furniture journal
september september 2015 2015
Exclusive interview with Interprint’s Salvatore Figliuzzi Growing Grass: plans to gain ground in the UK On the cover: Felder’s Format 4 Profit H08 CNC Batch Size One, Warehousing and more Bosch: wireless charging put to the test
NOT TO BE MISSED!
NEY AUTUMN 2015 IN-HOUSE EXHIBITION YO
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NEY Ltd Stonebridge Trading Estate Sibree Road Coventry CV3 4FD T: 024 7630 8100 F: 024 7630 8101 sales@ney.co.uk
september 2015
contents 2 LUCKY FOR SOME
24 THE CUTTING EDGE
Lots to see, easy access, a friendly fair that’s easy on the feet - how many reasons do you need to visit Sicam this coming October?
Gerald Jones bought a new Schelling S45 on impulse when he saw how easily the machine cut angles.
26 GIBEN IN COLOUR 4 THE CHALLENGE TO INSPIRE
cover photo The machining head and tool-changer of Felder’s Format 4 Profit H08 CNC. Story: page 38.
editor: Melvyn Earle email: Melvyn@FurnitureJournal.co.uk circulation: Marie Earle email: Circ@FurnitureJournal.co.uk Tel: 01502 517115 Fax: 01502 517117 www.furniturejournal.co.uk
Please note: points of view expressed in articles by contributing writers and in advertisements included in Furniture Journal do not necessarily represent those of the publishers. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in Furniture Journal, no legal responsibility will be accepted by the publishers for incidents arising from use of information published. All rights, including moral rights, reserved. COPYRIGHT: No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publishers. Copyright CPC Ltd, 2015.
ISSN 13653-8969 Readers should note that a charge may have been made by the publishers to cover the cost of reproducing some colour photographs in this publication.
origination: CPC Ltd printing: Barnwell Print Ltd published by: Craftsman Publishing Company Ltd, Napier House, 11 Surrey St, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1LJ, United Kingdom www.craftsmanpublishing.co.uk
Salvatore Figliuzzi talks to Melvyn Earle about the inspiration and the technical expertise behind the décors that give your furniture real consumer appeal.
Beneath the brightly coloured exteriors, Giben’s latest range of beam saws bristles with enhanced features which are ideal for Batch Size One operations.
8 PERFECT SENSE
28 BATCH ONE: THE BIESSE WAY
Egger’s PerfectSense Gloss and PerfectSense Matt, first seen at Interzum in May, will be available in the UK from September 2015.
Biesse’s approach to Batch Size One has resulted in a flexible manufacturing process involving just three machines with a compact footprint.
10 TOTALLY TEXTURE
31 WHAT’S IN STORE
Deep texture is the hallmark of LG Hausy’s new B9 texture while Hard Coat PET provides competition for acrylic in cost-effective gloss and supermatt finishes.
Store-Master 5110 solves production bottlenecks and storage problems in one easy step.
34 KINGS OF THE NARROW AISLE
The end of June 2015 saw Schattdecor open its third plant in Russia.
Combilift’s renowned four-way control, high reach trucks mean Home Decor can handle long loads and make the most of storage space with narrow aisles.
15 HAVE YOU GOT ABS?
36 MASTERS OF THE MASTERWOOD
ABS has a lot to offer users of conventional or NIR edgebanders and Ostermann will supply any length from one metre.
Nick Hudson Fine Furniture Ltd has found the Masterwood 310 owner Nick was “terrified” of buying has helped them with every aspect of their production - and it’s opened new markets for the company.
12 INTREPID SCHATTDECOR
16 MAKING A DIFFERENCE Product differentiation sells more furniture - and it has never been easier to achieve.
19 GROWING GRASS Grass UK embarks on a strategy for growth as Wayne Nabal joins the team from South Africa where Grass dominates the market.
22 BETTER THAN ZERO For watertight edges and seamless ‘better than zero glueline’ edges there is nothing to compare with adhesive specialist, Kleiberit’s latest systems.
38 THE RIGHT FORMAT Instrumental to the success of Edward Williams Furniture has been its relationship with Felder UK.
43 WIRELESS ON TEST As Bosch launches its first wireless charging drill, we ask fitter Kevin Bloom to put it to the test.
IBC LET’S GO CURVY Few woodworking tasks are quite so daunting as making curved components. With Curvomatic, it’s easy.
2 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 - BUSINESS NEWS
lucky for some Lots to see, easy access, a friendly fair that’s easy on the feet - how many reasons do you need to visit Sicam in October?
T
he number 13 may not be renowned for its association with good luck but if you’re in the market for components when the Sicam exhibition opens its doors on 13th October 2015 and you’re not in Pordenone, it might just be your competitors who get the luck. Sicam is a real treasure trove. Although small in comparison to Interzum, the number of exhibitors showing products which have been refined and developed in the months since Interzum and are now ready and available never ceases to amaze. And there are always new products to find everything from décors to hardware. In
previous years, many exhibitors have chosen Sicam as the launch pad for new ideas, putting Sicam at the very centre of the international stage. With regular flights to Venice from various UK airports and a special shuttle bus service provided from Venice’s Marco Polo airport direct to the fairground in Pordenone (there’s even a Sicam stand in the arrivals hall when you get there to guide you to the right bus stop), Sicam is one of the most accessible and easiest exhibitions in the furniture industry calendar. For a list of exhibitors and to register online visit the Sicam website at www.exposicam.it
4 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
Salvatore Figliuzzi, Director of Design & Marketing, Interprint
the challenge Salvatore Figliuzzi talks to Melvyn Earle about the inspiration and the technical expertise of the team behind the dĂŠcors that give your furniture real consumer appeal.
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 5
Inspiration comes in many forms: an old timber post, the fencing wire still embedded in it; a pile of books, their backs torn off; and a large log of bog oak (main background image) that dates back more than two millennia. But even inspiration needs to be prepared for its starring role as a décor design and that often means bombarding it with different abrasive grits, polishing, staining, painting (below right). The Interprint team includes specialist woodworkers whose job it is to prepare and shape raw inspiration.
e to inspire S
alvatore Figliuzzi doesn't quite fit the image of the archetypal design guru. There's no wild hair, no garish clothes. Not even a shaggy beard. Yet it's his drive, his enthusiasm, his eye for what most might disregard as flotsam and jetsam that has inspired best-selling décors which turn furniture designs into something spectacular and hold the key to real consumer appeal. And that makes Salvatore rather special. Born in Germany to Italian parents, Salvatore Figliuzzi is the enthusiastic Director of Marketing and Design at Interprint. In character, he combines the best of two worlds: Italian flair, passion and imagination and the German love of detail, accuracy and perfection. He talks easily about his passion for design, about his love of texture; he effervesces
over colours, shapes and forms - but there are no flailing arms, no wild gestures to lend emphasis to his words. He is composed, genuinely modest. He speaks with pride and admiration for the team he has built around him at Interprint: the creatives, the skilled technicians and the design experts; those whose painstaking work and exceptional eye for detail enable impossibly complex patterns and shapes to be linked seamlessly, translated into just three or four colours and prepared for the highly technical task of printing. With so many best-selling décors to Interprint's name, I'm eager to find out from where the seemingly endless inspiration stems. Salvatore smiles. “That's something you can't explain,” he says. “I was lucky to get a creative side. I learned
6 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 After the raw material has been cut, prepared and treated, a typical woodgrain décor design takes a couple of weeks to digitise and correct. The material is scanned (left), digitised and put into repeat. Then begins the intensive, painstaking Photoshop work: correcting grain, eradicating unwanted faults, joining planks on screen and manipulating the design so it repeats seamlessly so it matches the diameter of the printing cylinder exactly. Finally, meticulous colour balancing and translation of on-screen colours into inks has to be carried out before the newly created décor can be printed out on a large-scale digital printer and checked. When finally it is deemed fit to be printed on a production scale, printing cylinders are engraved in copper, chrome finished and transferred to one of several giant printing machines in Interprint's factory. Interprint holds several thousand printing cylinders in stock, any of which can be located by a computerised warehouse system and transferred to a printing machine for production.
