Furniture Journal November 2018

NOVEMBER 2018

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ON THE COVER: Kleiberit’s CEO, Achim Hübener, with Bradly Larkan from Kleiberit UK. Highlights from Sicam Elements and W Exhibition Reviews:

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NOVEMBER 2018

Contents 2

Kleiberit’s Managing Director, Dr Achim Hübener talks about the company, its products and its plans for the future.

Serica from Alfatherm has some amazing properties.

6 8

On the Cover Kleiberit’s MD, Dr Achim Hübener, left, with Bradly Larkan - an exclusive interview to mark the company’s 70th anniversary.

Story: pages 2-5.

70 Years of Kleiberit

Super Serica A Splash and a Dash A splash of gloss, a dash of grey; trending colours in an ever-popular finish from David Clouting make their débuts.

10 Wood-greys from Renolit

Three new woodgrain décors are announced by Renolit.

13 Bond with Kenyon

Kenyon Group has teamed up with H.B. Fuller to deliver the Rakoll® brand with Kenyon service for smaller users.

16 10/10 for Sicam

Editor: Melvyn Earle email: Melvyn@FurnitureJournal.co.uk Direct Tel: 01502 733438 Assistant Editor: Olena Earle email: Olena@FurnitureJournal.co.uk Design: Leigh Brown email: studio@leighbrowndesign.co.uk Circulation: Marie Earle email: Circ@FurnitureJournal.co.uk www.furniturejournal.co.uk

18 Décor Trends of Tomorrow

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, 2018.

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.

Schattdecor’s Sicam motto was “One source, unlimited solutions”.

Printing: Barnwell Print Published by: Craftsman Publishing Company Ltd, Landings House, Lound Road, Blundeston, Suffolk, NR32 5AT, England. www.craftsmanpublishing.co.uk

Increased productivity from SCM’s sizing and optimisation combinations: we talk to Mauro Freddo and Massimiliano Sentini.

44 H80 débuts at W

Felder premieres its very latest CNC nesting machine, the H80.

46 The Dynestic Dynasty

Robert Terzer, Holz-Her’s Sales Director, talks about their Dynestic range on the company’s W Exhibition stand.

48 Making Productivity Simple

Robust, simple hardware and high level technology make programming the Maka PM Modular easier than ever.

50 Masters of the

Machining Centre

Designed in Italy, made in Italy by a machining centre specialist - Masterwood is proud of its heritage.

53 New Kimla débuts

Daltons Wadkin shows the Kimla BPA in a woodland setting.

54 Setting the Standard

22 Get a Handle on Sicam

56 Schelling Shows Compact

The latest diversification of Salice’s product range makes its début at Sicam.

New handles with the wow factor.

24 T-type on Cue

26 W & Elements: Review

The latest version of the T-type makes its début on the Titus stand at Sicam.

The W Exhibition and Elements delivered what they set out to deliver.

29 Light and Fragrant

Two new products make their débuts on the Ostermann stand in Elements.

30 Blum on Film

Blum’s imaginative cinema presentation attracted record visitor numbers.

33 When Curves are Cheap

With a Curvomatic kit, you’ll never shy away from curved components again.

34 Stars of the Biesse Stand Origination: CPC Ltd

21 The Night Collection

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.

The Sicam team celebrated the tenth anniversary of the exhibition.

40 A Cut Above

New technologies introduced alongside well known models on the Biesse stand.

38 Augmented Reality from Homag

A brilliant Augmented Reality tool, designed to aid maintenance, makes its show début.

Striebig’s retro-fittable Panel Optimisation Program, OptiDivide, makes its UK début at the W Exhibition.

Schelling demonstrates a compact cut-to- size solution.

59 Evolution for Doors

Produce an internal door, cut three hinges and a lock in one minute from a blank with Essepigi.

60 Busy W for CAD+T

Software specialist CAD+T was inundated at the W Exhibition.

63 Sand it Safely

Alongside new products, Mirka used its W Exhibition stand to demonstrate its vibration monitoring App.

64 Back to Black with Lamello

Lamello introduces a new, black version of its one-piece cabinet fitting, Cabineo, at the W Exhibition.

67 A Star at the Ney Expo

A new entry level CNC from Lohmeyer makes its UK début at Ney’s in-house.

2 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

70 years of Kleiberit In an exclusive interview, Melvyn Earle talks to Kleiberit’s Managing Director, Dr Achim Hübener, about the company, its products and milestones and its plans for the future.

A Dr Achim Hübener

lways referred to as Dr Hübener by his colleagues, I’d imagined the Managing Director of the German PUR specialist, Kleiberit, as a very formal, straight-down-to-business boss who probably viewed journalists with suspicion and regarded interviews with the press as a necessary evil. Achim Hübener doesn’t come across like that at all. On the contrary, he’s candid, open, approachable and enthusiastic.

There’s even a touch of humour in his answers. As we talk about the company, its

history, its products and services, he encourages open dialogue, much like he expects of his technical staff when they visit customers. It’s clearly something that comes from the top. He genuinely wants manufacturers to know and understand Kleiberit and to get the most out of the products and the expertise that’s available both in Weingarten and through Kleiberit UK - one of 18 daughter companies Kleiberit now has around the world. His frankness, like his enthusiasm, take me by surprise. And he

November 2018 | furniture journal 3

Kleiberit in Weingarten.

seems to have a genuine fondness for Kleiberit UK: “It’s a bit unique,” he says, a hint of pride in his voice. “Kleiberit UK is the only one where we own property. It’s a developed and advanced market in terms of manufacturing technology, and it’s a good fit with our strengths in industrial applications. It’s been very successful for us. It’s one of the bigger markets we have.” It’s also one of the first export markets Kleiberit approached and the company has been over here since 1992.

2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the company’s founding, though aside from a large, illuminated 70 at the back of one of the Holz-Handwerk stands in March, and a tiny reference at the head of Kleiberit’s advertisements, it’s a milestone that’s been kept low key. There’s perhaps a good reason: it’s only in the weeks leading up to our meeting that plans for Kleiberit’s ten-year vision have reached the final approval stage.

With just a few more boxes to be ticked, the ground-breaking on an investment approaching 40 million Euros will commence – probably in the second quarter of 2019 – and when complete, it will see Kleiberit double its capacity and increase both the speed and the flexibility of its operation.

“Tailor-made products are around 85% of our business and customers want one week from

order to delivery,” Achim Hübener tells me.

“That’s easier if you have your own warehouse for raw materials and finished products, and can control your own logistics. We will soon be able to run the quantities with a turnaround of 6,000 pallets every 10 days.”

Back in 1948, Kleiberit’s core product was classical white glue for the woodworking market. The advent of plastic windows prompted a move into adhesives for use with PVC, then, in the 1980s, the focus shifted towards polyurethane hotmelts – and its this niche that Kleiberit has really made its own.

“You don’t lose your history. A big share of our business today is the woodworking industry, and it’s the main part, but we do not see ourselves only as a woodworking company,” he explains. “We have outstanding expertise in polyurethane adhesives – hence our slogan, Competence PUR – and this is where we believe we can add value to the business of our customers because we understand polyurethane chemistry. For the last 20 years at least it’s been the key focus of our development. Rather than looking at a particular market segment, we would rather look at the chemistry behind it so today, we manufacture polyurethane hotmelts for the automotive industry, for the textile, bookbinding, building and, of course, the

woodworking industry. The focus is the polyurethane hotmelt market for us” Asked about other product categories, he’s refreshingly honest about what the Kleiberit offers – and what it won’t. He refuses steadfastly to rebadge other manufacturers’ products in an effort to be all things to all men, or simply to notch up the company’s profits. “We only supply B2B,” he says adamantly. “We are not going to the end consumer, or the DIY market. We start with small carpenters but we also go to the big companies in the industry. Our strength lies in the development capabilities we have here, in the manufacturing capabilities we have and in the technical expertise we can offer our customers. These are our three main cornerstones. We focus on PUR, so we have a different approach. If a customer wants to talk to us about PUR adhesives we are happy because that’s our expertise. We will not relabel something we’ve bought elsewhere and sell it because we don’t know what’s in the drum.” To some, that might seem a restrictive policy, but with Kleiberit’s worldwide share of the polyurethane adhesives market put close to 20%, it’s clearly not one that’s working against them. In fact, it almost certainly puts Kleiberit in first place - or a very close second – on the world stage.

4 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

The Technology Centre in Weingarten is equipped with industrial size machinery.

Achim Hübener attributes much of Kleiberit’s success to the hands-on experience of Kleiberit’s sales engineers, who spend much of their time working alongside production staff in the factories of Kleiberit customers.

“They are not only able to give you a price, or discuss a package that works for you, they are able to run the machine in your factory,” he says. “They will run our glue on your machine and demonstrate what, in our opinion, are the best settings to get the best mileage out of the product, the best coating out of the product and the best adhesion performance out of the product. Our people have to be experts in running these machines as well as being experts in the adhesive product itself so they can show you how to apply the adhesive.

“Here in Weingarten, we also have a largescale application centre – a technology centre with industrial-size machinery. If you want to put your foil on a full 8’ x 4’ sheet of the type you are using, we can do that here. We will not ask you to cut it down to A4 so we can show you the glue works. We ask for a pallet of your boards and we will cover them in industrial conditions using industrial scale machines. It alleviates a lot of trialling on your machinery and prevents any interruption to your production. There is no need for upscaling because we have proven the production on an industrial scale.”

The technology centre is often central to the development of customised adhesive solutions and he is as proud of its achievements as he is confident in its capabilities: “A customer can come to the centre with new materials and if he has a problem to glue them, we will find a solution.

This is a real benefit of Kleiberit as a partner.

Customers can come here and get good support, good service and a good product.”

Another contributing factor to Kleiberit’s success lies in the relationships it fosters with machinery companies. They have helped the company leap ahead of the game more than once. “You cannot produce products in isolation,” he says. “We work with major machinery companies who let us participate in their innovation so when they bring out a new machine, we already have the glue that works with it. An example of this was our collaboration with Stefani on the glue for the j-pull technology launched at Xylexpo two years ago. Another is the Hot Coating story that we developed with Barberan: we had the PUR to provide a perfect bond to melamine; Barberan had the machinery to provide the benefits of a perfect optical finish. That was the idea behind Hot Coating: it combines PUR technology and lacquering, and the result is a finish with very high abrasion resistance – enough to use on dance floors –

but a softer, more elastic feel from the PUR when you walk on it.”

In a shrewd move, Kleiberit acquired Dekora PUR - its own Hot Coating company about four years ago, enabling technicians to conduct full scale production trials and demonstrations of the technology at a moment’s notice while, at the same time, producing panels for would-be investors who might want to get their marketing into gear and start supplying product ahead of installation of a line of their own. The company is manufacturing for a dozen or so regular kitchen clients in Germany who want the Hot Coated product, proving the point that Dekora PUR isn’t just a demonstration facility that’s polished meticulously for visitors and opened on demand; it’s a fully fledged production business that’s running two shifts a day.

Being pro-active in developing new packaging options for smaller users has also helped Kleiberit open new markets for its products. “With quality becoming more important in the market, we are seeing more demand from small companies who are interested in using PUR, but many don’t have the volume, or the people to run their edgebanders in three shifts. They are not interested in buying 200 litre drums but they want the quality to compete, so we developed different packaging that fits their

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 5 Smaller companies that want to compete with the quality PUR gives them are not interested in buying 200 litre drums, so Kleiberit developed different packaging options.

requirements. We have developed different formats for use with specific machines, but also we have something that’s easy to use and can be left in an open gluepot without the need for nitrogen blanketing, or premelters, or drum unloaders. It comes in cute little tablets. And you only use a little bit that can go in a normal gluepot whenever you need PUR.” The new blister tablet pack is one of a range of alternative packaging options like stand-up pouches and others. “We don’t just look for the chemistry of the product, we look for the application and try to solve problems with the packaging,” he says. “In effect, we’re creating new markets. The small packages are even ideal for people who have biggish machines that take 2kg in a premelter when they need a little extra at the end of a shift but don’t want to start a new 20kg drum. They can run out the shift without starting a new drum.”

Kleiberit has also been instrumental in driving the market towards isocyanate-free products with its Micro Emissions range.

