products before they started working with us but, after incorporating the fixings into our designs and seeing the benefits first hand, they are now working with their own Lamello kit. The products have become as ingrained in their manufacturing processes as they have in ours. No, it’s not the cheapest fixing solution on the market but the benefits outweigh the initial costs. I’d recommend anyone to trial the range, test each fixing’s capability and see the results for themselves.” For more information visit www.lamello.com, contact Lamello’s UK representative, Shaye Chatfield, on 0789 1025 646 or email s.chatfield@ lamello.com
Tenso P-10 Self-clamping connector for gluing thin materials from a thickness of 12 mm
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Shaye Chatfield | Area Manager UK, Ireland Mobile +44 (0) 789 1025 646 | s.chatfield@lamello.com
Interzum Cologne
Ligna Hannover
21.05. – 24.05.19
27.05. – 31.05.19
Hall 8.1, C-019
Hall 13, B22
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 31 WingLine L: An original way to access storage in the kitchen – note there is no profile sitting on the worksurface.
Sideways progress Hettich has raised the stakes in the sliding/folding movement market.
D
rawers were a brilliant invention – the perfect way to bring the contents of a cabinet into full view when needed but hidden from sight the rest of the time. Full-extension runners have arrived quite recently in the life story of the drawer, but they have made the case even more compelling. Kitchen designers have embraced the drawer’s ergonomic virtues, but they have a conflict because their customers want clean lines, minimal fuss. So, the drawer works best for storage, while it is the door covering the full height of the cabinet that looks the part. The solution has been to use internal drawers hidden behind a cabinet door – problem solved. There is a further step that deserves serious consideration, however, and that is the sliding or folding door – and not only for kitchens. Aesthetically, sliding or folding doors are a winner. If a run of kitchen cabinets, living room or bedroom furniture is hidden behind sliding or folding doors, then the practicality of drawers can be used to the full, without affecting the clean lines which customers seek. For living room furniture, a single sliding door, of various heights, can add a fascinating
dimension to wall cabinet design. Rather than have the whole contents of the cabinet either exposed or hidden, the single door can hide the items not for display, leaving favourite glassware, for example, open to view. The door simply slides over the glassware section when the more mundane objects need to be accessed. Or a TV can be hidden from view most of the time, with just bookshelves exposed, but when the TV is being watched, the door hiding it slides over the bookshelves. There is no intrusion into the living space, just an attractive way to manage the different uses of the room. Home office scenarios could similarly benefit, with screens hidden from view when the work is done. Getting further into the details, Hettich’s sliding mechanisms have been designed such that sliding and folding solutions require no profile on the bottom panel (it is optional for folding doors). So, when the doors are open there is nothing to distract from the visual harmony. This is equally the case if sliding doors are used above a worksurface there is no need to have a profile at waist level, and this improves both the look of the furniture and the practicality of removing stored items.
Narrow spaces such as hallways benefit from the use of folding doors.
Folding doors give a full view of the wardrobe’s contents, and soft close gives the feeling of luxury.
32 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Using sliding doors with Hettich’s SlideLine M mechanism helps set the scene in the living room.
Tidying up the scene at the back of the work surface is achieved with a sliding solution.
Staying on the theme of aboveworksurface storage, sliding doors are a great way to hide the accumulation of essential “clutter” at the back of the worksurface. Hettich’s SlideLine M works well in this context, providing clean lines and practical shallow storage for hanging utensils or spices, to name two examples. Folding doors can be a boon for areas with narrow access, such as hallways. Use of a folding door on an under-stairs cupboard is a case in point, or to hide appliances in a utility room, where space might be tight. Another utility room application based on Hettich’s SlideLine series offers the possibility to have visible shelves with regularly-used cleaning products and equipment, which slide to one side to reveal deeper storage for larger items such an ironing board. It is a great way to maximise the use of space and prioritise often-used items.
Luxury in cabinetry is today very much about the way it operates. With Hettich’s Push to move option, full opening of a folding door is achieved with a single push on the door front. Not only is this highly satisfying in use, it also facilitates the use of handle-less designs. Then there is the Silent System, which ensures soft open and close for folding and sliding doors. So how about the benefits on site? One immediate area is retrofits. Hettich’s SlideLine M, for example, can be retrofitted to cabinets previously fitted with doors. Most systems don’t allow this because the end panels need to be a different depth if a sliding system is used. The way Hettich’s system is designed means this is not an issue – so it allows fitters to make the change without replacing the whole carcase. Also, while most sliding door systems require a filler strip to be inserted to close
Sliding systems permit the use of shelves in a utility room with storage of larger items behind.
the gap between the door and the end panel, the design of Hettich sliding door mechanisms doesn’t create a gap, so it’s one less job for the fitter. The lower guide for folding doors is optional, because the soft-close hinges provide the stability often lost when the lower guide is removed. This has aesthetic advantages, is one less job for the fitter and reduces cost for the manufacturer. Sliding and folding are emerging strongly for cabinetry throughout the home. With careful selection of the mechanisms the value-added and practical benefits for manufacturer, fitter and user will be far more than meets the eye. For more details, call Hettich on 0161 872 9552 or, if you are reading this edition with the free, interactive Furniture Journal App, touch here for a direct link to the Hettich website.