to draw and to paint and worked in a studio long before the days of Photoshop. I take influence from everything around me. I never switch off. Our team collects a lot. Sometimes things we collected two or three years ago come into their own and spark an idea.” Aside from Salvatore, whose design studio bears witness to the joy he takes from eclectic collections (books, sprayed timbers, photographs - there's even a model of the Ebon Hawk from Star Wars on his bookcase), there are people in the team whose job it is only to search for materials. Others are specialists in “manipulating” wood surfaces. Their job is to sand-blast, etch, lacquer or oil sources of inspiration until they take on a life and a soul of their own. “You start with an idea but you must look beyond the idea to what it can become,” says Salvatore. In the atrium at Interprint's Design Centre in Arnsberg are more clues: an old timber post, the fencing wire still embedded in it; a pile of books, their backs torn off; sun-bleached timbers from the water tanks atop New York's skyscrapers - all now translated into décors; and a large log of bog oak that dates back more than two millennia which has a story of its own. The story behind the inspiration is almost as important to Salvatore as the design that results from it. “A good design
needs a good story to help market it properly,” he says. “That's the key.” Salvatore isn't a designer to work in isolation from the market - just the opposite, in fact. He is acutely market aware. “There's a big part of selling in me,” he admits. “To be successful I need to get a result and sell the idea. I'm not happy if I don't deliver what the customer wants perfectly.” He revels in the Furniture Days that Interprint runs every year. It's a chance to involve key clients in the design process, to refine, to shape and to perfect. He loves to perfect. Even using the word promotes a satisfying smile. “With our Furniture Days, we work with key clients to create the market demand. We don't just show new colours, or new designs, we show that there are many things which influence the decision to buy a particular design. By working closely with our customers and involving them in the decision-making process, we stay close to the market.” The Furniture Days are clearly something Salvatore and his team get a real buzz from. “People want a package,” he says, animatedly. “They want good design, they want to feel the passion that's gone into creating it, they want the authenticity and they want to believe in the product. We enjoy this. We enjoy showing them something authentic and we enjoy
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 7
their feedback. We try to be different because we see ourselves as different. That's what's made us successful.” Does he feel constrained by market demand? To some extent, perhaps, but for the most part, he sees it as a challenge, an opportunity to take leadership and present his vision for the next generation of ideas. He loves to feel the reins in his hands and is no stranger to taming wild horses. The proof of his success comes often enough - perhaps most recently (in a simple way) when, in November 2014 Interprint presented the colour of the moment, Marsala, ahead of the game. It's perhaps because of his unswerving belief in the intuition of the team he's surrounded himself with that he has abandoned the colour symposiums and walked away from predictions by colour trend experts. Instead, he encourages those he works most closely with to trust their instincts. “We don't go for fashion colours,” he says, the rejection in his voice underlined with an uncharacteristic frown of disapproval. “We go for colours which work best with a particular décor. The fashion industry is seasonal. We don't have a season, so we find our own way.” In terms of décor designs, while he takes inspiration from nature and talks enthusiastically about form, colour and texture, and about the new realism and
authenticity it is now possible to achieve in a printed product, Salvatore clearly believes there could be - maybe even should be - more to the décor options on the market than a choice of woodgrains: “If consumers knew what possibilities there were, they would take them,” he says, “But they have learned to make a choice from what is available. That's not easy to change.” He'd love to see more graphics and fantasy designs, more use of other materials as sources of inspiration, maybe even pure abstracts. “Nature is always there and we can print it very well but we can also print something that develops from paint, or from some other creative source. The challenge is to inspire. “To be a good designer is not enough,” he admits, candidly. “You must be a strong believer in what you do to sail if there is no wind and sail against the wind when it blows against you.” That's something he has instilled in the team at Interprint's Design Centre. And it's something the whole team has very much taken to heart. If you are one of the chosen few to be invited to Interprint's Furniture Days 2015, don't pass the invitation by. Take it. Grasp the opportunity to be part of the design process and have your say. You too can play a part in shaping the future of décor designs. Interprint: www.interprint.com
The Interprint
FURNITURE DAYS Be inspired. Shape the future. Have your say. When your invitation arrives
BE PART OF IT
8 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
PerfectSense Matt U702 Cashmere
perfect T Egger’s PerfectSense Gloss and PerfectSense Matt, first seen at Interzum in May, will be available in the UK from September 2015.
wo new products from Egger have been introduced to provide you with the perfect opportunity to reflect on the continuing popularity of high gloss (and the emerging trend of velvet matt surfaces) at a realistic price. Pre-launched at Interzum and available from September, Egger’s PerfectSense Gloss and PerfectSense Matt will be produced on a brand new line in Germany and have a core of super-smooth MDF. “Gloss in itself is not new but with PerfectSense we believe we have raised the bar in terms of durability and the sheer depth of the shine,” said Elliott Fairlie, Egger UK's head of décor development. “The gloss boards offer a combination of a real mirror finish with a tough, smooth and flawless surface - something of a novelty in this product area.” Egger has achieved this by using a special coating process with UV technology. The result is a scratchresistant board that is strong in the fabrication process and suitable for heavier use applications.
“Matt is also gaining in popularity,” added Elliott. “Matt surfaces have long been associated with high value and are predominantly used in premiumend furniture.” Egger's new UV coating process makes PerfectSense Matt highly resistant to fingerprints and it has a warm, soft feel that underlines its up market appearance. PerfectSense Matt décors carry on the current “Glory of Grey” theme, with two cooler shades of grey included (U708 PM Light Grey and U732 PM Dust Grey) as well as two warmer grey shades (U702 PM Cashmere and U727 Stone Grey). Both products are offered alongside standard structures in matching colours for carcassing to create a coordinated look. Matching edging is also available. Board dimensions are 2800 x 2070 x 18mm. PerfectSense Gloss decors are based on current trends and the range will comprise a collection of popular solid colours and an exotic woodgrain. For more information, call 01434 602191.
t sense
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 9 Main door, left: PerfectSense Gloss H3025 Macassar is superb in combination with contrasting matt. Besides the prevailing classic white, black is also celebrating its comeback on the matt surface - showcasing high quality at its best. The nofingerprint functionality can be seen particularly well on the U999 PM Black.
