A simple touch of the screen is required for STEFANI ONE TOUCH to change edge, glue and tool radius: a revolution in the world of edge-banding enabling differentiated production just in time. The result of very high level technological development, ONE TOUCH is a byword for ergonomic, automatic and quality edge-banding.
Compact, flexible and highly productive, STEFANI ONE TOUCH performs processing changes without having to access cabins.
The Smart Edge device enables edge changeover simply by inserting the start of the new edge at the side of the machine without the operator having to move from their position in front of the PC.
Easy Glue Industry is a new glue distribution system. This system enables up to 5 different types of glue (colour and type) to be changed in only a few minutes. Hot-melt and polyurethane glue can be used. The glue change occurs with the cabin closed simply by pressing a control on the touch-screen monitor.
ONE TOUCH is designed using 3 exclusive Stefani patents including the new ROUND-i round corner trimmer fitted with the MULTIEDGE KIT for automatic changeover of 2 radiuses and an infinite number of thin edges without the need for tool changeover.
The ONE TOUCH working units are located on the new framework designed to process without vibrations and to ensure clean cabins.
ONE TOUCH is easy and quick to use thanks to an interface which guides the operator during programming providing instructions of what to do rather than how to do it.
The ONE TOUCH software enables dynamic program change to avoid machine emptying during production changeover. This reduces downtime and ensures high productivity.
Tolerance of edge thickness is compensated by precision positioning of NC axes. Everything about ONE TOUCH has been designed to guarantee maximum finish quality.

SAVE ENERGY AND MATERIALS
Eco Power Pack: this device switches chain feed to standby and reduces the temperature of the glue pot when the machine is not in use thus preventing energy wastage.
ED SYSTEM: this suction system ensures efficient chip and dust removal with less energy consumption and better cleaning of working units and the machine.
OPTI-CUT: this device enables precision edge cutting thus reducing waste to a minimum.

Contacts:
SCM Group (UK) Ltd, Blenheim House, Camberley Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 8UW. Tel: 0115 9770044 Fax: 0115 9770946 www.scmgb.co.uk
scmgroupuk@scmgroup.com

WB Group Products is located in Birtley between Durham and Newcastle under the shadow of The Angel of the North. Formed 28 years ago by Kevin Craggs, the current Owner and Managing Director, WB Group Products manufactures UPVC Windows, Doors, Composite Doors and PVC infill panels.

Operating from 7 industrial units covering 70,000 square feet on the Station Lane Industrial Estate, WB Group Products employs over 80 people, supplying to the Trade in the North of England, Scotland, Cumbria and as far south as Derby utilising the nearby A1 trunk road for delivery direct to Fabricators and Installers.

“Business is ticking over very nicely” commented Kevin Craggs, “but we are always looking at new products and diversifying into different sectors of our industry to meet our customer’s demands.”

Indeed, as the request for fully-finished Composite Doors dramatically increased, WB Group Products decided to invest over £100,000 for the purchase of a CNC Machining Centre and an Edge Bander to run along with some existing CNC Machinery to cope with increasing demand. Having visited a number of similar manufacturers to themselves and investigating the market, Kevin Craggs contacted the SCM Group UK based in Nottingham, as he had viewed many SCM machines around the country.

After demonstrations organised by SCM’s Area Sales Manager, Ian McCarthy, including a visit to Door Stop International, an SCM Record 100 AL CNC Machining Centre and an SCM Single-Sided Automatic Edge Bander, model Olimpic K500 were ordered.


Director Tony Craggs, states “We are very pleased with the purchase of the two SCM machines, as delivery, installation and commissioning went very smoothly, plus I had a 3 day Training Course at SCM UK’s headquarters that was included in the package before delivery, so we were up and running in a relatively short period of time.”

The Record 100 AL has a 3200mm long table consisting of a number of moveable support bars upon which a series of vacuum hold-down pods are located that fixes the door securely during machining operations. Two vertically moving location bars that assist in loading and unloading the doors without surface damage are included as well as a number of location stops to position the door on the CNC’s table.

A powerful, high speed Routing Head sizes the doors and machines glass apertures, letter box openings, etc. A separate heavy duty Universal Horizontal Machining Unit is located adjacent to the Routing Head for machining hinge and lock details using diamond cutters after 3mm PVC edging material has been applied to the 2 long sides of the door on the Edge Bander.

