Special
Producers of filling machines
MECHANICALLY PERFECT FILLING MACHINES ARE OFTEN USED ON FULL PRODUCTION LINES Jan Peeters (CSP Engineering -B) ‘The development of a new and much broader filing machine is well advanced’ When it comes to developing and producing machines tailored to processing wooden floorboards, it is highly likely that you have heard of CSP Engineering, which is based in Dessel (Belgium). This company, the brainchild of general director Jan Peeters, was formed early in 1994 and supplies high-tech machines and computerised solutions for various phases in the production of wooden floors. You can divide their machines into four main parts: glueing installations; packing lines, logistical systems, and filling machines (which we consider specifically in this article). We want to know how CSP Engineering approaches the market with its filling machines and during the course of the interview Mr Peeters also gives us some interesting news. For instance, the company seems to be well on the way towards developing an additional machine for the PAR Filler® Series which presently comprises three parts. They can announce officially that next year they are extending their working area outside Europe, with new clients in Canada and the USA. To Canada and the USA Jan Peeters: ‘Next year, we’re selling our first filling technology machines in Canada and, shortly afterwards, we expect some more deliveries for the USA. We’ll still be developing and producing everything in Belgium for the full 100%, but the overseas machines will supplement our present clients. Those clients are small, medium-sized, and large wooden floor producers, who are now starting out in Europe with two and three-layer parquet in 12 countries in Europe.’ Jan Peeters believes that the step beyond Europe is a logical consequence of the ongoing experience which the company has built up. He outlines how the company has developed in a few major blocks: ‘I had a special affinity with the wood industry and in the first phase we concentrated on developing and building tailored machines. After that, we moved on to constructing production lines, something which we did for several years for the parquet, pallet, and general timber industry; our expertise lies in constructing production lines for elongated items, so everything is computerised. Since 2009, we’ve concentrated for 100% on industrial parquet floor production.’ ‘Until 2008, our working area was mainly between Paris and Amsterdam. In that same year, we did a, in-depth strategy exercise and realised how we could make a difference in the parquet industry. We established that there were lots of excellent new opportunities with no market solution and that we could launch our own production on the market. At the same time, we also saw an increase in our sales area. Firstly, we extended our working sphere in Europe and now we’re going a step further.’ Extension in filler machines ‘In filler machines the PAR Filler® Series comprises three models: PAR Filler® Mono, PAR Filler® Duo, and PAR Filler® Duplex. The Mono is fitted with one applicator and is suitable for small to medium-sized production, the Duo version is suitable for medium to large production capacities, and, finally, the Duplex is the most powerful one. The Duplex has two filling lines, which work independently of each other and can fill wooden floorboards of the same or different product qualities and colours.’ ‘For the filling we have to go back a good ten years in time, when the wooden flooring industry underwent a transformation which is comparable, for instance, to what happened with ready-made laminates. Lots of smaller players sold semi-finished products which parquet floor fitters then finished on site. That changed as the finish and therefore also the filling work shifted more towards producers, certainly with a lot of medium-sized players. That’s where we fit in with our machines.’ ‘The very latest news is that we’re now working to develop a new filling machine which will offer a solution for a specific market segment. We’re working on a broader filling machine, which can also work on panels and can fill with several heads. The machines now operate floorboard by floorboard, but soon it’ll be possible to fill multi-strips simultaneously on a panel, followed by the sawing and finishing. To express it in figures, so far we can cope with widths of up to 310mm. In the future, we’ll be able to manage panels from 960 to 1250mm wide.’
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