10 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 The six colours of LG Hausy’s B9 are now in stock at David Clouting - along with Hard Coat PET in high gloss and supermatt. Background. A close up of Graphite Grey shows just how deep the texture really is.
B Deep texture is the hallmark of LG Hausy’s new B9 texture while Hard Coat PET provides competition for acrylic in cost-effective gloss and supermatt finishes.
tot t
9 isn’t the catchiest of names but it’s a décor product that will get your attention from afar. This remarkably realistic oak woodgrain texture from LG Hausys brings the painted look alive - and unlike many textured finishes, the distinctive grain effect can be seen clearly from several feet away. Stocked by David Clouting Limited in Porcelain White, Ivory (Alabaster), Mussel, Cashmere, Stone Grey and two colours that are growing in popularity, Light Grey and Graphite Grey (background picture), B9 can be supplied ex-stock in rolls of 1450mm wide x 200m long (0.4mm thickness), or in whatever length you require. Alternatively, choose your own colour with David Clouting’s Make to Order service, available with minimum order length of 2,000 linear metres. Ideal for both membrane pressing and flat lamination, B9 is fully FIRA certified.
If it’s plain gloss or supermatt you’re looking for, take a closer look at LG Hausy’s Hard Coat PET décor films. Hard Coat PET technology provides a significant improvement in scratch and mar over regular lacquers and improved handling with the super matt finish. Edward Quant of David Clouting Ltd describes the look as “similar to an acrylic panel in gloss and super matt but more cost-effective”. Stock colours include White, Ivory, Alabaster, Mussel, Light Grey and Graphite Grey and Hard Coat PET is available in single roll quantities (300 linear metres) or through David Clouting’s Make to Order service from 3,000 linear metres (which can be a mixture of super matt and gloss). Hard Coat PET is also FIRA certificated. For more information call David Clouting Ltd on 01376 518037 or visit www.davidclouting.co.uk
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 11
tally texture
12 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 - BUSINESS NEWS
“Over the past three months the volumes of turnover and quantities have developed outstandingly well at our three locations in Russia, even though the prognoses for the next six months are rather cautious. We will not allow ourselves to be alarmed and have high hopes that the political relationships will return to normal and thus the economy will be given the momentum it needs.“ Harald Purainer, CEO, Schattdecor AG
intrepid schattdecor The end of June 2015 saw Schattdecor open its third plant in Russia.
I
n what must be seen as a brave and intrepid move, June 2015 saw the décor printer Schattdecor celebrate the grand opening of its third plant in Russia. The building in Tyumen has seen complete refurbishment - a project which has taken two years and cost one billion rubles (around 16 million Euros). The new Schattdecor plant currently employs 67 staff and, apart from two impregnation lines, boasts Shattdecor's latest resin heating system. From now on customers in the
Eastern regions of the Russian Federation, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will be served from West Siberia. “The preliminary end of investments in Tyumen marks an important step for us,” commented Harald Purainer, CEO of Schattdecor AG at the opening ceremony. “In the field of impregnation we are now well-prepared for the future and can respond to local needs perfectly.” For more details and up-to-date information visit www.schattdecor.de
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 15
have you got abs? W
hat do a car, a Lego brick, a computer housing, a ski and the mouthpiece of a clarinet have in common? Quite simply ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene). Characterised by a high mechanical abrasion and scratch resistance, light fastness and heat resistance, ABS has been used as a furniture edging material for over 20 years. This flexible synthetic material enables the open cut surfaces of coated chipboard to be sealed perfectly and, with its easy processing, unlimited design options, homogeneous appearance up to the radius area and resistance to chemicals and detergents, ABS continues to be a winner today. The German edgebanding specialist, Ostermann, offers ABS in numerous colours and dĂŠcors with different surface finishes, in several thicknesses and in every width up to 100 mm. The surfaces can be lacquered to achieve a great variety of gloss levels from super matt to high gloss.
Because it is not only the look of the edging that is increasingly critical, but also its feel, Ostermann delivers ABS edgings with numerous different finishes, such as ash pore, minipearl, lineal structured or wood structured and, for ease of use, offers ABS precoated with EVA hotmelt as well as paintable versions which can be finished with water-based paints and lacquers. ABS can be processed with any conventional edgebander and is ideal for use with NIR technology. Even at the end of its life, formaldehyde-free ABS can be incinerated with wood waste. Take a fresh look at ABS. Call Ostermann for any length from one metre: 01905 793550.
ABS has a lot to offer users of conventional or NIR edgebanders and Ostermann will supply any length from one metre.
16 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
www.organoids.com
www.rehau.de
www.hornschuch.com
making a d P
The key to increased sales is product differentiation and this year’s Interzum provided inspiration to satisfy all the senses.
www.mehling-wiesmann.de
roduct differentiation sells more furniture - and it has never been easier to achieve. In the weeks following Interzum, new designs and new ideas to bring style (and increased margin) to your furniture designs have included everything from décors and tactile surfaces to ultra-slim, designer drawers, novel hardware and mood lights to create whatever ambience your customer desires. Tactile qualities are key to captivating consumers in the fitted furniture sector. Everyone expects realism. The addition of glass to a piece of furniture lends elegance and value and it’s especially popular in combination with wood or wood décor. Rauvisio crystal by Rehau is a glass laminate designed for cladding vertical furniture fronts which combines the visual qualities of glass with the simple handling properties of a polymer. Oak décors remain centre stage in the new trend collection and most of the décor specialists showed at least one. Resopal showed three distinctive structures for its decorative laminates which reduce tiling effects, making long conference tables, as well as walls and
doors much more natural in appearance. The Quadro Struktur foil by Konrad Hornschuh, produced under the Skai brand, displays many characteristics of coniferous wood and can be paired with materials of similar features very easily. The metallic tones of steel, silver, steel-grey, midnight blue, or black give an elegant appearance and are on right in the new trend. This particularly deep and distinctive embossing with its sharp edges and grooves provides surfaces with a sandblasted look. Polyrey showed new ideas on a theme of the used look. The new compact panel, Resitop, is characterised by its highly refined surface finish. The new surface technology, Protect+, means the panel is highly resistant to extreme conditions, beyond the EN438 Norm. The panel can withstand temperatures of up to 220oC without discolouration or warping. To the bewilderment of many foresters, the log buyers from Mehling & Wiesmann seek out the neglected, decaying beechwood trunks in the forest exactly because they are often infested with fungus. The newest technologies allow the wood to be
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 17
www.hettich.de
www.grass.at
www.blum.com
www.hailo.de
difference sliced rather than sawn, so it can be used for high-end veneers in furniture and interior design. Every one is guaranteed to be special! For furniture buyers who like natural fragrances, the decorative coatings from the Austrian company, Organoid, breathe new life into raw materials and will have instant appeal. They are to be enjoyed with all the senses as the surfaces are untreated and thus maintain their natural fragrance. Organoid uses natural materials so the smell of freshly-mown hay, vanilla, blue cornflowers and more can now be incorporated into furniture. Designers and manufacturers of hardware were also at their inventive best this year. Introducing new ideas to give your designs the edge, Gera's light shelf with integrated ScanAndLight functionality measures and controls an environment, enabling control of every aspect of room lighting. The specific micro-electric arrangement of the LED light adjusts continually. The shelf demonstrates how an integrated lighting system can define the nature and radiance of a piece of furniture. For some time now, what goes inside the cabinet has been every bit as
important as its appearance and feel from the outside. From Hettich, the new AvanTech drawer system represents the state-of-the-art in furniture fronts. Straight-lined, with precise edges but no protection covers or holes on the frame, the stylish AvanTech system has narrow joints which can be precisely adjusted to within a tenth of a millimetre. How a drawer or a door opens and closes is taken as a sign of the quality of the furniture by consumers. The mechanical opening and soft, smooth closing of the handle-free drawers of Blum’s Tip-On Blumotion combine easy opening with a light touch and a cushioned closing action. The system has a frontal joint of only 2.5mm, making it as attractive as it is efficient. One highlight of the Grass stand was a sophisticated system for drawers which keeps everything where it belongs. The integrated Tavinea 91 interior design system (designed by Ambrozus Studio) was developed for drawers in kitchens, bathrooms and living rooms. Tavinea 91, which is based on an “ideal” distance between the individual dividing units at exactly 91mm, provides a remarkable variety
www.gera-leuchten.de
http://en.polyrey.com/
www.resopal.de
of combinations with just a few modular standard elements and adds extra wow factor to internal features. Also with a touch of wow factor and designed for those moments when you don't have a clean hand to grab the plate you need from the lower cabinet or throw something in the bin, is Hailo’s electric opening support system, Hailo Libero HFO (Hands Free Opener) for front pull-outs and drawers. An ejector system is integrated into the cabinet base below the front of the door to be opened. The electric opening support system with built-in LED lighting can easily be integrated into existing kitchens, adding value - and profit. For more information, websites are shown on each picture.
