12 minute read
Panel Processing
In conversation with NBJ London
Furniture & Joinery Production talks to Mark Jeffcote, assistant workshop manager at NBJ London, about how a second Striebig Control vertical panel saw is continuing to benefit their business.
Who is NBJ London and what do you do?
We are a long-standing joinery manufacturer specialising in high-end, bespoke joinery, cabinetry and metalwork. We work with architects and designers to complete specialist joinery contracts worth upwards of £4m. Projects have included the refurbishment of acoustic stage panelling in the Barbican Centre Concert Hall, the design and manufacturing of cabinetry for the Magdalen College Library and a custom-built staircase in London’s Oceanic House.
Why were you in the market for a vertical panel saw?
We were already running a Striebig Control vertical panel saw alongside a table saw. Both had their advantages but the Striebig was the go-to saw for cutting large sheet material up to 10x4 and up to 38mm thick.
One of two Striebig Control vertical panel saws at NBJ London
Unlike a table saw, which requires the operator to physically move the material around the saw during the cutting process, the material on a Striebig panel saw remains stationary whilst the cutting head moves.
This reduces the amount of handling required, the room needed to perform the operation and the chance of error. It made light work of cutting MDF and Plywood and was rarely not in use.
Following the completion of our newly extended 12,000 sq ft workshop, machinery shop and spray shop, and the continual growth of our team, we were ending up with a queue forming to use the machine. To improve our workflow and to increase the overall efficiency of our machine shop, investing in another Control seemed like a logical option.
Why did you choose a second Striebig Control model?
Whilst Striebig saws aren’t the cheapest brand on the market, we believe they offer the best value for money in terms of build quality. Our existing Striebig Control was proving very reliable and, thanks to its user-friendly features, it was helping us maintain a consistency high level of accuracy when cutting panels to size.
The easy set-up of this machine was also a big advantage. Thanks to standard features like its digital measuring system, you simply input the size you want the panel to be and the saw works out the rest.
There’s no need for rulers (which only read in millimetres and not 0.1 or 0.5mm like the saw’s digital measuring device) and, thanks to the saw’s colour-coded touch-screen computer, laser positioning system and adjustable feed speed, the operator can simply follow the saw’s instructions to achieve the perfect cut.
NBJ London’s newest Striebig Control includes a 12” touch screen, automatic beam and saw head positioning and panel end detection as standard. Plus, an optional automatic length stop (EPS – Electronic Positioning System).
Does your new Striebig Control include any new features?
We opted for the optional automatic length stop (EPS – Electronic Positioning System). This means the stop move into position and re-sets itself without any manual intervention. For us, this takes another manual task away from the operator and speeds up the cutting cycle.
The saw also features an upgraded extraction system. The integrated TRK extraction system is noticeably better, making the cutting process cleaner and quieter.
What tasks have been made easier thanks to the Striebig?
A lot of our heritage work includes the design and restoration of internal and external doors. We tend to make each door a couple of millimetres bigger and trim them down to make them perfectly square before they are sanded. This trimming process simply can’t be done on a table saw due to the size and weight of the door.
Weighing up to 90kg, it would be a threeman operation to manoeuvre a door onto the table saw. The sheer weight of the door could result in the material slipping or the saw blade wobbling, effecting the accuracy and finish of the cut.
This is where the design of the Striebig comes into its own. Thanks to the independent movement of the saw head, the Control only requires two-men to place the door onto the machine before the saw gets to work. The result is a clean, precise cut every time.
How easy is the Striebig Control to use?
It’s really easy to operate. The automated features have reduced the skill-level needed to use the machine effectively, clearly highlighting the cutting path. We have 20 members of staff that regularly use the two Controls and they are all proficient users.
When it was first installed, TM Machinery’s engineers gave us some training on the
Panel supports and rollers are standard features on the saw, offering easy handling of materials
machine, talked us though some key do’s and do not’s and gave us advice on how to look after the machine and the blade. You certainly don’t need a lot of experience operating woodworking machinery to be able to use it well.