Demand from the market for isocyanate-free products, especially among furniture manufacturers who want the marketing edge provided by the very greenest of green credentials, has led to the development of a whole range of Micro Emission products - the first of which Kleiberit launched at Holz-

Handwerk earlier this year - and these are now available through Kleiberit UK. Noting time is running short and the A5 to Karlsruhe airport is fraught with roadworks, I hasten to conclude the interview so we have a few minutes left for photographs. I have time for one final question. Following on from his earlier comments about the importance of the British market and how Kleiberit UK was “a bit unique”, I broach the subject of Brexit and how the fluctuating exchange rate might affect Kleiberit’s business over here. My question elicits a broad smile. Was that also a slight shaking of the head I saw? Maybe. He has a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C to cover any changes that might need to be made to the legal framework, but as far as supply is concerned, he’s adamant the status quo will only be improved upon when the new investment at Weingarten comes on stream.

“Whatever happens, we believe in the market and we will be there after Brexit,” he confirms. “It will be business as usual and no interruption to supply. Support, working in partnership with customers, that will stay the same. As for the exchange rate, we are used to currency fluctuations. As soon as you decide to become global – and more than 80% of our business is outside Germany – fluctuation in exchange rates is a normal part

of your business. You can’t predict it, so you deal with it.” I guess that’s quite a good attitude to have when the options are all in the hands of politicians.

To find more out about Kleiberit’s range of products, or if you need technical assistance with an adhesion issue, contact Kleiberit UK on 01530 836699, or if you are reading the free, interactive online edition of Furniture Journal, touch the www.kleiberit.com or any interactive picture for an immediate link to more information on Kleiberit’s range of PUR hotmelts.

Bradly Larkan: “There is a highly skilled technical sales team in the UK to address any challenges. We have a local warehouse in Leicestershire that is there to serve local customers with quick response times and we have a product range in stock to service the UK market with the fastest possible delivery and response times. We have a friendly, helpful, knowledgeable administration team to help with all logistical matters. Just give us a call and put us to the test.”

6 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Super Serica Looking for a thermohealing, anti-fingerprint, anti-scratch surface in trend-setting supermatt?

Take a look at Serica from Alfatherm.

M

ade in Italy, Alfatherm’s Serica is setting new standards in the supermatt surfaces arena – not just because it has a warm and luxurious, silky, paint-like finish that is sure to go down well with consumers, but also because it has some key features that make it very, very practical.

It’s not every parent whose two-year-old attacks the kitchen worksurface with a fork when the Terrible Twos strike, but one of the key selling points for Serica is the extremely robust, anti-scratch (and anti-fingerprint) technology incorporated into the surface. In the home, micro scratches can be healed by simply heating the worksurface through a protective cloth with an iron – and that, says Alfatherm, sets new standards. Fitters will love it because there’s no need to peel protective films – it’s truly anti-scratch so it doesn’t need protection during the manufacturing stages.

The finish is the result of substantial investment by Alfatherm in a new lacquering line that, according to Alfatherm’s Marketing Manager, Barry Berman, “Encourages customers to feel and touch the surface” and

gives them “a premium product at a realistic and commercial price.”

Available in 30 fashionable stock colours for 3D membrane pressing, from adventurous terracotta to various shades of whites, creams, and greys the Serica finish sets new standards for super matt surfaces.

Serica can be made to order in any colour (subject to minimum order production) and can also be used for flat lamination, for cut and edged slab doors as well as five piece profile wrapped doors, so from a manufacturing perspective it’s extremely versatile. It’s no less versatile from a design perspective either: in kitchens, the supermatt finish looks as good as it feels, especially in dark colours – but anyone looking for a product that can be used in the office, or for shopfitting or exhibition purposes, will find Serica’s versatility as alluring as its aesthetic appeal.

For more information or samples contact Alfa Foils Ltd on 01948 668000, visit www.alfafoils.co.uk or, if you are using the free Furniture Journal App, touch the picture with a link sign for immediate connection to Alfatherm’s Serica information page.

Serica, the new standard in luxury super-matt

-lamination Serica is the ultimate premium finish and the latest addition to the dp-specialist range.

This robust PVC is silky smooth to touch and adds a luxurious supermatt statement when laminated double sided to MDF or dp-lite Hollowcore board. With anti-scratch and antifingerprint technology, Serica is designed to cover all types of furnishings in homes, offices and stores.

In case micro-scratches occur, the surface can be easily repaired using a simple iron.

The PVC’s resilient nature means it does not require a protective film, easing the manufacturing process. Available 1220mm wide and stocked in 11 unicolour designs as well as a further 19 colours deliverable on short lead times.

“The best performing super matt finish, setting a new standard on the market ” According to a leading European manufacturer of furniture frontals.

Contact us for more information: Century House, Premier Way, Lowfields Business Park, Elland, West Yorkshire HX5 9HF t: +44 (0) 1422 658341 e: info@decorative panels.co.uk decorativepanels.co.uk

8 furniture journal | November 2018

A splash of gloss, a dash of grey; trending colours in an ever-popular finish from David Clouting make their dĂŠbuts.

November 2018 | furniture journal 9

Cosmos Grey

Onyx Grey

Pebble Grey

White Grey

A Splash and a Dash A

droplet of water hits a high gloss surface and shatters into a myriad of tiny jewels. On the pristine vinyl, every detail of the moment is captured, reflected perfectly in the depth of the Cosmos grey beneath. In less than a thousandth of a second, the surface, both brilliant in its sheen and flawless in its finish, has captured and preserved the detail in each scattering micro drop. It’s an LG Hausys foil – one of four high gloss vinyls in a new collection of greys from David Clouting Ltd. “People have been predicting the demise of gloss for over five years, but the demand for gloss has maintained its popularity” says Edward Quant, David Clouting’s Sales Director. “Matt and painted wood are replacing timber prints and real timber, but gloss sales are still strong. What has changed

is the materials in the industry and the colours. There are a lot more different types of gloss from lacquered gloss doors to acrylic doors made with products like our Hard Coat Gloss and they are all doing very well.

“The mix of colours has changed. The creams, the mussels and the alabasters have reached the end of their lifespan and have been superseded by greys. Grey has gone way beyond expectations. Our latest collection of four greys is a new take on a trending colour and it’s been developed in conjunction with manufacturers who wanted something different in high gloss.”

One might be tempted to ask, why does anyone need more than a light grey, a medium grey and a dark grey in a collection?

“Cleverly, the four new colours split these colours nicely,” says Edward. “We now offer eight colours in a grey range where we had

four previously and the new greys match new MFCs in the Egger range. The new ones are just a little bit more sophisticated. The white grey will be extremely successful. It’s effectively an off white, so this will appeal to anyone who is looking for something that’s just a little bit different and new but not too different.”

The four new greys in the gloss range – Cosmos Grey, Onyx Grey, Pebble Grey and White Grey - are all 0.5mm thick and can be used both for membrane pressing and flat lamination. All four are in stock and are available by the metre or as full rolls from David Clouting Ltd. For a splash of gloss and a dash of grey, call David Clouting Ltd on 01376 518037, or download the free Furniture Journal app and tap www.davidclouting.co.uk for an immediate link to the company website.

10 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018 Light Rockford Hickory

Dark Rockford Hickory

Wood-greys from Renolit Three new woodgrain décors are announced by Renolit – and they fit perfectly with the latest trending colour, grey.

Nordic Wood

Ribeira Ash Painted Q Top left: Nordic Wood, Top right: Rockford Hickory

G

loss grey, matt grey, light grey, dark grey – no matter which way you look at it, grey is the trending colour.With its latest décors, Cramlington-based Renolit has shown how grey-toned woodgrains can be combined easily with the new generation of solid colours, including some of the bolder shades.

Renolit’s latest offer includes three very different woodgrains: Rockford Hickory in light, natural and dark shades, Ribeira Ash Painted Q and Nordic Wood, available in white and grey.

Rockford Hickory is a 3D thermoformable film that takes influence from the strength and hardness of Hickory, combining it with light pores and contrasting cathedrals. Light Rockford Hickory is ideal for bedrooms and living spaces, where it provides a bright and airy atmosphere. It is an easy partner for bold colours such as Dried Date Supermatt or Dried Mango Supermatt. Natural Rockford Hickory revels the natural warmth and golden tones of Hickory and is best suited to kitchens and interior furniture where a traditional room setting is sought. Create a classic but contemporary appearance by combining it with Mussel Suedette Matt, or jazz it up with Bronze Metallic. Renolit’s third colourway is Dark Rockford Hickory, where the deep, rich tones create a warm sophisticated look. It pairs perfectly with Stone Grey Suedette Matt or Conifer Green.

Presented in its own shade of taupe, and with strong horizontal orientation, Ribeira Ash Painted Q is a bright and charismatic design that oozes Scandinavian freshness.Vibrant growth rings, prominent cathedrals and subtly curved lines give the décor a powerful elegance.This design works well in furniture, kitchen and bathroom installations and combines well with Pearl Grey Suedette Matt or Cement Supermatt.

Another new décor from Renolit with Nordic influence is Nordic Wood, a subtle design consisting of natural grain, soft lines and neutral tones that embodies the simplicity, minimalism and functionality one expects of Scandinavian design. White Nordic Wood is Scandinavian at its best. Complete the crisp light look with Denim Suedette Matt or Northern Lights Supermatt, or opt for Grey Nordic Wood for a softer, warmer white-grey tone, perfect for bathroom furniture. The neutral tones mix well with White Grey Suedette Matt for added freshness, Century Wolfram Grey, or Vibration Supermatt, a delightful bold purple trend colour.

To receive design trend information on any of these new wood décors call 01670 718222, visit www.renolit.com/design.

Alternatively, if you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, touch renolit.cramlington@renolit.com to send an email.

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 13

Bond with Kenyon Y

ou probably already know Kenyon Group. Founded in 1979, they have a long association with adhesives for the woodworking sector. Kenyon Group grew to a substantial distributor for National Starch & Chemical until Henkel acquired the company and they became a Premium Partner, and for many years, they’ve also sold Power Adhesive hotmelt products. What you may not know, however, is that with effect from 15th October 2018, Kenyon Group has been appointed sole UK distributor for H.B. Fuller’s range of Rakoll® adhesives – and that’s a move that both companies are extremely excited about.

“We were contacted by H.B. Fuller out of the blue,” recalls Ian Kenyon, Kenyon Group’s Managing Director. “They were looking for a distributor with experience and understanding of the woodworking adhesives sector. We have almost 40 years in the business. We wanted a broader range of products to sell that included HMMC (Hot Melt Moisture Cure), EVA, PVACs and waterbased adhesives, so we were a perfect fit.

We’re expecting to bring new opportunities,

new accounts on board, maybe even new applications that H.B. Fuller’s technicians don’t know about. The expectation is that we will each grow organically.”

In a woodworking adhesives market that’s conservatively estimated to be worth around £80-100 million in sales annually and supports some 5-600 adhesive resellers, H.B. Fuller’s share – despite having a UK manufacturing base in Dukinfield, not 15 minutes from Kenyon Group – falls significantly under 10%, so there’s plenty of scope for the growth both expect. And in Kenyon Group, H.B. Fuller has found a partner that is as determined as it is experienced: “In the past, H.B. Fuller has concentrated on Class A accounts where the spend has been more than £100,000 a year,” says Ian. “This has left a perfect gap in the market for us, because we specialise in offering a personalised service to smaller customers.”

So, what does H.B. Fuller offer and how will the new distribution arrangement work?

Over the last few years, H.B. Fuller has been aggressively pursuing acquisition after acquisition, cherry-picking strategically to

Kenyon Group has teamed up with H.B. Fuller to deliver the Rakoll® brand with Kenyon service for smaller users.

Left to right: Anthony Rook (Northern Europe Sales Manager, H.B. Fuller), Ian Kenyon (MD Kenyon Group), James Hamilton (Sales Exec, Kenyon Group), Michel Breem (Distribution Manager, HB Fuller) and Craig McLaughlin (Senior Account Manager UK and Ireland, H.B. Fuller).

14 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

H.B. Fuller’s Dunkinfield factory.

H.B. Fuller’s stock and raw materials warehouse.

Production in H.B. Fuller’s Dukinfield factory.

give it the broadest possible product spread.

It now has a portfolio that contains emulsion adhesives, various formulations of hot melt for straight edges, softforming, postforming and profile wrapping, and membrane pressing adhesives. Michel Breem, H.B. Fuller’s Distribution Manager, takes up the story: “We now have a huge product range to choose from,” he confirms. “We have products from classic D3 and D4 water-based PVAC (for which, uniquely, we do our own polymerisation to ensure stable products and reliable supply) through to advanced adhesives for every woodworking application.

Our strategy is to have a team for direct sales to larger accounts – Craig McLaughlin and Anthony Rook in the UK – and all the small to medium-sized accounts will go through our sole UK distributor, Kenyon Group. They have the team in place to provide smaller accounts with the levels of service, the technical support and the next day delivery smaller users expect.”

