Demand for more varied product design, coupled with a need to provide a modern, fast service and delivery have led to Hawk Furniture Ltd investing in new machinery every year.
Set up in 1988, the East Yorkshire office furniture manufacturer started producing flat-pack furniture using a second-hand double-sided edgebander, a beam saw and a throughfeed multi-spindle drill. Once established, it expanded the production bay by 13,000ft² and started acquiring specialist machines supplied by Homag UK.
This began in 1997 with a Brandt KD84C single-sided edgebander capable of applying 3mm PVC tape and contour trimming in-line. The demand to differentiate products then led Hawk to install a Weeke BP80 Optimat CNC machining centre the following year.
A second Weeke BP80 was added in 1999, followed earlier this year by a BAZ32/50/K CNC stationary processor, costing in the region of £200,000 and able to produce complex shaped parts such as desktops in a single clamping.
Production director Glen Lincoln said Homag was number one choice because of its technical expertise including training and back-up.
Mr Lincoln said: ‘The investment in the BAZ was a major step for us. We effectively changed what was a seven process operation to a single operation with one operator.’
Hawk is already planning to replace its Weeke CNC machining centres with the latest Homag BOF range of high performance routers as it aims to hit £5m turnover by 2003.