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 19 Left and below. The multi-faceted Scala range includes a drawer solution with a height of 90mm, a snugly fitting railing version as well as a closed drawer with a height of 186 mm. A special highlight of the modular Scala family is the generously sized Crystal Plus glass version which features an innovative clip technology for fitting without tools.
Wayne Nabal.
growing grass A
fter a magnificent showing at Interzum 2015 which demonstrated clearly the innovation and technical excellence of numerous trendleading products, the hinge and drawer specialist, Grass, has announced the start of a big push in the UK market. Wayne Nabal, who spearheaded the growth of the Grass brand in South Africa and took it to its present dominant position, joined the Grass UK team in August 2015 and brought with him almost 12 years of business experience as well as a detailed understanding of the furniture fittings industry. He joined David Shoebridge at the front line, taking over as Managing Director to allow David what he describes as “much-needed time to develop key accounts”. Wayne’s objectives are clear: “I appreciate the importance of building a strong team, and creating a resilient and motivating
climate in the company,” he says. “My focus in the UK will be no different: we want the best sales team in the industry and we want to achieve double digit growth year on year.” Wayne, who has worked for the Würth Group since 1994 and has an indepth knowledge of Grass as a company and its corporate philosophy, has been involved with many of its business activities from front line sales to warehousing and logistics. “I love selling - and I love satisfied customers,” he says. “I therefore make sure that the team is well equipped to perform in such a way that we are able to provide our customers with innovative products and exceptional value.” Post Interzum, there are certainly plenty of innovative new products for the Grass UK team to present: the multifaceted Scala range includes a drawer solution with a height of 90 mm, a
Grass UK embarks on a strategy for growth as Wayne Nabal joins the team from South Africa where Grass dominates the market.
Tiomos Mirro.
20 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
Above. Purist, clear and timelessly aesthetic, the Nova Pro slide technology, already in use millions of times over, has now progressed to a new generation. With the new Nova Pro Scala comprehensive drawer technology, Grass presented a system at Interzum that is perfect for contemporary living interiors.
Main picture. The extremely slim drawer side of the Vionaro drawer system is fully in keeping with the trend towards minimalist forms and luxury materials.
Above. Peter Thompson is also new to Grass UK. He joined as a Technical Consultant for the south of the UK and will also help support the customers of Häfele UK and promote Grass products to the wider market. He will be involved with the Grass demonstration van which will travel the country with two technical consultants and Häfele’s ASM to give customers a feel for the range.
snug-fitting railing version, a closed drawer with a height of 186 mm and a special highlight of the modular Scala family - the new Crystal Plus glass version. Then there’s Vionaro, the ultraslim drawer system with a 13mm drawer side based on the proven Grass Dynapro concealed slide system. The Tavinea 91 interior accessory system, developed for drawers in kitchens, bathrooms and living areas, was also presented at Interzum alongside the Tiomos family of hinges for mirror, glass and slender doors, which now includes Tiomos M0 for moving thin, heavy materials (such as solid surfacing materials) smoothly and with ease. Joining Wayne, David and the Grass UK team is also Peter Thompson on technical sales. His role will be to increase the level of support provided to Grass distributors in the UK. “We are very proud to have dealers such as Häfele UK and Häfele Ireland,” says Wayne. “My intention is to grow closer to them and to increase market share through their strong network.”
Wayne sees increased emphasis on supporting sales as critically important to replicating the success he brought to the South African operation. “Our strategic intent is to establish a distribution channel that supports sales in the UK with fast and reliable delivery to all market segments, as required,” he says. “We are also growing stronger in the large industry segment with valued customers such as Omega PLC and we intend to prove to the market that we are the leader in innovation, quality, and the value proposition. “We have fantastic growth opportunities in the UK and we have a very experienced and dedicated team. Grass is a leader in movement systems for the furniture industry and yet has a very small market share in the UK. This is a great time to invest in Grass UK and build on our successes.” For more information on the latest products from Grass visit www.grass.eu or contact Wayne or David at the Grass UK team on 0121 453 7623.
22 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
better T For watertight edges and seamless ‘better than zero glueline’ edges there is nothing to compare with adhesive specialist, Kleiberit’s latest systems.
here are a number of ways to edge a panel and produce a glue line which is very difficult to detect but just how resistant the results are to moisture ingress over long periods of time depends on various factors, not least the adhesive. If your objective is to provide your customer with a reliably water-resistant invisible joint (increasingly important as a selling tool in the kitchen and bathroom sectors) but keep costs to a minimum by utilising chipboard, Kleiberit’s Bradly Larkin is adamant, the only real option is to use a PUR hotmelt. “There are various technologies which work effectively with MDF - for example laser edgebanders,” he says, “But with chipboard you need an adhesive which fills the cavities in the substrate to make it watertight. PUR adhesive will do that much better than EVA because
it has a much higher water resistance. PUR doesn’t absorb water, so you can be 100% certain that the entire surface of the edge will be completely sealed.” Using PUR means you can utilise any brand, colour, or design of edgebanding material. “There’s no need to switch to a pre-glued edging, or upgrade to laser technology,” adds Bradly. “You can use any edgebanding you want, so you get more flexibility.” Kleiberit’s extreme demonstration of the effectiveness of its PUR 707.6 and 707.9 hotmelts at Ligna saw a panel submerged in a fish tank for several days (above left) and there were no signs of a blown edge, or any swelling in the substrate. For the ultimate in seamless edges, however, take a closer look at Kleiberit’s DesignEdge. There is absolutely no edge joint at all. The design - be it a
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 23
Main image and below: Kleiberit’s DesignEdge utilises HotCoating technology to create and edge which flows seamlessly from the panel, regardless of whether the start point was a melamine or a digital print. Inset: submerging an edged panel in a fish tank for days on end is one way to prove the effectiveness of Kleiberit PUR hotmelt 707.6 and 707.9.
