Supplier March-April 2018 | Issue 197

MAR/APR 2018

WE BRING THE INNOVATION, YOU BUILD THE FUTURE.

YOUR DIRECT LINK TO THE COMMERCIAL MARKETPLACE

ACCESS MORE: • Architects • Specifiers • Interior Designers Reserve your advertising pages now for the 2018 edition of Finishes & Surfaces Magazine.

CONTACT • Sandie Velkovska +61 3 9890 0815 sandie@elitepublishing.com.au

www.finishesandsurfacesmagazine.com.au

UPFRONT Hi, and welcome to Supplier magazine – our first issue for 2018.

Take a look inside, and we have brought you a wealth of industry news from both Australia and overseas. This issue is packed with profiles, interviews and features across a wide spectrum of our business.

With a number of stories devoted to Software, we know you’ll enjoy every page of Supplier this issue.

Following on from global News and Design and Trends, we bring you a feature on Software 4.0, as well as showcase the life and times of Barry Gabbet - our inaugural ICON for Supplier magazine.

We hope to bring you more ICONS in future issues of the magazine!

There’s a great Q&A with SafeCode’s Norman Kurta, and our ‘Spotlight On’ interview talks to Steve Cowley from Nover.

Here, he discusses the Star Partner Program and so much more….

Don’t miss our Biesse feature, as well as in-depth profile pieces on Hafele, HOLZHER, and our own Phil Ashley looks back at his visit to Leuco tools in Germany. Phil was given access to the production sites and takes a look at what goes into making a quality sawblade!

Cabinets by Computer is an Aussie success story and we sit down with Justin Collins to find out more. There’s also our chat with Jobman’s Aaron Crees and we round-off this issue of the magazine with our Product Updates.

Don’t hesitate to contact me with any feedback, and until next time, enjoy this issue of Supplier.

Contents197 ISSUE NO.

MARCH/APRIL 2018 VOL.34 NO.1

News 04 AWISA 2018 Returns to Sydney 10 Impressive Expansion for Big River Group

Overseas News 14 Avedon Acquires Altendorf 16 HOLZ-HANDWERK Set for 2018

Software 24 Smart Software for Industry 4.0

ICON 30 Barry Gabbett

Spotlight On 38 Steve Cowley from Nover

Interview 58 Justin Collins from Cabinets By Computer

Front Cover The only specialist business publication servicing the Furniture, Kitchen, Shop/Office Fittings, Cabinetmaking, Joinery and the related timber and panel product industries in Australasia for over 33 years!

SafeCode

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

Member of the International Woodworking and Furniture Supplier Magazine Association

Ronnie Gramazio Editor

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Finishes & Surfaces Magazine Floors the Industry The response to Finishes & Surfaces magazine has been truly overwhelming since its release in late-2017. This ground-breaking publication specifically targets architects, specifiers, interior designers and fit-out professionals.

“What is of importance to our industry Australia wide, is that we are working on the 2018/19 edition”, said Publisher Vicky Cammiade. “The architect, specifier constantly needs a source of new ideas, new applications, important technical data, as well as the important factor of the level of sustainability, which collectively are all details important to the commercial sector.”

“This is vital to our readers of Supplier magazine as we can provide direct access to the very marketplace they’re after, by providing a unique opportunity to be an integral part of the next edition, by showcasing important projects and fully detailing the product line used and why it was successful in all the tender requirements.”

“Sandie Velkovska, our Advertising Sales Manager has several marketing packages available that are very individual and will definitely get the attention you require, “said Vicky.

Contact Sandie Velkovska on 03) 9890 0815 or email Sandie@ elitepublishing.com.au to reserve your prime positions now. ●

AWISA 2018 Returns to Sydney Bigger and Better From 4 -7 July this year, the Australian Woodworking Industry Suppliers Association will welcome the industry back to Darling Harbour, Sydney, after an absence of six years. And what the industry will see is a 28,000 square metre event at the new multi-level International Convention Centre (ICC). Not only the largest trade show of its type ever held in Australia, but one of the largest trade shows for any industry in Australia.

ICC Sydney is one of the most exciting exhibition spaces in the world with its combination of first class facilities and inner city locations. The steel-glass facility stretches over three city blocks from Darling Harbour to Haymarket and includes the exhibition centre, a convention centre and an adjoining 9000-seat theatre with Australia's largest stage.

Plus AWISA 2018 has all the benefits for visitors of being adjacent to Sydney’s CBD, public transport, hotels,

4 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

restaurants, harbour cruises and other tourist attractions.

ICC Sydney features a striking contemporary design, and redefines the convention and exhibition experience.

The flexible and fully integrated precinct is connected to the city’s key districts and has strong transport links, plus a raft of accommodation choices nearby.

AWISA originally booked the equivalent amount of venue space for AWISA 2018 as was occupied by AWISA 2016 in Melbourne, and by previous AWISA exhibitions at the former

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. However, space sales for AWISA 2018 have been the most successful ever. AWISA Wood and Panel Processing, the machinery part of the show, is on Level 1 of the venue, with AWISA Design the level above.

All visitors are asked to register. They can do this on arrival, but it is easier to pre-register through the AWISA website, www.awisa.com. The site is full of information for visitors, including details for airport shuttle buses. Visitors can also book accommodation through the website. ●

ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre has two levels of exhibition space, serviced by four levels of foyers and meeting room space. All levels are interconnected by stairs and escalators, and by lifts that go direct between the show entrances on the two exhibition floors.

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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Lidcombe TAFE - Supporting the next Generation of the industry Planit Cutting Edge Solutions has been working with Lidcombe TAFE to support the next generation of our industry by providing Cabinet Vision to the college’s three computer Labs.

As part of the Stage three Cabinetmaking course at Lidcombe TAFE, some students undertake an assignment via BBM Youth Support’s Skills into the Community program.

This partnership connects TAFE students requiring project experience with community organisations needing their skills, and provides funding and donated materials from a number of companies. In previous years, BBM Youth Support and Lidcombe TAFE have worked together to fit out Giant Steps classrooms, kitchens and storage areas; and last year worked with Auburn Youth Centre to provide them with a number of new spaces including a computer lab.

Last year, Planit were privileged to have taken our partnership with the TAFE further, by increasing our involved with the Stage 3 Cabinetmaking course.

The scenario focuses around a client requiring fitted cabinetry for a space in their premises, with the students to design, manufacture and install the whole project from start to finish.

Planit’s Marketing Coordinator, Blake Cugley, shared “it is fantastic to see so many young people wanting to forge a career in cabinet making. Lidcombe TAFE has built a great facility for students to learn in, and we are proud to be able to have Cabinet Vision as part of the course. It was a great experience to personally go onsite and witness several stages of this process.”

This assignment requires the students to be broken into teams, before being provided a brief about the client and a summary of their requirements. This is then followed by an onsite visit, where they meet the client, hear about how they envisage the space and any particular needs that are to be met within the design. The students then begin to measure the spaces, ensuring they take note of any unique features.

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The class that was installing the cabinetry at the Giants Steps School were faced with a heritage listed building, and so had to ensure they kept the rooms architectural features in mind as they measured the room. The Auburn Youth Centre required cabinetry that would be suitable for regular use in a high traffic zone.

During these site visits, some of the classes had the opportunity to compare their measuring using a tape measure, with the measurements taken with a laser measurer. Planit brought along some of their Leica Laser Measuring devices to showcase the accuracy and precision that this technology will bring.

Both these experiences gave students a wider look at some of the current methods being used in the industry.

The students then spent their time beginning the process of laying out the room in Cabinet Vision, designing and customising the project. Part of the brief included collecting information on the materials and hardware options they will use, and ensuring it was correctly set-up in Cabinet Vision.

This is then gathered and prepared as part of the portfolio delivered to the client to review and provide feedback, including the various drawing perspectives produced from their Cabinet Vision job. Once they’ve received the clients sign off, manufacturing of the cabinets begins.

The students were able to use their drawings to generate the CNC code for the machines, as well as create detailed cabinetry drawings to follow, all created within Cabinet Vision.

These tools show students the concept that software brings together further automation within a business, and aims to improve accuracy, efficiency and productivity of modern manufacturing.

Dion Iori, Cabinetmaking Teacher for Lidcombe TAFE, shared “these projects provide the TAFE students with practical training and on-the-job experiences.

These client-based exercises provide a real representation of using more than

just your cabinetry skills in working with a client.”

Once the designs were manufactured on the TAFE’s CNC’s, beamsaws and edgebanders, it is then onto site to complete the installation stage. Blake Cugley from Planit also commented that, “it was great to see the students take the initiative of the installation process.

The staff at Lidcombe TAFE did provide plenty of guidance, but the students really worked as a team to complete the project and with great results.”

It is also important to recognise that there was a number of industry suppliers who donated material, hardware, and supplies to assist in completion of the project. Lidcombe TAFE and BBM Youth Support would like to thank in particular Hettich, Nover and Blum for the hardware and material they provided towards to the projects. In 2018, Lidcombe TAFE look to participate in up to 5 community projects with their students.● www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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New Technical Guide Provides Timber Design and Construction Solutions for Aged Care Accommodation Australia’s ageing population is increasing the demand for aged care facilities and timber building systems have the potential to deliver significant construction cost savings. However, many people involved in design and construction lack the experience and knowledge required to gain the benefits that timber can deliver. This new WoodSolutions Design Guide provides timber-based design and construction solutions that meet the requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA).

Owing to increased life expectancy, Australia’s ageing population is growing and driving demand for new aged care accommodation. The Aged Care Financing Authority reported that “an additional 74,000 new beds will be required over the coming decade to meet the needs of an ageing Australia”.

Aged care (Class 9c) buildings are generally low to mid-rise in height making them ideally suited to timber construction. The regulatory requirements for this building classification differs from apartments (Class 2) and hotels (Class 3) which are covered in other WoodSolutions Guides.

The new Guide 42 – Building Code of Australia Deemed to Satisfy Solutions for Timber Aged Care Buildings (Class 9c) provides information and options to comply with the BCA, using timber structural systems for Class 9c buildings. It covers fire and acoustic requirements and provides timber-based design and construction solutions.

“Guides 42 and 28 Rethinking Aged Care Construction – Consider Timber with an essential toolbox that will support developers, designers and builders understand how building in timber translates into time, cost and sustainability efficiencies. Not to

8 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

mention the health benefits.” said Eileen Newbury, WoodSolutions National Program Manager and National Marketing and Communications Manager for Forest and Wood Products Australia.

From a design approach, Guide 42 presents three distinct timber buildings solutions: lightweight timber frames, post and beam and solid timber panels (such as Cross Laminated Timber or Laminated Veneer Lumber).

“We are in a period of constant rediscovery, where theoretic and empirical evidence support the benefits of building with timber. With an engineered timber retirement village close to completion, I am hoping Australia will lead the way into building timber solutions for aged care accommodation”, Ms Newbury continued.

The new Guide and the rest of the 40+ titles in the WoodSolutions Design Guide library are available for free download from the WoodSolutions website. ●

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Your Time. Our Priority.

T-type Hinge & Slimline Drawer

Save time on installation with a complete quality solution - the Tekform Slimline drawer and the Titus T-type hinge.

The Titus quality design and manufacturing is evident with the ultimate pair for any job, big or small.

The T-type hinge offers the industry’s fastest assembly with our user-friendly ‘3Way’ snap-on insertion, low hinge cup depths, highly tolerant adjustment and the option for a linear arm and baseplate - all with the world-leading Titus damper built-in.

Tekform Slimline delivers a luxury extension to the Tekform family of drawers. Thinner walls for design and space requirements and the same quality Tekform drawer features - all with the world-leading Titus damper built-in. And with less parts than ever before, the Slimline drawer is our most efficient yet.

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Speed up your assembly processes Increase your customer satisfaction Improve your competitiveness

Contact Titus Tekform www.titustekform.com.au info@titustekform.com.au

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Impressive Expansion for Big River Group Big River Group has rounded out 2017 following a stellar period of growth, having acquired four timber businesses in South Australia, Queensland and Australian Capital Territory, enabling Big River to better supply the Trade segment of the building and construction industry nationwide.

These latest acquisitions have increased the company‘s sales and distribution outlets to 13 locations in the major population centres of Australia.

In March 2017 Big River acquired Adelaide Timber & Building Supplies (ATBS), a diverse building products supplier to the SA market.

In April, Sabdia Mitre 10 in Brisbane was acquired, followed by Midcoast Timbers on the Gold Coast in September, and finally Ern Smith Timber and Hardware in Hume, ACT, due to complete in December.

Jim Bindon, pictured, Managing Director of Big River Group says “These new businesses increase the Group’s exposure to detached housing and the alteration and additions market, to better balance activities in other sectors. They were key purchases within our continued

10 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

diversification strategy across states and construction segments.”

The acquisition of ATBS allowed Big River to launch MaxiWall, a new, cost-competitive Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (AAC) product, nationally.

Previously the MaxiWall brand was only available in South Australia, where it enjoyed substantial growth and success over several years.

“Solid outlooks in the detached housing and commercial construction markets and a sizeable increase in the civil and infrastructure pipeline, together with Big River’s geographic diversity, means we are poised to continue this success in 2018,” continued Bindon.

The acquisitions come on top of a successful listing on the ASX under the Company’s parent name, Big River Industries (BRI) in May. “This year has also seen excellent growth in the premium value-added plywood products manufactured by the Company, which were predominantly used in the civil and commercial construction sectors,” Bindon added.

“With an operating history of over 100 years, Big River Group has established itself as one of Australia’s

leading manufacturers and distributors of timber and building products.

This ongoing achievement is a clear reflection of our longstanding presence in the marketplace, strong service culture and technical expertise.”

River Group manufactures and distributes timber and steel formwork products, timber flooring, structural plywood and related timber products, and distributes a broad range of other building products, including MaxiWall, primarily to the commercial and residential, non-residential and infrastructure construction market segments.

Big River owns and manages 13 sales and distribution outlets including Sydney, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Townsville, Illawarra, Melbourne, Hume (ACT), Adelaide and Perth. The Company also owns and operates manufacturing facilities at Grafton and Wagga Wagga in NSW. Big River provides customers with the security of a full support network, and technical expertise at every stage of the product lifecycle. This is the guarantee of quality and service that Big River has based its 110 years of success on. ●

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Airtight Solutions Dust Control System Service Division Goes National Airtight Solutions is pleased to announce that as a part of their growth strategy, their service capability is now national.

With service teams based in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, they can offer servicing, rebags and repairs to their own and most other brands of dust collection equipment. In addition, they offer a trouble-shooting and system auditing service.

The company’s recently appointed National Service Manager, Gareth Foster, pictured, brings a wealth of experience to the team and is already receiving strong positive feedback from clients following service and repairs to their dust control systems.