Kenyon Group has decades of experience working with small to medium-sized

companies and brings a lot to the party: “Often, when we talk to a customer, discussions revolve around how we can improve what he is producing,” says Ian. “Can we get a lighter coat weight for him and help him save money? Can we improve his production methods? Can we find an adhesive that’s actually better than he has been using from our stock product range? We can offer any product on a Just-in-Time delivery basis and with H.B. Fuller’s factory only 15 minutes away from us, in extreme cases we may even be able to offer same day as well as next day delivery anywhere in the UK. “In addition, we have a lot of expertise to offer and experience of many machines and application methods. We are able to assess a manufacturer’s machines, talk to the operators, discuss coat weights they are using, ensure everything is running at an optimum temperature, check compressions, substrates and advise on any changes. If there’s an issue that falls outside our expertise, we are often able to bring in the machine manufacturer. We work closely with

several. If the problem is with the adhesives, we now have the facility to bring in experts from H.B. Fuller and through them we have access to full technical backup. The key to providing the best possible service is to establish how we can save the customer some money and deliver a better final product for him.”

“It’s an exciting chapter in our history and we’re expecting to grow significantly in the UK,” concludes Anthony Rook, H.B. Fuller’s Northern Europe Sales Manager . “Most of our adhesive business is in the M62 corridor. What we need to see is a broadening out of our customer base and that’s what we believe Kenyon Group will deliver. We are very happy to have them on board and we are looking forward to many years of success and growth.”

To discuss any Rakoll® adhesive, contact Kenyon Group on 0161 627 1001 or, if you are reading the App edition of Furniture Journal, touch here to send an email. For information on the Rakoll® range from H.B. Fuller, touch any picture marked with a link sign.

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16 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

10/10 for Sicam This flap system from Grass is available with a 12mm boring depth for 21mm panels and, uniquely, a 17mm boring depth for 27mm panels.

Available in “night” finish or nickel. Buy from Häfele: 01788 542020.

The Sicam team celebrated the tenth anniversary of the exhibition by opening a tenth pavilion.

I

The focus for Vauth-Sagel was on supporting materials for presentation and explanation of features and benefits. Buy Vauth-Sagel products from Häfele: 01788 542020.

t was celebrations all round at the Sicam exhibition this year: 2018 marks the tenth anniversary of a show that has found a place at the very heart of the annual international furniture fittings calendar, and by way of celebration, the organisers opened the tenth and last remaining pavilion of the Pordenone exhibition ground. The champagne flowed and birthday candles were duly blown out on a giant birthday cake, but for the Giobbi family – founder Carlo, daughter Carolina, son Michaele and the Exposicam team – there was another reason to celebrate: the arrival of a third generation to ensure continuation of this successful event.

Congratulations to Mum, Carolina!

The Sicam exhibition is very much a family affair and there’s no doubt, it does have a family feel about it. “We’ve been going

for ten years now, and we know almost all our exhibitors and have very good relations with them,” founder Carlo Giobbi told a packed press conference. “We have always had a different way of managing the fair. Our exhibitors are like family, which is one reason they book year after year. We limit the space – we won’t give 400m to somebody because we think 90 or 100 square metres is enough to show the product well. Visitors who come here from around the world are interested in the quality of the accessories, not the size of the stands – and by 2.30 on the first day, we’d already welcomed visitors from 89 different countries.”

It’s a policy that clearly works well: 93% of the increased exhibition space at Sicam 2018 had already been rebooked by the time the exhibition opened its doors on 16th October

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 17 Left: Made from recycled paper, Paperstone is a new petrochemicalfree resin-based compact laminate available in sheets of 2mm to 35mm thickness. Hygienic, easy to cut – like natural stone without the cost. Call +39 030 358 3657.

Below left: Made from 100% mineral, Lapitec’s new Velvet Collection, comprising four colours, has a soft finish and is ideal for kitchen worktops. Heat and scratch resistant. Call 01895 820883.

Below: Formaldehyde-free, scratch and heat resistant, Vitter from Filippi Legnami is a compact material that can be supplied pre-cut or as finished components. Ideal for worksurfaces, or for shaped components where retention of the shape is important. Want to be a UK supplier? Call Ivo Bollis on +39 035 861611.

Bottom: A new company founded in January 2018, Infinity produces large scale slabs (1.6m x 3.2m) in porcelain stoneware, combining layers of coloured powder into each slab to create the patterning. 35 surface types. Thicknesses from 6mm to 20mm. Suitable for worktops, splashbacks, or wall cladding. Want to import to the UK? Call Andrea Rovinalti on +39 349 935 9194.

and the deadline for the rest to decide was set at 15th December. I suspect the final plan will be known well before the November edition of Furniture Journal is published!

So, what made Sicam’s 10th such an attraction for visitors? Sicam is like an easyto-navigate Interzum with more than 600 exhibitors and a product spread that’s every bit as wide. Alongside well-known brands in hardware and internal cabinet fittings, visitors were able to browse solid surfaces, décor products, accessories, materials and novelties - even sinks and taps - from a host of new companies, and many of the products on show were new. Some exhibitors do hold back for Interzum, of course, but such is the importance of Sicam today that Salice devoted significant stand space to an entire new collection and others like Ninka,

Kröning, Saviola, Lapitec, Quartzforms and many more showed prototypes or new additions to their collections. At one end of the market there were inexpensive plastic components and at the other, Fama showed its brand-new diamond encrusted handle collection – with prices at around 1,000 Euros per handle. I don’t recall having ever seen anything quite so special at Interzum, nor any of the other exhibitions I’ve attended over the last 25 years as Editor of Furniture Journal, but then this is Sicam. And it’s like no other exhibition.

If you haven’t yet booked your hotel in Pordenone for Sicam 2019, now would be a good time to do so because the popularity of this show means accommodation in the town is always in short supply. The dates for Sicam 2019 are 15th-18th October.

18 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Décor Trends Schattdecor showed at Sicam – and this year, its motto was “One source, unlimited solutions”.

W Jackson Hickory

Ventura Chestnut

ith Neapolis, Mercurio, Astania Pine, and Waterford Oak”, the surface specialist, Schattdecor, presented a new generation of décors at this year’s Sicam that can be used universally and reflect current international trends. Designers, customers, and trade show visitors also had the opportunity to see for themselves the potential in Schattdecor’s best sellers Jackson Hickory, Catania Oak, and Ventura Chestnut.

“Visitors to our stand experienced directly how trends are being shaped by multi-dimensional lifestyles, changing living concepts and the blending of leisure time and

work,” commented Claudia Küchen, Executive Creative Director Design, Marketing & Communications. “The world is changing rapidly and we must develop with it. New lifestyles are influencing the form and function of the spaces in which we live and work.”

Visitors to the Schattdecor stand were able to see solutions for furniture and flooring, classic and innovative surfaces from the areas of finished and impregnated surfaces and surfaces with a 3D effect – as well as Schattdecor’s entire product portfolio and the trends of the future. In addition, the company presented its new décor products along with emerging trends

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 19

of Tomorrow from Italy’s design industry: “At Sicam, we particularly wanted to reach customers from Central Europe with our design recommendations and provide them with timely support at the start of their product development process,” Klaus Müller, Head of Surface Sales, told Furniture Journal. “With the displays and samples on our stand, we not only provided trade fair visitors with inspiration, but also offered them assurance when it comes to choosing the furniture or flooring décors of tomorrow.”

Among the many décors shown at Sicam, Ventura Chestnut is a universal furniture décor that fulfils the desire for natural textures with a wide range of applications.

Also in the spotlight was the Neapolis décor, a classic oak texture in combination with built-in tiles and graphic elements that

is suitable both for flooring and furniture surfaces in settings that call for a more rustic atmosphere. In addition, imitation stone played a prominent role – a trend that Schattdecor’s design team picked up back at the Milan Furniture Fair and has been tracking since. The company interpreted the style exhibited in Milan with its Mercurio décor, returning to a design comprising dark stones with white veins. Schattdecor sees stone not only as a feature of kitchen worktops, but also for other areas as it works well with wood. Jackson Hickory, a furniture décor that represents a new generation of natural and modern surfaces, is and will remain a long-running hit at Schattdecor’s trade fair appearances and attracted plenty of attention at Sicam, where it was placed centre stage.

Markus Höhn, Head of Printed Surface Sales, summarises Schattdecor’s Sicam presentation: “It’s important for us to present innovative décor ideas that allow us to tap into new market segments and respond to customer requirements individually. Our mission is to identify and adopt current trends in a targeted manner and to interpret these in the form of modern designs and technical solutions. We meet requirements before they even emerge, offering an all-round package: One Source. Unlimited solutions.”

For a direct link to Schattdecor’s website, touch www.schattdecor.de/en If you are using the free Furniture Journal App, touch design names marked in blue or any of the images marked with a link sign for more detailed information on each design and the colourways available.

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Tavinea Sorto provides the systematic finishing touch to the new drawer generation Nova Pro Scala. No matter whether it’s in the kitchen, bathroom or living room, Tavinea Sorto organises every drawer with graphic elegance.

A small number of elements are all it takes for Tavinea Sorto to offer maximum variability. Easy to insert and hygienically ideal to clean. Aesthetic design becomes a functional eye-catcher.

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 21

The Night Collection The latest diversification of Salice’s product range makes its début at Sicam.

Y

ou have to hand it to Salice, whatever they do, they do with style – and the latest diversification of the Salice product portfolio isn’t just stylish, it is breathtaking.

“The major feature of our stand this year is a range of bedroom accessories, which is branded Excessories, and these are internal fittings for wardrobes,” Salice UK’s Walter Gosling told Furniture Journal from a packed stand at Sicam. “Excessories include an elegant drawer system, finished in Titanium and available in three heights, which can accommodate base panels in 18mm and 12mm wood-based material, or 4mm glass.

Optional leather inserts are available. A fixed shelf system, fully compatible with the drawer system, is available with adjustable integrated lighting. There’s a range of accessory boxes, some in hand stitched leather, including watch and ring tidies in a range of beautiful colours from Racing Green to Maron (brown) and cream, and a range of clothes hangers in solid beech that can also be supplied with hand-stitched leather and personalised logos. Every piece in the Excessories collection is made to measure

and the keynote is luxury. The collection is extremely tasteful, refined and elegant.

“Excessories is a fully integrated and coordinated range of accessories for high-end wardrobe manufacturers. This is the first showing of this product for bedrooms and it’s called the Night Collection. It will be followed by a collection for kitchens, bathrooms and studies but these are still in development and not due for launch until next year.”

Asked where he felt demand would come from, Walter was under no illusion that it would be the top end of the market: “This is not something that’s appropriate to every customer because it’s a very high-end market product. Some of the hanging accessories are so elegant they’d work well in high end hotels but we’re also expecting demand from bespoke manufacturers working with interior designers, or maybe high-end retailers.”

If you’re working on a high-end bedroom project and need interior accessories that will do justice to your work, call Salice UK on 01480 413831 or, if you are reading the free Furniture Journal App edition, touch here to send an email.

22 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Get a Handle

on Sicam

1

2 1: Citterio Line: Launched at Sicam by Citterio Line, a new range of woven feature metal handles. Use horizontally on drawers, or vertically in pairs. Details from Gian Paolo Rossini on +39 340 385 2952 or email gianpaolo@citterioline.com 2: D-Leuchten doesn’t currently sell in the UK but with German quality and minimalist style, we reckon this new range of handles in black, silver and bronze could fill a niche. Details: +49 3371 6285-0 or email info@d-beschlag.de

3

4 3: Mix zinc with aluminium, then brush and lacquer and what do you get? Zamak handles – a new collection from Cosma in matt black, grey, brushed brass and copper finishes. Cosma also showed new insert handles. Details from Kevin Smith at EDP UK: 07766 087591. Email: kevinsmith@edpgroup.co.uk

5 4: Was this the most exotic handle at Sicam? Brand new from Fama was a collection of unique diamond encrusted handles.