The CNC is programmed using SCM’s ‘X-Door’ Cad/Cam software package. Tony Craggs comments “X-Door is very good and simple to learn and use. We program on a Lap Top in the office and download programs to the CNC’s PC Controller using our Wireless Network. Any new hinge or lock details are easy to program, making it a fast turnaround when a customer needs a door customising to their exact requirements.”

The SCM K500 Edge Bander applies a 3mm PVC edging material supplied in a roll. The edge of the door has hot melt glue applied followed by the PVC being guillotined to length automatically, then pressed on to the edge of the door by a series of pressure rollers. An End Trimming Unit trims the PVC exactly to the corners of the door, followed by a Top and Bottom Edge Trimming Unit that radiuses the top and bottom edges, followed by Scraping and Buffing Units to give a smooth edge to the door.

With a customer base of over 500 companies, demand for WB Group Products Composite Doors is on the increase and now exceeds well over 100 doors per week, the investment providing plenty of spare capacity and faster delivery times. Door Blanks are mainly purchased from Door Stop International and consist of fibre glass skins separated by a high density foam core.

WB Group Products Tony Craggs concluded “We are very pleased with our investment in the 2 SCM machines, with their service and back-up second to none. We are considering moving to a new factory or developing our existing site and we would have no hesitation in purchasing more SCM machines for our future expansion plans. If we have to invest for the future of our business, we do not shy away from making major decisions.”

Contacts:
WB Group Products – Tel 0191 410 9333 www.wbgroup.co.uk sales@wbgroup.co.uk
SCM Group (UK) Ltd, Blenheim House, Camberley Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 8UW. Tel: 0115 9770044 Fax: 0115 9770946 www.scmgb.co.uk
scmgroupuk@scmgroup.com

Tucked away behind a row of houses in the delightful market town of Easingwold, North Yorkshire, between York and Thirsk, is a thriving hi-tech family business manufacturing top-of-the-range furniture and speaker cabinets.

E Kendall and Sons Ltd was established in 1900 as wheelwrights, manufacturing cart wheels for the many local farmers. The business has diversified over the following years, manufacturing joinery, shop-fittings, dove-tailed drawers and other components. Edward Kendall has now retired, but his son, Phil Kendall, Managing Director, is a very “Hands On” owner and enjoys a close working relationship with his customers, transforming their orders into products to be manufactured in their compact but hi-tech facility.

Already running two 3-axis SCM CNC Machining Centres, a 10 year old twin-head Record 220 and an Actionline Record 110 AL, Phil Kendall decided about 6 months ago to investigate the market for a 5-axis CNC that he thought was essential for the ranges of high class speaker cabinets that they were continually being asked to manufacture.

One of their customers is Meridian Audio, a world leader in the design and manufacture of state-of-the-art audio and video home entertainment systems. The speaker cabinets are manufactured in many varying shapes and specifications and are composed of high density Birch Plywood, laminated with thin sheets of aluminium to give a super-stiff and resin-damped speaker that is perfectly vibration and resonance free. The new CNC had to accommodate the cabinets and be capable of machining the various materials very accurately and faster than previous methods utilised.

Phil Kendall comments “We supply our customers with fully completed cabinets for them to fit their own equipment, sourcing and supplying the raw materials, laminating them on a press, machining the blanks, sub-assembly and then machining them on the CNC’s before final assembly of the cabinets. Our business totally revolves around the CNC’s, and as we now employ only 8 people, it is essential the CNC Machining Centres perform to their ultimate capacity.”

“Six months ago, as we realised our work and orders was becoming more complex, it became obvious that we needed a 5-axis machine. I looked at numerous Italian and German suppliers and finally decided upon the SCM Accord 40 PRISMA, as it met all our specification requirements, table size, head configuration and had SCM’s extensive experience in 5-axis machines behind it. It also provided real value for money. It was installed in August 2009.”

The Accord 40 PRISMA has a 3600 x 1560mm multi-function aluminium work table, ideal for machining and nesting full-size sheets of MFC, MDF, Plywood, etc., and also for locating jigs that are often necessary when machining shaped components and assemblies.

With the powerful Prisma K 5-axis Routing Head, an F18 vertical and horizontal Drilling Unit, 24-Station Rapid Automatic Tool Changer, a supplementary 10-Station Rack Tool Changer and a 500 mc/hour high volume vacuum system, the Accord 40 PRISMA has met all of Phil Kendall’s expectations.