Gareth’s appointment was part of the national growth strategy and he is located in the Melbourne office. Airtight currently looking to expand its team further and has position available in VIC, NSW and QLD. ●

Airtight Solutions Expand Melbourne Branch As part of the national growth initiative, Airtight Solutions have doubled the size of the office and warehouse in Melbourne. The new, larger branch office services Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania.

State Manager, Glenn Nicholls told Supplier Magazine: “Due to local and interstate demand for our products and services, we found it necessary to double our warehouse and office facility in Melbourne. We can now stock more ducting, flexible hoses and fittings to provide a faster, better service to our growing client base.

Importantly, we are now stocking dust collector components and fans. This allows us to supply full dust collection systems to local customers faster and cheaper, without the additional costs of freight from NSW. We are also growing the team in the Melbourne office and are currently recruiting installation and administrative personnel”. ● 12 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

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OV E R SEAS N EW S

Avedon Acquires Altendorf Avedon Capital Partners; an experienced growth capital investor, acquired a majority stake in Wilhelm Altendorf GmbH & Co. KG in the second half of 2017. The common objective is “To extend the group´s premium position for machines and services in wood, metal and plastics processing with innovative products and technologies to sustainably capture new customer segments and markets through organic growth and by realizing external growth potential.” Joerg Mayer, Managing Director of Altendorf Group says “Together with the founder family around Wilfried and Tom Altendorf, we fortified Altendorf Group’s positioning as global leader in the development and manufacturing of saws for craft processing of wood, metal and plastics and generated sustainable, profitable growth.

From this position of strength we now have the opportunity to build a globally leading company within its sector.”

In the course of this succession with Avedon as new majority shareholder, the existing managing directors Joerg Mayer and Wolfgang Ruhnau acquired a minority stake in the company. As shareholders and managing directors they stand strongly for continuity in the management of the company and for embarking on a dynamic future for Altendorf. Joerg and Wolfgang will continue in the company’s management team. Both have been active in different positions within Altendorf Group for more than 15 years. In the future they will overlook the responsibilities previously held by the selling shareholder, Tom Altendorf. Dr. Ralf Koester, a well-proven entrepreneur with many years’ experience in working with financial investors, will take over the role as Chairman of the advisory board from Wilfried Altendorf.

The Altendorf family, recently active in the third and fourth generation as shareholders and in the management

14 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

advisory board of Altendorf, retires from its corporate engagement. The family appreciates the solid and sustainable setup of the team at Avedon as a proven partner and the transaction successfully closed on October 6, 2017. The Parties agreed not to disclose the purchase price or any further details to the transaction.

Altendorf Group, headquartered in Minden, looks back at a 110 year history and enjoys global brand awareness. The group’s most important product is the sliding table saw, developed by Wilhelm Altendorf in 1906. The model F45, also called `The Altendorf´ is perceived around the world as synonym for brand and product. With the acquisition by Avedon the inventor of the sliding table saw is on a course of expansion. Together with the existing management team, Avedon intends to further diversify the company and to continue developing new customer segments with the brand of Altendorf. In the spirit of Altendorf as a premium brand, in particular the

areas of R&D, sales and services will be further strengthened and sustainably expanded. Additional double-digitmillion investments aim to further expand the product portfolio with special focus on digitalisation.

Tom Altendorf, previously managing director and fourth generation family member, points out “The Altendorf family considers it their entrepreneurial responsibility to see the family success story being continued for the benefit of coming generations of employees and customers. On the strengths of its excellent management team joining forces with an experienced growth investor the company holds a strong and lasting foundation to further accelerate its dynamic growth path. Altendorf is now placed in a position to successfully grow and develop pursuant to the legacy of its founding family. We truly wish the new shareholder and all employees a prosperous future and we remain in ties of close friendship with the company carrying our name as well as with all employees of Altendorf.” ●

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COLOURpyne® Melamine range refreshed with new modern authentic woodgrain designs and solid colours that adds more completeness to the range. The COLOURpyne® range of melamine laminated board has for many years been well suited to and widely used for doors, panels and shelves in any interior joinery application, where a practical and durable decorative surface has been the desired outcome. In keeping with ever changing trends, the COLOURpyne® range has been enhanced by the addition of 4 new solid colours and 3 woodgrain designs. These new solid colour and woodgrain designs broaden the scope and opportunity even further for an individually unique joinery colour selection that will add an attractive feature to any new new home or renovation.

MELAMINE COLOUR RANGE AND FINISHES Elegant, practical and versatile COLOURpyne® is a tough, scratch resistant surface which can be used on cupboards, shelves, pantries and cabinets, storage units, bathroom cabinetry, laundry cabinets, wardrobes, general shelving, and much more. Melamine technology ensures high quality, durable panels available in a variety of colours on both E1 HMR Particleboard and E0 MR MDF.

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OV E R SEAS N EW S

SCM Group Continues to Grow SCM Group continues its unrelenting race towards its 700 million revenue goal line.

For the Rimini-based colossus also the year 2017 closes with a positive balance sheet, with a double-digit growth rate in annual revenues and major investments in territories where it has been operating.

SCM Group continues to grow, and its 2017 revenues are estimated at 650 million euro with an ever-growing orders portfolio. A success which confirms the SCM Group growth trend of recent years. The Group was established around the Rimini-based SCM company, which back in 1952 invented the first SCM woodworking machine and later diversified its operations and entered other industrial sectors – from the processing of composites and plastics to metal, aluminium, glass and stone.

For all Group companies, the transformation of materials has for over 65 years been a mission as well as a passion, which guided its choices regarding acquisitions and territorial expansion with a view to continuously improve the quality of its products and services.

SCM Group has always believed and invested in the territories where it has been operating. This year, too, it confirmed this commitment by inaugurating a new production area in Zogno (BG), reviving a 20,000 sq m manufacturing centre in order to increase production of CMS special machines.

CMS is a Bergamo-based company which for 15 years has been the pride of the Group, focusing on the processing of advanced materials, plastics, glass, metal and stone, used in the automotive and aerospace industries for example.

SCM Group investments do not stop at the Italian border but also cross the Alps – acquiring Hg Grimme, in partnership with the founder of that German company which specialises in designing 16 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

and building machines that process plastics and composites; or opening new branches such as the one inaugurated in Vancouver, Western Canada, in November – demonstrating its desire to be ever closer to customers in order to provide prompt and efficient service.

All our achievements in recent years have been the result of a unique mix of strategy and commitment in multiple areas. Among these, human resources have been the key, demonstrating that Italian companies, and SCM Group in particular, can invent and innovate while operating around the entire world. In the last year hundreds have been hired, bringing the total number of SCM Group workers, both in Italy and abroad, to over 3,500.

These are men and women coming with a variety of skills and experiences – to breathe new life into the Group's knowledge and contribute to the extensive skills and know-how acquired by the company over the years – and who thus help nurture the organisation's international culture and allow it to better compete in an ever more challenging global market.

Always on the lookout for new talent, SCM Group has stepped up its presence in schools and universities by participating in many open days in such institutions, both national and international, organising courses of professional education such as the Digital Innovation Graduate Programme, an elaborate programme that is part of a Digital Master's Studies course developed in collaboration with partners and leading universities. The selection process culminated in late November when the final tests were performed directly at the Group's Rimini headquarters, to expose the candidates to an actual workplace. The finalists then signed a permanent work contract and thus effectively joined the Digital Innovation Graduate Programme.●

HOLZHANDWERK set for 2018 HOLZ-HANDWERK is preparing for yet another successful round.

From 21 to 24 March 2018, joiners, carpenters, specialist retailers and experts in furniture-making and interior fittings will gather once again at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg to find out about the latest trends in woodworking and wood processing. The seven exhibition halls were already fully booked around five months ahead of the event.

HOLZ-HANDWERK is the European trade fair for woodworking machinery, equipment and supplies and covers all products and technologies relevant to the day-to-day work of wood processing companies. The vast range of products on display covers woodworking machinery, power and pneumatic tools, fixing systems, hardware, construction elements, fitted systems, timber and engineered wood.

At the last show HOLZ-HANDWERK impressed with its top-class products and information and with the high quality and quantity of exhibitors and visitors.

Nine out of ten exhibitors delivered a positive verdict on the number of conversations at their stands and the new business ties they made. Compared with other trade fairs, 84 percent rated HOLZ-HANDWERK as important or very important. Around 93 percent saw added value in their visit to the trade fair and have already noted the dates for HOLZ-HANDWERK 2018. ●

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D E S I GN & TR E N D S

Tavinea 91: perfect dimensions

Organising system and timeless design object: Tavinea "Organised by GRASS" With Tavinea, GRASS has included a comprehensive interior fitout system for drawers in its range, which also appeals with its attractive design. At Interzum 2017, the range was extended to include an additional system: the straightforward, sturdy frame system Tavinea Sorto for drawers, which can be perfectly matched with Tavinea Optima, the dividing system for Nova Pro and Vionaro pot drawers.

Contemporary design unfolds its effects in many dimensions. A product can win us over at the first glance, the first touch, with a sound, taste or fragrance. Products that are proven to appeal to more than one of our human senses are regarded

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

as valuable. As a rule they quickly become the favourite possessions of their owners.

With Tavinea, GRASS has developed an organising system that carries this modern design power through to the innermost corners of a piece of furniture. The comprehensive interior fit-out system has been developed for drawers in kitchen, bathroom and living room furniture and which, for interzum 2017, is available in two versions.

Tavinea Sorto: the straightforward, rugged frame system.

The latest development in the Tavinea series is Tavinea Sorto,a straightforward dividing system for organising the interior of drawers for cutlery or small parts. Tavinea Sorto consists of two frames (B186 and B276) and a crossbar. The frames do not have a base and, thanks to the integrated anti-slip device, can also be positioned in the drawer without anti-slip mats. The clear space between the frames is available for storing items. In combination with the appropriate accessories, such as the knife block and the cross panel, a perfect organising system can be created in the drawer – offering excellent organisation for little money.

The robust, scratch-resistant surface matches the drawer sides in terms of material and colour. There are four standardised adjustable frames with which it is possible to fit out drawers with nominal lengths of 350 to 650, while keeping the complexity of parts to a minimum.

The "Organised by GRASS" series was started with Tavinea 91. The system allows considerable diversity in the furniture using just a few standard modular elements, which can be combined. The "91" is the theoretical ideal distance between individual organising modules – 91 millimetres.

The structural elements made of aluminium divide the drawers into regular compartments with a width of 91 millimetres. Inserts made of solid wood can be additionally fitted between the filigree, 4.5 mm narrow struts. They can be moved as required inside the compartments.

This results in a flexible organising system that sets standards with regard to its personalised options.

Tavinea 91 manages without bulky double walls. Dimensionally stable velvet-black anti-slip mats made of extremely easy-care elastomer ensure that all loaded items remain where they should. The odour-free and food safemats dampen any noise. Together with the aluminium structural elements and the inserts made of naturally grained ash with a natural or black stained finish, the mats create a harmonious material mix.

Tavinea Optima: the dividing system for pot drawers Tavinea Optima is a dividing system for Nova Pro and Vionaro pot drawers.

Thanks to the spring-tensioned profile holders, the dividing profiles can be flexibly fitted in the drawer with infinite variability and, in combination with optional Smartboards – which are simply clipped on to the dividing profiles – hold large stored items such as pots and plates securely in position. With Tavinea Optima the dividing system has maximum flexibility: the system can be adjusted without tools and can also be retrofitted at any time.

Irrespective of the version – with Tavinea GRASS offers an interior dividing system that not only makes perfect use of the available space, but also offers new opportunities. This is how lively order can be. ● SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 17

D E SI GN & TREN DS

Smooth Moves in Storage Design The best of German design and engineering in storage solutions is now available in Australia with Hettich’s WingLine range of folding sliding door systems for wardrobes and cupboards.

WingLine is the clever way to fold doors in the kitchen, bathroom and bedroom, enabling you to offer your clients a wide range of design options to optimise space, inside and out.

The WingLine range is suitable for: • Door wing weight up to 25kgs.

• Door height up to 2400mm.

• Door wing width up to 600mm.

Designed to pair with Hettich’s Sensys soft-closing hinges, WingLine’s clever

push/pull opening mechanism provides ready access to everything inside the cabinet. It offers minimal protrusion, aesthetic appeal and precision engineering tested over 40,000 cycles.

The doors can be mounted without tools and the cabinet can be put together by just one fitter.

WingLine comes in a range of configurations • WingLine L: the all-rounder for the bedroom, kitchen and office with top-mounted folding sliding doors.

• WingLine 220: attached to the carcase side, the top running folding door system can move heavy and tall doors.

• WingLine 230: suitable for doors up to 3000mm high.

• WingLine 77: side-mounted with Sensys concealed hinges.

• Wing 77: for two or four door panels.

• WingLine 170: top-mounted guide bar ensures smooth door-panel action.

Hettich’s CAD Service provides full planning details and assembly instructions for all products with 2D and 3D views, plus drawings of fittings, cabinet and cross sections.●

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D E S I GN & TR E N D S

Smart Commercial Storage Solutions from Hideaway Bins With the drive towards recycling and the management of waste in commercial offices ever increasing, there is a need to provide more sophisticated and customised storage solutions. As demonstrated by the recently completed Goodman offices in Auckland, the Hideaway Soft Close range has a bin option for every application.

The coffee machine is always one of the most popular parts of any large office, and in this project, a large Nespresso pod coffee machine was installed. With this came a need to manage waste pods in a smart way. A Hideaway SC220D-W was mounted at bench height so waste pods can be dropped straight from the machine into the bin, with no bending. At the other end of the kitchen, a Hideaway SC150D-W, with a large 50L bucket

was used for landfill, while a Hideaway SC240D-W with 2 x 40L buckets was used for separating waste.

The Hideaway Soft Close range is made in New Zealand from high quality materials to ensure the units will withstand the challenges posed in a commercial environment. For strength, the framework is made from 1.2mm zinc treated steel which is then powdercoated for durability. High quality German soft close runners are designed to hold upwards of 47kgs and they over extend to ensure the buckets will come clear of the bench top easily.

With 4 bucket sizes and 5 different configurations, there is a Hideaway Soft Close bin for every commercial application. Hideaway Bins are available exclusively through distribution partners Hafele, Nover and Galvin’s Hardware..●

Hera Lighting Dynamic FR 215-LED in the Spotlight Recessed luminaire with planar light and adjustable colour temperature.

Hera has moved up to the ceiling by introducing the Dynamic FR 215 model, an innovative, energy-efficient LED recessed downlight. Its high level of luminous power of up to 2500 lumens – at a recess depth of only 56mm –

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and very good colour properties make this spotlight suitable for many functional and decorative applications within, commercial and residential applications such as hotels, clubs and medical facilities.