And yes, it really is 17 carat! Details: Deco Pozzi Adina, +39 335 531 3306 or email adina@ famainternational.it 5: Looking for unique, luxury handles? How about this new and very unusual sand-cast collection from Fama, available in Dark Bronze, Light Bronze, Old Green and Silver. Call Deco Pozzi Adina on +39 335 531 3306 or email adina@famainternational.it

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 23

7

6

6: Simple, attractive and perfect for a wide variety of applications, this new collection from the Spanish company, Formobi, encompasses on-trend light colours as well as black and brown options. Details: +34 96 141 2344 or email commercial@formobi.es 7: Simple, attractive and available in oak, walnut or birch, these new turned knobs from the Danish company, Vonsild, have a unique incised design. More information from Kirsten Vonsild on +45 616 79500 or email mail@vonsild.com

8 9 8: Light, easy to clean and made from fully recyclable polymer, these new, Egyptian-made handles are bang on trend for the industrial look. Details from Tarek Habaschy on +20 15 500 416, or email tarek.habaschy@smdesigns.com 9: From Russia with Love: escape from minimalism and pure functionality with luxurious handles from Kerron that, like jewellery, add unique decoration to your fascia designs. Choose from the Kerron collection or order a design to suit your needs. Call Sergey Rodichev on +7 495 663 1840 or email export@magamax.ru 10: New colours for this season from the Austrian company, Grimme, include Satin Grey (front and back) and Stainless Steel (middle). Nice quality, versatile design.

Details: +43 (0) 22 36 53587 or email office@grimme.at 11: Need a robust, yet simple industrial finisher for the top of your doors and drawers? These aluminium handles from the Spanish company, Navarro Azorin, are available in various finishes. Details from Pedro Chinchilla on +34 664 395 172 or email p.chinchilla@na-spain.com

10

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24 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

T-type on Cue The latest version of the T-type makes its début on the Titus stand at Sicam.

H

Martina Kuzmic

ave you ever found yourself struggling to fit a long bedroom door because the four or five hinges it needs to carry the weight refuse to fix easily? If so, you’ll be pleased to know there’s a solution that’s so simple you’ll be able to fix any size of door with ease from now on.

“We introduced the new family of T-type hinges 18 months ago,” Martina Kuzmic told Furniture Journal from the Titus stand at Sicam, “But now at Sicam we’re showing a new hinge cup fixing system that makes it very easy to fit even big doors and it will really cut cabinet assembly time. It’s easier to fix the cup onto the board because it’s pre-assembled with the fast-fix dowels already on the hinge cup. When you put the hinge into the hole, it’s very easy to position it perfectly and it can be screwed in

with just three turns. There is less risk of the hinge cup moving and it’s very secure. It’s then a very simple matter to clip the hinges to the cabinet. They just snap on.

“The most popular features of this hinge are the three-way adjustment and the snap-on connection. The real advantage is with big doors, especially if you want to put five hinges on a door and, especially if you are short of room, the snap-on feature makes fitting the door much easier and quicker.”

For more information on the new family of T-type hinges, contact Titus on 01977 682582 or visit www.titusplus.com or, if you are reading this edition of Furniture Journal with the free Furniture Journal App, tap the picture above for an immediate link to a video demonstration of the new Titus T-type hinge.

26 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

W & Elements: Review The W Exhibition and Elements delivered what they set out to deliver and did it well.

T Above: A Masterwood dinosaur, raffled for the charity Help for Heroes Left: Event Director Lisa Campagnola with Blue Badger.

he eagerly awaited and much publicised Elements and W Exhibitions, held at Birmingham’s NEC from 30th September, have been hailed a great success by visitors and organisers – and with a smidge over 9,200 visitors attending over the four days of the event, that’s a significant increase on 2016, which was already up 10% on 2014.

It was good to see that, along with the owners of smaller workshops who normally take advantage of the Sunday opening to save working time during the week, directors and buyers from several of the UK’s larger manufacturing companies were also to be seen in the aisles. With the traditional hunting grounds of Ligna and Interzum only a few short months away, that’s a feather in the cap for the organisers – especially as several representatives from the larger brands were there to see products from the Elements exhibition in hall six.

Mick Barskyj from Jaguar Land Rover confirmed to the W Exhibition and Elements PR team, “We are here with a specific aim, and we are looking at products from the Elements side of the show to help with prototype development. The car manufacturing world is continually evolving, not only in the engines but also the aesthetic finish. The show is well laid out and everyone has been really informative.”

John Wilson, Managing Director at Ferwood UK, confirmed there were plenty more large companies attending this year’s event: “The show has been good for us,” he told CSJ-PR. “We’ve constantly been talking to customers – including some of the biggest names in the UK – so the calibre of visitors has been very high indeed.”

Despite the expanded area of the combined shows this year, and the presence of some key brands that suggest the Elements exhibition is moving in the right direction, the organisers still need to do a lot more to attract exhibitors to this side of the show especially décor producers - before it will really be seen as an exhibition in its own right. With the move to halls 18, 19 and 20 already planned for the next event in 2020, the opportunity is there if the right incentives can be found, and in the inspirational words of Luke Thomson, Managing Director of recently established Intelligent Fixings, that incentive might not be too hard to find: “The exhibition has been completely off the scale for us,” he reports. “It’s surpassed any expectations we had. We’re a very new fixings company and we had originally decided to make 10 million components to start with, but we’re now looking at producing between 50 and 80 million components because of the

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 27

interest we’ve had at this show alone. It’s been unbelievable.”

One of the greatest surprises for me in halls seven and eight was the number of machines that were making their international show débuts. The brand new H80 CNC nesting machine with fully automatic loading and unloading on the Felder stand was a most unexpected star at the show, as was Homag’s prototype augmented reality tool, demonstrated on the company’s newly launched Mouldteq M-300. A new Kimla CNC made its début on a very different Daltons Wadkin stand – and all are covered in more detail in the following review pages. AMS also showed a brand-new WB 600 AngleX automatic crosscutting machine from Wadkin Bursgreen. These were just a few of many.

The W Exhibition provided an opportunity for visitors to get up close and personal with SCM’s innovative and highly productive Flex Cut, shown for the first time in the UK on a Gabbiani S beam saw (more

on pages 40-43), and marvel at Biesse’s robot sanding solution, the Viet Opera R, also seen for the first time at a UK show.

The Viet Opera R won an Elements of Innovation Gold Award, though equally deserving was Biesse’s never-seen-before RayForce, a rapid changeover system for Rover Edge machines that adds laser edging capability to EVA, PUR and PUR granules for supreme flexibility (see pages 34-37).

Along with new machines and new technologies, visitors to the W Exhibition and Elements were treated to live machinery demonstrations, interactive spray booths and virtual reality tours, with stands finding unique ways to promote their latest product offering.

Competitions and daily challenges were also order of the day for many with Quin Global’s nail biting L12 Curve Challenge proving a huge hit with visitors who were challenged to make the tightest curve possible using L12 adhesive on bendy plywood. New to the show for 2018 was the Education Zone, a

unique opportunity for visitors to join group workshops and book one-on-one sessions with industry experts. “Support for the brand-new Education Zone has been overwhelming,” commented Event Director, Lisa Campagnola.

The show’s official charity, Help for Heroes, also had its most successful show to date. With help from the Help for Heroes bear and exhibitors at the show – including Masterwood, who provided one of the dinosaurs made on a Masterwood nesting machine as a raffle prize – the charity raised over £1200.

There were times during the four-day event when things seemed a bit flat and there were comments that the aisles could have been busier but, all in all, the W Exhibition and Elements delivered what they set out to deliver and did it well. The next edition will take place from the 27th- 30th September 2020 at the NEC, Birmingham. For updated information, visit www.wexhibition.co.uk

Service, diversity and speed

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 29

Almwiese

Light and Fragrant Two new products make their débuts on the Ostermann stand in Elements – and a new adhesives and cleaners brochure.

T

he Elements exhibition provided an opportunity for the edgebanding specialist, Ostermann, to throw a spotlight on two new diversifications of its growing product portfolio.

Designed with cafés, bars and trendy shopfitting applications in mind, Almwiese is a completely natural décor product that’s made from hand-cut meadow grass and flowers from cultivated Alpine fields. Once pressed into sheet form, it’s combined with a self-adhesive backing to provide a product that can be applied to walls – and the flowers and grasses provide a light fragrance as well as an attractive, random decoration.

“Almwiese is flexible and comes in 3050mm x 1320mm or 1000mm x 1320mm sheets with a self-adhesive backing for direct application,” explained Stephen Parsons, Ostermann UK’s Managing Director. “It can be cut with a knife and there are four different options: one with blue cornflowers, one with rose petals, one with daisies and one with grass. It’s an Austrianmade, CO2-neutral product that meets the B1

fire protection class requirements, and it’s in stock at Ostermann UK and available in quantities from one sheet.”

Also making their début on the Elements stand were Ostermann’s Magic Versa Superplus LED profiles, a flexible LED profile system that can be bent around a radius. It can be glued into position, cut to any length and the connections can be made at either end.“Simply join it to a transformer and it will work, whatever length you cut,” commented Stephen.“It’s ideal for shopfittings or bedroom applications – basically anywhere you want an LED striplight. It comes in 2.5m and 5m lengths and five different colours from cool white to extra warm white. It’s supplied with a transformer.”

For more information on either product, or a copy of Ostermann’s new Adhesives and Cleaners brochure, call Ostermann UK on 01905 793550, visit www.ostermann.eu or, if you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, touch the image marked with a link sign for a direct link to more information on Almwiese.

Stephen Parsons

30 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Blum on Film Blum’s imaginative cinema presentation attracted record visitor numbers to its stand at Elements.

F

ull marks to Blum for a stand that really stood out at the heart of the Elements exhibition. A visit to the Blum cinema – complete with popcorn – introduced training services, support software and assembly devices that Blum offers, alongside the core Blum products: hinges, drawers and lift systems.

The main area of the stand was dedicated to assembly devices that save time and make life easier for manufacturers and fitters.

Easystick, available through Blum UK, was undoubtedly the star of the show, demonstrating how simple it is to manufacture hinges with total precision. When used along with Blum’s Cabinet Configurator and Minipress, it makes it easy to produce drilling patterns, do line drilling, and drill holes for cabinet profiles, front fixings, hinges etc.

Whether you are workshop based or a user of CNC machines, Easystick will free up time and help to speed up the manufacturing process.

Blum technicians also demonstrated other assembly devices - jigs, templates, and machines - all of which could be ordered on the stand with free delivery and are also available from the Blum Kit Store (www.blumkit.co.uk).

Matthew Glanfield, Technical Manager at Blum UK, explains: “The cinematic experience lured a high number of visitors to the stand. The main feature captivated our audiences whilst telling our story of support and launching the new Blum 2018 catalogue, arguably our most comprehensive ever. The experience also raised the awareness of our Kit Store and the free training offered by Blum UK at Milton Keynes.”

For more information on all Blum products call 01908 285700 or visit www.blum.com If you are reading this edition using the free Furniture Journal App, tap the live picture marked with a link for a video demonstration.

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 33

When Curves are Cheap Y

ou know how long it takes to make a curved component in the traditional way because, if you’re a skilled cabinet maker, it’s a job that’s come in your direction more than once. It’s probably not one you look forward to either, when your client’s desire for a curved desk, a curved bar, a curved reception unit, or – even worse – curved doors in a kitchen, turn from an idea into an order. The time, the effort, the grief – they’re not going to come cheap, but that’s OK because the client knows curves are costly.

With a Curvomatic system in your workshop, you can still charge a premium for the finished product, but the time, the effort and the grief are something the client will never know are no longer a factor. From the look of surprise on the faces of visitors to the Curvomatic stand in the Elements hall, I’d say that was something quite a few cabinet makers and joiners didn’t know.

“You make a mould with one layer of Curvomatic by screwing the aluminium skin to a few MDF formers,” explained Curvomatic’s

director, Jim Burgess from a packed stand. “It takes 10-15 minutes to make a mould. Then you sandwich your laminate between the mould and another layer of Curvomatic that’s exactly the same as the mould skin. Ratchet it down and the rest of it is up to the glue. It is as simple as it looks and as simple as it sounds.

Easy and repeatable. Childsplay!

“Were showing an S-shaped mould on the stand and a six-foot long mould made from the same basic modular Curvomatic kit. We’re also showing our vacuum forming moulds that, again, are a modular system. They are made from one foot and two foot lengths that can be combined to make anything up to ten feet long.

It’s all the same kit, just reconfigured.”

Even if you didn’t visit Elements, you can still watch a demonstration by tapping the main picture on the free Furniture Journal App edition, or calling 0116 269 2212 and asking for a demonstration. Curvomatic kits start from just a few hundred pounds and payback could be as quick as your first order for curved components!

With a Curvomatic kit, you’ll never shy away from jobs with curved components again.

34 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018 Background: perfect sanding right into the corner on the Viet Opera R1, shown right.

Stars of the Biesse Stand Biesse put on quite a show with new technologies introduced alongside well known models.