34 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Dawn of a New Era HMMC - just part of the H.B. Fuller Rakoll® range now available through Kenyon Group.
W
hen Kenyon Group entered into an exclusive agreement to distribute the products of H.B. Fuller across the UK last October, it marked the dawning of a new era in adhesive distribution. With almost four decades in the adhesive sector, Kenyon Group already offered small to medium-sized manufacturers a wealth of practical experience. The agreement with H.B. Fuller meant the company was able to add Rakoll® woodworking adhesives to its portfolio, including proven edgebanding technologies, EVA, PO, filled and unfilled adhesives – and Rakoll® PUS 550T HMMC (Hot Melt Moisture Cure). Rakoll® PUS 550T HMMC is a polyurethane-based reactive hot melt adhesive, and it’s a formulation for edgebanding or softforming various materials from veneer, melamine, polyester, PVC and ABS to PP. Formulated with the needs of kitchen and bathroom furniture
manufacturers in mind, and designed to produce a reliable water and heat-resistant bond to meet the demands of the toughest interior applications, Rakoll® PUS 550T provides high initial strength and chemically cross-links within a few days. The tight joints it facilitates are heat resistant up to 150°C as well as offering excellent performance in cold conditions. “Rakoll® PUS 550T HMMC provides excellent heat/cold flexibility and water resistance, curing to form an insoluble bond,” assures Ian Kenyon, Kenyon Group’s Managing Director. “From edgebanding to flat lamination, kitchens to fire doors, there’s a Rakoll® adhesive for your application.” Kenyon Group is stocking Rakoll® PUS 550 T, which offers high initial strength and is suitable for a wide variety of substrates, along with Rakoll® PUS 450 R UV, a formulation that provides good initial strength but is more suitable for low application speed machines. The company will also stock H.B. Fuller Swift®lock 4196, a high melt rate, short open time and high initial strength adhesive recommended for highly tensioned substrates. The options include two-kilo blocks, 19-kilo and 200-kilo drums.
Also in stock is a range of cleaners: Ipatherm™ Cleaner 9030, which is in granule form, and Ipatherm™ Cleaner 13. Ipatherm™ Cleaner 13, a high viscosity system cleaner for pipes and gravure rollers, is available in two-kilo blocks. Alongside these two options, Kenyon Group is offering a hot cleaner for metal parts that can be used up to 180°C. The big advantage for small to mediumsized users is the service Kenyon Group offers: “We have a friendly, easy to approach professional team that has good product knowledge and provides performance backup, and we always aim for next day delivery, from a parcel to a pallet to 10 IBC containers,” adds Ian. “We can make next day delivery from UK stock – supported by competitive prices. It’s a win-win.” For more information on H.B. Fuller Rakoll® HMMC, or any other Rakoll® product, call Kenyon Group on 0161 627 1001 or touch here for a direct link to the Kenyon Group website if you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App.
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 35
36 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Stick with Ostermann Adhesives, cleaners and primers – all from Ostermann.
T
he name Ostermann is well known for edgebandings, but did you also know that Ostermann’s expertise also extends to adhesives? The Redocol brand includes not only release fluids for use in industrial edgebanding machines, and cleaning fluids for both hand and machine application, it also includes a range of adhesives in different formats. Included in Ostermann’s offer are: hotmelt adhesives in filled and unfilled options; white thermoplastic dispersion adhesives for bonding soft and hard woods, HPL surface binding, block bonding and carcase and assembly bonding operations; Urea veneer glues, supplied in powder form, for veneering and crossbanding work; one-component PUR prepolymer adhesives in different viscosities for bonding absorbent materials, or absorbent materials to non-absorbent materials; readyto-use cartridges of assembly glue in various colours for bonding stone, plastic, glass or
metal; super glues with activators; and, for operations such as bonding HPL to a woodbased substrate, contact adhesives. Cleaners and primers are also available. Ostermann’s in-house experts test both new and well-established products in a dedicated workshop that includes three different edgebanding machines, each equipped with different bonding systems and operating at different feed speeds. Aside from offering its own Redocol brand, Ostermann also offers branded products from well-known manufacturers, among them Jowat and Henkel, and its staff are available to advise you on the most appropriate products for the task you want to perform, and provide container sizes to suit your requirements. To find out more, contact Ostermann on 01905 793550 or tap here to be linked to the glue section of Ostermann UK’s website if you are reading this article with the free Furniture Journal App.