With its unpretentious round shape, this new LED product is geared towards pure understatement, and the recessed

downlight is appreciated for the very high quality of its homogeneous light without visible light spots.

It has a luminous power of 25W, and its colour temperature can be adjusted between 2700 K (xw) and 5000 K (cw) to suit individual needs.

The beam angle of 100° ensures a broad light distribution reducing the need for many luminaries.

The mounting diameter of 215mm makes the luminaire highly suitable for large rooms and places where conventional downlights are replaced by compact energy-saving lamps. A good colour rendering ability of Ra/ CRI > 89 rounds off the new lighting concept.

Available exclusively from Lincoln Sentry, the Dynamic FR 215 luminaire is 24V and can be combined with the entire Hera 24V product range allowing the same controllers to manage your ceiling and cabinet luminaries.● SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 19

D E SI GN & TREN DS

Made to Measure Lighting in Focus Designing focus and accent lighting to suit a particular kitchen or bathroom environment can be the difference between a good build and a great build.

The Stefano Orlati range of madeto-measure LED lighting offers both functional and decorative lighting solutions that are safe, environmentally friendly and an effective design tool to help elevate any room.

LED strip lighting can be ordered to size or is available in 5m lengths and unlike most lighting solutions, the Stefano Orlati range utilises Plug & Play installation, eliminating the need for an electrician or specialised installer.

The range offers many exciting options, including door motion sensors, hand motion sensors, PIR motion sensors and both dimmer and push button controllers. The expansive selection of LED strip lighting includes Daylight White (4000k), Cool White (6000k) and Warm White (3200k) options, as well as multicolour and water resistant varieties. LED profiles to assist in heat dissipation and ensure longevity of the diodes turn your LED strip into a complete lighting fixture for a stylish and finished look. Clear diffuser options provide maximum illumination and opaque diffusers disperse light for a softer glow, ideal for bathroom, wardrobe or shopfitting applications.

Whether you want your lighting placed inside a shelf, under a cabinet or wrapped around a corner, the Stefano Orlati Made to Measure LED Lighting program will fabricate all joins and finishes for you. All you have to do is simply plug and play! â—?

20 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

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Slicing Manufacturing Cost with High-Shear Tooling Factors To Consider Engineered composite wood panels with decorative surface laminates provide manufacturers with innovative and economical alternatives to solid wood. An everevolving list of laminate options, from paper to metal, soft to hard, smooth to textured, allow designers unlimited artistic freedom.

However, the combination of low-cost core material (particleboard) with a broad range of surface laminates can pose significant challenges in the fabrication process.

Start Here Manufacturers are now making tremendous advances in quality and productivity with high-shear cutting tools.

High-shear cutting tips, with over 30 degrees of shear, effectively convert the cutting process from a “chiseling� action to slicing and shearing.

Where Problems Originate Seeking lower cost raw materials, manufacturers are often forced to use

22 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

poor-quality particleboard.

Manufacturing processes for lower-cost panel material generally means diminished quality control.

As a result, the scrap wood shaving and chips used to make particleboard are inadvertently combined with rock, minerals, and metal during the extrusion process.

Combining the poor quality of wood chips with newer, environmentally-friendly binders results in board with a very loose center core.

Applying delicate, wearresistant surface laminates to this poor-quality substrate can result in serious processing problems and costly scrap loss.

Initial Adjustments High-shear tools easily slice through surface laminates and particleboard, yielding remarkable edge quality and far fewer voids due to plucked chips. Exceptional cut quality, without voids, results in perfectly sealed banded edges without telegraphed defects. The dramatic reduction in cutting pressure provides optimal cut quality

in soft and hard materials alike. Another noteworthy benefit to high-shear tooling is exponentially longer service life. The greatly reduced cutting pressure causes far less tool wear and damage, resulting in extended performance times exceeding 25x that of tools with shear of less than 30 degrees

Tooling Improvements Innovative tooling solutions utilize high shear angles to greatly reduce cutting pressures, improving quality and tool life. Extreme pressure is responsible for many machining defects. The key is to apply just the right amount of shear in the design of the tool to solve cutting issues. Too much shear can also be problematic. Tools with extreme shear, in excess of 55 degrees, begin to create too much compression force which again increases cutting pressure and related defects - plucking, chipping, grain tearing, etc. Extreme-shear tools are also significantly more expensive to manufacture and service, because they require significantly more polycrystalline diamond coating (PCD) to cover the required cut width.Leitz innovative WhisperCut EdgeExpert pre-mill cutters feature removable high-shear tips, which can be replaced in the field. The proprietary PCD-tipped carbide knives are precisely seated and secured for exacting performance. The knife pockets and knives are laser

etched to ensure correct knife placement Tool performance is equal or superior to that of tipped PCD tools, but with far lower operating costs due to inserts that are re-sharpenable up to 10 times. The ability to replace knives, eliminates the need to replace cutterheads or hold multiple redundant cutters in inventory. Additionally, the closed design of aluminum tool body is lighter and quieter, reducing machine wear and manufacturing noise.

The Leitz WhisperCut tools, with their lower mass, are able to jump into and out of panels more softly, lessening transition damage. The tool gullets, which are designed around Leitz Dust Flow Control (DFC) principles, prevent tip damage by directing chips and dust away from the tool and into the extraction tube.

WhisperCut tooling can also be equipped with Leitz data chips, for use in Industry 4.0 / Smart Manufacturing environments.

Diamaster EdgeExpert router bits offer outstanding cut quality at maximum feed rates in their three-wing version. Users will achieve a perfect edge finish on difficult-to-machine materials like thin papers, foils, highgloss coatings, or veneers.

Moreover the finish of even difficult-to-machine core materials will be smooth and free of plucking and voids in the edge surface. EdgeExpert routers are the perfect solution for laser edgebanding www.suppliermagazine.com.au

technology where zero joints are required, especially when mated with Leitz ThermoGrip precision CNC chuck technology. ThermoGrip chucks provide the most rigid link between the machine spindle and cutting tool; the combination of perfect tool concentricity and light cutting pressure have allowed Diamaster EdgeExpert routers to achieve as much as 60X the life of identical PCD routers with standard shear. Diamaster EdgeExpert routers are also available in combined RH/LH rotation, providing optimal cut quality without tool changes.

Leitz EdgeExpert design principles can be applied to straight and profiled tools, and are beneficial in all engineered and solid wood applications. For example, EdgeExpert milling tools, combined with hydro format spindles (HF30), offer the best solution for long life, highest quality edges in high gloss and difficult-to-machinesurfaces.

Results A large office furniture manufacturer has now implemented Leitz EdgeExpert (high-shear) pre-mill tools on all edgebanders. “We decided to convert all machines to Leitz WhisperCut EdgeExpert tools, based on the exceptional performance and extremely quick recovery of the purchase price.”

A large RTA furniture manufacturer is using highshear tooling to reduce chipboard core plucking and ensure optimal panel edgeband quality. “Ensuring proper edgebanding adhesion and perfectly sealed edges is critical to achieving our quality control specifications.” ● www.suppliermagazine.com.au

Second Multicam for Old Lake Joinery Old Lake Joinery commenced designing and manufacturing quality kitchens in the Port Macquarie area in 1971. Over the years the Nosworthy family have accumulated the knowledge and experience required to ensure that their clients project proceeds smoothly, from the initial planning stage through to installation.

In 2008 Old Lake purchased their first Multicam CNC routing machine to meet the demands of a growing business, and to allow for greater flexibility in design and manufacture.

"That first Multicam had given us years of reliable service." says Dave Nosworthy. "It helped us to expand and to provide high quality joinery components for new markets, such as offices, retail outlets, medical and aged care facilities, schools, accommodation, restaurants, clubs and hotels."

"The fact that Multicam machines are manufactured in Australia, and are serviced by Multicam themselves, were just two of reasons that we chose a Multicam machine over other imported machines." says Mark Nosworthy.

"Being in Port Macquarie,

we wanted to feel that we weren't disadvantaged by our location if we needed assistance."

Mark and Dave say that some of the other reasons for choosing a Multicam were their renowned reliability, value-for-money, and ability to integrate with all the major software packages available.

"Moving up to CNC 10 years ago was a completely new experience for us. The boys at Multicam realised this and were able to help us make the transition from manual manufacture, to CNC, with relative ease." adds Dave. "And their continued support over the years has allowed us to grow our business confidence."

Mark and Dave pride themselves on the fact that they listen to their clients wishes and then work in partnership with them to ensure that their completed project is exactly what they envisaged.

So too does Multicam listen to the wishes of their customers and then act on these to provide a range of CNC routing machine solutions for all applications.

"Just as Mark's and Dave's business has evolved over the last 10 years, so have Multicam machines." says

Neil Winkcup, NSW State Manager. "As advances in the technology available for CNC routers has become available, we at Multicam have incorporated these advancements to produce machines with greater capability and flexibility across the board."

In late 2017 Mark and Dave decided that they would take advantage of these latest changes and purchase a new Multicam "CabPack" machine, developed specifically for the woodworking industry.

The particular machine that they purchased is the flagship of the range and features 3600mm x 1800mm process area, travelling rotary tool changer, automatic material loading and unloading (with conveyor), gang drill, constant surface-to-depth system and integrated dust collection.

Dave says "We did do our due diligence and looked at other brand CNC machines before we made our final decision. In the end we felt that the Multicam was far and away the best choice because of its features, proven reliability and value.

That, together with the great service, local support and friendly staff made us feel confident in our decision.” ● SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 23

SOF TWARE

Smart Software for Industry 4.0 Industry 4.0 is still the big talking point at every industry-oriented woodworking trade show. Every supplier will tell you that the concept can be used not only for the largest producers, but small to medium enterprises with just as much benefit as say, an Ikea or Nobilia. Based on internet connectivity, it’s referred to as IoT; or Internet of Things and requires software, or apps to make it all work. From your computer or maybe even your tablet device or phone, manufacturing is changing and there’s no limit to what can be achieved. In alphabetical order, Supplier's Phil Ashley takes a look at what the major suppliers are providing.

Biesse Group SOPHIA is the Biesse service platform and is a real tool which provides users with an efficient working method, enabling them to tackle everyday challenges, prevent future issues and improve their standards. The software is being adopted in the production sector Worldwide with excellent reports from the industry. SOPHIA offers Biesse customers a production method that can optimise both processes and economic activities in real time, reducing the consumption of all types of resources. The software has been rapidly evolved and the constant expansion of the functionalities it offers in a short space of time, coupled with the investment planned for the next few years, demonstrate Biesse's awareness of the current and future potential of the software.

Based on the connection to Microsoft’s Cloud Azure, as used on Biesse machines; the platform is built on the ability to send real-time information and data on the technologies in use, optimising the performance and productivity of machines and systems. The Sophia 26 project was realised in

24 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

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SOF TWARE

collaboration with Accenture, based on the connection of a sample of some of the main machines used by customers from the Rover range and will cover the entire Biesse and Intermac range by May 2018.

The data collected enables the production process and machine functions to be analysed in detail, detecting malfunctions, assisting customers in maintenance operations, ordering replacement parts in less time and ultimately preventing faults. Among the features available is the possibility to upgrade software in a single click, offering customers the benefits of machines that are always updated.

Furthermore, the direct connection with Parts, the Biesse replacement parts portal, makes managing replacement parts simpler and more efficient.

The key value of Sophia is its predictive nature and the ability to anticipate issues and identify solutions to resolve these, thus reducing downtime. Biesse takes proactive steps to contact the customer before a problem becomes obvious, preventing machine stoppages and costly wasted time. The platform consists of two powerful areas, IoT (Internet of Things) and Parts. The two applications are already available to download for both Apple and Android devices, and Biesse customers with connected machines are already benefiting from these.

The IoT SOPHIA application provides the customer with full visibility of the production status of their machines, with performance parameters summarised historically and an overview 26 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

of the machines in operation.

Where a machine stoppage occurs, the corresponding ID code is displayed, with the relevant details if the assistance operations have already been taken over by the Biesse Service Team. Parts Sophia allows customers to browse through the documentation for the machines they own and create a spare parts basket and monitor the progress of their orders. SOPHIA by Biesse is a concrete, fullyfunctioning tool designed to bring about change.

Homag Group HOMAG has completely revised its software portfolio for customers. For the first time at LIGNA, Homag demonstrated how to configure individual solutions for woodworking shops and industrial producers from a modular suite. The focus was on end-to-end solutions from sales through job completion. Flexibility, individuality, and speed are very important in meeting the needs of customers.

ProCollection software is a modular end-to-end system that provides support by efficiently shaping order processes, from sales through to production.

For catalogue-oriented manufacturers (kitchen, office, living room and bathroom furniture), the Configurator3D forms the nerve centre of graphic order acquisition. This 3D product configurator is used to configure and process highly individual furniture orders in just seconds and in an unlimited choice of variants.

The automatic generation of production data means that complexity remains manageable at all times.

Perfect, efficient organization and absolute production process transparency are achieved using Homag’s manufacturing system ControllerMES. Adjusted to the relevant production system, the software provides support in the precise planning and monitoring of production and in organizing information flows. The cutting optimization software Cut Rite runs on a fully integrated basis. Information is made digitally available to production at all times to aid the simplification of manual work steps. The add-on software MMR Office (Machine Monitoring & Reporting) ensures machine status transparency and permits continuous process optimization.

Successful networking calls for a matured, solid software basis. With the new MES platform, users are ideally

placed for the future thanks to modern software architecture.

The new manufacturing execution system stands for 100% production transparency and is based on established powerTouch operating technology. It encompasses everything from production planning with optimum production batches through the provision and generation of production data for machines.

Smart products allow end customers to configure their kitchens individually, for instance. Just a few days later, their kitchen can be delivered ready to install. This is achieved using software where at the core is an MES for production control. Working with the smart factory, the organization of production plants and logistics/ transport systems is growing increasingly autonomous.

Smart machines support the www.suppliermagazine.com.au

operator performing daily tasks. With additional production optimization, operating times can be organized more flexibly and efficiently. With smart solutions, Homag can help enhance plant availability.

Machines are serviced using Predictive Maintenance. If an error occurs, remotely located servicing experts can offer support. As a result, today 90 % of service incidents are dealt with at Homag online.

SCM Group The “Work Simple; Work Digital.” slogan is SCM’s catchphrase. Its common thread is a series of technological and digital innovations, which have been developed to make daily work of industry professionals simpler and easier. The vision

that has inspired and driven SCM has always been focused on tying technical development to the practical needs of its end users through listening to their real situations and needs. Today; large factories as well as small workshops seek to employ optimised custom integrated production lines to meet the individual requirements of each task without sacrificing the advantages of industrial production.