Giacomo Mariotti

W

hat better recognition could there be for a company celebrating 25 years since the founding of its UK headquarters than the winning of an award for one of its machines? It was celebrations all round on the Biesse stand, with customers who have remained loyal for the last 25 years joining the hundreds who came to see the latest developments.

Biesse’s product range has expanded significantly over the 25 years since Biesse UK was founded. Although originally a manufacturer of the Rover machining centres, Techno drilling machines and Selco beam saws that are still synonymous with Biesse today, Biesse’s portfolio now includes innovations such as the Skipper (believed to be the first machine to offer simultaneous machining and drilling of two panels), a twin pusher solution available on the current range of Selco saws that can deliver payback within just one year, the Nextstep (a flexible cutting centre that offers ‘batch one’ just in time production), and the Viet Opera R - the robotised sanding machine that won the Elements of Innovation Award. Biesse has also maintained a place at the forefront of the

Industry 4.0 digital revolution with innovations like its IoT platform, SOPHIA – a prominent feature on the W Exhibition stand.

SOPHIA connects engineers to customer’s machines 24/7, enabling proactive monitoring of condition, checking of component parts, minimising of downtime and faults and much more, all from your smartphone or tablet.

One might normally expect major innovations to appear at exhibitions like Ligna, or for the Italian market, Xylexpo, but this year, visitors to the W Exhibition were treated to new technology that was making its UK début alongside machines that were first introduced at Xylexpo and have since undergone further development. The Viet Opera R1 robotised sanding machine isn’t brand new but, making its first UK appearance at a show, it instantly took the eye of judges at the W Exhibition who gave it the Elements of Innovation award. It is, in many respects, a remarkable machine, not least because it offers the opportunity to automate skills that, even today, usually have to be carried out by hand. Take the MDF door, illustrated on this page, for example: it might look like a normal five-piece door with

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 35

The Viet Opera R1 Right: The Control Force system inside the robotic unit continuously measures and adjusts the abrasive pressure applied to the panel.

a centre panel but, in fact, its made out of a single piece of MDF that’s been sanded to perfection right into the corners by a robot inside the Opera R. And it accomplished this immaculate finish in just a few seconds. The technology inside the Opera R means it can machine elements with different levels easily – edges as well as centre panels. The patented Control Force system inside the robotic unit continuously measures and adjusts the abrasive pressure applied to the panel, while the facility to follow the grain in any orientation means high quality surfaces can even be achieved on veneered products.

Options include cleaning brushes, an antistatic bar, a rotating blower downstream of the machine and a linear blower for cleaning of panel edges. There’s also an Opera R2 version that enables simultaneous processing of two panels.

Another sanding machine that caught my eye – and it is perhaps every bit as deserving of an award - was the Viet Opera 5.

Outwardly, it might look like any other throughfeed widebelt sander, but take a closer look inside and you’ll see every machine to leave the Viet factory has been

customised to create an almost unlimited number of finishes from perfectly flat and soft-to-the-touch through to distressed or pretty much any pattern you might like to create. “The Opera 5 is a project we launched in 2011,” Giacomo Mariotti told Furniture Journal on the stand. “But the important feature of this machine is it is completely customised. With the Opera 5, you have an industrial frame for high productivity requirements, but what you add inside is completely down to what you need to do.

“Today, we are showing a completely new technology on the Opera 5: an oscillating electronic segmented pad. The segmented pad was invented by Biesse in 1953. In this model, we are showing an electronic segmented pad with 42 segments that is moved sideways by a brushless motor. Special effects are now possible because of the oscillation. In this machine, there is a calibration unit, a cross belt, two electronic segmented pads for fine sanding veneer or denibbing lacquer, then we have two brushes – a wire brush and a Tynex brush for distressing with structure. It’s a general multi purpose machine that will create special finishes as well as calibrate or denib.

Above left: Every Viet Opera is custom built.

Above: External brushing units are just one of many options.

Below: Special technology beneath the segmented pads creates amazing effects.

Bottom: Touch the graphic to select the unit you want to use.

36 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

The Selco WN6 with new software.

Below: Colour-coded pallets on screen tell the operator where to stack each panel.

The Selco WN6 with new software.

Below: Colour-coded pallets on screen tell the operator where to stack each panel.

“The pad in this machine is composed of 42 segments but you can have 60 on a 1350mm working width, or you can have high performance pads for sanding with very low pressure for a better finish, less dust creation and less friction. You can even add a second segmented pad to create a complex pattern.

You can have a wavy effect and a distressed effect, or a hand-sawn effect with a cross belt in the same panel, all in one pass. You can use just one of them, or all of them very easily.

“The Opera 5 is a very user-friendly machine. It has an Icon driven 15” touch screen that’s very easy to understand, easy to interact with, and very flexible. You can save 100 different programs and include all the parameters you need with each. Each time you want to launch a program, it’s just one click. It will automatically set the working thickness, start all the motors, start the conveyor belt… Easy.”

In the July edition of Furniture Journal, we brought you news of a very simple vertical organisation system, first seen at Xylexpo as an addition to a Selco WN6 beam saw.

Designed for ease and simplicity, it makes the post-cutting organisation of cut and nested

parts from several orders a simple matter of stacking according to colour, making life a lot simpler for operators and reducing errors.

Watching the screen, the operator sees a panel highlighted in green coming off the beam saw, he applies a label and stacks it on the green pallet without needing to check which order it is for; he sees a panel highlighted in red on the screen, he labels it and stacks it on the red pallet – and so on.

At the W Exhibition, Biesse showed a similar system, this time with flat-stacked pallet trucks rather than the vertical system demonstrated in Italy. “We have brought the most recent development of the stacking software to the W Exhibition,” Michele Luzio explained. “The graphic animation shows which pieces are going through. Each piece has a different colour. The simulation is in 3d and the operator can move the pallets where he likes. Same with the basket for waste. It’s a great improvement because, thanks to the simulation, we can now show the movement we suggest for the offloading tables. The operator always knows when to rotate strips and when the final pieces will be obtained.”

Biesse showed three trolleys that are an add on and can be swapped for a rack if you wish. “In Milan, we had trolleys with fixed arms and a vertical configuration,” he added.

“With the vertical system, one rack can be all the parts for a single order and you can take the panels out of the rack in whichever order you want for further processing. The system only tells the operator which pallets to place the pieces on. It’s up to you to choose whether vertical or horizontal works best in your factory.”

Anyone interested in boring and insertion with NC control can’t fail to have noticed the Bre.Ma Vektor 15 at the heart of the Biesse stand. Vertical positioning of the panel makes for easy loading and unloading and, because this machine can work all six sides of a panel, it’s also very productive. Taking up just 3m x 7m of your workshop - and that includes the panel turning device that enables machining of the back of the component – it’s as space efficient as it is fast in operation: drill, route, groove, switch to any of the ten different tools held in the tool changer in under two seconds, the Vektor 15 will do it all with laser accuracy and no manual setup. Although the

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 37 Background: Amazing effects are easy to produce on the Opera 5.

Left: The Bre.ma Vektor 15 vertical machining centre.

Below left: A simple panel turning device enables machining of all six sides.

Below centre: Tool changing in under two seconds.

Below: The new RayForce unit takes 15 minutes to change over and adds laser edging capability to EVA, PUR and PUR granules with the Rover A, B and C Edge.

Vektor 15 on the stand was not fitted with an insertion unit, these are available as an option.

Rover machines have been the mainstay of the Biesse portfolio from the very early days.

Over the 25 years I’ve been reporting for Furniture Journal, Biesse has put a lot of development work into them and developed a range of Rovers that covers every woodworking application imaginable. It was most unexpected to find the newest development being shown at the UK’s own W Exhibition. Marco Morri, one of Biesse’s Product Managers for CNC machines, was keen to explain RayForce, the newest addition to the Rover A, B and C Edge: “Biesse developed a Rover machine for edging using glue many years ago that works with EVA and PU in both granules and cartridges. From today, we have a new addition to the Rover Edge offer that makes it possibility to apply laser edging tape to panels using infra red at a feed rate of about 10m/ minute as well as applying tapes with EVA and both forms of PUR. Our customers have been asking for a solution that would enable them to apply tapes with laser as well as other adhesive technologies and we have chose to

introduce it at the W Exhibition. We can now give them four options and changing the device to use RayForce and laser edgings takes only 15 minutes. The cost of this unit is five or six times less than the laser system, though it enables you to use any laser edgebanding material. RayForce will be available on Rover A, B and C as an option, and the machine can be equipped so it can take this after purchase.”

So how was the show for Biesse? The final word goes to Biesse UK’s MD, Steve Bulmer: “The show has been a great success for us this year and our decision to invest in a larger stand has been a good one. It’s been our best show ever. We were also immensely proud to win the Elements of Innovation Award for our Viet Opera R Robotised Sanding Machine. We are also celebrating our 25th anniversary in the UK, so it’s been great to see both new customers as well as those that we have been working with since the UK subsidiary was founded.”

For more information call 01327 300366 or, to watch videos of the machines in action at the W Exhibition, users of the free Furniture Journal App need only to touch the interactive pictures marked with a link sign.

Marco Morri

38 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Augmented Reality from Homag A brilliant Augmented Reality tool, designed to aid maintenance, makes its show début on the Homag stand.

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Rainer Winkenstette

ver the last few years, we’ve followed the development of graphics as they’ve improved, become clearer and more user-friendly, and even extended into the world of Virtual Reality to aid understanding of machines and processes. With its brand new Augmented Reality tool - demonstrated on a Mouldteq M-300 at the Homag Treff a week before the W Exhibition – and presented in Birmingham as a prototype to gauge opinion, Homag has cleverly combined video imagery with graphics to help time-pressed maintenance crews resolve problems and

change tooling quickly and efficiently. And very good it is, too.

Application Engineer, Rainer Winkenstette, demonstrating the Augmented Reality tool on the six-head Mouldteq M-300 moulding machine on the Homag stand, was keen to point out that the W Exhibition presentation was the prototype of a system, which, at this point, hadn’t been given the green light to roll it out to customers. But watching it in action, I can quite imagine that it would be a welcome aid to reducing downtime that larger companies, or those less experienced in maintenance, would jump at if the price was kept reasonable.

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 39

The Homag Mouldteq M-300 Left: A diagram is placed over the on-screen video image to guide the operator to the area needing attention.

So how does it work?

Let’s imagine you have a Mouldteq M-300 and you want to make a tool-change. You have a tablet that’s linked to the control. The tablet receives information that a tool change is necessary. Switching the key on the control from the automatic position to manual position sends a signal to the tablet that it can move to the next step. You open the hood and, using the camera function on your tablet, you point it at the interior of the machine. The tablet immediately shows you the contour of the area in the machine where attention is required. The Augmented Reality tool places a 3D drawing over the video image of the machine taken on the camera of the tablet and presents each action you need to perform in

sequence as an animation. Virtual hands unlock the nut, remove the feed cassette so you can reach the tool, remove the cover, then unlock the nut on the tool and remove it ready for the next tool that’s required for the profile.

Everything is shown very clearly on the HMI. Each action is then shown step by step in reverse until the unit is reassembled.

Now, if you’ve been working with moulders for years and can almost change a tool with your eyes closed, you might be wondering why you’d ever need to consider augmented reality.

Imagine you wanted to perform an action that’s only normally done once in a while – like changing over from planing to sawing – or maybe, if something broke and needed to be changed that you (or a new operator) weren’t

overly familiar with. That’s when you might wish you had it. If you have a large company and dozens of different machines to look after, even a skilled maintenance team can’t know the newest of the machines inside out from day one. Homag’s Augmented Reality tool could get you back up and running fast without the need to call an engineer.

For more information contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856500. If you’re reading this edition using the free Furniture Journal App, touch the main picture marked with a link sign to see a video of the first version being demonstrated on an Edgeteq at HolzHandwerk – and then prepare to be impressed by the most recent version, which takes what you’re about to see to an altogether new level.

40 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

A CutO Above The improvements SCM is now able to deliver in productivity from its sizing and optimisation combinations has resulted in a 30-35% increase in sales this year alone.We talk to Mauro Freddo and Massimiliano Sentini at the W Exhibition to find out how you could benefit.

nce upon a time there were machines that cut, machines that drilled and routed, and machines that applied edgings. None of them talked to each other. In the halcyon days of mass production, they didn’t need to communicate. Once programmed, their task was to produce the same products day in, day out. But then came a seachange in the market: with astonishing speed, the age of mass production buckled under consumer demand for greater customisation and a new generation of machines arrived on the scene that talked to each other, understood when to perform each task in the production cycle, brought new efficiency levels to each process and took instructions not from operators, but from joined up software. And at the very heart of the new era of mass customisation sits the beam saw and the software that delivers enhanced efficiency (and proof of it) from every machine in the factory.