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MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 39
My Mirka – immediately! M
irka’s philosophy has always been to provide users with a full range of products that includes high-quality, innovative abrasives, tools and polishing solutions backed by training, purchasing advice and business assistance. The company’s userfirst mentality stands out as fresh and different – something Mirka customers mention frequently - and it’s often led to Mirka devising new ways to help its customers. You are probably familiar with Mirka’s cutting-edge technology – the result of continual investment in R&D – and innovative products such as the Mirka® Deros and Mirka® Deos sanders and the Abranet® Max abrasive belt range. You may also be familiar with Mirka’s approach to training and advice, available either on-site in your workshop or at it’s recently-opened Milton Keynes training centre. And if you’ve experienced a particularly knotty problem for which there appeared to be no process, tool or abrasive available, maybe you’ve even seen how Mirka’s
technicians have pulled out all the stops to find a solution. What you may not know, however, is what Mirka has been doing recently to develop these already exemplary levels of service even further. Immediacy and proactivity are the keywords. With the rapid evolution in social media channels and with the immediacy of content, the likes of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have become default customer service portals for Mirka. This has allowed the company to see what users are saying about its products as well as providing them with channels through which they can build relationships, educate, advise and highlight key messages to a large and engaged audience. The idea of immediacy, which is prevalent in social media, is the same when it comes to customer service portals such as service desks and chatbots. Mirka is constantly working with its teams to provide a proactive service over the phone and a more intuitive online presence to ensure that your requests
The innovative sanding specialist, Mirka, has further extended its service offer enabling users with sanding problems to make contact immediately.
40 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
– whatever the topic - are dealt with by the correct team within a timely manner. With mobiles being more like miniature computers, Mirka decided to invest in developing an app (the MyMirka app) that can be used with its products. The app connects via Bluetooth and allows users to see the speed of the tool and vibrations produced, so users understand their tool better, the way they use it and how they can become more efficient with it. The app is able to provide a one-stop shop of information relating to the product ranges, so users do not have to spend time on Google searching for it. The combination of ‘traditional’ and ‘new school’ options allows Mirka to be innovative in the development of tools and in the level of service it offers its customers,
because it simply understands on a more detailed level how companies are using their tools, what they are working on, what processes are on the horizon and the type of tools users require or are requesting. With the demand for innovative tools and high-quality customer service continuing apace, Mirka is adamant it will continue to meet this challenge by harnessing its years of knowledge, expertise and experience and further developing its full-service approach so all its customers can achieve their objectives successfully. If you’d like to find out more, contact Mirka UK on 01908 866100, visit www.mirka.co.uk or, if you are reading this article with the free Furniture Journal App, touch any picture marked with a link sign to view the MyMirka App introductory video.
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42 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
The Future There’s nesting and now there’s Nexting.With the new x-series machines from Morbidelli, the Nexting generation has arrived.
F
Bruno Di Napoli
or batch size one manufacturing, or small volume production, there’s little to beat the concept of nesting. Without the need for a beam saw, a CNC machining centre will cut out individually-sized panels and drill them. But when you start to look at the nesting operation in detail, it becomes clear that, despite its obvious convenience, nesting comes with a raft of issues you need to take into consideration. For a start, you need to prepare a spoil board to cover the machining table. The spoil board is itself the root of some of the main problems. It takes time to fix it down, and it takes time out of manufacturing to skim it – something that could need doing every 10 or 12 cycles. When you remove it (a twoperson job), store it vertically and it can
warp; store it flat, and it will consume valuable working space. The first step in the nesting process (leaving loading and labelling aside for the moment) is the cutting of the panels. Sometimes you might only need a simple cutting pattern, which is relatively easy to achieve with a grooving saw, but what if it’s a complex cutting pattern in which every shape is different to the next? That’s much more difficult to execute with any speed, and if you have to orientate everything in one direction, sooner or later you’ll end up with a pretty substantial stack of offcuts you can’t use. Changing tools, changing aggregates – these will eat into your production time. Then there’s the knotty problem of how to carry out horizontal boring. Some
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 43
is Nexting manufacturers have gone to the expense of buying a separate boring machine to carry out these operations because, in order to bore horizontally, the panel must be raised to avoid a collision between the boring head and the spoil board. With some nesting machines, even edge shaping requires the panel to be raised. That’s adding to your precious production time, not to mention your costs. If your work involves the machining of small components, without an efficient vacuum system you’re likely to find workpieces moving as they are being worked on. Many nesting machines rely on a single pump to apply vacuum to the whole table, which is mostly fine if the table is covered, but if you want to machine components individually, unless you have a zoned vacuum system, you’ll find yourself covering the table with pieces you don’t intend to work in order to provide enough vacuum to hold the piece
you want to machine. Even zoned systems don’t account for every size and shape of small component. So, short of reverting to a beam saw, a machining centre and an edgebander combination, what’s the answer? One company has been listening to its customers very carefully and what it’s come up with solves every single nesting problem highlighted above – and one or two others besides – in a single, modestly priced machine. Launched at an exclusive in-house event at the end of January, and due to be unveiled officially at Ligna in May, every machine is customised to order in a brand new, state-ofthe-art factory, so, if you get your order in sharpish, even lead times are good. Available either in the three or four-axis x200 version, or the five-axis x400 version, it is the next generation, ‘Nexting’ Morbidelli – and it really is an amazing piece of kit. This is why:
“With this machine, our aim has been to make the lives of our customers better, easier,” Bruno Di Napoli, SCM Group’s Business Unit Manager of CNC Machining centres for drilling and routing told Furniture Journal at the Morbidelli’s first public showing in Rimini. “The Nexting generation, which is our slogan for the new breed of Morbidelli nesting machines, is a way of doing nesting for the future. If you buy any competitor’s nesting machine, it operates in basically the same way as the machine your Father and your Grandfather bought – the same principles. With the Morbidelli x200 and x400, we are providing something completely different. The process remains the same – nesting is nesting – but we have looked at every aspect of the process and developed solutions to our customers’ problems that make the process easier, more profitable and user-friendly. With this machine, we are giving you a competitive edge.”