The Maestro Digital Systems are an SCM project that is a prime example of this vision. It embraces all the latest woodworking tools and digital developments.

Luigi De Vito, Scm Wood Division and Group Sales & Marketing Director said “It is an ambitious project. A sign of the times but also of

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SOF TWARE

the corporate commitment and spirit of SCM which has always been at the service of each and every woodworking operator, following the real needs of the market. Change is underway and SCM is dictating the pace with machines and applications that have been designed to employ all the latest technological trends and anticipate future ones; sharing the new arguments that drive the current evolution of our industry and turn them into common assets.”

Eye-M, the Maestro eye on the world is the nextgeneration multifunction operator panel with a 21.5-inch screen that introduces the mobiledevice feel and approach to the industrial production environment. Maestro Smartech is the innovative remote assistance and maintenance system which employs augmented reality glasses so you can have an SCM technician at your side while experimenting with the future wearable technology.

Maestro Suite is the powerful software collection with applications for any type of machining and production process. Maestro Xplore 28 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

is a simulation system for integrated cells and lines based on the use of the Oculus 3D virtual reality viewer, a breakthrough to fully know every detail and to optimise a production programme. Maestro Datalink is the highly innovative IoT (Internet of Things) tools platform which enables the collection of machine data for later analysis.

These systems are guided by the Smart Factory concept, aiming to monitor and improve production processes in order to provide a reliable predictive maintenance, which predicts when extraordinary maintenance is required and thus minimises production idle times. SCM have new solutions for every type of industrial production processes; from furniture and boat building to windows and doors and to wood construction. Examples include the new Optimiser for beam saws, which cuts calculation times by 80% and machining waste by 4050%. Highly successful is the Maestro Watch supervising system which independently operates lines of integrated cells.

Weinig Group In the field of networked production, Weinig has developed its own standard with W4.0 digital, which were presented for the first time mid-2017. The focus is on efficient and resource-saving planning and production, as well as intelligent maintenance.

“Digitization for its own sake does not give you a competitive advantage. Our solutions always focus on providing added value to the customer, providing him/ her with the right information at the right time and in a user-friendly manner. This applies equally to industry and small business, which are increasingly difficult to differentiate” explains Gregor Baumbusch, Director of Sales and Marketing.

In Moulder Master, Weinig offers a software package for the perfectly organized working environment. In conjunction with the new fully-automated Rondamat 1000 CNC tool grinding machine, OptiControl Digital tool measuring stand and PowerCom Plus controls, Moulder Master offers a system that enables process stages to be linked from the idea to the finished

profile and allows the next tools and profiles to be prepared in parallel with the production in progress.

The Moulder Master combines all processes upstream of production. The Weinig Solid Woodwork Flow opens up the CNC system for use in many different work environments in window and furniture manufacturing. Parts tracking, machine monitoring and predictive maintenance are further topics that are covered. Released several years ago, the Weinig Service App with the integrated live window allows you to perform various actions on a smartphone, regardless of your location and include identification of machine problems, initiation of service inquiries, and reduction of down times.

Cross-cut saws, meanwhile, use the OptiPal Weinig software package.

This enables intelligent cutting list creation for pallet and crate production. In Millvision and Envision, the Weinig Group offers additional software components for digitization of production stages.

Based upon Weinig and Holz-Her technology, these offer the opportunity to network all processes from incoming orders to cutting to the finished product. The networked systems of the future demand an integrated software solution from idea to finished product. Only this can guarantee maximum transparency of processes.

Work piece recognition via QR code, barcode or RFID are important aids.

The operator benefits from short throughput times and elimination of sources of error. ● www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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Barry Gabbett Barry Gabbett is first and foremost a family man and this is as evident in the company he built from the ground up as it is to his own extended family.

Nowadays he spends as much time as possible visiting, mowing lawns and doing other jobs for his three children and six grandchildren. It’s not that he’s retired, in fact he probably never will and he’s still got several years to go as a consultant to SCM Group Australia. The fact is that Barry has always valued people as his greatest asset and tells us “Once we’re making a dollar, our people are our number one priority.” The relationships he has with almost everyone in the supply industry and with

30 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

his many employees, some of whom have been with Gabbett for over thirty years is a testament to his nature and his regard for everyone he meets.

Barry turned 70 in 2017 but you wouldn’t know it. He’s got the energy of people much younger and is still sharp as a tack. At work he could be negotiating a deal or packing spare parts but jokes “I’m not always in the loop anymore, a while ago we closed a really big deal and I didn’t hear about it for a month. When we

became SCM Australia I thought I was at the top but now I’m going backwards.”

Anyone who’s had the pleasure of sitting down with him over a coffee or other beverage will tell you that he’s always got a story to tell and there’s always a laugh in there somewhere.

Barry grew up in Toowoomba, about an hour and a half west of Brisbane. He’s one of eleven children, the fifth son and seventh child. The children were allowed to leave home when they could get an apprenticeship in a trade and Barry left when he was 14 for a position as a wood-machinist. His apprenticeship lasted 5 years and he attended a trade school in the carpentry and joinery department. He freely admits “I never had a flair for hands-on craftsmanship and eventually asked myself if this is what I really wanted.”

His answer came in the form of a guy in a suit and tie who visited the big joinery firm Barry was working for once a month. The guy would come in, have a look around the factory and then went in to talk to the boss. Barry said “I learnt he was a machinery salesman and thought to myself, what a glorious job; no dirty hands, he looks like

he’s worth a million dollars and he’s driving someone else’s car. Of course we know it’s not quite like that but at the time it looked good so I left and joined Austral Engineering who was the agent for Wadkin back then.” He was employed as an ‘apprentice’ salesperson for wood machinery and scientific instruments and found himself at the Bundaberg hospital with no idea what they actually sold.

After a year with Wadkin in Queensland he asked for a move to Sydney. Still a single man but with a girlfriend, Barry stayed with his Aunt for a while and then rented a flat. His dating continued and he would often leave Sydney Friday night, drive up to Toowoomba and back again Sunday. To help get ahead Barry would make speaker boxes in the evening and work in a furniture factory on Saturday mornings. After five years or so Barry became sales manager, married Elaine and a year or so later started out with his own business. They’d bought a three-bedroom fibre-cement house in Baulkham Hills and Barry recalls drilling a hole in the floor to get the phone downstairs. He got a desk from somewhere and started calling people on the phone.

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He says “I thought I was getting a few thousand for long service but I ended up with only a few hundred dollars. I was quite a shock but we worked hard and got lucky. A few large joinery companies were closing down at the time and I managed to buy some machinery and sell it quickly.

It was luck but looking back I found that the harder I worked, the luckier I became.

I was earning twice what I was before but was working twelve-hour days. It’s not well-known, but the week we started Gabbett machinery, John Cover and Jake Martin started Allwood machinery.

I didn’t know them then and only met them several months later but we’ve become friends and still get together from time to time.”

After six months selling second-hand machinery Brian Maher called Barry and asked if he could join the company. Brian had been with Barry at Austral selling Wadkin moulders.

Brian was really instrumental in Gabbett’s success and the business started to really take off as soon as he joined.

They moved from Barry’s house to a very small factory, then half of someone else’s factory and then a property they occupied for eight years in Seven Hills. A few television producers went off-shore around this time and Barry and Brian were able to get their hands on some wood working machines at a good price. They discovered that depending of the economy of each state; they could buy in Sydney and sell

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to Melbourne. A few months later they might be buying in Melbourne and selling to Brisbane.

The business enjoyed continued success so a branch in Adelaide was followed by one in Brisbane and then Melbourne. The built the present premises in King’s Park in 1989 and a few years later the present building in Melbourne. Each year they progressed a little bit more and one year the opportunity arose to buy Fletcher Machinery and this started them off in Perth. They were selling SCM moulders then while Allwood were selling most of the other SCM product. When Allwood started selling the Biesse product, Barry was able to take the over Morbidelli brand. Barry’s venture into the New Zealand market happened around this time.

Barry’s and Elaine have three children; Kara, Lee and Cassie and it was Lee who was to take a leading role in the family company. After completing an engineering course and selling industrial pumps, Lee joined Gabbett Machinery at the bottom; sweeping floors and putting machines together. In sales for around ten years, Lee

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became second in charge when Brian Maher retired.

Lee’s impact on the company has been significant and his ability to get the right SCM equipment for Australian manufacturers, even if it has to be designed specifically for our market, is notable.

When Gabbett became SCM Australia in 2016 the directors in Italy wanted either Barry; or Lee to continue to head the new company should Barry wish to take a back seat.

In the early 2000’s Gabbett took on the entire SCM product range and it’s been that way ever since.

SCM make more machines than any other producer in the World and over the years have bought twenty other companies to expand their product to cover the entire wood working spectrum.

Since Gabbett Machinery became SCM Australia in 2016, sales increases have doubled expectations and the company is in a very solid position as one of the three major suppliers in Australia.

Barry says he is very proud to have the agency and has worked very hard to build their success in this Country.

“All I want to see is a very successful company that’s the

best competitor in our market and that everyone who works here today is still here as long as they want.”

You could say that Barry’s greatest success is his people and while salespersons and technicians have come to Gabbett from other suppliers over the years, it’s also true that many of the people now with other dealers did their ‘apprenticeship’ at Gabbett machinery. One of Barry’s great successes was to bring to Australia many really good technicians from the parent SCM Group in Rimini, Italy. Barry says “If there was ever a good reason for the 457 visa, this is it. They were all very talented people.” SCM Italy was losing good technicians but they supported Barry’s initiative fully. SCM brand’s strength in Australia was built on the notion that the best technicians lead to the best service. Barry admits that service is always an issue in a country this size, but Allwood’s John Cover said as much many times.

As Gabbett Machinery; Barry and his crew won SCM’s “International Dealer of the Year” several times.

Being the only dealer on the continent they did have an advantage but they sold a lot of machines. Many wood workers will remember learning on the L’invincibile machines in trade school and these are still on the market today. Gabbett’s success led to talks between SCM Italy to form SCM Group Australia. Barry says “We were ninety percent there when September 2007 came around and the GFC stopped most companies in their tracks.” But not Barry; while other suppliers were closing branches and laying

off people, Barry pushed ahead and while he freely admits it might not have been the wisest business decision, the company and the people meant a lot more to him than mere dollars and cents.

Throughout his career Barry maintained his integrity.

He says “We were smart enough to make a dollar but we always left something in the deal for the customer.”

He recognises the success of Gabbett machinery as being a product of his people; his ‘family’ and was due in great part through the efforts of Brian Maher who retired a few years ago now. Barry gets together with his people every year and employees from ten years ago still come along for the event. At home Barry has three children and six grandchildren but his ‘extended’ family runs into the thousands. Barry Gabbett will always be remembered for his company; his people and the way he conducted business. He is an honourable man and deals with honourable people, a sentiment he holds for the SCM Group world-wide. ● www.suppliermagazine.com.au

1300 072 403 ausmach.com.au enquiries@ausmach.com.au

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IN TERVIEW

Q&A

with Norman Kurta This issue we interview SafeCode’s Norman Kurta to discuss the business of software among other things …..

Hi Norman, please tell our readers about SafeCode.

It’s a broad question, but I suspect there’s a lot to cover. Company profile, personnel, your role there at the company and SafeCode’s strong presence in our industry?

SafeCode has come a long way since it’s inception in 2011. As a part of the LeasePLUS Group of companies, SafeCode was born to provide IT solutions to the group’s founding companies and begun building proprietary software which set these

companies apart from their competition and allowed the LeasePLUS Group to flourish.

When I came on board in 2016, I saw an opportunity to take this skill set and apply it to the manufacturing industries and begun looking for innovative software companies within this space to partner with.

Flash forward to today and SafeCode is the parent company to 5 companies with nearly 30 staff and a market leader and innovator in its own right - adding diversity and expertise to the LeasePLUS Group.

The SafeCode story is an interesting one.

What companies are you involved with and promote, and logistically how is this done (without divulging company secrets)? It must be quite rewarding playing such a pivotal role…

Ausmach, IJSPLUS, IdacsPLUS, PaletteCAD AU and Manufin provide the most advanced machinery, software and finance to the manufacturing industry. What ties them together is service.

As part of the SafeCode group, our companies don’t just deliver industry-leading products, they partner with our clients to provide the highest level of ongoing support and services that back our clients to succeed.

Our vision was to provide

34 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

the industry with a one stop solution where any business could source the best technology, with the best machinery and provide the finance to make sure their vision could come to fruition.

My role is to work with our partners internationally alongside the LeasePLUS Group MD Aytunc Tezay to continue to bring the best software and machinery into the Australasian market enabling our local industry to become more competitive and sustainable.

How long has SafeCode been in business? The company certainly has built a reputation on excellence and customer service. What – do you believe – are the secrets to your success?

SafeCode shines on the local stage. What about internationally?

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future, we’re invested in our future but mostly – we’re invested in their future.

You have a tremendous number of companies you promote such as IJS, Ausmach and Manufin. Tell our readers more about these associations you have with them and others.

The secret is, there are no secrets. SafeCode built a reputation of trust and expertise through transparency. We show our clients what we can provide for them, but also explain why and how we will go about it. Then, we follow through on our promises and deliver.

Our team are experts. They started in the workshop as joiners and cabinetmakers and their history of being entrenched in the manufacturing industries goes beyond the office to their own homes and hobbies.

That passion is limitless, and our clients can see that our team bring genuine service and knowledge to the partnership. That’s how we help our clients innovate, grow and succeed. Best of all we provide the training to pass all our knowledge

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

and skills on and that’s why our clients trust us – we’re invested in the industry’s

IJSPLUS is a full-service company offering Set Out services, Fast Track services, Library Building services, Training services and Consolation services as well as supplying TopSolid’Wood – the world class integrated design and production Cad/CAM software solution, specifically developed for the Joinery industry.

IdacsPLUS questions what is acceptable and challenges what is attainable by implementing ground breaking software and technology. Our selection of

truly innovative software has capabilities and functionality that are second to none and our vision is to set a new benchmark for possibilities in productivity, efficiency and creativity.

Manufin believes that you should have the freedom to choose your machinery based on capability, not on cost. We offer competitive asset finance options to suit all business types for machinery, equipment and software.

Ausmach was founded on the notion that Australia and New Zealand markets not only deserve a variety of options of the highest, quality, state of the art and unparalleled machinery, but should also have access to a complete service that ensures outstanding ongoing technical, mechanical and customer support. As a result, Ausmach delivers the widest variety of the best machinery and won’t just drop it on your

SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 35

IN TERVIEW

doorstep but will work with you to set it up or integrate it into your existing line and maintain it to ensure your smoothest operations.