The W Exhibition provided an opportunity to meet up with Mauro Freddo, who heads up SCM Group’s software development partner of 20 years, SPAI srl. It’s the pioneering work of his company that led to the introduction of SCM’s latest Maestro Ottimo Cut, demonstrated in conjunction with a FlexCut-equipped Gabbiani S beam saw at the W Exhibition. “Over the last 20 years, our job has changed a great deal,” he told Furniture Journal. “In the beginning, optimisers were simple programs with a parts list and a board size and their job was to reduce waste as much as possible. With the change in demand from mass production to more customised production, there is not only the waste to consider, the whole production cycle has to be understood before the best hardware solution can be provided. It used to be that the cost of material was important but not the machining

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 41

Above: Mauro Freddo Left: The software has to be much closer to the machine to get the best from its configuration. Maestro Ottimo Cut is an optimisation package that goes way beyond optimisation.

time. Manufacturers are now very aware of all costs because the final cost is the sum of the machining time and the material cost. The software has to be much closer to the machine to get the best from its configuration. Even with an angle plant, for example, where you normally have simple cutting patterns, a machine equipped with FlexCut can cut more complicated patterns and provide flexibility for customised production that was never possible before.”

Not so very long ago, any optimiser could be used in pretty much any factory and it would work adequately. If you bought the wrong one based on budget or availability, it would probably still see you through.

Nowadays, to achieve the production you want from your factory and produce the product you want at the price you need to be as competitive as possible, the job of choosing the right combination is no longer a simple

matter of selecting a program and a beam saw.

The optimiser has become a tool for estimating the cost of the product and it does that by knowing the cost of the machine, the operator, the material, the tape – every aspect – and controlling everything from the warehouse to the wrapping machine at the end of the line. Sizing Product Managers, like Massimiliano Sentini, have to carry out detailed analysis of your cutting lists and compare the results with your production requirements to extrapolate a software and machine combination that will achieve your objectives: “We have to look at the optimisation and find the right machine to work with the optimiser,” he told Furniture Journal. “From the cutting list, we are able to provide the customer with information on which machine to buy and which devices he needs on the machine. The optimiser looks at the composition of the machine and provides different results that

affect the cutting pattern layout. If the machine is equipped with a particular device, such as the FlexCut we are showing on the Gabbiani S, we have to use that as much as possible and that is decided by the optimiser, which is very close to the machine. Once the customer sends the information to the optimiser, he knows in advance the final cost of the product, inefficiencies included. The software needs to know the context in which the machine works because it takes a 360 degree overview of the whole production process.

“Depending on the configuration of the machine, it can move the strips in the cutting pattern to save time, or save material, whichever is most important at that moment, and the software will give several options based on the customer’s needs and the product specification. There is a set of parameters that can be changed to define the final result. If you have a machine with

42 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Above: Massimiliano Sentini Above right and right: With FlexCut, three independent cycles - one crosscut cycle for the first strip, one crosscut cycle for the second strip, and a new cycle for the ripping of the new board – are combined into one simultaneous operation.

Opposite page: Saw-Set enables automatic alignment of the main blade and the scoring blade in under a minute.

FlexCut in the configuration, for example, you will have a result that’s different to a machine that has no FlexCut. The optimiser doesn’t just optimise waste, it looks at the whole process and decides how to do the cutting pattern in the best way. It will change the pattern according to the customer’s organisation as well. There are many, many parameters that are set during the installation but, once set, the customer only needs to adjust the optimisation parameters to decide whether he wants to cut complicated patterns and minimise waste, go for speed without so much emphasis on waste, or use only offcuts to save money but work more slowly. The optimiser allows labelling of offcuts and puts them automatically in the warehouse in the offcuts archive for use when required. You can read the materials from your ERP system, load the material from the ERP and the waste

from the cutting pattern, and you can download information on the used material.

This information can then be exported to your ERP. The optimiser is already set to work on each particular machine, and it will work differently for each customer in order to meet his unique requirements.”

Machines like the Gabbiani S have grown up with the requirements of fast, accurate, flexible production. Equipped with SCM’s Maestro Ottimo Cut software and both FlexCut and Saw-Set, it’s a machine that’s perfectly attuned to batch size one: “The latest innovation is the facility to have more than one pusher with fence,” explained Massimiliano Sentini. “It is called the FlexCut. It is an independent group of clamps that allows simultaneous operations, thereby reducing inefficiencies and increasing productivity. “Without the FlexCut, the machine has to do three independent cycles:

one crosscut cycle for the first strip, one crosscut cycle for the second strip, and a new cycle for the ripping of the new board. If you work it out, that’s a lot of wasted time and the beam saw needs to be efficient as it drives the pace of the line. With FlexCut, all three operations can be done simultaneously.

“We also have other time-saving devices like our system for automatic adjustment of the scorer. It’s almost a year old now. On a beam saw, when you replace the blades you have to align the main blade with the scoring blade every time and it’s a process that has normally been done manually. It’s been possible to use an automatic device to align the blades but there was always the need for checking, resetting and adjusting. We developed a very simple but effective system called Saw-Set that automatically makes the alignment in less than one minute. The market is very enthusiastic about this because, even if you have an expert

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 43

machine operator, it will take at least five minutes to adjust the blades. If you have a new operator, sometimes it can take up to half an hour. With this system, it is installed in the machine and all the operator has to do is choose automatic adjustment. In less than one minute, the machine is ready to cut. People who are not using diamond tools have to replace blades more frequently, so they are often needing to readjust the alignment. If an operator has to replace the blades two or three times a day, we are able to save 20 minutes to half an hour, or, in the worst case, we are able to save up to one and a half hours.

That’s a lot of production time.”

SCM has extended the applications for this device so there is now a FlexCut system for any beam saw in the range. Even larger customers who are producing longer runs can also find themselves in need of a machine that’s flexible enough to cope with special

production from time to time. “We extended the technology right the way through to the angle plant because many times, angle plant users also need flexibility to do extraordinary jobs that come in. We install independent groups and automatic adjustment of blades on the angular plant as well. In 90% of cases, mass producers are using diamond tools, so there is no need to change the blade quickly. However, because batch sizes are decreasing, they want to cut at a higher speed to get the job through quicker, and for that you need to use classic carbide tools because diamond will not achieve the quality at high speed. With Saw-Set installed, the time-savings can add up and time is a cost, just like material.

“We’ve also seen lifting platforms filter down from mass production environments to those who want flexible production. They are another way to increase productivity if you want to load stacks of the same colour, or

rainbow stacks, and you are cutting one board at a time. The loading phase is controlled by the machine as well as an extension of the warehouse. The lifting platform consolidates the operation.”

There’s little doubt that the alliance between SPAI and SCM Group has paid dividends. Massimiliano, whose responsibilities include several markets beyond the UK, confirms the improvements SCM is now able to deliver in productivity across the board with its sizing and optimisation combinations has provided him with a 30-35% increase in sales this year alone. If you’d like to find out if your company could benefit from a review of its production, or for more information on any of the products mentioned, call SCM on 0115 977 0044.

Readers who are using the Furniture Journal App can also access videos from each of the pictures marked with a link sign.

44 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

H80 débuts We talk to Matthew Applegarth on the Felder stand as the company premieres its very latest CNC nesting machine, the H80.

W Matthew Applegarth

hen the first CNC nesting machines started to appear on the market, few could have imagined the impact they would have on the manufacturing of the future. But here we are in 2018 and the speed, flexibility and efficiency of the latest generation of nesting machines has put them on the front line of production, with many major manufacturers turning to nest-based manufacturing as a means of coping with the increasing demand for mass customisation.

Making its début on the Felder stand at the W Exhibition was the very latest CNC

nesting machine to leave the Austrian factory – and so new was it that even Felder UK’s Managing Director, Matthew Applegarth, hadn’t seen one before it arrived. “The H80 is a fully-fledged production machine for small to medium sized businesses that enables them to be more flexible, work faster and reduce labour costs,” he told Furniture Journal. “It has fully automatic loading and unloading with the ability to load up to 100 boards at a time and full nesting capabilities in three and four axes. The price comparison is excellent: a complete solution with loading and unloading in four axis format and various

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 45

The brand-new Format-4 Profit H80.

Vacuum feed from a scissor lift that will take 100 boards.

at W drill head options that comes in at well under £100,000 – and for that, you get Austrian build quality as well.”

On closer inspection, the H80 is certainly a robustly made machine – a proper Felder in every respect – and the show model was well equipped with scissor lift and vacuum loading at the infeed and a roller table and label printing at the outfeed. When the first H80 machines go into production in February 2019, the options will include four different bed sizes from 8’ x 4’ up to larger beds that cater for those who want to take advantage of the extra savings jumbo boards offer. Like most Felder machines, the H80 will be designed and built to your specifications with a choice of four different drilling heads offering 8, 12, 16 or 24

Various head configurations are available.

spindles, four different motor power options, different vacuum pump configurations, etc., to suit your particular application requirements. It is undoubtedly a great machine that brings serious production nesting within reach of the smaller workshop – but if you’re thinking you might benefit from five-axis machining in the not-too-distant future, it may be worth waiting for Ligna, when the bigger, faster H100 and H150 are scheduled to be introduced, before you place your order.

Alongside the H80, Felder also showed its H500 S-Motion with automatic pod positioning for frame production and the new range of Tempora edgebanders: “We’re showing the Tempora 45.03, which takes a tape thickness of up to 5mm and comes with

Conveyor offloading with extraction and label printing.

premilling, corner rounding and finishing units,” added Matthew. “We also have the 600 series on the stand for those who want to apply up to 6mm edging, and this offers 12m/ min processing. Then we have the 60.12 e-motion, a fully CNC controlled edgebander with a return system that will apply up to 12mm edging at 20m/min. And, of course, we’re showing our extensive range of standard machines from planers and saws to spindle moulders.”

For more information on the Felder machines shown at the W Exhibition, call Felder UK on 01908 635000 or, if you are reading this edition with the interactive Furniture Journal App, tap here for a link to Felder’s website.

46 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Above: The Nextec 7735 and Dynestic 7735 are outwardly the same but run different software.

Below: The Lift model is one of four versions.

The Dynestic Robert Terzer, Holz-Her’s Sales Director, talks about their Dynestic range on the company’s W Exhibition stand.

Robert Terzer

T

he words Dynast and dynasty take their roots from the Greek verb dynasthai, which means to be able or to have power, and the word dynasty refers to a powerful group that maintains its position for a considerable time. It seems altogether fitting that the German wood and panelworking machinery specialist, Holz-Her, with its focus on build quality, should choose the name Dynestic for a range of powerful CNC machines that’s been purpose designed to work tirelessly in demanding production environments. Although the name might sound more like a portmanteau of dynasty and nesting,The Dynestic dynasty is, in fact, capable of much more than just nesting operations: Designed to satisfy both nest-based manufacturing and the heavyweight demands of solid wood processing, every machine in the Dynestic range is built on a robust, welded frame of steel plates – many of 25mm in thickness – that are milled to a high level of precision in Holz-Her’s own Austrian

steel works before final assembly and installation of units. It’s an aspect Robert Terzer, Holz-Her’s Sales Director, regards as critical to the performance of all Dynestic machines because, as he says, the rigidity of the machine starts with the construction of the frame.

From the Weinig stand at the W Exhibition, Robert provided a cursory overview of the Dynestic dynasty: “The Dynestic range includes many nesting machines starting with those required by smaller shops who want efficient production but don’t have high production numbers. It goes right up to fully automatic nesting centres with labelling and loading from a storage system or a lifting table that can produce up to 100 sheets per shift. The Dynestic uses the same hardware as our Nextec range - more or less - but it’s designed for customers who already have their own software packages.

“Which model you look at in the range depends on the panel size you want to use,

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 47

Dynasty how you want to work and your budget and the Dynestic range covers all angles. Better optimisation comes from the bigger boards because the nesting plan utilises the material better and there is a price advantage to the material itself. That’s why we offer table options of 1560mm and 2200mm wide for standard board dimensions and lengths of up to 6250mm.

