Homag says it has installed the UK’s first hot foil transfer processing centre for contoured and profiled workpiece edges.
The CNC BAZ stationary processor represented an investment of about £300,000 for Ipswich-based bedroom and living room furniture manufacturer Alston Cabinets.
The company needed new technology for its new 2005 range, which required a greater degree of scope for shaped parts while not inhibiting volumes or creating bottlenecks.
Malcolm Curtis, Alstons factory manager, said hot foil transfer material has aesthetic and performance advantages for product edges, especially when matching the laminated surface foil on the face of MDF substrates – giving the impression of a solid and substantial piece of natural timber.
The BAZ has an interchangeable conventional edging application head for tapes up to 3mm thick, while a clamping table with LED positioning of vacuum cups offers a tandem loading capability for improved output.
Foil is applied to panel edges by a pressurised, heated roller.
