Summary
• Companies are looking for integrated machining solutions.
• Weinig is expanding its Powercom software.
• Touch screen electronic controls allow simple machine programming.
• Leadermac is producing more than 90 machines a month.

In the mouldings industry, time equals money. This explains why machinery manufacturers are pushing the boundaries with technology to provide customers with solutions that enable them to meet their own customers’ exacting requirements.

“Many more woodworking companies are demanding more than just a planer moulding machine,” said Chris Osborne, managing director of Weinig UK. “Companies are looking for solutions that link the manufacturing processes with the order processing, stock control and production management.”

In the last four to five years, the Weinig Group has manufactured in excess of 1,500 Powermat moulding machines in its Tauberbischofsheim factory, and installed more than 100 into UK woodworking companies. The company says quicker set-up times, faster running times and superior surface finish compared to conventional spindle machines are the Powermat’s key selling points, with many companies in the UK running several machines.

“The request from the UK industry to provide an integrated solution, to manage the machining schedule through the office, makes a lot of sense,” explained Mr Osborne. “Our customers need to be able to process shorter runs of profiles, to meet their own customers lower volume and just in time requirements. This can only be achieved profitably with processing software acting as a link between the office and the shop floor, and batching the production and optimising the tool changes.”

To meet these demands, Weinig is working to expand its Powercom software: in the short term, Weinig’s intention is to have the machinery working dictated by the incoming orders, and stock control, with the ability optimise the best machining program, to reduce set ups and tool changes.

Mike King, managing director of SCM UK, agrees that reducing operator input, de-skilling the operation and reduction of set-up time and enabling greater flexibility of the machine are the key trends driving development.

The SCM range of moulders, for example, has a new design guaranteeing ergonomics and an improved control of all levels of machining.

“All the machine controls are positioned in order to make the set-up and the positioning very easy for the operator,” said Mr King. “The entire range can be equipped with Mobile 10 and Mobile 10 LH, the new generation of touch screen electronic controls, which allows extremely simple machine programming, minimising the risk of errors at the programming stage.”

Mr King told TTJ that sales of SCM moulders were going “very well” and were already in advance of the company’s 2008 budget.

“We will soon be unveiling a new range of the Model Superset that will have HSK, variable speed though direct drive motors similar to a CNC router,” said Mr King. “It will also feature an improved feed system, replacing the currently widely-used Cardan drive, and greater options for head configuration and full CNC controlled movement on all adjustable parameters.”

There’s no doubt that moulding machinery manufacturers are stepping up the pace with new technology and machines that promise faster speeds, reliability and quality of finished products.

“Today’s customers are looking for as much flexibility as possible,” said Kevin Wright, managing director of Leadermac UK, whose Taiwanese parent is the second largest moulder manufacturer in the world. “Customers want speed, flexibility and reliability: they want to be sure of the quality of the moulding that comes out of the back end of the machine.”

Leadermac is now producing more than 90 machines a month: so far, around 200 of these have found their way into the British Isles.

The company has just introduced two new machines into the Leadermac stable: the first is a small four-sided planer, the first of its kind Leadermac has produced; with the second, it has extended its range at the top end, with the Super Thundermac, a 300mpm feed speed machine.

The company has just sold its first Thundermac machine, together with a fully automated mechanical handling system from Danish company System TM, which has been installed and commissioned at Peter Ramsey Timber Ltd in Bradford. Leadermac has also just sold its biggest moulder in the UK – in both speed and size – to Arbor Forest Products. The machine comes with a touch screen set-up linked to the tool room to enable the tool data to be transferred directly into the machine control system.

Despite the challenging market for end products, it doesn’t look like the pace of technology development in moulding machines will let up any time soon. With customers demanding greater ease of use and more flexibility, there’s still plenty of room for development for machine manufacturers.