44 furniture journal | MARCH 2019 At just six seconds to position and apply a label, that probably makes Morbidelli’s new label printer the fastest in the market today.
So, let’s start with the spoil board problem. Once you’ve prepared it and fixed it in place (and there is no way round that yet), you use it for a while, then it has to be skimmed. Included with both Morbidellis is an automatic pre-programmed skim function. “It’s just a little thing – a candy – but it helps,” says Bruno. Of far greater impact on both your time and your profitability is the way the x200 and x400 cut the panels, and that mirrors closely how a beam saw operates. “If you go for nesting, you save the panel saw but you still have to cut the panels,” explains Bruno. “It can be a simple cut, or a complex pattern. If it’s complex, every shape could be independent of the next one. The machine has two grooving saws, or it can be equipped with an independent saw to make grooves, or process the more complex cutting patterns efficiently. With this machine, you can cut in both directions, just like you would cut with a panel saw, so where you might need 60 cuts with any other nesting machine, with a Morbidelli x200 you could get that down to
Morbidelli’s engineers have solved the problem of horizontal boring without having to remove the spoil board - and the solution is so simple it borders genius.
eight and cut at maximum speed of acceleration.” There’s no need to change tools to achieve this, and you don’t need to turn the panel. Another major problem facing nesting machines is how to carry out horizontal boring efficiently without the operator having to remove the workpieces from the spoil board and sit them on vacuum cups. Morbidelli’s engineers have solved this with a solution that is so simple it borders genius. The heads of the x200 and x400 have been completely redesigned. I’m not at liberty to tell you exactly how (though I have seen it in operation myself and can tell you it is remarkably efficient), but what I can tell you is that both machines are quite capable of drilling 8mm holes in the edge of a 16mm thick panel (leaving 4mm either side) and, depending on how many spindles you opt for, it can make all the edge drillings you need for each component in both the X and Y axis without moving them from the spoil board – ten at a time in both directions, if you wish. “We still do the horizontal drilling
one panel at a time,” says Bruno. “But we have applied software that calculates the space between the panels and goes down with a horizontal bit between them so they don’t need to be moved. That represents a huge time saving. There is no need to route pockets – that would create more waste in the long run – but if you want to work that way, with a different software package, you can do so. The software manages the position of the horizontal drilling head and it calculates exactly how much space it needs to release from one side of the panel to the next in order to facilitate this operation.” The new design of the router head also makes edge routing and 45 degree chamfers for the application of Lamello joints possible without any need to move workpieces from the spoil board – and the new toolchanger holds more than 50 tools. Another stroke of genius by Morbidelli’s engineers is the vacuum system fitted to the Morbidelli x200 and x400. These two machines are both capable of holding down and machining profiles around the edges of
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 45
The x400 is the five-axis version
the smallest of workpieces without moving them from the spoil board. While some nesting machines come equipped with sectionalised beds that enable suction areas to be closed off when not in use, the new generation Nexting machines from Morbidelli have both been equipped with true dynamic systems – and by dynamic, I mean they actually move. One pump covers the whole bed area to keep components secure, while a second pump concentrates additional flow right under the machining head, and it moves with the head. “It’s a tool-path vacuum that follows the router under the table,” says Bruno. “It puts 100% of the efficiency where it is needed. It’s a true dynamic vacuum; a new concept, not a static selection system that activates different sectors of the table automatically. Even if the spoil board is 3660 x 1830mm and the panel is only 100 x 100mm, the vacuum is never lost. That’s one problem solved without touching the spoil board.” Of course, if you want to place vacuum cups on the spoil board to raise workpieces, you can do so. You are free to place the cups
wherever you wish, there are no pipes to work around, and the dynamic system will hold both cup and workpiece securely. In operation, the Morbidelli x200 and x400 are fast machines – very fast. Much like the cars many of us will be accustomed to, you can run them in the machining equivalent of comfort, normal or sport mode. Selection is automatic but the operator can switch between modes at the touch of a button – even in the middle of an operation. Of course, it’s great to have a machine that will route at 50m/min but that in itself could be a problem if your labelling machine takes eight seconds to apply each label and can’t keep pace. The boffins at Morbidelli have not let that one pass them by unnoticed. For the x200 and x400, they’ve developed a brand-new label printer that takes just six seconds to position and apply a label. And if memory serves me correctly, that makes it the fastest in the market today. SCM Group has really done its homework with the new Morbidellis, not just in the engineering and the way they have
addressed real problems manufacturers face every day, but also in the way the x-series will be presented to the market. The x-series machines are heavyweight gantry machines with extremely rigid construction and double drives, yet, by adopting the latest manufacturing methods and maintaining commonality of components, the starting price for the x200 has been kept under £80,000. Every machine is custom built – but not in packages that ramp up the price by obliging you to take what you don’t want in order to get what you do. You configure the machine from A to Z according to what you want to do, and if you forget something, or your needs change in the future, you can retrofit almost everything. Couple that with the Italian approach – “Tell us how you work and we will build a machine that works for you” – and with the x-series Morbidellis, it’s pretty clear SCM Group has a real winner with its Nexting generation. For more information call SCM Group (UK) on 0115 977 0044, or visit Ligna for the official unveiling. Prepare to be amazed!