Are there any expansion plans for SafeCode? What are your future plans and where do you see the future of software heading within our industries? I’d love to know more.

Expansion happens naturally, when someone says, “we need…” our team turn around and say, “here you go!”. So, we will continue to expand so long as there are problems to solve. We want to provide solutions that the industry wants and needs and will utilise to continuously evolve.

The advancements in technology is what makes these industries so exciting and SafeCode is here to lead

the way. We’re navigating the future of mixed reality to see where and how our clients can utilise it and we want to make it as accessible and reliable as possible.

State-of-the-art technology is useless if it’s too expensive or breaks too often.

Collectively as a business we will continue go grow our geographic reach, broadening our base from our Melbourne and Sydney offices and warehouses to Queensland and South Australia. Our customers continue to trust in us and it’s important that we respond by calling other states our home as we see how our presence instigates growth and innovation.

On the software and machinery side we will continue to push the envelope with our existing partners delivering new and exciting enhancements in

technology and machinery.

Our latest venture in software is delivering hsbcad and TopSolid’Metal into the Australasian market. We are lucky that we have some high-profile clients on board already and see a great opportunity for growth into new markets.

Our focus is also directed at building our own suite of new technologies and supporting our in-house group of developers by challenging them to create and develop the tools of tomorrow for our industry. SafeCode has always had a culture to focus on innovative research and development and this is what sets us aside and ensures our future growth as a business.

What’s your core business?

And how do you remain competitive in this climate?

SafeCode is a force within the industry and certainly a dominant one at that.

What is the strength behind SafeCode, and who has been your role model since starting out?

Safecode is an elite group of companies that provide a complete service to the manufacturing industry, giving clients the freedom to 36 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

pick and choose what they need so that we can tailor a solution to suit them. Like I said before, what brings it all together is service, whether it’s machines, software or finance, we offer ongoing support from trusted and experienced sources.

Our culture - which stems from our leadership team is to always reinvest in the business and grow our capabilities. We believe that a customer relationship exists for years through both good times and bad. So, while we are there to celebrate the triumphs with our clients, we are also there to help fix the troubles.

Our most recent venture into finance with Manufin stemmed from our customers expressing a need for help sourcing funds for their growth. We are glad that we can now provide a full financial service to do just that, an offering that is unparalleled in the industry.

This venture was a no brainer for us given the expertise we’ve acquired working as part of the LeasePLUS Group.

Our strength is our ability to take on the challenges that are sometimes too big for others in the industry to take on. ● www.suppliermagazine.com.au

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SP O TLIG H T ON

SPOTLIGHT ON: Steve Cowley

This issue our ‘Spotlight On’ is profiling Steve Cowley from Nover who talks to us about the Star Partner Program and delves into the machinations of what makes Nover such a success.

Hi Steve, and welcome to Supplier magazine. Please tell our readers - in some detail – a bit about you, your background and your role and history there as MD at Nover. How long have you been working at Nover and why is it such a great place to work?

After leaving school and spending a couple of years trying to convince myself that I would make a great Chartered Accountant, I was “invited” to change careers. I still remember the conversation with my father clearly. We were fighting a fire on a property next to our family farm in the Capertee Valley, and at some stage, Dad said something like, “you are not really cut out to be an accountant are you”. Despite being one, by profession himself, I believe he saw what perhaps I did not at that time. My goodness he was right!. I was always more interested in doing things than recording them, anyway, I joined Nover the following month. That was January 1976.

Since then I have done just about everything at

38 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

various times, that there is to do in the business.

When I joined there were three parts to the enterprise, wholesale, which we are today, kitchen manufacturing and furniture manufacturing, so I was lucky enough to receive a great grounding in manufacturing as well as wholesale. Boy, have they both changed since then, as has the whole business environment.

Gradually the manufacturing sides of the operation were sold off, and since the mid-eighties we have been primarily wholesalers. Whilst saying this, we did venture back into manufacturing for quite some years, at a plant in Moss Vale, formerly owned by John Tiddy of Tekform, although that is now long gone.

I have been the Managing Director since 1994, and together with my sister, Lynn, have been responsible for the business since then.

I guess that there are common skills required to run any business of any size, but what I still get excited about, is innovative or new product. Still gives me a buzz!

I am really excited to hear that the Star Partner Program is still going strong, please tell us about the Program and how long it has been running for and how does it just get bigger and better each year.

Our Star Partner program was first held in 2008. The venue was Sydney, and we held it at the same time

as AWISA. Since then it has been an annual event, and we have been to Bali, Fiji, Queenstown, New Caledonia, Thailand and Rotorua, amongst other destinations. The program runs for twelve months at a time, with a four-night stay for the delegates at a great destination. I don’t know about getting bigger each year, but it certainly gets 40 better!

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What is the purpose of the Star Partner Program and how can people get involved?

Star Partner is a thank you to customers who commit to support us throughout the year. We have several great supporters within the Furniture and Joinery industries, some whom have been on every Star Partner trip since the inception of the program in 2008. They continue to support the program, in fact, we celebrated just that at our last event in Thailand late last year.

It is also a fantastic opportunity for delegates, including partners, to network, get ideas from peers and make friends with other people working within the same industry as them.

We have had engagements, weddings and even some Star Partner babies!

Star Partner works in two ways, we appreciate the commitment that delegates give us, and in return they

participate in the Star Partner event. So, to get involved it is a matter of discussing the possibilities with their Nover Account Manager, who are all equipped to manage the process, and committing.

Easy!

Nover is certainly a household brand – both here and abroad. What has been the most outstanding highlight of working at Nover and what do you attribute the company’s growth to?

Of course, the amazing product range is secondto-none, but are there any other factors which have led to Nover’s success and growth?

Highlights, wow too many!

Of course, we are still a family owned and run business, amongst quite a few in this industry, although not many quite so old, we turn 64 this year!

I used to describe our business as a distribution business, and in essence that is what we primarily do

in terms of getting product to customers, however the traditional role of true distributors in the F&J industry has just about disappeared.

Sure there are some smaller, local arrangements, but the days of working with a local or international manufacturer together in the field, are numbered or gone.

Over the last ten years or so, there have been significant changes in the go to market strategies of many of the major brands, and I believe that this will continue, as we see more manufacturer to customer direct supply chains.

So, to remain relevant we have had to change as well.

I would now describe our business as Wholesalers as we not only distribute, but create demand and manage the marketing function Currently we represent a number of technically innovative and trend leading

brands exclusively in the Australian market.

This together with our geographical footprint, and the smaller, customer focussed teams at our branches, works well for us.

Steve: what have been some of the most important highlights during your time at the company? Any milestones from previous years and any milestones in the near future which you’d care to mention and share with our readers?

I won’t go too far back, but I would have to say that the purchase of Cabinet Hardware Supplies in Brisbane and Eastern Joinery Supplies in Melbourne in 2003 was a big step for us.

The following year, (2004), we amalgamated four locations in Sydney into one site at Eastern Creek.

2012 saw the establishment of our “House” brand, Krome.

2013, we were appointed the Australian Distributors for Indaux, cabinet hardware and fittings.

I find it hard to believe, but we are back into manufacturing!

We recently commissioned a high quality cut to size plant at our Sydney premises, focussed on delivering high quality finished panels based on our own product offer.

I guess that’s a milestone for us.

Can you expand a little on the company structure; who does what and are there any additional plans for further expansion?

40 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

We are based at Eastern Creek in Sydney, not far from the race track.

11 branches along the east coast of Australia serve the majority of the industry.

Senior managers that are responsible for Finance, Product and Purchasing.

Many long-term employees, both past and present.

Back to the Star Partner Program, how do you see this evolving in the next few years, say in the next 10 or so years? Is such a Program unique to Nover?

Star Partner is not unique to Nover at all. It is and has been used in other industries, however Star Partner is unique to Nover within our customer base.

I see Star Partner gaining even more traction going forward.

Close partnerships with committed manufacturers, coupled with innovative product is a great formula.

Ten years, who knows!

In your words, why do people, time and time again, turn to Nover for its product range? What makes

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Nover such a ‘stayer’ in this competitive industry? Any final words of wisdom or advice you’d like to give to young people wanting to enter the industry?

Why do people buy from us?

I guess, without trying to beat our own drum, some of the reasons are; • Product • Service • People • Flexibility • Location Not sure that we are a “stayer” any more than other suppliers in this industry. I can’t

recall too many major suppliers disappearing, in fact I can only remember one major panel supplier and one major hardware supplier getting into serious trouble. Sure some have closed or morphed into other forms, but perhaps because we have remained the same entity for so long, we are regarded as “old”!

Advice? So many skill sets these days are transferrable across so many industries, so if you want to get into this industry, you really should enjoy the product. Excitment, understanding and passion all help. ●

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Biesse Teams with Uniteam In May 2016 Biesse acquired the Uniteam brand and exhibited for the first time as a Biesse Group company at Ligna in 2017. Now approaching two years as a ‘partnership;’ the brand is well accepted as a quality product amongst the top five producers of CNC machinery for housing and construction. With the recent trend towards multi-storey environmentally ‘green’ timber towers, several of which have been constructed in Australia, Uniteam as a Biesse Group company is looking at a huge potential for growth. Phil Ashley reports.

Uniteam was established as a company in 1991 and has become a widely recognised brand throughout the world of CNC machining centres. For more than 25 years Uniteam has been manufacturing boring-milling machines and machining centres to meet a number of

42 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

production needs. Machines have been installed Worldwide for the furniture industry; wood carpentry and the processing of plastic materials and advanced composites. More recently though, Uniteam has become a premium supplier of machines for the housing and

construction industry for the processing of CLT panels and glue laminated beams.

Silvano Maddalon is Uniteam’s brand sales manager. He says “Over the past 5 years the market for timber construction in Italy has increased considerably, despite the fact that since 2008 there has been a continuous decrease in building investments. This positive trend is expected continue in Italy as well as central European countries for both the residential and nonresidential building sectors.

In other markets, like those of North America and Oceanic Asia including Australia and New Zealand; CLT panels are increasingly attracting attention. At the recent Ligna show there was a lot of positive and genuine interest from both Australia and New Zealand in our equipment.”

Silvano goes on to say “In the construction of residential buildings, as well as buildings destined for public use such as schools;

commercial and industrial structures; warehouses and storage units; timber construction is proving to be an innovative alternative due to the reliability of the construction costs and timeframes. Timber construction provides enormous versatility, excellent resistance to earthquakes, and excellent thermo-acoustic insulation.”

Uniteam equipment is used by the Austrian company KLH who was one of the pioneers in the manufacture of cross-laminated timber; developing the product in cooperation with the Technical University of Graz in 1996. KLH operate internationally and at one time one of the World’s tallest timber structures in London was built using the Uniteam equipment. A number of tall wooden buildings have been constructed and others planned for North America and Canada and there have been several recent requests for Uniteam equipment for 44 these projects.

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milling technologies and integration with the most advanced CAD-CAM. Uniteam CNC machines are able to machine all six sides of a timber component such as a complex rafter with angled dovetail connections without ever having to move the component by hand; all of the clamp movements are carried out by the machining cycle.

Since Uniteam was acquired by Biesse Group, the company has developed and produced the Materia

range of versatile; compact, 5-axis machining centres.

Designed to process advanced and compound materials used in leading construction projects for cladding of buildings; shop-fitting and signage; Materia is built for extreme machining operations on some of the largest components. The Materia range can also be used to process thermoformed elements; unusually shaped three-dimensional elements, and components for the aeronautical and marine sectors and the automotive industry.

Uniteam makes use of cutting-edge technology, materials, and equipment with careful attention to the CAD/CAM relationship which makes it possible to integrate machinery in industrial processes from design to production in keeping with the Industry 4.0 philosophy. As part of the Biesse Group; Uniteam will benefit from Biesse’s strong position as a premium machinery supplier and add to Biesse’s impressive portfolio of equipment for the widest possible range of endusers. Safe and eco-friendly, and with energy savings; wood construction is making progress in the market and Biesse technology is there to make the most of it. ●

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Nagold Germany

Häfele

Finding Better Ways for Over 90 years Häfele’s headquarters is in the small town of Nagold in southern Germany, south of Stuttgart. The area is wellknown for many companies associated with the furniture industry. Holz-Her is located nearby as are several of the Homag group manufacturing plants. Tooling manufacturers Leitz and Leuco are also located in the general area.

Häfele is a third-generation family owned company with five manufacturing plants

around the World; supplying a vast range of products to cabinet and furniture manufacturers around the planet. With a turnover of some two billion Australian dollars and a staff of over seven thousand, Häfele is a giant in the supply of furniture fittings and architectural hardware with customers in more than 150 countries.

Supplier’s Phil Ashley recently interviewed Häfele’s Jorg Schmid and Stefan Huber in

Nagold about the company’s direction and relationship with Australia.

Jörg Schmid is Managing Director Marketing & Sales at Häfele Engineering and has been with the company for over twenty years. Stefan Huber joined Häfele in 1996 in the capacity of Product Manager. In 1998 he was appointed Managing Director of Japan and in 2006 joined Company Management as Managing Director and

Chief Executive International Business. Both men know the company well but more importantly, know their customers, even in Australia.

Stefan says “We have people coming over from Australia every month for workshops and we get a lot of feedback, especially at Interzum in Cologne last year.”

Interzum was a standout for Häfele in 2017 with a show-stopping demonstration of what the future of domestic

Stefan and Jorg (L-R).

46 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

living can be. Häfele Connect is a new system and the key to smart, networked furniture and rooms. The app, which has been developed

by Häfele, was presented at interzum for the first time. It will link and control lighting; sound and electric drives in furniture and has already been developed for series production. Häfele showed industry members and joiners/cabinet makers’ examples of what is already possible today. Häfele’s vision of ‘Smart furniture meets Smart Home’ will very soon become reality.

Jörg said “Visitors at Interzum thought it was a big

leap but the past two shows represents how Häfele works.

In some ways we develop exciting products but we also take our time to think about the trends. The benefit Häfele has is that we are in the woodwork part but also in the project part as well as being International. The information we have allows us to bring ‘the puzzle’ together. In fact, it enables us to understand the megatrends and transfer them into products.”

“The smart home concept is gaining popularity in Europe and America and even from Australia where our customers there tell us that they are waiting for these new

®

products to take them not only to the kitchen and bathroom market but to architectural furniture in the home” said Stefan. He jokes “None of my friends has a smart home but everyone is talking about it.” He tells me that Häfele has all the products to achieve the smart home and that few other suppliers have the range of smart solutions like sliding door fittings; electric TV lifts and plug-andplay lighting and electronics that Häfele can bring together to create a look into what the near future holds. Stefan says “People are surprised when they see it and that it’s all from the one source.”