“We also offer various levels of automation. With the basic model (the Classic) you put the sheet on by hand and take the cut pieces off by hand after machining. If you want improved output, the Dynestic 7532 Push model is equipped with a pusher that will move the finished workpieces onto a conveyor belt after machining so one operator can remove them while another operator is loading the next piece. Unloading and machining are done simultaneously. The next level is an automatically fed Dynestic with a charging table, or you could have the fully automatic Lift version. This has a lifting

table and conveyors and it can be fed either from the lifting table or from a storage system, creating a continuous cycle. Then you can add options like label printers (automatic at the infeed or at the back, depending on productivity), different toolchangers, more powerful motors, different drilling and grooving options. What you choose really depends on the level of automation required.

“We offer different spindle configurations with the Dynestic: a three-axis with different motors, or a five-axis that increases the variety of jobs that can be performed. A fiveaxis head adds a lot of flexibility to a nesting machine and five-axis machining is an option we offer on the Dynestic. There are a lot of customers who produce furniture for the majority of the time, but who also want the flexibility to do other types of work. They don’t have the budget - or the space - for an additional CNC machine, and for them the flexibility they get from a five-axis Holz-Her

Top: Cutting Lamello slots with a five-axis head on the Dynestic 7735.

Centre: Nested components with Lamello preparation.

Bottom: Special vacuum cups are placed over the spoil boards on the matrix bed for instant conversion to solid timber machining.

Dynestic machine, especially the 7535, makes this machine a good solution.

“We have developed special vacuum cups that can be put on top of the spoil boards, over the matrix bed without removing them.

Solid timber can then be machined easily with fast changeover. Within minutes, you can convert a Dynestic machine from a fully automatic nesting machine for panel work to an individual five-axis CNC centre for working solid timber. The rigidity of the frame enables the machine to perform both tasks reliably and with accuracy.”

With software available if you need it that will handle every aspect of production, and models that are individually equipped to fit large and small budgets, the Dynestic dynasty of machines has a lot to offer. To find out more, call Weinig UK on 01235 557600, visit www.weinig.co.uk or, if you are reading this edition with the free interactive Furniture Journal App, tap the picture with a link sign to watch the Dynestic 7535 video.

48 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Making Productivity Simple Robust, simple hardware and high level technology make programming the Maka PM Modular easier than ever and enable you to get everything right first time.

Giacomo Mariotti

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here was no mighty Maka demonstrating the heavyweight engineering, the speed or the pinpoint machining accuracy for which the brand is best know on the Maka stand at the W Exhibition.

Instead, Maka UK’s Managing Director, Iain Young, had opted to show a large backdrop of the company’s latest machine, the Maka PM Modular, and a cabinet of samples that highlighted the versatility and the machining quality many bespoke interior specialists already accept as the norm from their Makas.

It would be easy to wax lyrical about the key features of the new Maka PM Modular the double moving bridge construction that enables three-axis, five-axis or combination three and five-axis heads to work the full eight-metre length of the longest option; the 400mm stroke and capacity to power massive saw blades and cutting tools safely through solid hardwood without the need for fences or laser guards; or the total flexibility provided by twin tool-changers that enables panel cutters and drills to be used on one

head while shaping and modelling tools are being selected for 3d five-axis work on the other. But to concentrate on the options available on the built-to-order PM Modular would be to miss one of the key advantages of the latest generation Maka machines: the remarkable simplicity of operation Maka users enjoy.

“We make everything as simple for the end user as possible,” Iain Young told Furniture Journal. “The screen and buttons are arranged very neatly so operators can see what’s going on. They do need some training but it’s very easy to become productive because everything is automated. Take the tool library, for example: a long standing Maka feature is that our tool library can be very easily adapted. We don’t just have a tool length and a tool diameter in the library. We adapt the cutting strategy that you can use with each particular tool. If you use a tool in a certain way - for example, if it needs to feed in at a certain speed and from a certain direction - we can preset that into the machine and that saves mistakes. On top of

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 49

that, the same type of tool might be used in different ways, at different speeds, on different parts. You might decide you want to use stack tooling that will reduce the number of tools in the toolchanger and increase your efficiency.

The PM Modular is built to take these heavy tools. With a Maka you can assign several different cutting characteristics to each tool.

You could associate up to nine cutting strategies with each tool as standard. That makes the machine very flexible and easy to use. It’s safe and reliable and it will cut in the right way every time – and especially with bespoke work, you can select with confidence the tool you need for the job and it will work in the right way every time. That’s what these machines are all about: on one side, high production; on the other, very bespoke production being done right first time.”

The Maka PM Modular has been designed mainly with specialist bespoke manufacturing companies in mind – those that need the ultimate in build quality, reliability and performance but also want simplicity of

operation. The latest generation Siemens Black controllers provide very good connectivity for networking and remote access and, as Iain says, “The controller is faster and simpler and a lot more elegant in terms of the interface for the user, so they can drive the machine and make edits more swiftly and see it on the screen. It’s altogether more intuitive than the earlier version.”

Combining these key advantages with modular construction means Maka has been able to reduce the manufacturing costs of the new PM Modular without any compromise in build quality – and Maka is passing the savings on to its customers. In fact, the packages available generally mean a Maka PM Modular will be of a higher specification than its nonmodular counterpart, and that’s great news for smaller producers who can’t afford to take a risk with the quality of their work.

For more information call 01952 607700 or visit www.maka.com. Readers using the free Furniture Journal App, please tap here for a direct link to the Maka website.

Iain Young

50 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Masters of the Designed in Italy, made in Italy by a machining centre specialist, Masterwood is proud of its heritage and the quality that goes into every machine it builds.

I

f you took time out to visit the W Exhibition this year and your objective was to find a particular machine, you won’t have failed to notice how many top brand manufacturers were showing temptingly-priced new additions to their portfolio that, on closer inspection, had been made in far flung places like India and China. It’s easy enough to understand the reasons, and if stretching a small budget as far as possible was uppermost in your mind as you walked through the exhibition doors, then you probably achieved your objective by buying one of them. But that undoubtedly means that you didn’t buy a Masterwood. Masterwood machines are all designed and built in Italy – and

the only thing Masterwood manufactures is machining centres.That makes them something of a specialist.

Dave Kennard, one of the Masterwood GB directors, is rightly proud of the build quality and the high-quality components that go into every Masterwood machine. As he says, you can’t sell a machine, knowing the company needs to perform heavyweight machining if you only have lightweights in your portfolio.

“We work with a lot of joinery companies that need to do serious solid timber processing.

Everything from the frame and the construction to the router heads needs to be up to the job.”

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 51

Left: The Masterwood Project 485 and the standard 22-position toolchanger (inset).

Below left: The standard five-axis head on the Project 485.

Above: The toolchanger and head on the Masterwood MW15.38M. Above right: The Masterwood dinosaur demonstrates the intricate cutting capability of the MW15.38M. Right: The Masterwood MW15.38M. Far right: Masterwood’s golden globe demonstration piece created on the Project 485.

Machining Centre At the W Exhibition, Masterwood showed two machines on the stand, a Project 485L equipped for solid timber machining, and an MW15.38M with a flat table that was demonstrating intricate pattern cutting from sheet materials. “The Project 485L we’re showing is the long version of this heavy-duty five-axis machine,” Dave told Furniture Journal. “This is the most popular of the fiveaxis machines we offer, then obviously we supply three and four-axis versions as well.

The demonstration of the trophy we’re making is full five-axis work that’s been created from Master 3D software. It shows the intricacy and accuracy you can expect from a Masterwood.

“On this machine, there is a standard five-axis head and a standard 22-position tool changer with options for more tool positions if you need them. Most people find the pod and

rail five-axis covers everything, it’s becoming one of our most popular machines we have now. We offer pod and rail systems with a simple digital readout to aid positioning of the pods, right up to laser positioning and a fully automatic bed. It’s all about coming up with the right machine solution to suit what the customer is doing and that’s what Masterwood does best. We also offer the Project 485 with a “lift on/off” matrix bed, but the nature of fiveaxis work means it’s a lot more difficult on a flat bed than on a pod and rail.

“For nesting work, we’re showing our mid-range flat bed machine, the MW15.38M. This is also a very heavy-duty machine and we offer it in three or four-axis with lots of different bed sizes from 2550mm x 1250mm up to about 6550mm x 2150mm. For panel work, like carcasssing for kitchens, bedrooms and bathrooms, it’s hard to beat and, as you

can see from the dinosaur we’re producing as a demonstration piece, the accuracy is exceptional. It’s an ideal machine for repetitive work and we offer it as a stand-alone machine, or with infeed and outfeed tables so it becomes an automatic system. That’s the fastest way of working but it may not suit the smaller workshop where space is at a premium. Again, you can have four or five axes, extra tool positions and, whatever you’re making, Masterwood’s own software is very intuitive and fast to use.”

If you’re interested in knowing more about the Project 485, or the MW15.38M, call Masterwood GB on 01293 402700 or visit www.masterwood.com/en. If you are reading this edition with the free Furniture Journal App, tap the picture marked with a link sign to watch to watch Masterwood’s corporate video.

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 53

New Kimla débuts Standard are a 9kW head and 10-position linear tool-changer.

Main image: The Kimla BPF.

Daltons Wadkin shows the Kimla BPA in a woodland setting.

I

f there had been a prize for best stand design at the W Exhibition, then surely Daltons Wadkin would have taken it. Open spaces punctuated with greenery, trees, woodland backdrops – and tucked away in a corner was a new version of a Polish-made Kimla CNC machining centre, not previously seen at a UK show.

“The BPF model is the one we’re showing here and it satisfies a lot of customers’ requirements for nesting sheet material,” Director Alex Dalton told

Alex Dalton

Furniture Journal. “It is very simple and robust, very reliable and will happily work with wood-based panels and non-ferrous metals, aluminium, composites, etc.

“We have our stock machines in the showroom, but typically every Kimla machine is built to order. Everything from the bed size and the size of spindle to the tool-changer is customisable. Most often for furniture, we offer the 2.1 x 3.1 bed size with a 9kW spindle, a 10-position linear tool-changer and a standard 200mm z-axis.

The z-axis can be increased to 700mm in 100mm increments, if required, so there is scope for clamping and jigging solid timber.

There are options to increase the bed size

or have a rotary tool-changer, or increase the spindle size.

“The software comes with the machine and it’s designed by Kimla, including the PLCs and the drives. It all works seamlessly and everything you need to start work immediately comes with the machine. If you have third-party software, such as Alphacam, or Autocad, it will work with that as well.”

To find out more, contact Daltons Wadkin on 0870 850 9111 or visit www.daltonswadkin.com. Readers using the free Furniture Journal App can tap the main image for a direct link to an informative video showing each stage of the manufacture of Kimla machines.

54 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Setting the Standard Striebig’s retro-fittable Panel Optimisation Program, OptiDivide, makes its UK début at the W Exhibition.

Striebig’s first retro-fittable Panel Optimisation Program on the Striebig Control S

A

new standard has been set with the brand new Striebig Standard S vertical panel saw, shown for the first time in the UK on the TM Machinery stand.

Based on the original Striebig Standard model, which has been a best seller in the UK for over a decade, the Standard S TRK1 and TRK2 Comfort and the Standard S TRK1 and TRK2 now have new, integrated features to assist the user even further.

Differentiated by either an aluminium or wooden support, the Comfort package features a digital measuring system with motorised Y-axis locking and adjustment as standard.The digital display has simple-tooperate positioning buttons that allow the user to adjust the saw’s position at the touch of a button and a new VSA scoring saw unit, which is fully adjustable, that allows the saw to work easily with coated panel materials. It’s also equipped with 17 rollers and either pedal or pneumatic brakes, as well as a TRK dust extraction system.

Shown on the Striebig S, and designed to provide users with the most effective cutting strategy for optimising panels, was Striebig’s first retro-fittable Panel Optimisation Program (POP), OptiDivide. OptiDivide consists of a single, compact that is easily

fitted to the machine It comes equipped with a label printer so, once pieces have been cut, each part can be labelled with a barcode or the necessary product information for quick and simple handling.

Until now, the POP system was only available as a fully integrated optimisation package on the top-of-the-range Striebig ‘4D’ vertical panel saw. However, with the addition of this latest retro-fittable design, users of existing Striebig vertical panel saws regardless of the age, make or model of machine – can benefit from the very latest optimisation technology.

Matt Pearce, Managing Director of TM Machinery, was delighted with the show: “This year we’ve displayed our largest number of saws and dust extraction systems to date and the results speak for themselves,” he said.

“We’ve sold several high-spec models over the four-day period, including the Control and Compact saws we had on our stand. It’s been great to talk to new and existing TM customers and we’re looking forward to the show being in bigger halls for 2020.”

For more information call 0116 271 7155 or, if you are reading this edition using the free Furniture Journal app, tap here for more information on the retro-fittable POP.