46 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Twin Striebigs Delighted with the Striebig Compact at its Macclesfield branch, the decision to purchase a second for its Trafford Timber Centre was an easy one for Illingham Ingham.
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llingham Ingham (M/cr) Ltd has been providing timber products and services for over 80 years. Now with five branches across the north of England offering a range of machining and profiling services, and plans to expand the business this year, the timber specialist has purchased its second Striebig vertical panel saw from the UK’s exclusive Striebig distributor, TM Machinery Sales Ltd. “We offer a cut-to-size service for both the trade and public,” begins Bob Ellis, Branch Manager at Trafford Timber Centre. “It’s a service that requires precision, accuracy and fuss-free handling. It’s becoming increasingly popular with our customers but, until recently, our machinists were cutting plywood
and MDF sheets on an old table saw. It was a robust machine that had stood the test of time but it was proving unreliable and it was becoming increasingly difficult for the saw to comply with modern health and safety and waste removal legislation. Once it started to cost us money – mainly due to the amount of sheet materials being cut inaccurately - we knew it was time to find an alternative.” For the family-run business, the decision to purchase a new Striebig Compact 4164 vertical panel saw was straightforward. “We had a very clear idea of the kind of saw we needed and the capabilities it needed to offer us,” explains Bob. “We required a machine that could simplify the handling process,
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 47
speed up the overall cutting service when working with single and batch jobs and offer accurate cuts every time. We looked at several vertical panel saw brands before making our final decision but having recently installed a Striebig Compact into our Macclesfield branch and seeing the results first hand, we had every confidence in the Striebig brand and the Compact model. The Compact 4164 manual feed model was installed at Trafford Timber Centre in November 2018. Requiring just 4256mm of wall space but with a cutting range of 3100 x 1644 x 60mm, it has the capacity to work on a wide range of applications without taking up valuable space in the workshop.The saw has also been designed to optimise air flow which, when combined with a suitable dust extraction unit, keeps dust levels below 1mg/m3, offering a simple way to comply with waste legislation. “The saw wasn’t cheap but we can’t afford to offer a second class service,” says Bob. “The demand for the service has to warrant the overall cost of the machine but we strongly believe that buying cheap machinery is a false economy. Word of mouth is important to us – it is what drives a large part of our business – so we need to have
reliable, accurate machinery that offers the results we need or face losing customers.” The installation was carried out by TM Machinery’s experienced team of engineers over three days. “The installation was clean and there were minimal interruptions dayto-day,” assures Bob. “The engineer was extremely knowledgeable and nothing was too much trouble. He was happy to train our machinists and didn’t rush any of the steps. From a health and safety perspective, it certainly put my mind at ease knowing each one of our machinists was in capable hands and had been made aware of the safety features on the machine and how it all worked. He only left when we felt completely happy with the saw and it was performing exactly how we wanted it to. The whole process was extremely professional and we will continue to have TM Machinery’s team service the machine each year. After all, they are the experts when it comes to the Striebig brand and as such, are the most qualified for the job.” Bob continues, “We’ve picked what we see to be an ideal machine for us and it offers us more scope for the future. We are receiving increasing numbers of large orders that often
require hundreds of sheets to be cut-to-size at one time. In the past, orders such as these were very demanding on both the machinist and the saw but the new Striebig Compact allows us to deliver this service quickly and efficiently. Over the last two days, we have cut more than 600 sheets and, depending on the job, the saw can be running all day. This simply wasn’t feasible before. The machine is easy to operate and, knowing the job will be done right first time round, gives us complete confidence in its capabilities.” Bob adds, “We are in the process of opening a new branch and we are starting to source new machinery. A third Striebig vertical panel saw is already on our shopping list. I think that in itself speaks volumes about the machine and the level of service we receive from TM Machinery. We couldn’t recommend them more highly.” For more information on the complete woodworking machinery range offered by TM Machinery Sales Ltd and its servicing division, TM Services & Spares Ltd., visit www.tmmachinery.co.uk or call 0116 271 7155. For the latest news, find TM Machinery on LinkedIn or follow @TM_Machinery on Twitter.
48 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Organisation You need the stock but you’re short of space. Holz-Her has a solution for those who think the only solution is a move to bigger premises.