How have you found TM Machinery to work with?
We have bought multiple machines from TM Machinery and we go back to them because they know their stuff. We want to invest in machinery that will stand the test of time and work well for us. Striebig’s vertical panel saws offer us reliability, consistency and longevity and with TM’s experts behind us, we know we can count on them if we need help or advice.
Thanks to Mark at NBJ London and TM Machinery for their assistance.
Homag’s surface solutions deliver first-class flawless finishes and economical advantages
The demand for painted furniture is still at the forefront of interior design, along with the more recent trend for natural and tactile structured surfaces. Such modern interior design trends are raising the bar for the production of surfaces in the furniture industry.
The different requirements for high-quality surfaces in furniture manufacturing demand smart production solutions such as those afforded by Homag’s surface solution technology. Trusted worldwide, the technology has been specifically developed to provide faultless finishes time after time while delivering many economical advantages too.
To meet the demand for high-quality painted, stained and laminated surface solutions Homag has aligned and expanded its portfolio of coating and laminating technology in recent years.
Homag Sprayteq S-100 series: efficient spray coating solutions
This series of spray coating solutions extends from manually operated to fully automated equipment and delivers first-class finished surfaces. The range includes flatbed spraying systems, spraying robots, stand-alone machines and extensive finishing lines. For ultimate efficiency, these solutions can be equipped with automated workpiece handling concepts and drying technology. The Sprayteq S-100 series of spray coating solutions are suitable for use with either water or solvent-based paint, or stain coatings. They bring a multitude of benefits to all types of manufacturers that process solid wood or wood-based panels. Worldwide customers include manufacturers of furniture, kitchens, interior fittings, stair components and doors. The competitive advantages that companies gain by deploying Homag’s specialist spray coating equipment include: • cost reduction due to economical use of coatings (reduced overspray). • high quality, flawless surface finishes. • process consistency thanks to simple settings regardless of the operator (reproducibility). • high flexibility with batch size 1 and fast colour changes. • 2400 parts finished in a shift. • facility space savings – compact machines with small footprints.
TrendPANEL achieved significant benefits with Homag Sprayteq S-100
An excellent example of a customer who has benefitted from Homag’s surface solutions technology is trendPANEL based in Löhne, Germany. It specialises in the production of acoustic and relief panels made from wood and MDF. To optimise the company’s painting process, Eckhard Stallmann has used a Homag Sprayteq S-100 coating machine to paint and stain surfaces automatically since 2018.
Commenting on the equipment installation and efficiencies achieved, Echhard said “Switching from manual to semi-automated spray painting was child’s play. Setting up the machine and training the employees took just two days. By investing in the Homag machine, trendPANEL has found an effective solution for a high-quality spray application that exceeded our initial expectations.
The equipment purchase has been deemed a complete success, especially in relation to capacity and costs. With Homag’s Sprayteq S-100 we have attained a 60% reduction in production time and 25% reduction in costs, and that’s a conservative calculation.”
Flexible and smart solutions for laminating
Laminating is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance in the field of decorative finishing of wood-based panels. Today, technical innovations and continuous developments are making laminating a powerful, flexible and reliable finishing procedure. Progress made in using hot-melt glues and in particular reactive PUR is replacing entire generations of glues such as PVA. Improved quality in resistance to moisture and temperature qualify PUR specifically for use as a binding agent between panels and surface films.
Homag LAMTEQ F-200 series delivers cost and production efficiencies
Homag laminating systems are suitable for a wide range of applications and can coat materials supplied in rolls or sheets. Customers of these highly dependable laminating systems include woodworking shops, industrial manufacturers, furniture part producers and flooring panel manufacturers.
Thanks to its modularity and flexibility, as well as the diverse application possibilities of PUR adhesives, Homag’s Lamteq F-200 laminating machine, can be integrated into a variety of system concepts. The handling concept allows the machine to be operated with fewer people and saves operators from physically strenuous lifting, carrying and turning of bulky panels.