than zero melamine or a digital print - flows across the panel and over the edge. Classic high gloss surfaces quite often reach their limits when used on small radii, partly because of the high coating thickness and partly because of the structure, which is often crystalline and hard, making it almost impossible to form without cracking. Even the smallest radius is possible with DesignEdge because it employs Kleiberit’s HotCoating system and a comparably low layer thickness. The HotCoating layer is extremely tough and elastic but at the same time it provides micro-scratch resistance (steel wool type 0) with extremely good shock resistance. Combine the two in your designs and you have the ultimate edge - better than zero - from the most economically-priced materials. Details from Kleiberit: 01530 836699 or visit www.kleiberit.com
24 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
Main picture, right. Sigma 3’s new Schelling S45. Below. Gerald Jones: “I'd never seen a saw that could offer me a tilted cut up to 46 degrees, whilst still being able to mitre cut boards to size conventionally.” Right. Already the owner of two FMH 330 manual infeed cut-to-size Schelling saws, which were purchased in 2003.
Gerald Jones bought a new Schelling S45 on impulse when he saw how easily the machine cut angles.
the cutting e I
“
Above. Gerald Jones: “I needed a hybrid and that's exactly what the S45 is. It is the perfect tool to create bespoke, kitchen designs that require precise angled cuts.”
t was 1997 when I was first introduced to Schelling,” begins Gerald Jones, Managing Director of Sigma 3 Kitchens Ltd. “I was relatively new to the industry and my Operations Manager was singing Schelling's praises.” Eighteen years later, Gerald is at the forefront of innovation, purchasing the UK's first Schelling S45 cut-to-size saw. “It was an impulsive buy,” admits Gerald, who first saw the saw on Schelling's W14 stand last October. “I went to W14 looking for a new drilling machine but visited the Schelling stand to catch-up with the team. Before long, I was being drawn to the S45. I'd never seen a saw that could offer me a tilted cut up to 46 degrees, whilst still being able to mitre cut boards to size conventionally.” Already the owner of two FMH 330 automatic infeed cut-to-size Schelling saws, which were purchased in 2003 and are still performing tirelessly, the
kitchen door and cabinet specialist was keen to explore new avenues with the first fully-fledged two-in-one pressure beam saw on the market. Not a company to rest on it laurels, Sigma 3 Kitchens Ltd has gone through a number of changes since the recession, adapting to the demanding kitchen market. “We have to be open to the idea of change to remain in business and I'm always keen to explore new opportunities, whenever and wherever they may appear,” explains Gerald. “Before the recession hit, we had a 6.5 million contract business but almost overnight, 90% of that business evaporated. It was survival of the fittest and we needed to re-evaluate the business to give it a new lease of life.” “We quickly realised that the change in market meant it was no longer about numbers, it was about quality. Going forward we had to be biased towards quality. This meant
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 25
edge new machines that could not only offer exceptional accuracy and manufacturing excellence but also offer flexibility in order for us to create one-off, bespoke designs. A new market was unfolding before our eyes and for us, it was sink or swim.” With this philosophy in mind, the company expanded its designs and services to the independent retailer and increased the number of its own kitchen showrooms. But, with demand high, new machinery was crucial to maintain the production quality of over 1500 kitchen units per week. “Yes, during a demonstration the S45 was great at cutting MFC and acrylic faced foils quickly and efficiently and from previous experience of owning several Schelling saws, I know just how good the build quality is on each machine. But could the S45 offer me versatility today and in years to come?”
A visit to Schelling's Wetherbyshowroom gave Gerald the answer he was looking for: “I needed a hybrid and that's exactly what the S45 is. It is the perfect tool to create bespoke, kitchen designs that require precise angled cuts.” Delivery of the machine was scheduled within three weeks of the order being raised, with engineers removing a Schelling FXH 330 beam saw and installing the S45 in four days. “It was the best installation I've seen," admits Gerald. "Whilst the surplus machine was being transported back to Schelling's showroom to be restored and re-sold, engineers took control of the new installation and within a couple of days our workers were being trained on the new machine. It was Austrian discipline at it's best.” The S45 has remained true to form, contributing towards an upturn in sales. “We don't have a lacquering
facility here but the S45 can be used with acrylic based products, which, in part, has contributed to a 30% increase in bespoke kitchen orders.” That's not all. Since the machine was purchased, the S45's angling capabilities have also been the catalyst behind the company's new acrylic-based seamless box joint kitchen designs that are being launched this spring. But for Sigma 3 Kitchens Ltd, the purchase of Schelling's first S45 is just the start of its investment in the future. “We're continuing to expand with a new, purpose-build 7,000 sq ft stock room and edging closer towards being self-sufficient in the process. By working with like-minded companies that are leading innovation, we'll continue to grow from strength to strength.” For more information on Schelling (UK) please visit www.schelling.co.uk or call 01937 586340.
26 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
giben - in col Beneath the brightly coloured exteriors, Giben’s latest range of beam saws bristles with enhanced features which are ideal for Batch Size One operations.
I
t’s hard not to notice the new livery Giben has introduced to its beam saw range: the new entry level Sunny SE, ST and SPT in bright yellow (right); five versions of the Prisma Evo in green; and the top-of-the-range Prisma 6000 (above right) in eye-catching red. “It’s a new era for us,” remarked Giben’s Project Manager, Alessandro Fortunati, on the company’s Ligna stand. “This year we’ve started using colours to show the levels of our machines. Yellow is our entry level, green is a medium level and red is our top level.” The Sunny is available in a choice of four models, each with 3 options. The manual Sunny ST and SE both offer blade projection of 55mm and cutting length of 3300mm while the front loading SP is capable of cutting four 18mm boards if you opt for the HP Double Q package, which includes front loading with clamps and an automatically positioned rear side alignment device with roller. The saw speed is up to 100m/min on both cut and return and the pusher operates at 80m/min. The SPT version incorporates a rear lift table and will handle 10’ x 4’ boards. “The Prisma Evo has reduced cutting cycles and has been designed with Batch Size One
operations in mind,” says Alessandro. “The beam saw is usually the bottle neck in Batch Size One production. The Prisma Evo has been designed to get rid of bottle necks. It will cut 12 parts in a minute and it will cut at 200m/ min, maintaining best quality. We’ve invested a lot in reducing the cutting cycles.” The Prisma Evo is available in front loading, rear loading, compact rear loading and in angle plant options and all models come with Giben’s revolutionary motorless saw carriage which is designed to prevent transmission of vibration to the blade for a superior quality of cut. The bright red, top-of-the-range Prisma 6000 is also designed with Batch Size One in mind. “The pusher and saw carriage reach 300m/min with acceleration of 0.5 seconds because of the linear motors,” says Alessandro. “We are using IE4 motors controlled by a driver, which means blade speed can be adjusted. When we lift the blade, we use a motor controlled by the driver which does this in 0.5 seconds, not a cylinder which would take 3-4 seconds. All the cycle times are compressed. We can make 15 cross cuts every minute with this saw.” To find out more about the new Giben range call RW Machines on 01869 244943.