Continuing, Phil Kendall states “We are very pleased with the new Accord PRISMA. With the 5-axis routing head, we have managed to reduce machining times and cycles on certain curved items by 65% compared to machining on our 3-axis machines. The programmable dust hood that surrounds the routing head is very effective as some machines do not even offer this feature on them.”

Phil Kendall programs the CNC’s using AlphaCam and Solid Works. The latter actually assisted in E Kendall & Sons Ltd receiving work from their customers as designs can be sent in Solid Works for converting into programs to go directly to the CNC.

The 3 SCM CNC’s have enabled E Kendall & Sons Ltd to reduce their overheads and employ less operatives but at the same time increase turnover and stay ahead of their competitors and, with the 5-axis installation, new orders are continually being received.”

All 3 CNC’s have been networked to the office and with the machine’s PC controls. In addition, all tools are interchangeable between the machines, giving considerable savings on tooling costs.

Concluding, Phil Kendall comments “We are very pleased with our new 5-axis machine and would like to thank SCM’s Area Sales Manager, Ian McCarthy, and Craig Cairns of SCM’s local Distributor, JMJ Machinery for all their help and assistance. Over the years we have built up a good relationship with SCM’s Nottingham-based Service Division and we know they are only a phone call away should we encounter a problem.”


Contacts: E. Kendall & Sons – Tel 01347 821489 Email philip kendall@hotmail.co.uk
SCM Group (UK) Ltd, Blenheim House, Camberley Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 8UW. Tel: 0115 9770044 Fax: 0115 9770946 www.scmgb.co.uk
E Mail scmgroupuk@scmgroup.com

Leaderflush Shapland, one of the UK’s leading doorset manufacturers and a significant member of SIG Plc, has seen large growth in their Plasform® post formed product range over the last 2 years.

Leaderflush Shapland’s Barnstaple site now has its own business centre within the factory dedicated to producing post formed products, whereas before it was just an additional area for manufacturing a small range of products. As the demand for Leaderflush Shapland’s Plasform® range and high security products have grown rapidly; it became apparent that additional investment was necessary. Todd Altman, Leaderflush Shapland’s Managing Director, approached the SIG Board and an investment proposal and program was approved.

Leaderflush Shapland’s Development Manager, Engineering Manager and Production Engineering Manager were given the task of investigating investment opportunities to provide their customers with superior products. To do this, it became evident that Leaderflush Shapland’s existing post forming machinery had to be replaced with a higher technologically advanced machine.

According to a spokes person from Leaderflush Shapland “Our existing machine was susceptible to the climate and temperature, resulting in an inconsistent product exiting the machine. It was also difficult to set up from one profile to the next, especially as we have such a diverse range of products and materials. With an open mind, we approached potential machinery suppliers with our requirements, but we also wanted to see what was available that could assist us with future developments to meet the needs of our customers.”

With a great deal of knowledge gained on their existing American post former, Leaderflush Shapland wanted to have a partnership with a machinery supplier to evaluate their proposals and configure the specification of the machine in order to arrive at a final proposal that would deal with Leaderflush Shapland’s current and future requirements.

A Leaderflush Shapland spokes person comments: “The majority of machinery suppliers have a standard range of machines that they will not deviate from, but we required a bespoke machine that would easily and simply deal with a ‘batch size of one’, with very fast changeovers between successive jobs. Mirko Maino, an engineer from Stefani, listened to our requirements and it soon became clear that they could design a machine to suit our needs, even though we required “Herriaus” lamps to be fitted, as we had good results from these on our existing machine and our engineers had built up a great deal of knowledge on how to use and maintain them.”

After several months of investigating the market, with technical meetings, discussions and demonstrations, Leaderflush Shapland decided to place an order for a Stefani Double-Sided Post Forming machine Model Evolution PSF2, Stefani being a manufacturing division of the SCM Group.

The Stefani machine had to be capable of handling heavy, high performance doors up to 200 kilograms in weight and therefore the Stefani heavy-duty track was specified. Also, accepting components from 3000mm long by 1600mm wide, with changes in component width being dialled in to set the moving beam of the Stefani, with the thickness and height of the two top pressure beams being set with a remote calliper up to 85mm in height.

Depending upon the profile being machined, the post forming rollers are capable of being changed rapidly using a unique jig system. There are 12 “Herriaus” lamps per side of the Stefani post former, with each one being independently controlled.