Today we all have a smartphone and can do more than we ever thought possible with a single device. We are scratching the surface

of what technology is able to do. Stefan said “What we have presented is what people need every day.

This technology will not only make people’s lives easier but will be a great help to persons with disabilities and the elderly.” When asked if we would become like in the Jetson’s cartoon, Stefan said “We need a balance; it may appear as a novelty that you forget in a short time but then you realise it provides more comfort, like lighting in kitchen areas or TV lifters and there are many applications where the smart home makes a lot of sense.”

Another concept from Häfele is small space living. Häfele recognise that Worldwide, people need to get more from their urban spaces. Here,

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electronic enrichments can provide living spaces that can be hidden or revealed quickly with no constant physical exertion that may be repetitive or strained. In the future Häfele believes that people will benefit from both the smart home and small spaces that Häfele is putting a lot of energy and resources in developing. Jörg said “In Australia you have big spaces but even there, housing is becoming more expensive. You need to do more with less space.” As previous General Manager Peter Courtin with a bed-desk-table.

48 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

of Japan where in Tokyo space is at a premium, Stefan couldn’t agree more.

Hafele inspiration When asked about where Häfele’s inspiration comes from, Stefan says it comes from inside and outside.

“We talk with architects, interior designers and our end users. Because of these talks we understand what our customers need and where our products work; we become more creative internally. It’s not difficult to see that we have many

products where we can say; why don’t we connect this with that one and create something more useful, more functional.” An example of a very simple development is the ‘Axilo’ cabinet height adjusting system; also released at Interzum last year.

It’s simple; functional and saves a lot of time for the cabinet installer. One could ask “Why hasn’t anyone thought of this before.”

Jörg says “It’s a strong point of Häfele that we are a point of contact for ideas. Our customers talk to us about what the industry needs; it may come to us as a concept or idea but we can get our engineers to make a final product that is useful for our customers.” Architects also go to Häfele at an early stage of their design process to consider requirements that may allow more use of the space they have to work with. The exception is prestige projects where they have lots of space.

Then they are more likely to visit Häfele later when the build is complete and they have the space to work with. A great example of working with architects is the

Ibis Styles hotel in Nagold where Häfele’s engineers worked with the hotel chain to develop systems to create the maximum flexibility and use of space available. If you ever visit Häfele you should stay there and see for yourself what can be achieved with a little ingenuity.

Like Australia, most European kitchens are sold on price, though this is not the only consideration. Jörg said “If I saw something in a showroom that my wife and I liked, we would buy it. I think there are many people like that but if you don’t see it, you won’t spend the money on it.” He said that as these new technologies became more common, the price will drop. “Twenty years ago we had a single extension drawer runner but nowadays everyone has full extension (runners). It’s evolved over time and people tend to spend more these days on functionality and design. It will take some time but the sales will come.” www.suppliermagazine.com.au

Hotel frurniture in Ibis Styles hotel Nagold.

Stefan tells us “We put a lot of time and effort into digitalisation. It’s a big growth area for us; we have the products and we are continually developing new ideas for the customer. It’s what drives us; our products, solutions and our services.”

Jörg adds “We adapt as technologies develop. We have our own product but we also use the best technologies from other specialists so we can present a much wider range of benefits to our customers. There are so many great things in the World and we don’t pretend to have it all in-house here at Häfele. We believe in

Axilo.

partnerships with the best suppliers to complement our own extensive range of products and because 80% of our business is outside of Germany, this brings ideas in from all over the World.”

Stefan says “We have so many good people around the World with different backgrounds and ideas and we invite them to help us develop as a company. It’s not something we only do in Nagold; we do it together including Häfele Australia who are very important to us. Australia is one of our top subsidiaries even for a country with such a small population. For 35 years

we have had a very good team and management there and we are very happy with them. The close of Master’s had an impact on us but otherwise Australia is a very good market for Häfele.”

Of Häfele as a family company Stefan told us “You know, both Jörg and I are with Häfele for over twenty years but if we worked for a public listed company you have to produce threemonthly reports so you work to three monthly targets and budgets. It’s not what Häfele is about, we are three to five years in planning; there is less pressure here to look after the bottom line in the

short term. We’re backed up with orders so we can spend the time to look at what our customers could be using in the future, several years from now. It allows us to develop where other companies are tied down with reports.

If you look at the last 90 years you see Häfele had only four directors. All the people here, even the top management live in the area and drive normal cars and come to work every day.

We are ordinary people and we understand what our customers need. Häfele is a family company where everyone is involved, even our friends from Australia.”●

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PROF ILE

HQ and showroom in Nurtingen.

The HOLZHER story HOLZHER has been part of the Weinig group since April 2010 and is completely owned by Weinig. Over many years the Weinig Group has acquired a number of companies. Once only a producer of throughfeed moulding machines, Weinig can now supply everything needed for the secondary production of wooden products from scanning to ripping to finger jointing and more.

HOLZHER brings to Weinig their expertise in furniture and panel production with beam saws; vertical sawing machines; edge-banders and CNC machines. Supplier’s Phil Ashley visited the head office in Nürtingen just 50 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

after Ligna last year to get an insight into what makes HOLZHER the company it is today.

HOLZHER was founded in 1914 by Karl Reich. At this time WW1 was beginning and General Manager Frank Epple admits that the company’s first years were difficult. Several brothers were involved but it was Karl who first started making wire products to close bags of potatoes. HOLZHER may be remembered for their power feed units for the spindle moulder and almost every woodworking school in Australia had several of these, developed in the early 1950’s. In 1958 another well-known HOLZHER

machine was developed: the vertical panel saw and these machines are still part of the HOLZHER product range and still very much in demand.

In 1964 HOLZHER moved their production from Germany to Voitsberg in Austria. Austria has a very well developed machine manufacturing industry with companies such as Blum; Felder; KTM (motorcycles) and Glock (pistols). It was here that HOLZHER developed the first genuine edge-banding machine in 1969 that is today one of the pillars of their production. As for CNC machines, well; Frank Epple says that HOLZHER started late. 1993 was

the year they presented their first CNC machine, the Master-Centre and this has been followed by an ever-increasing range in sophistication and performance.

Nürtingen, near Stuttgart in southern Germany handles the process coordination of the whole company; worldwide sales, service and marketing; development and design for all machinery; international control and the global distribution of HOLZ-HER spare parts. The machinery is built in Voitsberg in Southern Austria near Graz. Here, employees are required to have mechanical and electrical backgrounds to understand the sequence www.suppliermagazine.com.au

Interior Design & Production Software

Software solutions for bespoke furniture design, construction and production LTRONIC laser edge.

of control while doing the mechanical assembly of the machines. An in-house apprentice training centre is also located at Voitsberg and this is separate from the production area.

Quality is always a major issue with most companies so employees from management to assemblers talk together in teams to bring about developments identified with customers or at frequent trade shows. General Manager Frank Epple specifically said he was looking forward to the next AWISA show in Sydney to talk to customers about what is important to Australian manufacturers.

Feedback is acted on quickly at HOLZHER because of the team structure at both locations. HOLZHER do not make stock machines; every machine is made to order though some orders may come from the suppliers in each country.

While 30% of HOLZHER machines are sold in the United States, Frank says Australia is an important market, especially for edge-banding machines.

Of Australia, Frank says that we are in some ways comparable to the US and that our way of making the cabinets and buying-in the doors and benchtops is something German manufacturers should look into. In Germany the norm is for companies to do everything themselves and while this has some advantages, there are also financial disadvantages as well. Being able to concentrate on what you do best is an admirable quality according to Frank. Of the nesting that is so popular in Australia, the USA, Russia and UK; Frank says “It’s finding its way into Europe, especially with the new range of furniture connectors available. In Europe most manufacturers have several CNC machines so the beam saw is still an important piece of equipment but this will change as smaller companies are set up.”

Frank says that warehousing systems like HOLZHER’s ‘Storemaster’ are becoming very popular. The increased

Up to 50% increase of factory productivity Up to 30% reduction of labour cost Up to 10% reduction of material costs

Frank Epple with Phil Ashley.

CAD+T Australasia Pty Ltd 9 Daintreee Loop WA 6167 Bertram Tel.: +61 (0) 450 723 721 E-Mail: office@cadt-solutions.com Web: www.cadt-solutions.com

PROF ILE

range of colours and materials used in Europe and the limited amount of storage space at the manufacturer is driving this. “It’s all part of industry 4.0 that was always present, even before it was called 4.0 six years ago. We had many technologies back then to link machines with software but we are seeing the full benefits now. We practice 4.0 technologies even in our own production. We think that if we cannot benefit from industry 4.0, how can we sell it to our customers?”

At the last Ligna fair HOLZHER and Weinig linked a machine in Germany and a machine in Canada to monitor the performance of the spindles in real-time.

It demonstrated the ability to collect data through the Weinig Group software to predict maintenance and log other machine data to achieve optimal machine performance. Frank said “Machines will have more and more sensors and we will be able to collect more information than ever before.

Our customers are accepting

Phil with Stefan Benkart.

the new technology and even in Australia there is a lot of interest in what a machine can offer a company in addition to just producing parts.”

HOLZHER’s is the Weinig Group’s panel processing division. Both Weinig and HOLZHER benefit from

each other’s expertise but Weinig does not dictate the direction HOLZHER is moving into. While other major suppliers are branding all their machines under one name, HOLZHER will remain HOLZHER. It is true that previous companies acquired

by Weinig like Dimter and

Grecon have been rebranded but Frank Epple says the group is committed to the two-brand strategy.

Weinig and HOLZHER have been together for over eight years now and benefit from each other’s technology. The operating systems of both brands look and feel the

NEXTEC processing.

52 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

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same because they are.

HOLZHER will focus on warehousing systems where a lot of production time can be saved for their customers. Modern CNC machines will be unable to deliver much more savings to the manufacturer than they do now. This is not to say the maximum CNC machine efficiency has been achieved, but the potential savings through a new design of machine are not as great as in a more developed materials handling system. One area where a HOLZHER development in CNC machining is gaining a lot of interest is NEXTEC. NEXTEC is HOLZHER’s complete CNC solution for producing furniture without programming. You select the desired piece of furniture with a mouse click from over 300 cabinets in the extensive database. HOLZHER claims that a complete cabinet wall can be produced in less than 30 minutes and every cabinet in the library is completely customisable.

Stefan Benkart is HOLZHER’s CNC product

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expert and says “NEXTEC is like shopping at a supermarket; you select the item you need and drag and drop it into a shopping basket. You tell it how many you want, change any of the dimensions and the software works out the nests for you.

A really good feature is the ability to let you know how much time each nest will take so your workers can do something else for a few minutes. With this system the machine operator needs to know nothing about CNC programming; European cabinet makers also suffer from the lack of skilled employees coming into the trades.” The 300-cabinet basic library can be extended with your own cabinets and this takes about ten minutes. The idea was to build the intelligence into the machine.

A major talking point with cabinet producers is the need for a zero glue line on the edge of cabinet parts.

In Europe HOLZHER sell many more edge-banding machines that use PUR adhesive. PUR is much more

liquid than EVA adhesive and because of this very close joins almost the same as laser can be achieved. There are many manufacturers who are concerned about the use of PUR because of the need for nitrogen tanks and cleaning. Angelo Amico is HOLZHER’s edge-banding product expert and says “HOLZHER has a very good system for cleaning out the PUR adhesive from the system. It needs only a press of a button. We call it the ‘weekend button’ because it is mainly used Friday when the machine needs a clean of the PUR glue in the system.”

“One issue of ‘laser edges’ is the availability of the edge tape. This is a concern even in Europe where most of the edge tapes are made.

Minimum quantities apply here and you often find a cabinet maker throwing out half of what he must buy.

This is not good if you offer your customers a wide range of colours. It’s why our PUR system is very popular; it achieves very nearly the same result as laser or hot air systems without the high cost” said Angelo. Laser is very expensive so HOLZHER developed a system where near-infrared radiation is used to activate the edgetape's functional (glue) layer for customers who wanted to use the new laser-edge product. HOLZHER have a system where the entire LTRONIC near-infrared unit is exchanged for another unit with the Glu-Jet (PUR) system in only a minute or two.

SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 53

Angelo Amico demonstrates.

PROF ILE

HOLZHER has an excellent range of products and their success is demonstrated firstly by the addition of another thousand square metres of production space in Voitsberg that is already under construction.

A new building complex at Nürtingen where the administration and service departments of the group’s subsidiary are located is also planned. Construction is scheduled to begin in

the spring of 2018 with completion scheduled for the summer of 2019. At the heart of the project will be a new, generously dimensioned technology and development centre for prototypes; new developments and testing, and customer training facilities. “The capacities created are designed to accommodate a growth of 50 percent over the next five years,” emphasizes Weinig CEO Wolfgang Pöschl. ●

General Manager Frank Epple.

“Our customers are accepting the new technology and even in Australia there is a lot of interest in what a machine can offer a company in addition to just producing parts.”

54 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

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P R O FI LE

A Visit to Leuco Laser cut saw blanks.

Leuco tools are made in the southern German town of Horb am Neckar in BadenWurttemberg. The area is well-known as the home of Homag; HolzHer and Hafele and has a history with the German furniture industry. Leuco is owned by the Ledermann Company and manufactures circular cutting tools out of Horb and sawblades out of Beinheim; a few kilometres over the border in France. Supplier magazine's Phil Ashley was given access to both production sites recently to take a look at what goes into making a quality sawblade.

The steel used for a Leuco sawblade comes from Germany; maybe no surprise there but it’s interesting that nothing comes out of China except the raw material that’s used for the manufacture of Tungsten Carbide. Many carbide mines are in China, the same as there is a lot of Uranium in Australia and it’s a natural deposit of minerals.

The German-made steel is bought in rectangular or square sheets where many blades can be cut from; or in www.suppliermagazine.com.au

the case of blades over 4mm in thickness, round blanks.

Leuco’s General Manager (saws and finger-joint tools) Dominique Fendeleur explains that hardening of the steel is done in a continuous process on sheet steel but that over 4mm the hardening process leaves a soft centre.

For most of their sawblades of 2.2mm this is fine but for the small percentage of thicker blades up to 7mm, the hardening has to be done piece by piece. The hardness of all sawblades is achieved by annealing and this follows later.

First though is a rolling process to flatten the steel to the required tolerance.

This could be done up to three times to get it right. The flatness is checked by sight by some very skilled people who have been doing this for years. It’s still done with a straight-edge on every blade in Leuco’s range from 40mm to 800mm in diameter. Steel that does not meet Leuco’s quality standards is sent back to the supplier and all offcuts from the process is of course recycled.