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 27
With a saw carriage that accelerates from 0240 metres per minute in half a second on quiet linear motors, the Prisma 6000 has been designed to eliminate bottlenecks in Batch Size One production. It’s also equipped with an energy efficient KERS system. Much like Formula One cars, the KERS system recovers the kinetic energy generated during braking of the saw carriage and reuses it, increasing the efficiency of the machine.
olour
Left. There are Sunny models with or without clamps and options include G-Plan Industrial software in Professional or Full versions for optimisation of cutting patterns.
28 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
The NextStep is a purpose-built beam saw with twin routers.
batch one: th Biesse’s approach to Batch Size One has resulted in a flexible manufacturing process involving just three machines with a compact footprint.
B
iesse’s approach to designing a bespoke furniture production system for the future has been to look at the whole process from the very beginning with fresh eyes. The result, unveiled at Ligna 2015, is a very efficient, yet flexible Batch Size One operation with a modest footprint. At the heart of an operation which requires only three machines is Biesse’s new NextStep flexible beam saw - a machine designed from the beginning specifically with Batch Size One production in mind. Equipped with twin routers, the NextStep guarantees perfect squaring of each panel prior to edgebanding. Paired with the NextStep is Biesse’s Stream B MDS unilateral squaring and edgebanding machine - a machine that’s also been designed for small batch work and provides high levels of flexibility whatever the material to be applied. Finally, the Insider M flexible boring machine, also seen for the first time at Ligna, simultaneously processes all the faces of the panel in a single pass.
Biesse’s Batch Size One process, named simply ‘Batch One’, allows the user to process different panels in sequence according to specific production requirements. Set-up time is zero for maximum production optimisation. Software plays a key role, creating a link between machines and products to guarantee the production flow. A dedicated team develops software solutions which Biesse says are “conceived through working closely with customers to observe their day to day processes, with simple interfaces designed to guarantee practical and efficient daily use of the machines”. Responding to the industry's increasing demand for flexibility, Biesse can either develop main production lines or supplement existing lines if you need a more flexible solution integrated into your existing production system to increase the production efficiency of your entire factory. For more details on Biesse’s ‘Batch One’ call 01327 300366 or visit the Biesse website: www.biesse.co.uk
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 29
he biesse way Unilateral squaring and edgebanding are provided by a Biesse Stream B MDS edgebander.
The Insider M flexible boring machine simultaneously processes all the faces of the panel in a single pass.
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 31
what’s in store
H
ow do you reduce the workload for employees, improve handling, remove production bottlenecks at the panel-sizing stage and increase the productivity of your beam saw in one easy step when different panel sizes and thicknesses are needed constantly? Even taken singly, these are issues many manufacturers grapple with - especially those for whom mass customisation and Batch Size One are the only way to cater for customers who expect wider choice and bespoke designs. But a solution is neither as complicated, nor as far into the future as you might think. In fact, it’s here now and available from Holz-Her. Holz-Her unveiled its highly effective Store-Master 5110 panel storage and material handling system at Ligna 2015, vacuum charging its latest beam saws with panels of different weights, sizes and thicknesses with ruthless efficiency. The Store-Master 5110 system is a completely automated storage system
with intelligent handling processes that makes optimal use of storage space by employing fully integrated software with chaotic storage management. The software is the key to the whole process, increasing production capacity enormously whilst providing an overview of stocks, remnants and panels already booked for processing. The elaborate system solution not only reduces workload for employees and ensures the saw or the machining centre at the head of the operation is fed continuously, it ensures gentle handling of panel products as well - critical if you are using thin panels, gloss-finished panels, or panels finished with other easily marked décor materials. The system consists of the basic version which includes a storage and retrieval feature for panel stacks as well as horizontal storage locations for free layout. Panels can be booked in on the control computer integrated into the
Store-Master 5110 solves production bottlenecks and storage problems in one easy step.
32 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
Above. Intelligent software divides the panels into clusters determined by consumption statistics in a chaotic warehouse system, delivering new panels or remnants of different dimensions and thicknesses to the saw exactly when needed. Cut components can be labelled at the saw for barcoded operation. Although Store-Master 5110 “chaotic warehousing” can be used with almost any Holz-Her pressure beam saw, the two on show at Ligna were the Zentrex 6220 (which replaces the Cut 6220, above right) and the Tectra 6120, shown below in a small footprint layout.
system where they can be managed completely in the material master file for the saw. The cutting lists from the beam saw provide a preview of requirements for whole panels as well as remnants for storage, leaving the intelligent storage software (which already divides the panels into clusters determined by consumption statistics) eliminates any delays in supplying the saw. Even when new panels are stored in the system simultaneously, the storage software ensures optimised material flow to the saw at all times. The operator can choose ‘snapshots’ for production - the system measures the weight and size to ensure reliable cutting and performs a plausibility check, then supplies the panels to the exact position required on the machine table. The enormous dynamics of the Store-Master 5110 system make it easy
to form stacks without waiting times at the saw. The software communicates continuously with the beam saw, even ensuring panels are laid down and, where required, turned through 90 degrees by the electronic rotation unit for optimised cross-cuts. Although the Store-Master 5110 software will communicate with most Holz-Her pressure beam saws, the two new saws shown at Ligna as part of the Store-Master 5110 demonstration were the Zentrex 6220 and the Tectra 6120. The Zentrex is available as a 6220 Classic version, or as a faster and more powerful 6220 version. In addition to the 3300mm and 4300mm cutting lengths of the 6220 Classic, the Zentrex 6220 is available with a cutting length of 5,900mm. For more information call Weinig UK on 01235 557600.
Experience new possibilities with KLEIBERIT
34 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 Home Decor supplies sliding doors to big retailers as well as offering a full turnkey madeto-measure service to national building contractors.
Hydraulically extending telescopic forks.
This modified electric CB3000 operates inside containers.
W
hen the contract on their old counterbalance truck ran out last year, Jim Barras from the bedroom furniture and interior systems specialist Home Decor didn’t hesitate. He ordered another Combilift. “We’ve been with Combilift since we moved premises two-and-a-half years ago,” explains Jim, Home Decor’s Supply Chain and Logistics Manager. “When we moved to our new site, we knew we’d need new machinery. Combilift worked with us on the design of the cantilever racking so we could stack right up to the 10m roofline and take advantage of narrower aisles. That’s when we bought our C4000. At the same time we ordered a CB3000. The four-way, multi-directional control means we can take long loads around corners. The counterbalance truck couldn’t do that. We now have two CB3000 Combilifts and two C4000s, both with 9.5m lifts.” Home Decor has never been a company to do things by halves. Established 40 years ago and now with
kings Combilift’s renowned four-way control, high reach trucks mean Home Decor can handle long loads and make the most of storage space with narrow aisles.