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56 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Schelling Shows Compact Schelling demonstrates a compact cut-to-size solution.

B

eam saws are not known for their compact footprint and Schelling’s fh4 – though not the biggest - is no exception. Somehow, Schelling UK managed to show a new fh4 being fed by a Barbaric handling system, put a productive Votecs shredder on the end, and still have room for a

reception and hospitality area all within a stand area of just 12 metres x 9 metres at the W Exhibition. It rather proves the point that even a small workshop doesn’t need to devote a huge amount of space to a cut-tosize operation that could boost its productivity enormously.

The fh4 is a very robust saw with a double strip aligning device that’s as capable of cutting solid wood as it is sheets with a book height of 90mm, or laminates and veneers. It’s also

capable of narrow strip cutting of just 40mm.

“We are showing our fh4 connected to a system that means a panel can be loaded onto it without a forklift,” commented Markus Freuis from the stand. “You could have multiple stations on it – several packs all in one line – and you can program from the machine, so it loads the board from the storage area directly into the saw. Aligners in the saw align the pack, or it can be used for single sheet processing. It will also groove, rabbet and v-groove.

NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 57

Markus Freuis

“This fh4 receives cutting patterns from the Schelling HPO (High Performance Optimisation). Boards are loaded by the Barbaric storage and the waste is removed by a Votecs shredder, while colour-coded stacking places are shown for cut parts. With a system like this, you can cut single sheets or stacks and have the perfect working cell.

“The shredder is a Votecs 6/1 model and it’s been specifically designed for veneered material. It has some special features, like a

three-sided segmented floor that prevents small pieces getting trapped. Thin pieces can’t get between the pushers and wedge it. There are also veneer breakers in the screen that shorten the length of the chip and this machine is specified so it can be connected to a briquetting press. We also have a bullet magnet on this model so it’s ideal for chipping pallets.

“This kind of set-up is designed for a smaller company but can also be found in

bigger companies as it’s the entry level of Lot Size One production. For customers who want to produce an individual kitchen and also need high-speed manufacturing, this is ideal.”

For more information on Schelling cutto-size solutions, Barbaric handling, or Votecs shredders, call Schelling UK on 01937 545301 or, if you are reading this edition of Furniture Journal using the free Furniture Journal App, make an enquiry by tapping here.

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 59

Evolution for Doors I

f your company is manufacturing interiors for commercial environments, there’s a pretty good chance your fitouts will include doors – maybe even fire doors and frames and if you haven’t already got an Essepigi Evolution, it’s a machine you might want to take a closer look at. Not only will it free up your CNC for other tasks, you’ll find the speed and efficiency of the Essepigi light years ahead of any router.

“The Essepigi Evolution is a throughfeed door processing machine for manufacturing fire doors or internal doors and it’s designed for both volume production and just-in-time production,” Paul Parker, JJ Smith’s sales Director, told Furniture Journal from a busy W Exhibition stand. “It’s a twin-sided machine with a lock and face plate cutter on one side, a separate head for machining hinges on the other side and a bridge overhead so it can square and size the door. It can work from the top of the door or the bottom of the door.

“The big advantage of this machine is speed. It’s much quicker than using a standard or twin table CNC router. It will automatically switch from one size to another and it can process an internal door, three hinges and a lock in one minute from a blank.

If you want to size the door, put an aperture and drop seal in and a closer, it will take three and a half minutes from start to finish.

“If you want to insert the locks and hinges automatically, we add a separate machine behind the first. After the door has been machined, it passes through to the second machine automatically, and this will pick out your lock, pick your hinge and drill them in a throughfeed operation.”

For more information contact JJ Smith on 0151 548 9000. Users of the free Furniture Journal App can touch here for an immediate link to the JJ Smith website, or touch the picture marked with a link sign to watch a video of Essepigi in action.

Produce an internal door, cut three hinges and a lock in one minute from a blank with Essepigi.

Paul Barker

60 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Busy W for CAD+T With many furniture manufacturers still not converted to the benefits of using design software, it’s no wonder CAD+T was inundated at the W Exhibition.

Top: CAD+T’s CEO, Anton Schwarz demonstrates the latest release of the company’s design-to-manufacturing software.

Above: Martina Schwarz

A

fter a particularly successful W16, CAD+T returned to the W Exhibition this year to be inundated with enquiries for its design to production software - more than 60 “very good” contacts out of the first day alone. It’s a promising sign, not just for the Austrian software specialist CAD+T, but also for an industry that, in many respects, remains very conventional and resistant to change.

“Many people in the UK are not using software at all,” commented Martina Schwarz from the company’s W stand. “We have such a lot to offer and with the latest release, we have a new operational side where we go to a professional level – a full ERP that has a full online section to it. We have also built a new functionality at the front end, which is a new online shop, so users of our software can market their products in our system. When someone orders and pays through the online shop, you can see the list of orders in the drafting system. You just drag and drop them in and send them to your CNC machine to start manufacturing the order.”

Although CAD+T software is ideal for project-based designs, the company has responded to demand for a solution that also

enables manufacturing of standard products, moving manufacturing a step closer to the cutting edge consumer-to-manufacturing systems that are starting to appear in the American market. The September 2018 release of the CAD+T software facilitates both one-off projects and standard products to be produced and manufactured as well as increasing functionality in other areas: “We have been doing quite a bit of work on our nesting tools,” continued Martina.

“There’s also a lot of new functionality for curved parts - a lot of extended shape functionality as well as drilling, routing etc. We have many new features for the 2019 version.

We already have a good solution but with the September 2019 version, we’ve included a new presentation and drafting system that saves a lot of time when presenting to clients.”

Software is one of those tricky things that’s far better to see in operation and try out than to explain, so CAD+T has launched a video that presents all the new features of its latest release. Readers of Furniture Journal who have downloaded the free App edition can tap here for a direct link to the video.

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 63

Sand it Safely Alongside new products, Mirka used its W Exhibition stand to demonstrate its vibration monitoring App.

I

t’s only been a few short months since Mirka launched its Deos sanding machine with bluetooth vibration monitoring – then presented a brand-new showroom and demonstration area where customers could try out different machines and abrasive products – and at the W Exhibition, yet more new products made their UK débuts.

For wood and composites processing, especially where edge sanding is required, there is little to beat Novastar, a tear-proof plastic-based waterproof abrasive disc with a multihole pattern and a unique coating that’s designed to repel dust. Novastar was joined on the W stand by fast cutting Mirka Iridium, a paper abrasive with a wear resistant coating and multi-hole, dust-repelling pattern that’s available in 40 to 600 grit.

“We’ve always been into anti-clogging products,” commented Peter Sartain from the Mirka stand. “Our products might be a bit more expensive to buy than others on the market, but the demonstrations we’ve been running on the stand have convinced people that the extra cost is irrelevant when you add

up the time saved by sanding more efficiently, multiply it by the number of operators in your workshop, and factor in the muchincreased life you get from each disc.

“Another aspect we’ve been concentrating a lot on at the show is our bluetooth system that links to the myMirka App and gives you vibration readings. We launched that at the W Exhibition two years ago. In the next couple of months, we’ll see a new development that will lead onto our dashboard software. Users of the dashboard will be able to log every Mirka tool on their system, see the vibration, run times, etc. It’s not only about the innovative products, Mirka are always looking for ways to help and support customers. The myMirka app is an example of how Mirka takes care of users health.”

If you’d like to find out more, call Mirka UK on 01908 866100. For a free sample, if you are reading this edition with the Furniture Journal App, touch here for a direct link, or touch the image above, to see the myMirka app in operation.

Peter Sartain

64 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Back to Black with Lamello Lamello introduces a new, black version of its one-piece cabinet fitting, Cabineo, at the W Exhibition.

L

Above from top: Making its UK début at the W Exhibition, the Cabineo’s new metallic cover caps are available in silver, nickel and dark steel.

Showcased at the W Exhibition, Lamello’s unique Cabineo furniture fixing is now available in a sleek black finish.

The Cabineo’s new black finish has been inspired by the growing trend for industrial living and urban interior design.

amello’s unique one-piece cabinet fitting, the Cabineo, is now available in a sleek black finish. First seen at the W Exhibition earlier this month, the new version has been inspired by the growing trend for industrial living and urban interior design.

The Swiss-made furniture connector – which is best known in the market as a more efficient alternative to standard cam and dowel fittings – offers significant advantages during production, transport and installation and has become a firm favourite with furniture designers and manufacturers looking for a quick, reliable and fuss-free wood and panel joining solution.

The nifty design, which was originally launched last year, can be installed into a drilled or routed shape. It requires no edge drilling, offers faster installation, greater reliability and a higher clamping force when compared with a traditional cam and dowel fitting. Cabineo is an ideal panel fixing for flat pack furniture as it can be fitted prior to packing without risk of damage during transit and makes in-home cabinet assembly extremely simple for joiners and consumers alike.

The new finish, which was shortlisted for an Elements of Innovation award at the W Exhibition, has been cleverly designed without the need for additional cover caps. This allows each fitting to blend seamlessly into the background when working with dark materials. Alternatively, furniture designers can use the Cabineo’s new metallic cover cap range – which includes silver, nickel and dark steel - to create a unique style statement or to match aluminium or stainless steel fittings.

Shaye Chatfield, Lamello Area Sales Manager, adds, “The Cabineo has been a strong contender in the wood and panel joining market for over 12 months and Lamello’s new black housing shows the growing popularity of the product in the UK market. The new finish offers even more possibilities to furniture makers looking to create beautiful cabinetry with black or anthracite-coloured interiors and can be used for a multitude of applications in commercial and residential markets.”

For more information please visit www.lamello.com or contact Lamello’s UK representative, Shaye Chatfield, on 0789 1025 646 or email s.chatfield@lamello.com

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NOVEMBER 2018 | furniture journal 67

90-degree square fence

A Star at the Ney Expo A new entry level CNC from Lohmeyer makes its UK début at Ney’s in-house exhibition. We talked to Mick McBeth about its key features.

M

aking its début at the Ney in-house show was a brand new flat table CNC nesting machine, one of several in the Lohmeyer range that will appeal to smaller workshops who want either a compact stand-alone CNC nesting machine, or a small automatic production line.

“The BAZ 822n is an 8’ x 4’ flat table nesting machine that will carry out all your drilling and routing for panel work, carcases, or shaped work,” Mick McBeth, Ney’s Product Manager for CNC machinery told Furniture Journal. “It’s a nicely spec’d machine with some quite unusual features for a CNC at this price level. For example, normally, you’d reference off pins; this machine has a 90 degree square fence that raises for easy positioning, then drops back for machining.

“Normally on CNCs, when they are powered down and powered back up again they have to be re-referenced. Lohmeyer use

a special Beckhoff system for referencing, which means the machine never has to be referenced during its lifetime except for the very first time you switch it on. The memory holds the axis position.

“The control system is open to use anybody’s software. We currently have BDX software on this machine – Easywood. It’s a very user-friendly system for programming of components and nesting.

“The router head is HSD and it has a 10-spindle drill block and an automatic toolchange controlled by NC instead of a stepper motor, making it a lot smoother in operation. The BAZ 822n has automatic lubrication and photocells at the front of the machine for protection, and, unusual for an 8’ x 4’ bed machine, it comes as standard with two vacuum pumps.” Another particularly unusual feature that comes as standard with this machine is the automatic

Mick McBeth

68 furniture journal | NOVEMBER 2018

Above and below: 10-spindle drill block and an automatic toolchanger.

damper system that closes extraction to the drilling head when routing and vice versa, maximising extraction power at the point where it’s needed.

The BAZ 822n on display in Ney’s Coventry showroom is a mid-spec’d machine from the Lohmeyer range. The BAZ range starts with a machine that’s equipped with a lateral toolchanger rather than the rotary toolchanger on the BAZ 822n. Depending on your needs, either can be equipped to take up to 25 tools of 250mm diameter. “We can then move up in the BAZ range to the 890 and the 895,” explains Mick. “These are complete

Two vacuum pumps.

nesting cells that include label printing at the front end prior to the panel going in, automatic loading, automatic machining and automatic off-loading – or you can have label printing at the back end. These are full production nesting lines.”

Delivery time for the Lohmeyer range of machines is around 90 days and Ney provides full service support backed by Lohmeyer in Germany. For more information call 024 7630 8100 or, if you are reading Furniture Journal’s interactive App edition, tap here for a link to all the CNC machinery available through Ney Ltd.

The automatic damper system closes extraction to the drilling head when routing and vice versa.

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