Welsh timber frame manufacturer Frame Wise Ltd has invested £80,000 in new machinery to simplify its manufacturing operations.
The company bought a Striebig vertical panel saw from TM Machinery Sales of Leicester and an H&M Anglemaster CNC upstroke cross-cut saw from Sheffield-based JJ Smith Woodworking Machinery Ltd.
The Striebig Standard II TRK 6206, which replaced a beam saw, typically cuts 8x4ft OSB sheets, ranging in thickness from 9-18mm. The OSB is used for external building panels to give structural integrity, meet fire regulations and seal wall cavities.
It has transformed what was a two-man job with the beam saw into a one-man operation.
Frame Wise, due to move into a 25,000ft2 purpose-built factory later this year, says the Angelmaster has replaced a series of smaller hand-operated saws and has made cutting more efficient and improved safety.
Optimaster software enables timber to be pre-optimised before cutting, allowing accurate estimation of timber yields and usage. An in-line ink-jet printer marks the panel identifiers and stud positions on the top and bottom rails.