The partially automated handling solution consists of a vacuum suction rail in the inlet, an automatic panel turner behind the plant and a stack return. With this solution, the entire workpiece transport can be completed by just one person. Together with an operator for laying up the coating material, the laminating unit is safe and convenient for just two people to operate.
Furthermore, the optimised part flow increases the productivity of a plant, as walking time and manual parts handling are minimised, enabling the operators to focus on tasks that add value.
For a demonstration or more information on Homag’s surface solutions, contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424.
www.homag.com
UV coating systems with renewable raw materials
The development department of the coating and stain specialist Hesse from Hamm has succeeded in formulating UV coating systems with a remarkably high proportion of renewable raw materials. At the same time, the user does not have to make any compromises in terms of chemical and mechanical resistance with these environmentally conscious developments.
The series was developed for the furniture industry, and especially for furniture and doors. The aim of the development was, in addition to the sustainable formulation, to achieve at least a comparable durability as with conventional UV coating systems. After extensive tests, a 100% roller UV system consisting of colourless and coloured UV varnishes has been created, with which ambitious sustainability goals – such as at IKEA – can be achieved. See Hesse’s article series, ‘Better carbon’.
The shares of renewable raw materials, also called Bio Renewable Carbon (BRC), refer to the total amount of carbon contained in the product. This calculation is made, for example, by IKEA, which has set itself the goal of replacing 30% of fossil carbon with renewable shares by 2025.
Unlike other representations, the share of natural resources such as water or near-natural fillers and the like is not taken into account in this calculation, only the replacement of fossil carbon.
Positive feedback from the furniture industry, which described the workability as “very good”, encouraged Hesse to submit the solution to the Paint + Varnish Award 2020. The jury rewarded this innovation with first place in the ‘Best Sustainability Approach’ category. The concept, which won an award last year, could be practically implemented in the furniture and door industry this year.
www.hesse-lignal.com
Hesse Wetprotect-Oil – ideal for use in damp rooms
The demand for ecological surfaces for high-quality furniture, stairs, parquet floors and other furnishings made of real wood is ongoing – and especially so in combination with a long-lasting, resistant surface treatment with selected oils and waxes. Oiled surfaces are breathable. They absorb air humidity and release it, thus ensuring a healthy indoor climate.
Following this trend, Hesse-Lignal has put together an extensive oil programme. From classic natural oil to coloured oils, oils with modified alkyd resins to raw wood-effect oil, there is something for every application. Hesse deliberately refrains from using compounds containing cobalt, butoxime and biocidal agents.
A highlight from the Hesse oil programme is the new Wetprotect-Oil. It is a natural oil mixed with modified alkyd resins. It impregnates the wood fibre particularly well and thus protects the substrate even better from the effects of moisture. The low-viscosity oil has excellent penetration properties and causes the wood to light up well. In addition, the oiled surface is antistatic.
The new Wetprotect-Oil can be used for stairs, kitchen and bathroom furniture, and on all common types of wood. Due to its ability to protect the substrate, it is also recommended for use in damp rooms. The oil is applied generously with a spatula, brush, roller or fine abrasive fleece. After an appropriate reaction time, the excess is removed.
Depending on whether Wetprotect-Oil is used on its own or in combination with other Hesse oils, it is applied once or twice. This increases the water resistance of the overall finish and protects the wood even better from moisture.
Wetprotect-Oil is decopaint compliant, vegan, and fulfils the requirements of DIN EN 73-1 (safety of toys), DIN 53160 part 1 and 2 (saliva and sweat resistance).
www.hesse-lignal.com
@cookstownpanelcentre @cpccheadle @cookstownpanelcentre
Cookstown Panel Centre Ltd home to probably the most comprehensive range of kitchen materials in the marketplace. With over 30 years in the supply of quality products to the kitchen trade, Cookstown Panel Centre have always insisted on sourcing the finest materials to create probably the most comprehensive range of kitchen materials in the marketplace.
www.cookstownpanel.com