The next step is to cut out the shape of the blade.

Round blanks of the thicker material already has a 20mm bore for handling and this will be opened up to suit the machine spindle the blade is destined for. Sheet material for blades thinner than 4mm has no holes so can be used for as many blades as fit the sheet size. The blades are not stamped; each one is cut with a laser. Stamping deforms the recently-flattened steel so is a wasted process and it’s expensive to produce stamping dies for new sawblade designs.

Laser cutting is programmed in a CAD software program so any design of blade can be made in a short time. The laser is really fast and cuts through several millimetres of steel at a rate of around a tooth per second. Saws are made in batches of between one and five hundred, depending on expected sales. A batch of one will be a special and many sawblades are made to specific customer needs.

Laser cutting does increase the hardness of the steel and

makes it more brittle but that’s taken care of later.

The next stage is grinding both surfaces of the blade and this is done whilst the blade is spinning with two grinding wheels, one on either side of the blade and at ninety degrees to the blade.

This finishes the sawblade to the final thickness and removes and material left by the laser cutting. The sawblade then gets its first bath, this time to remove any oil or other residue. The blades can now go on to the next step.

This is the annealing process. This is a heat treatment that alters the physical and sometimes chemical properties of a material to increase its ductility and reduce its hardness, making it more workable. Stacks of sawblade blanks are placed into three furnaces and stay there for one day; about 20 hours of heat treatment and four hours to load and unload the furnaces. This can be a bottleneck in production because this cannot be speeded up.

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PROF ILE

The sawblades are now ready for tensioning and this makes the blades run properly in your machine.

Rollers are used to apply tension to the blade and the result is that the centre of the blade is under compression and the surface of the blade is under tension. Your sawblade will now run true and not buckle. This is a long process and again, skilled people are needed who understand how a sawblade works at high speed and temperature. At this stage the blade may be hammered by hand if it’s out of level; a process that’s been used ever since sawblades were first used. Every blade is tested for a maximum runout of 40 microns.

The blade is now ready to be tipped. This can be done manually in the case of a special order but for the catalogue tool it will be done on a computercontrolled ‘welding’ machine where twenty machines work continuously to achieve the output of a million sawblades a year. The blades are mounted onto a spindle and advanced one tooth at a time for the tip to be brazed.

Tips are sorted automatically so they are facing the right direction and then advanced

Applying tips by hand.

Applying tips by machine.

Phil Ashley with Dominique Fendeleur.

56 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

to the blade in a clamp. An amount of brazing material is applied to the back of the tip which is then brought into contact with the saw-tooth.

The actual brazing is done by heating the carbide saw tip and the saw body above the melt point of the brazing alloy (just under 800 degrees Celsius) using induction heating. This then forms a bond between the tip and the blade.

Some tips are brazed manually; a mesmerising movement of the blade and the tip where someone with many years’ experience pokes the tip onto the blade tooth with sticks, lifting the tip several times whilst heated so the brazing alloy coats the entire underside of the tip before its set. Looking at this process; you appreciate the expertise of the saw-maker and realise just where the www.suppliermagazine.com.au

Setting up for balancing.

cost of the sawblade goes.

At this stage any imperfection on the body of the blade are sandblasted off.

Next, computer controlled Vollmer machines grind the face, rake angle and back of the tooth and apply any other treatment as in the case of a triple-chip tooth.

Only the saw kerf needs to be programmed; all the rest of the programming is done

by Vollmer in co-operation with Leuco. A robot feeds two grinding machines and these run overnight and over the weekend, loading and grinding even the biggest 800mm diameter blades.

After another bath the blades are laser-engraved with the Leuco name and other information such as dimension; recommended operating speed; part and

batch numbers. Another anti-corrosion bath is followed by polishing, final inspection and packaging.

In total it takes 20 days to make a sawblade with every operator contributing to the quality of the finished product.

Leuco’s Christine Brandl says “The Company was founded in 1954 and has numerous ‘firsts’ to their credit.” These include the p-system tool and the nn (no noise) sawblade. A testament to the quality and performance of the Leuco product can be found at Nobilia Kitchens where 2,600 kitchens are produced every day and pre-coated chipboards are machined by Leuco tools. Three millimetres are removed by a double hogging process with LEUCO

PowerTec III tools and a final millimetre removed using a Leuco P-System jointing cutter. The clean finished joint provides a good fitting of the edge-tape, essential in protection against moisture for kitchen furniture. The biggest kitchen manufacturer in the World; and Leuco has them covered. ●

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IN TERVIEW

Justin Collins In this issue we interview Justin Collins from Cabinets by Computer, an Aussie success story with expansion plans in its sight….

Hi Justin, please tell us about Cabinets by Computer. What is the business all about, who works there and how long has the company been around?

Cabinets by Computer, as our tagline ‘Specialists in Joinery Automation’ suggests, is all about the implementation of software into Joineries to improve work flow through minimising inefficient processes and streamlining operations. Our end goal is really all about the continual improvement towards faster production of cabinets. We’ve been around since 2002 and are comprised of a team of support staff, technicians, admin, marketing &

58 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

management in our Head Office outside of Geelong, along with a team of programmers based in Geelong as well as in New Zealand.

Each & every one of our team are passionate about what we do and love to share our ideas about efficient production of cabinets with our clients and prospects.

As you’re in Sales and Business Development, what does your role entail there at the company and what is a typical day like for you?

My role is quite eclectic, which I love. I get the chance to speak with new prospects everyday

about how to go about implementing new processes and software into their business. I guess I am in a unique position in that my background is not inherently from cabinet making/ joinery industry (I studied my Bachelor in Commerce majoring in Economics & Finance) so I like to think that I see things from a slightly different angle. I like questioning the ‘sacred goats’, or the traditions and rites that exist within a business that are there for no other reason than ‘it’s the way that we’ve always done it’.

These traditions often bring about inefficiencies, or are restrictive in moving forward.

There is a real sense of satisfaction that comes from helping people to reach the lightbulb moment, where they connect the dots and realise that something that have been doing for a long time is now archaic and can be replaced with something much more efficient.

I also work quite closely with our graphic designer to

produce marketing material and lastly, I also from time to time work alongside our technicians to scope out new developments and enhancements to the goCabinets interface.

A typical day for me involves getting in touch with new prospects to talk about their business. First and foremost, before suggesting one of our software solutions, I want to know as much about their business and any inefficiencies that they have recognised, combined with their vision for how they want to move their business forward. From that point, once I have established where they might be lacking, or how they could improve, I will make recommendations about our solutions and how they can have a positive impact on their business.

One of the things I am most proud of is the publishing of an eBook, which captures some insights from our director and other professionals in the industry, which I wrote to provide an 8-step process for cabinet

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makers or designers on ‘How to Sell More Kitchens’.

It’s all about improving the presentation and sales process by value adding at every opportunity, so that they can convert more of their incoming leads & spend less time quoting jobs that do not eventuate. This eBook can be downloaded for free from our website.

How long has the business been in existence? How did it start?

Cabinets by computer started in 2002, not out of desire, but out of necessity. Our Director/Founder Gary had been in the cabinet making industry for 30 years, having owned & managed Joineries in Geelong for much of this time. Gary’s frustration of lack of automation in the industry, paired with a willingness to think outside the box and develop his own solutions, opened up some partnerships which ultimately led to the creation of our first product – WoodCAM, which is an easy-to-use, streamlined cabinet production software.

From that point, our team and product offering grew to where we are today.

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The role of Software in our industry has exploded and is part of it every single day. Tell us about the Software involved with Cabinets By Computer?

Is this an ever-evolving process with you and the business? How difficult or easy is it to keep up with technology in this arena?

I think for a long time in this industry, software was just an afterthought during a joinery’s decision-making process when looking at creating efficiencies within their business, or to increase business capacity. Often, the thought process of upgrading machinery to combat these issues was at the forefront of business owner’s minds rather than looking towards what was happening behind the scenes with software.

It’s a thought process which we have seen

change very slowly, but we are starting to see the industry is understanding that their decision and investment in software is just as important as the consideration towards machinery – if not more.

As one of a machine salesman said to me recently during an onsite chat with one of our manufacturer’s: “the magic really happens with the software, that is where all the smart stuff is coming from. All we can do is produce good quality equipment; the software is what is driving it at the end of the day” I think like any other business, there is a continual need for improvement and change – technology is so rapidly changing and allowing us to create efficiencies in processes that have long stood unchanged.

An example of this is the introduction of material handling units which have enabled joineries to cut down manual handling times of boards and optimised loading at the

machine so that a router isn’t unnecessarily sitting idle for extended periods of time. These types of implementations are some of our more interesting installations and are also the most rewarding as we see businesses transitioning towards true automation.

Our software covers 3 main avenues. Firstly visual, which is covered through our 3D design program KD Max. For a lot of people, in particular the end consumer, being able to see a project before it is signed off on is super critical. With KD Max, our users can generate stunning photorealistic 3D images of their client’s project along with producing the essentials like cutting lists, quotations and shop drawings. To cap it off, a Virtual Reality module allows for a 360 degree full immersive experience for our users to show their clients their future kitchen or bathroom – this is a show stopper and really is the ‘wow factor’ which can win a job.

SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 59

IN TERVIEW

How does Cabinets By Computer stand out from the pack? Is competition stiff? What makes you a beacon within this industry?

The second avenue is efficient cabinet production, which is where WoodCAM & our post processors come into play. Unlike other solutions that are available, creating drawings prior to production isn’t essential with WoodCAM, but rather it provides a simple interface that allows fast entry of cabinetry items from an extensive library of joinery products. The user simply selects required dimensions, hardware requirements & door/drawer details and the intelligent software generates cutting lists and reports, producing and preparing all critical information ready for machining. Optimisation, labelling and machine instruction is handled with our post processor and within minutes a user can have a cabinet detailed, optimised for high yield & low wastage cutting and delivered to a CNC machine ready for production.

Lastly, our third software offering covers online ordering of cabinets. Much in the same way we have seen Uber revolutionise the way the taxi industry works, our online cabinetry ordering system goCabinets seeks to bring change to the way cut-to-size cabinets is handled between manufacturer’s and their customers. Traditionally, for a cabinet maker to order flat pack panels through a manufacturer, it required the painstakingly time-consuming

60 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

task of writing out a cutting list which listed each panel they required, in what material, along with any edging requirements. At a production level, this data had to then be translated into the manufacturer’s software.

This not only arises the issue of manual data entry errors, but also brings up the question of why should we be double handling valuable data that the customer has already gone to considerable time to work out?

With goCabinets the customer selects from a library of cabinets, chooses their desired hardware & materials from an extensive list of brands, and specifies their custom cabinet sizes – all with getting a real-time quote based on the selections that they have made. This data is then passed directly through to our WoodCAM software that is operating in the manufacturer’s factory. This means no double handling data, and if materials are stocked with the manufacturer & production queue is free, the job can begin being cut within a matter of 5 minutes from the job being submitted by the customer. goCabinets currently links with manufacturers Australia wide, helping connect customers to their nearest CNC manufacturer & assisting the streamlined production of cabinet orders at a manufacturing level.

At Cabinets by Computer, we pride ourselves on our ability to adapt to change. We are nimble enough to be able to meet the demands of a forever changing landscape and don’t have huge amounts of red tape to cut through in order to make changes. An example of this was clear to see last year during an implementation alongside SCM Group, where the material storage & retrieval system that was being installed required specific programming on the fly to create a small application specifically for our client, in response to a unique situation that probably hadn’t been considered before by the machine company. It’s this sort of service and flexibility that we pride ourselves on.

Any future plans moving forward? Expansion plans?

You’re a local Victorian company…..are your clients spread far and wide?

Moving forward we have a large number of developments on the horizon. First is the integration of a cloud rendering service for our 3D design package KD Max which will allow our users to upload their 3D design to a super computer which is based ‘in the cloud’, to process super quick & super high quality images in no time at all. The best part about this is that it frees up computing power on your computer and allows the user the continue designing while they wait for their renders to be returned to them.

Our cabinet manufacturing software WoodCAM is undergoing a GUI refresh and update to increase usability and speed of use, and we are working on bringing faster and more comprehensive post processing & optimisation as well.

On a goCabinets front, we have some huge developments going live over the coming months, which I can’t disclose yet, but will be sure to keep our customers & the supplier magazine in the loop about. Some more practical measures we are implementing include an overhaul of our servers to allow for the increase in traffic we have been experiencing, ensuring we can speed up load times and help for a smooth user experience of the system. We are also working closely to onboard some new manufacturers to help increase our national coverage and be able to facilitate our many customers who are signed up and using the service.

Along with already supplying to and supporting customer Australia wide, we are also beginning to reach into the New Zealand market, with more emphasis to be placed here over the coming years. ●

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Q&A

with Aaron Crees Meet Aaron Crees from Jobman. He talks indepth about the company and its role in our ever-changing industry‌..

Hi Aaron and welcome to Supplier magazine.

Firstly, explain to our readers what Jobman is all about; company structure, personnel, some details about you and how you got started.

Cheers Ronnie and thank you for this opportunity to discuss Jobman.

Jobman is browser based manufacturing software. This means the operating system can be Chrome, Safari, or Firefox (we all love the webđ&#x;˜Š), accessible anytime and anywhere which out of the box makes Jobman user friendly. The Jobman software will get installed on a server at your factory, which is better than cloud only software because it isn’t dependant on the speed of your internet connection. We have a number of options for installation, including installing on the client’s existing server, we can provide a server, or if the client’s internet connection is reliable then we can

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always install it on our own cloud-based servers. Most clients choose to have a server in their factory, which also improves their data security. Your data is yours, accessible any time via a .csv dump that you can do or simply request it from us.

It all started in 2003 when I invested in a Laptop and Cabinet Vision (Designer) software after spending 4 years lecturing Cabinet Making at TAFE where I was introduced to technology and taught Auto Cad and we were writing programs to a CNC. The grand plan was to become a kitchen designer but with no real business plan I approached the authorised reseller of Cabinet Vision for a job as the rep for WA. Getting up to speed was taken care of at the 2002 AWISA show when Nested Based Manufacturing was brand new, where I was demonstrating Cabinet Vision with very little training. 6 months later the distributorship

changed hands and I was soon employed by a string of cabinet makers to get their Cabinet Vision software working and was integral with many aspects of their business’s. One business in particular experienced enormous growth and profit in a very short time frame.

Apart from good staff and management decisions, a central Database was keeping everyone informed of what was going on and what needed to be done. Solving pain points, eliminating constraints and establishing good processes and procedures with software set this company apart from its competition.