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hen was the last time you looked at your factory and wondered how much more profitable your company might be if only you had the space to shoehorn in another CNC, another beam saw, or some other piece of production enhancing equipment? I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve visited factories and been told “we really need more space for machines, but we can’t expand without moving”. Curiously, the last thing most factory managers seem to consider is how much manufacturing space they might gain if their board storage didn’t intrude quite so much on what could be production space and yet, this would seem the simplest and most cost-effective to reorganise. But how? You need to maintain the stock level, you need the variety of stock, and you need to be able to access it – right? The answer may be simpler than you think. Chaotic warehouse systems have been around for a while now and for those with
limited space, they have a lot to offer: “Small companies with 100 square metres of warehouse space can reduce that to 50 metres, while those with 1,000 square metres will get down to about 500,” Malcolm Cuthbertson, Managing Director at Weinig Group in the UK told Furniture Journal. “Even if you only store one or two weeks’ worth of board, you don’t need a colossal warehouse to get the benefit out of a chaotic warehouse system. You could spend as little as £50,000 on a chaotic warehousing system and, besides freeing up much-needed space for manufacturing, there are many other benefits: elimination of handling damage – the chaotic system lifts by vacuum and it never collides with anything, so every sheet that goes into the warehouse in good condition comes out in good condition; increased efficiency and improved health and safety – it will operate for one or two shifts, as necessary, without manpower; and an altogether tidier factory environment. The
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 49 Store-Master brings order to chaos with individually designed configurations for each customer.
from Chaos costs to operate a chaotic warehouse system basically come down to depreciation.” So, what is a chaotic warehouse system and what could it do for you? “Picture an overhead crane with a vacuum lifting unit on the bottom rather than a hook and that’s it,” explains Malcolm, whose company supplies Holz-Her Store-Master panel handling solutions. “The clever bit is the software. Traditionally, you allocate racking space so you have, say, black 18mm in one bin, green 18mm in another bin, black and green at 22mm in another. If you try and keep these separate, your volumetric efficiency (not just the square metres on the floor, but the cubic metres in the building) becomes enormous if you want to get to every type of board without delay. A chaotic warehousing system can stack anything on top of anything else and it knows where everything is. You tell the system you want 3 x green panels at 18mm, 1 x black at 18mm, 2 x green at 22mm and 6 x white at 18mm. It goes away and gets those
boards, delivering them to your beam saw or your CNC nesting machine in the order you want them for production.” A chaotic warehouse system can also take offcuts back into store, saving valuable material as well as time. There are constraints, of course: you can’t put a 900mm x 900mm offcut on top of a 300mm x 300mm offcut because the stack wouldn’t be stable, but you can define the minimum size you want to keep and the system will do the rest. You simply place them in a designated area and the manipulator will collect them, place them in store and remember where they are, what size they are and what colour they are. Holz-Her’s Store-Master solutions are tailored to suit individual applications and individual material handling requirements. There are many different types of vacuum cup, some for use with semi-porous material, others for shiny laminate material. You can opt for side grippers to pick up doors, or
combination units that will pick up raw boards and gloss on one panel manipulator or vacuum head. Many configurations and layouts are possible according to whether your production demands one, two or more beam saws, combinations involving beam saws and CNC routers, or just routers. The entry level commences with a Tetra beamsaw at around £100,000, or the push version of a Dynestic at around £120,000, plus a warehousing system that could cost you as little as £50,000. So how does the system work in practice? “When you take delivery of your panels, you tell the system a pack has arrived containing, for example, 20 sheets of 18mm white,” Malcolm explains. “The system will put them in the warehouse and remember where they are. The next pack could be green, or black. It will take each colour away and store it. If it’s a high moving item like white for carcases, it will put the boards in a readily accessible position and it is possible
50 furniture journal | MARCH 2019 The manipulator can be designed to lift many different types of product not just sheet materials.
The flexibility of Store-Master allows linking to beam saws and/or CNC routers in an infinite number of configurations.
the whole stack could be white. With colours that are used once every two or three weeks, it will put those colours in a remote location in the order they arrive at the warehouse, forming a rainbow stack – but it still remembers where every single board has been stored in each stack. When you want to make your kitchen, you tell it either manually or from the Smart Factory software that you want six sheets of white, and two of green. It will find them, even if it means it has to move purple, blue and pink to get to the ones you want. That’s the real beauty in the system and the result is, instead of sectioned racking systems with forklift access between, your boards could be stored without even a walkway between stacks for immediate retrieval in the right order when required. The space you need for storage of the same materials is significantly less than if you were using traditional racking.”
For seamless communication between machine and storage, machines, such as beam saws or CNC machining centres or, indeed, both – can be sited partly within the storage area, conserving factory floor area and facilitating automatic loading. Alternatively, where boards are stored on a mezzanine, double level storage in a more compact area becomes possible – or storage can be confined to the upper mezzanine area, freeing up almost all the space beneath for machinery or other manufacturing operations. Holz-Her provides the design expertise and know-how to be able to maximise your storage and minimise the space required for it. However, if your preference is to expand your manufacturing on your present site and acquire a warehouse that’s remote from your production to store your panel products, even if it’s only a hundred metres up the street, a chaotic warehouse system
like the Holz-Her Store-Master 5110 will deliver just what you need when you need it: “If you have a factory that’s remote from your warehouse, you can specify the boards you want and the sequence you want them in for your beam saw by giving it to the warehouse as an order in sequence,” says Malcolm. “Chaotic storage will then output a rainbow pack in exactly the sequence you’ve asked for. When it is delivered to your factory, all you have to do is put it on your beam saw or your CNC router and it’s in the right order.” If you’d like to learn more about the advantages of Holz-Her’s chaotic warehouse solutions, call Weinig UK on 01235 557600 or visit www.holzher.co.uk/en/ If you are reading this article with the free Furniture Journal App, tap here for a direct link to Holz-Her’s Store-Master, or here to request information. The main picture is linked to a video of a Store-Master in operation.
