Cheshire Mouldings has completed the second phase of a machinery investment programme designed to grow its business in the linear mouldings and pre-packed timber market.
The Merseyside-based company, which has invested £750,000 on equipment in the past 18 months, took delivery of a Weinig Powermat 2020 in July and is already planning to spend a further £350,000 automating the moulding mill with handling equipment, a cross-cutting line and resaw to further grow production and efficiency.
Cheshire Mouldings, which is growing its business by £1m a year, aims to become a one-stop shop for solid wood products, including turnings, mouldings, pre-packed products, sawn timber and treated wood.
Features of the Powermat 2020 include cutterheads which lock and unlock directly into the tool holders; an inbuilt jointing unit making it possible to joint knives at 10,000rpm; small batch production at feed speeds of 30m/min; and the ability to use built-in jointers to increase speed to 60m/min, or even 80m/min.
A Powermat 2000 was also installed earlier this year, along with toolroom equipment including CAS LogoCom software, a Rondamat 960 grinder, Weinig tooling and a template maker.
LogoCom, which can service several moulders, and Powerlock tooling are designed to save time in setting up.
Cheshire Mouldings has seen set-up times reduced by more than 50% since the introduction of the Weinig machinery, with changes from one plane square edge to another now taking four minutes. Changes from a plane square edge to a dowel takes 15-20 minutes.