bases in the USA and China as well as Sheffield, the company is arguably number one in the DIY sector, supplying sliding doors to big retailers as well as a full turnkey made-tomeasure service for national building contractors. With its roots firmly in Sheffield’s steel heritage, it buys Britishmade steel and sells many of the sliding door systems it manufactures in Sheffield back to China. The company has recently purchased Homag panel sizing and processing equipment so it can cut its own full-size panels, adding to the need for a forklift truck that can cope with the demands of the saw. “When we started to use the Homag, we needed an extended load centre,” says Jim. “None of our current fleet could lift off the back of a truck and stack the Homag with panels. The CB will do that - and it will go easily into containers. “For a multi-directional truck to go into a container is special,” admits Jim. “Combilift changed the design just for us. The cab has to be lower and the
of the
forks have to move independently so you can go down the centre of the container, left or right. We’ve had modifications made to most of our forklift trucks. Combilift added hydraulic telescopic forks to one truck to give us greater reach and we’ve had a laptop for stock control and safety cameras fitted to the new C4000.” With more than 400,000 doors to be moved, stored and loaded onto wagons every year, hundreds of reels of heavyweight steel to be transported around the factory and thousands of packed sliding rail systems measuring up to five metres in length to be manoeuvred around tight corners and into racking that extends up to 10 metres high, it’s essential to have reliable forklifts. Jim is delighted with the performance and reliability of his Combilift fleet: “We have a service contract with Forkway, who supplied us with the Combilifts, and they make sure preventative maintenance is carried out,” he says. “They’re very reliable.” Combilift: 00353 478 0500.
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 35
he narrow aisle Top: Jim Barras, Home Decor’s Supply Chain and Logistics Manager. Above: Two of Home Decor’s C4000 forklifts are equipped with a laptop and safety camera. Left: One of Home Decor’s C4000s stacking 10 metre high racking in a narrow aisle.
36 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015
Below. Point-of-sale displays are not what Nick Hudson Fine Furniture Ltd was set up to do but it’s a market the Masterwood can deal with easily when it’s not required for other tasks.
masters of t N Nick Hudson Fine Furniture Ltd has found the Masterwood 310 owner Nick was “terrified” of buying has helped them with every aspect of their production - and it’s opened new markets for the company.
ick Hudson freely admits he was terrified of investing in a CNC machining centre at first. “It was a huge step for us - a choice between buying a machine or taking on three extra workers,” he says. But four years after he took the plunge, he wouldn’t be without his Masterwood. Nick, a Rycotewood-trained craftsman and furniture-maker, owns and runs Nick Hudson Fine Furniture Ltd, a ninestrong company based in the west of London. High end kitchens, bathrooms, fitted and free-standing furniture are the company’s speciality. Although much of what the company makes is panel-based, Nick didn’t expect the Masterwood to be used anything like as much as it is. “I thought it would be used once a week, he says, “But it’s pretty much doing everything. Very few panels don’t go through it. It’s made us busier on the drawing board and we have to work to a higher standard of detail but by doing so we
can save a day for three people in the workshop. We can cut out all the components and know everything will fit perfectly. It’s like self-assembly on a bespoke level: there’s no truing-up of doors, or making things fit. They fit perfectly the first time.” Nick settled on a Masterwood Project 310 CNC pod and rail machining centre which included 19 vertical and horizontal drilling spindles, a grooving saw along the X axis, a 9kw main router with full 360 o C-Axis control, a 16 position toolchanger and a working bed area of 3200mm x 1350mm. Added to this was a manually tilting aggregate head, MasterWorks Cad/Cam and MasterCabinet software along with MasterMultiPositioning, a software package to allow components to be multi-loaded and optimised into one programme. A ‘special’ application was also included: a second 100m3/h vacuum pump to allow a Masterwood lift-on, lift-off matrix bed to be used for
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 37
the masterwood nesting in tandem with the horizontal clamps and vacuum pods. Today's equivalents of this machine are the Project 450 and Project 350. “I’m really pleased I bought a pod machine because it’s so versatile,” he says. “We can dowel everything together without elevating the workpiece because of the pods. We machine drawers, side and back panels with the Masterwood - in fact, very few things don’t go on it.” In addition to solid wood and panel products, the Masterwood has made working with solid surfacing materials much easier. “We use quite a lot of Corian®, routing out the opening for the sink in worktops and trimming it after fitting, machining the draining grooves and drilling the tap holes. It’s all done on the Masterwood. It makes working with Corian® really simple. If it wasn’t for the Masterwood, we wouldn’t offer Corian®.” Nick’s Masterwood has done far more than enable his workshop to
produce special bespoke furniture. It’s opened new markets in areas he would never have considered previously, such as large run point-of-sale display units which the machine “just gets on and makes while we do other things” - and subcontracted machining work for other local craftsmen who don’t have CNC capability. “I’m surprised but the CNC hasn’t de-skilled us as I thought it might. We employ more people because it has enabled us to produce more work. There’s less laborious work to do because the machine does it and that means more variety for the staff. They enjoy seeing how all the components it makes go together.” So why did Nick buy a Masterwood and what has his experience been? “I knew several other companies that had Masterwoods and were happy with them. Masterwood only make CNC routers and I liked the idea that they were specialists. Masterwood in the UK is a nice family company and everyone
spoke highly of them. Dave Kennard has helped us a lot. It’s serviced once a year and we’ve never really had anything go wrong with it. “You could take away every other machine in the workshop but leave me the CNC! It’s that vital now.” Masterwood GB: 01293 402700.
Nick Hudson
38 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 The Format 4 Profit H08 is just one of many Felder machines in the workshop of Edward Williams Furniture.
the right format Instrumental to the success of Edward Williams Furniture has been its relationship with Felder UK.
E
dward Williams Furniture has found a format with which the company’s owner and founder, Adam Howe, is absolutely delighted. He describes in glowing terms the productivity increases resulting from the upgrading of his workshop by Felder UK and is just as pleased with the service he’s received from the Milton Keynes-based subsidiary of rapidly growing Austrian machinery specialist, Maschinenbau Felder KG. Adam, whose company is a specialist in the manufacture of bespoke furniture from boardrooms to reception desks, has numerous Felder machines including a Format 4 Profit H08, a K940S Panel Saw, a G330 Edgebander and more - and the Profit H08 CNC in particular has enabled Edward Williams Furniture to expand into new areas. In addition to the company’s own machining needs, Adam is now able to service the large number of jobs that come in from other
individuals and companies who don’t have CNC machining capability. And it’s all added to the growth and profitability of Edward Williams Furniture. “We no longer need another company to manufacture certain components,” commented Adam. “We can now offer the complete service from start to finish. The machines from Felder make all the difference.” The Format 4 Profit H08 is Felder’s entry level CNC. Although small in footprint, it is designed for professional nesting applications and offers high precision and productivity with a variety of different materials. The Profit H08 is available in two construction sizes and two configuration packages. The 13:25 version offers 2500 mm in the X direction, 1250 mm in Y and 85 mm in Z, while the 16:31 version measures 3090 mm in X, 1530 mm in Y and 85 mm in Z. The matrix table with
FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 41
Left. The high performance main spindle comes with automatic tool measurement. Up to 10 tooling positions and 12 independent vertical drilling spindles guarantee perfect rows of holes in one work process. Below. The matrix table with optimised grid geometry facilitates wide operational uses, while three vacuum system options cover every requirement. The portal design, gantry drive Format 4 Profit H08 is available in two versions, either 2500(x) x 1250(y) x 85(z) mm, or 3090(x) x 1530(y) x 85(z) mm.