“After purchasing a large DMC Sanding Line from the SCM Group, we have now built up a good partnership with SCM and their Area Sales Manager, Mike Lee. Of course the price of a machine is important within our budgeting constraints, but equally the design, delivery, installation, commissioning and after sales capabilities with factory trained service engineers from a supplier are extremely important to us and we have found SCM Group UK and their manufacturing divisions great partners to work with.”

Contacts:
Leaderflush Shapland – Tel. 01271321007 www.leaderflushshapland.co.uk
SCM Group UK – Tel. 01159 770044 www.scmgb.co.uk

With an impressive manufacturing facility in Cramlington, near Newcastle, Browns 2000 is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom doors and other associated products.

With a line-up of 14 - SCM ERGON CNC Machining Centres already installed, more than any other manufacturer in the World, Owner Peter Brown visited the W8 Exhibition at the NEC last November, to discuss with a limited number of potential suppliers, the purchase of 3 more twin-table CNC’s, capable of the high production of nesting doors from a full-size sheet of MDF.

Peter Brown comments “I spent two whole days at W8 in detailed discussions with manufacturers of CNC Machining Centres, who were capable of providing me with the very latest nesting technology that was available, as this process was now critical to our increasing production levels of our high quality doors.”

“In the end, after careful consideration, I selected, once again, the SCM Group’s CNC machines, placing an Order for 3 – ERGON NT machines fitted with several new features that really impressed me. In discussions with SCM’s Area Sales Manager, Ian McCarthy, he also agreed to sell 2 older CNC’s to make floor space for the new Ergons.”

Browns 2000 Production Manager, Richard Jenkins, continues “The first Ergons supplied to us had tables with bars and pods so that door blanks, all cut from an MDF sheet, could be individually machined. Peter Brown then ordered and installed a flat-table machine, fitted with SCM’s high volume vacuum system, so that the Nesting solution could be investigated. All successive machines installed were to this same specification and now about 95 per cent of our total production is nested, with the bar and pod machines used for specials and re-working.”

The new Ergon NT machines will have two work tables with dimensions of 2120 x 3120mm each, with a gap between them for easy loading and unloading. High capacity table vacuum of 1000 cubic metres per hour ensures full sheet hold down.

Two powerful electro spindles, each 13KW running at 24000 rpm and fitted with 12 plus 24 position automatic tool changers provide the high quality finish demanded. The routing heads can either run together or with the Independent X-axis controls, the heads can therefore operate independently, one per table, effectively providing two separate machines within the one machine.

SCM’s new system for the cleaning of any excess dust from the work tables will be included ensuring the expulsion of any dust after a machining cycle before loading another full-size MDF sheet. Syncron Copying Devices will be fitted to each routing head to allow for any inaccuracies in the thickness of the MDF.

Browns 2000 have developed their own incoming order system that can transfer Orders received by fax or internet, process them and then send directly to the CNC machines using AlphaCam and AlphaDoor very quickly so that Brown’s customers receive their orders in the shortest possible time.

Sales Director, Garry Brown, Peter’s son, comments “We are really looking forward to the installation of the three new Ergons, as the Nesting process has completely revolutionised our production processes. We are taking an increasing number of orders since the beginning of 2009 due to the demise of some of our competitors. We are currently introducing some new door styles, such as Melbury and Premier in the latest foils, with High Gloss finish continuing to be very successful.”

Concluding, Peter Brown states “We have an excellent working relationship with SCM and my production staff can contact them at any time. Although we can normally resolve any problems that arise ourselves, it’s good to know we can contact SCM’s CNC Help Desk in Nottingham, and they can then dial into our machine using Telesolve to solve the problem. We can’t wait for the new Ergons to arrive and be installed, that will make a total of 17 Ergon machines we have in our factory.”

Contacts: Browns 2000 Tel 01670 590556 Fax 01670 738206
SCM Group UK – Tel. 01159 770044 www.scmgb.co.uk

Wooden walls, roofs, straight and curved beams.
Block-houses, light-frame and timber-frame houses.
Technology for the realisation of PassivHaus and KlimaHaus.

SCM Group Engineering, together with other specialists in this field, has studied various solutions regarding the technological construction of wooden houses.

A new market to discover where we are already present and always competitive.

Please contact SCM Group UK for any requirement you may have on 0115 977 0044