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52 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Homag Quartet Consistently high cutting quality and reliability are only two of the reasons Cworkshop has invested in Homag beam saws.
The CADmatic 5 control system presents each step in 3d.
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t’s always good to follow the success of a small company as it grows steadily into a force to be reckoned with, especially when its growth has come as the result of a quest for quality. For some, growth comes at a price – and that price can be the very quality and attention to detail that’s resulted in an expanding order book. But for Borehamwoodbased Cworkshop, the pursuit of the ultimate in both service and product has been supported from the onset not just by dedication from every member of staff, but by shrewd investment in top level machinery and equipment. It was 2015 when the first Homag beam saw arrived at Cworkshop – a Holzma HPP 300 Profiline. Then came a second in 2016. With a growing order book and larger companies placing bigger orders, the staff at Cworkshop soon found themselves approaching capacity so, in 2018, two Homag Sawteq B-300 Proline beam saws were ordered. They were commissioned in August 2018. “We first invested in a Homag saw in 2015 and immediately reaped the benefits,” reports Daniele Danese, Cworkshop’s Sales Manager.
“Word of mouth is our biggest ally, so it is vitally important for us to be able to rely on delivering premium quality cut and edged panels consistently. If the cut quality and accuracy are not spot on, then we cannot deliver a first class finished product. This is why we selected Homag beam saws. In our opinion, they are simply the best on the market.” The Sawteq B-300 offers high performance in a compact space. Suitable for Batch Size One production as well as small batch work, it’s an ideal stand-alone machine that can also be used in networked production – and it comes ready for connection to automatic warehouse systems. In its standard form, the Sawteq B-300 offers a cutting length of 3,200mm up to 5,600mm with saw blade projection of 80mm, a saw carriage speed of up to 130m/min and a main saw motor of 11kW, but there are options to increase blade projection to 95mm and replace the 11kW motor with an 18kW version. With its dimensionally accurate program fence and a rugged pressure beam, the B-300 produces the first-class cutting quality Cworkshop needs, while a central side
MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 53
Left: The first two Homag saws arrived in 2015 and 2016. Below: The dimensionally accurate program fence and rugged pressure beam on the Sawteq B-300s
pressure device (integrated into the saw carriage) provides greater productivity through shorter cycle times. If, in the future, further expansion at Cworkshop demands the fitting of other features beyond those specified at the time of order, many of the production enhancing options available on this saw can be retrofitted. One of the key features of the Sawteq B-300 is the CADmatic 5 control system. Featuring a brand new assistance graphic displayed on a 21” full HD widescreen monitor, it shows the operator in simple steps what needs to be done and when. Intuitive to operate, the 3d presentations are designed to shorten the training period and reduce operator errors. CADmatic 5 is ready for connection to Tapio, Homag’s digital platform, and also provides open communication with other machines and software solutions. “One of the biggest benefits to our business is the peace of mind the Homag saws give us,” commented Daniele, who’s now servicing enquiries for orders of £100,000 upwards. “When we’re running at maximum capacity, we can’t afford to have machines go
down. With the four saws in our facility, we can be processing up to 2,000 panels a day. Irrespective of this high throughput, we have to maintain the cut quality and accuracy, otherwise we can’t deliver the high quality products and service our customers demand.” As a matter of course, the staff at Cworkshop regularly replace the blades and clean and service the saws to keep them in first class condition. “On top of this, the service backup from Homag is first class,” says Daniele. “Although it rarely happens, if we have a machine issue, Homag’s online diagnostics system solves the problem quickly. “Apart from the fact that the performance of the machinery is exceptional,” he adds, “Homag’s outstanding reliability is a breath of fresh air in this industry.” For a demonstration, or more information about Homag beam saws, contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424. If you are reading this article with the free Furniture Journal App on your smartphone or tablet, a video of the Homag Sawteq B-300 in action is available by touching the picture marked with a link sign.
Daniele Danese
54 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
Customisable CNC Software Solutions CAD+T creates flexible software solutions that are based on your machinery capabilities, the tools available, the geometry and materials you use.