optimised grid geometry makes it possible to process the full surface of the workpieces regardless of the size or design. The reference fences that are mounted directly to the table also assist in the optimal use of off cuts and can be monitored with optional collision prevention sensors. Three different vacuum systems offer 180, 250 or 500metres per hour vacuum performance and Profit H08 users can opt for 6 or 8 manually controlled vacuum fields, as required. The H08 high performance main spindle provides 10 kW of power and rotates at 24,000 rpm for improved milling results even when processing complex materials. The automatic tool length measuring system measures the exact length of the tool (accurate to a hundredth of a millimetre) and guarantees the exact milling depth and highest levels of repeatability. Up to 10
tooling positions ensure quick tool changeover times, increasing the productivity of the H08 even further. The DH8 drilling head has eight independent vertical drilling spindles allowing rows of holes or a series of construction holes to be drilled in just one pass. With its purpose-designed Format-4 software, the Profit H08 offers maximum efficiency and exceptional user-friendliness. Adam can't speak more highly of his Felder - or the service he’s received: “The machines from Felder make all the difference,” he says, adding that Felder is “Always there and the service is brilliant. All you have to do is ask for help.” To find out how a range of machines from Felder could benefit your workshop, visit the Felder website at www.felder-group.co.uk or call 01908 635000 for more information.
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FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 • 43
Although the new Bosch Wireless Charging System is primarily intended for bench and assembly work, a GSB 18 V-LI Professional Combi Drill equipped with a 2.0Ah Wireless battery and GAL1830W Charger turned out to be more than capable of demanding on-site fitting jobs when fitter Kevin Bloom, left, put it to the test for Furniture Journal.
wireless
on test
As Bosch launches its new wireless charging system onto the UK market, we ask fitter Kevin Bloom to put it to the test.
W
ith its newly launched Wireless Charging System, the power tool manufacturer, Bosch, claims to have become the first supplier in the world to harness the advantages of inductive energy transfer to keep cordless tools power-ready. Aimed initially at professionals operating in fixed locations, the idea is that whenever the tool is not being used it should be placed on the charging unit in the user’s work station. The ‘smart’ system detects the battery state and selects the optimum charging mode so there is no risk of overcharging while CoolPack technology improves heat dissipation and extends battery life. Tools can be left on the charger indefinitely or placed there for just a few minutes at a time between jobs and - a big bonus for cordless Bosch users - the Wireless Charging System is compatible with all 18 volt Bosch power tools.
The system’s main benefit is that jobs are never interrupted or delayed by lack of charge, or the search for a charged-up replacement battery. Water and dust also cease to be a problem as there are no vulnerable electrical contact points to become damaged. For the system’s UK launch, Bosch has developed two products: the GAL 1830 W Professional battery charger and the GBA 18 V 2.0 Ah MW-B Professional 18 volt lithium-ion battery. The compact charging kit comes with a mounting frame for convenient attachment to benches or shelves, which serves as a flexible but secure holder for the charger, battery and tool. So how does the system perform? We asked professional fitter, Kevin Bloom to put it to the test using a Bosch GSB 18 V-Li Professional drill. First, his impression of the drill:
44 • FURNITURE JOURNAL SEPTEMBER 2015 No pins or contacts on the battery.
Left. The drill itself has easy-to-use controls and an “easy-to-control trigger, which makes screw-driving tasks easy”. Below. The charging unit (shown below without the docking station) works wirelessly, without pins or contacts and stops charging when the battery is full.
“It’s a nice sized drill, not too heavy, well-balanced, and it’s very simple to use,” commented Kevin. “It feels solid, like it won’t slip. The chuck was easy to use and held drill bits securely, even during some of the really tough jobs we gave it, like drilling into concrete blocks while fitting out a bathroom. The thing that really struck me was how quiet this drill is. It’s nothing like as noisy in operation as some of the drills I’ve used. It also has a lot more power than I would have expected from such a compact unit. At torque six on speed two, it ripped into a concrete block with ease and I really like the easy-to-control trigger, which makes screw-driving tasks easy. I thought it might be a bit low powered for use with a hole saw but it managed this with ease, too. “On the flip side, it’s quite easy to select hammer drilling by accident when you need high torque settings but that’s probably a trade-off with it being such a compact drill.”
The big selling point is the wireless charging system. How did this perform in the field? “Battery life and charging times are always a big issue with cordless tools. I was very impressed with the charging time. From empty to full charge took 35 minutes. Normally I’d expect a charge to take at least 45 minutes and I’ve known it take a lot longer than that with some drills. “I really liked that it had no pins and contacts on the charger because these can become damaged quite easily. The whole thing is sealed so dust, dirt and water can’t get in. There’s nothing that can get damaged and that’s great. “On a mix of concrete blocks and wood drilling using normal bits and hole saws the two-Amp battery lasted well. It’s strange there are three battery condition indicators on the battery and five on the charger - that makes it difficult to know how much charge you have left when you’re working remotely - but the wireless system
works it out and decides on a slow or a fast charge and then, when it’s fully charged, it switches off, so there’s no over-heating.” Although Kevin tested the Bosch system on site, using it for a variety of fitting jobs, those who stand to gain most from the new Bosch technology will be small furniture and woodworking businesses - especially assembly lines, where the tool can be placed on the charger (which comes with a bench or wall-mountable docking frame) whenever there’s a gap in a job, ensuring continuous availability of power. There will be no worries over the safety of the charging equipment, even in wet or dusty conditions. And there will be no need to buy, charge, or spend time looking for spare batteries, as only one battery is needed and it remains in the tool even when charging. A battery starter set is available for those who want to convert to wireless operations. More details: www.bosch.com
let’s go curvy Few woodworking tasks are quite so daunting as making curved components but with Curvomatic, that’s now easier than you’d think.
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here’s no denying it, curves get attention and these days, curves in kitchens, curves in bathrooms, curves on free-standing furniture - they’re all the rage. But, as every craftsman knows, creating curves can be a long and involved thing to do, often with less than predictable results. With Curvomatic, however, the whole process of creating endless flowing curves has become no more difficult than taking a bend on a bike. Since its launch at the W12 exhibition almost three years ago, completely flexible Curvomatic kits have found their way into hundreds of workshops up and down the country and have been adopted by manufacturers large and small. The simplicity of the ‘plug and play’ aluminium bars means even those relatively inexperienced at bending panels to create curved doors, curved ends to island units or curved pretty much anything else - can
now create whatever curved components they wish in the knowledge that every one will turn out perfect every time. Simply position your freshly glued laminates or pre-heated acrylic over the formers, place the Curvomatic over the panel, affix the heavy gauge straps and tighten the adjusters until the panel bends around the former. Then leave it until the glue sets. Once set, the panel is rigid, permanent and perfectly shaped. Inventor and CEO, Jim Burgess, says Curvomatic has met with a 100% satisfaction rating from users. “Now with the launch of our new website, which has over 200 new kit formats as well as much more user-friendly design, we hope to convince any remaining doubters that this really is the future of curves for everyone, big and small,” he says. For more information, or to see the new options, visit www.curvomatic.com.