With a bit of industry experience and a vision I set out to make a difference in 2009 with two products that would become synonymous with a growing sector of the Cabinet Making community known for reputable products and great service. These products became known as Solid Setup and Jobman.

Although Jobman is suitable for many manufacturing industries I have sold Jobman to many of my Solid Setup customers as we build added functionality between the two products. www.solidsetup.com is an App Store for Cabinet Vision software which is great screen to machine software for Cabinet Makers.

Currently our products are in over 500 companies throughout the world and the only 3rd party Cabinet Making software developer of its kind. Cabinet Vision users are able to outsource software development to professionals where they can purchase a tailored solution to their business off the shelf at a fraction of trying to do

it themselves. A large part of this business is working with leading hardware manufacturers placing their products into this software for easy deployment.

Relationships with industry suppliers and the industry itself has allowed Jobman to follow in its footsteps and has also been a great marketing tool.

Solid Setup clients then said “thanks Aaron, what we need now is a product that helps with all other aspects of my business�. My reply was have you seen Jobman? After an online demonstration they agreed that Jobman was the product for them.

Software plays a major part of our industry these days, and how does Jobman stand out from the pack in this respect?

I really like this question, and is the reason why the search ends for many cabinet makers when they find Jobman. • We offer unlimited factory user licenses free with each Jobman installation and include 5 office user licenses so that our customers feel free to grow their business unconstrained also making the TCO more affordable. • Included in our annual maintenance fee of $1600 we also include bi-monthly updates to their site. We also backup their Jobman data every 4 hours. • Jobman is known for its usability and is purpose built around evolving technology, not older technology that has limitations and quickly falls behind as outdated software has passed its expiry date. • It is end to end software.

From point of contact, SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 61

IN TERVIEW

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to installation, and every operation in between, Jobman handles all sorts of different scenarios.

Some include dealing with multiple Job Types (all with different lead times) and the ability to adjust dates on the fly forward and backward (ie. if my installation date is here, what date do I need to order the board?) visual scheduling. This makes Jobman very flexible software.

Jobman is owned and developed here in Australia by its owners so we are far more responsive to new ideas and development and support is local.

It’s one system that ties it all together offering many innovative ideas. With options and features that link a browser platform to CAD CAM and accounting software, Jobman sets itself apart from the competition.

Jobman is now being recommended by our customers and staff that have used it, and business coaches like Bruce Poling “The Joinery Coach”. Bruce is an industry expert that has worked with and is well aware of our competition.

As a business coach Bruce knows what works and what doesn’t. We think this is a big thing when others go out of their way to put their name and reputation behind a product.

When a client goes ahead there is no massive wait times in getting your Jobman underway. Regardless of which server option the client chooses, we will have a their site setup so that they can login within 48hrs and start to get the feel for it. We also assist in populating existing data that they may have from

62 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

other software products or Excel or Access so that they are not having to repopulate this data.

How long have you been in business and what are your plans for the future of the company?

The Jobman software was started in 2009 to solve the problems of a couple of cabinet makers, who needed a modern way of streamlining their business. It had a relatively slow start due to the main shareholders not investing enough time and effort into its development (due to other interests). Meanwhile the developer and I really saw the potential of how we could solve many problems in the Cabinet Making Industry, so in 2014 the business was sold to its developer (Ben Hitchcock) and me in 2014 where things picked up quickly. We employed a full time programmer (Chris) in August 2017 who has added to our collective knowledge and skill sets with vast amounts of recent programming experience in some very large projects. Our plans for the future include growing to meet demand at a steady pace, making sure that our product is supported well and our clients listened to. We’re looking to expand our staff this year as well. Our intention to always make Jobman the best software available in its class and keep it affordable.

Jobman is also now at a stage where interested sales/ integrators can get on board with Jobman.

Are you strictly Aussiebased or do you cater to a world-wide market? Please explain…

The Solid Setup app store has been global for over 4 years now with several hundred companies using our products. This has given Jobman a great platform for expansion across the globe.

While we only have 2 Jobman sales in other countries we are implementing a proven training and integration platform that will make Jobman scalable in English speaking countries as the enquiry rate from other countries is definitely on the rise.

To those readers who want to be kept up to speed, what precisely is the role of software to our everchanging industry today?

How often do you need to update or re-assess your Software packages to suit this evolving market?

Software has become ever more important as competition, materials and wage costs increase and profit margins decrease.

Software is the only medium that is scalable, adaptable and resilient enough to deal with ever changing demands placed on it.

People come and go with ideas and best intentions. It is no longer viable to build system and process’s around good people. You must build good systems and let people interface with them in the tasks they have been assigned. Good software now forms foundations that

will separate companies that survive and thrive and directors who wake up one day and wonder at what point they failed to make the right decision for their future.

Industry based software plays 2 roles, primarily. The first is to reduce inefficiencies by eliminating constraints and promote good systems and processes. The second is to provide easy accessible history via reporting. Good reporting is powerful and companies can only make correct decisions based on accurate information. There is a lot of talk about this in most industries at the moment.

Australia is known for its adaptation of software and keeping ahead of the game when it comes to technology.

Hundreds of challenges can face business owners each week. I have seen most of them solved with the right approach and this where Jobman can make all the difference if used. Clients request new features and tweaks all the time which we roll out to our clients on a regular basis if that module has been purchased.

Clients can view all the new changes to their software on features they have purchased at http://documentation. jobman.com.au/whats_ new/. Jobman is built with mainly open source software where the most innovative solutions come to light.

It is important that your investment not only keeps up www.suppliermagazine.com.au

with technology but embraces it at every step. As new technologies emerge like tablets, smart phone apps and PC on a stick Jobman becomes more powerful. The platform of Jobman dictates its compliance and security features of the browser being used and is not subject to Windows operating systems, CD or DVD media, downloads, patches, virus’s etc. Browser based software is moving into an age where writing software in the correct format allows for automatic updating as browser updates are released eliminating security fixes.

Do you need to keep up with trends in the market place? If so, how do you go about tailoring Jobman products to each individual client?

Jobman has been programmed in a very special way. I will provide some examples why Jobman suits business’s of all shapes and sizes. Each company and user can really make Jobman their own. This is thanks to the platform it is built on and the functionality we build into it. Each user can customise the information they want to see on their screen that is stored against the cookies on their login.

There are 5 access levels allowing staff only to see and edit information they need to see and modify.

Setup of Jobman allows for different contact types and different sales processes, multiple Job Types, multiple operations and statuses that www.suppliermagazine.com.au

can have different Lead Times. We don’t limit any screen replicating, record adding, template editing or report customising so that one companies version of Jobman’s setup and use might be different to another. This, coupled with the way that users can pay for features they want, is not a one size fits all approach. Clients can get started with what we call “Jobman Essentials” and then they can add features as required as some small clients do. Most clients want all the features especially when they address most of the issues they are currently experiencing, then move onto the next constraint.

Jobman uses many software products in a sophisticated backend that provides a simple user interface. We have proven many times that interfacing with other software products and incorporating new features is what we are good at. The foundations that Jobman is built on are very solid and provide endless possibilities of features that benefit the user now and for the future. We are also keeping with software trends.

Jobman 2 is currently being developed, that will enable a host of new features and programming opportunities.

The future excites me if the past is anything to go by.

Jobman 2 is well underway and will offer many exciting features with a fresh new look and natively mobile compatible. The best part is that new development will take half the time.

• Our medium to long term goal is have the best manufacturing software available with great support and little to no competition when it comes to value for money. We feel we are definitely on the right path and from the feed back lately our clients agree.

• We wish to have distributors nationally and internationally and a support hotline for clients peace of mind.

• Integration of major suppliers products into our availability charts so that new and deleted items are always live. Pricing is always accurate and increases are automatic.

• Integrating more Google maps features so that time and distance can be calculated automatically into the quote.

• We are working with one of our clients that has developed a site measuring tool and we hope to incorporate this into Jobman.

AWISA 2018 is going to be huge for us. You can find us on stand 1840. ●

CAREER OPPORTUNITY Working in the timber/wood products industry and interested in a sales role?

Weining Australia is looking for a suitable person to take on a sales role in Queensland, selling its world renowned HolzHer brand of machinery and manufacturing solutions, supplying the timber, panel and wood-based industries.

If interested, please send an expression of interest to Neil Forbes at nforbes@weinig.com.au

Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time? It’s always hard to predict, but I suspect that software in all its forms will be around for a very long time, are there any exciting innovations which you are part of, or proud of or hope to be involved with?

SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 63

C ASE STU DY

Grand Kitchens Handles Diverse Demands with Greater Automation with Cabinet Vision

Continuous growth is an ongoing goal at Grand Kitchens, where technology is paired with standards of high-quality, traditional craftsmanship to deliver superior results.

The business was founded in Adelaide by entrepreneurs Len and Julie in 1997. What began as a partnership has expanded to include over 20 employees who serve a range of reputable commercials builders and fulfill the intricate, custom demands of the domestic market.

Grand Kitchens tried its hand at a couple of solutions that replaced pencil and paper, but ultimately needed a system that could handle both “front end” design work and the “back end” generation of accurate G-code used to program 64 | SupplierMarch/April 2018

machinery. After searching for a solution that could handle both vital aspects of its jobs, Grand Kitchens chose the Cabinet Vision Screen to Machine™ solution, by Planit Cutting Edge Solutions.

“There were a couple of small versions [of software] before Cabinet Vision, which was 3D front-end drawing and then you still had the manual data entry to get things machined,” says Jason Gregory, who has been a member of the “Grand family” team for nine years. Jason started his career with Grand Kitchens on the factory floor, and has since taken on drawing and quoting duties, leading the team of Cabinet Vision users.

Including Jason, there are three Grand Kitchens team members who utilise Cabinet

Vision to design and program everything from stockstandard kitchens to high-end joinery and beyond.

“The focus was the integration, not so much how the front-end works, but how the back end connects to the factory so that what you are drawing was then able to not have someone in between doing data entry, but go straight to the machines,” Gregory says. “It’s proved to be really good.”

Since the implementation of Cabinet Vision, the Grand Kitchens crew are now focused on continuous business growth and the expansion of CNC functionality to include automation. As Cabinet Vision is capable of handling multiple job aspects — including design and the generation of realistic

renderings, material lists, cut lists, assembly sheets, and more — guesswork and errors are reduced and efficiency is improved.

By taking advantage of the solution’s nesting capability, the company has maximised both time and materials.

It’s also able to handle the different demands of fulfilling both large commercial orders and very custom residential work.

“The time savers would be cabinets that are possibly on the more difficult side to manufacture can be moved through and built quicker because of the detail that the program has, as opposed to organising a standard cabinet and then manually having to cut angles on it.

The optimisation — being able to tightly nest things together — has helped out.” www.suppliermagazine.com.au

P R O D U C T U P D ATE

A Look at LOOX Paired with Cabinet Vision functionality, the addition of an on-site spray booth has enabled the company to produce its own doors without any outsourcing.

“Starting from Cabinet Vision, being able to draw and machine our own batch of doors that we created and being able to paint them in house gives us great turnaround time,” Jason shares.

Grand Kitchens will take greater advantage of the automation tools within Cabinet Vision as the business continues to grow.

While the company already heavily utilises Cabinet Vision’s nesting capabilities — which maximises both time and materials — it plans to take greater advantage of the software’s batching functionality, which is used to combine jobs that require the

same material type, as the need arises.

“It would be a great advantage for lots of batched work if we went down that road of batching things together — multiple units, now that’s where that would be fantastic, as well as the one-off jobs where the customer needs the attention.”

Throughout the conversation, Jason often referred to the support Planit has provided Grand Kitchens throughout the whole journey.

“The guys are always a phone call or an e-mail away, always quite happy to help and engage, and problem solve, and move things on to the next level,” Jason says of support, which is provided by both staff in South Australia and right across Australia. “It’s been great — absolutely fantastic.” ●

Our motto is “plug and play”. LOOX has a driver with an integrated switching function that makes a direct connection to your most frequently used switches such as push switches; sensor switches; dimmer switches and motion detectors.

It couldn’t be easier. Häfele has a wide range of LED lights available from stock that can be combined in many different ways to compliment the LOOX program. The standard plug in connection makes it child’s play to install the lights into furniture, which means they can be retrofitted by the installer, or by the furniture buyer themselves.

LOOX gives you a beautiful lighting solution that’s futureproof and guaranteed to the highest safety standards.●

Imex Release New Range of Construction Lasers Imex has just released the new range of construction lasers which is a quantum leap in laser innovation with multiple ground-breaking features coming in five highly accurate, robust and innovative models.

Standard features on all models are: • 9 ah lithium-ion long run time batteries • USB port fast charging batteries- world first in laser levels • Digital Detectors in mm increments for high efficiency and accuracy • High wind sensitivity override • 5 yr warranty • IP66 water resistant/ shockproof With a model for every trade the Imex rotating lasers are the NEW # 1 Construction Lasers….●

www.suppliermagazine.com.au

SupplierMarch/April 2018 | 65

Events

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MARCH 2018

APRIL 2018

20-22 Belarusian Construction Week

Windows, roofs, doors, furniture and construction fair

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1-5 Ligno Novum

International Expo for the Wood Industry

Budapest, Hungary www.messetool.org

20-22 TekhnoDrev 2018

Technologies, equipment, tools for woodworking and furniture industry

St. Petersburg, Russian Federation www.expobase.com/events/expo/ russia/tekhnodrev 21-24 Holz-Handwerk 2018

Trade fair for machinery, equipment and supplies for the wood industry

Nurnberg, Germany www.holz-handwerk.de 22-25 Moldconstruct

International specialised expo of technology, equipment, tools and materials for construction

Chisinau, Moldova www.moldconstruct.md 23-26 Bois & Habitat 2018

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Brussels, Belgium www.bois-habitat.be

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Wood Taiwan 2018 International Woodworking Machinery Show

Taipei, Taiwan www.woodtaiwan.com 10-13 Nordbygg 2018

Trade Fair in Scandinavia for building and construction

Stockholm, Sweden www.nordbygg.se

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The latest in folding door technology: WingLine L with Push to move A gentle push on the front – and the handleless, flush fitted folding doors softly open, making everything in the wardrobe easy to see and reach. With a maximum door wing width of 600 mm and height of 2,400 mm, it offers the ultimate in design flexibility. Discover the latest in German quality innovation by visiting a Hettich Showroom.

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Thanks to the multi-position function, which can be perfectly adjusted using the force adjusting facility, Free flap holds the flap in every position. The integrated finely-tuned soft closing system provides operating convenience.

HÄFELE FREE FLAP THE FUNCTIONAL CHOICE Häfele Free Flap Family

For more information visit www.hafele.com.au to view our catalogue info@hafele.com.au

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