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ith over 29 years of experience in designing and developing CAD/CAM packages for the furniture production and interior design markets, Austrian software experts, CAD+T specialise in creating highly customisable software solutions for three and four axis CNCs, including nesting machines. “We focus our attention on bespoke furniture design,” begins Martina Schwarz, International Sales & Marketing Manager at CAD+T. “Our CNC software packages don’t work off a pre-programmed database system that has been designed for the mass-market. Instead, we create flexible solutions that are based on our customer’s machinery capabilities, the tools available, the geometry and materials used.” Offering the next generation in CNC software, CAD+T’s clever CAM Interface separates components and automatically generates CNC data from the customer’s construction drawings. A database of milling strategies, machining parameters and tools generate the machine files needed to complete the job, which in turn, creates a solution that doesn’t require the programming or reorganising of CNC data. In short, this means you can wave goodbye to timely manual programming, generic system inputting and the need for an experienced software programmer. Simple to implement into your business (the only thing you need to set the software up is your material specification), the software
has been designed to optimise production processes and materials output, offering time saving benefits of around 60% per order, as well as error prevention of up to 80%. Plus, you have the added benefit of being able to run one software package on several CNC machines, saving you time and money throughout the production cycle. Martina adds, “Our adaptable approach to software design allows us to analyse the production process and create effective software concepts that work around our customer’s most challenging requirements. This is what separates CAD+T from other software developers. 90% of our customers work on CNC machines. We’re seeing a growing trend towards 5-axis work but we’re predominantly working with 3-axis machines in the UK. It’s a very important market for us and, due to demand, we’re continuing to invest heavily in ongoing research and product development in this area. We work closely with our customers and we’re not afraid to talk to industry to find out what they need. This approach has led us to create a wealth of problem-solving solutions that have been proven to be advantageous to the furniture industry.” For more information on CAD+T and its complete range of CAD/CAM software solutions for the furniture production and interior design markets please visit www.cadt-solutions.com or email office@cadt-solutions.com
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MARCH 2019 | furniture journal 57
Jewel in the Crown Crown Imperial is the first company in the UK to take delivery of the new four-tonne capacity, electric powered Combi-CB.
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ith an increasing variety of raw materials and finished products that needed to be moved around and stored at Crown Imperial’s 10,000m² Herne Bay production facility, Store Manager, Bruce Whiting, had a number of boxes he needed to be ticked when he set out to look for new forklifts. Bruce had already set about overhauling and enhancing handling procedures by bringing in a number of Combilift models to replace counterbalance and reach trucks that were previously used at the kitchens, bedrooms and living room furniture manufacturer. One key objective, however, was to reduce the level of ride-on forklift traffic, particularly in areas where a lot of other personnel are present. Taking advice from Jon Collett of materials handling consultants Mexmast, he looked at the Combilift range and found the ideal solution in the form of Combi-WR4 multidirectional pedestrian stackers and a Combi-CBE4 multidirectional counterbalance design forklift.
With the arrival of the Combi-CBE4, Crown Imperial became the first company in the UK to take delivery of the new fourtonne capacity electric powered Combi-CB – which ticked all the boxes for Bruce. “We wanted a truck with a small footprint that could work in narrow confines, but we also needed enough capacity to cope with our heavier loads. Electric power was also essential for lower running costs, so we were pleased to hear that Combilift had recently added the CBE4 to its range.” The CBE4 is used for a wide range of tasks: offloading six-metre long packs of timber, chipboard and MDF and taking them to racking, and handling long profiles and timber doors. It also offers the facility to attach a tipping bin to the forks - used to take chipping waste to the wood burner for recycling (which provides fuel for heating the facility). The compact size of the truck coupled with its four-way ability means it can easily manoeuvre the tipper between machinery in the main hall without affecting production schedules.
Top: The Combi-CBE4 Above: The Combi-WR4
58 furniture journal | MARCH 2019
One of Crown Imperials Combi-WR4s in action.
The two Combi-WR4s, which have a capacity of 1,450kg, tend to work inside, although they are equally at home outside, if required. They handle lighter loads such the long profiles and pallets of components like drawer runners, as well as cardboard that is used for packaging. A major feature of all Combilift’s walk behind trucks is the unique, patented multi-position tiller arm, which enables push button rotation of the rear wheel parallel to the chassis and back. This offers excellent visibility of the surroundings, the forks and the load, and when working in narrow aisles, it enables the operator to stand at the side of the unit rather than the rear, avoiding any crush risk. The lower speed of pedestrian machines compared to ride-on trucks also fits neatly with Crown Imperial’s requirement for ultra-safe operation, particularly when manoeuvring around corners or potential blind spots. The versatility and four-way capability of the Combilifts have enabled better use of storage space for long products and have also brought further benefits, as Bruce points out: “Thanks to the Combi-WR4’s manoeuvrability in the small aisles of the
The Combilift CB. Simple controls and four-way movement are the hallmarks of all Combilift trucks.
warehouse area, we can put stock where we couldn’t previously and can now store all elements of a customer order in one place. With the old reach trucks, we had to split orders and keep them in different locations. It is now much quicker to locate a specific order, and if customers want to delay shipment there is no issue for us with lack of space.” “We pride ourselves on our advanced manufacturing equipment, with which we can process timber and MDF at speed of 30 panels a minute, or drill one million holes a day, and our handling equipment is now equally sophisticated. We are able to do things that were impossible before from a handling, storage and safety point of view and new possibilities for better utilisation of space and equipment keep occurring to us.” For more information on the full range of Combilift trucks, telephone 00353 47 80500 or visit www.combilift.com If you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, touch the pictures marked with link signs to see the Combilift WR4 and CBE in action. online presence to ensure that your requests
Combilift has been nominated as a finalist in one of the most prestigious and hotly contested international awards in the materials handling industry. From a large pool of applicants, just 15 products have been selected for the IFOY Award (International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year) which honours the best products and solutions of the year. The Combi-PPT powered pallet truck with 8,000kg capacity is one of three products. shortlisted by the jury in the Warehouse Truck category. the results are announced on April 26th at the IFOY Award night in Vienna.
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