Value-added Manufacturing Starts with Moulder Investment
If you keep your ear to the wall in the wood products industry, you hear the phrase "value-added manufacturing" bandied about. Many material distributors are finding it to their advantage not only to offer raw materials, but also to offer material that has been given value through a machining process. One such machining process is the use of a moulder. The investment in a moulder can diversify a company’s product line. A good example of a company successfully adding value to its product can be found in our December issue. Due to changing economic conditions, Patterson Buck Hardwoods made the decision to invest in a couple of high tech moulders. That decision proved to make the difference in the survival of the 60-year-old business. By adding the moulder to its constant supply of quality hardwoods, the company found new life.
Within this month’s product profile section, you will find machinery ranging from 5-spindle moulders designed for smaller batches of material to planer/moulders with 12-inch width capacity. It is our hope that if and when your company decides to invest in a moulder or to upgrade, these profiles will provide you with the knowledge needed to help you in your search.
5-Spindle Moulder for Small Production Batches
The SCMI Group’s Compact 23-5 KS moulder is designed for planing and profiling small production batches. Standard features include 6,000 RPM spindles, pneumatic pressure on the in-feed wheels, powered roller on out-feed surface, patented rapid set-up system for tool changeover, 2,000 mm in-feed table length, full steel sound enclosure provided for operator protection and moulding depth capacity of 400mm with a 25mm axial adjustment. Optional equipment available includes: a universal spindle adjustable through 360 degrees, allowing for machining in any position; and left vertical spindle with automatic adjustment, enabling rapid sequencing machining of components of different widths.
Reader Service No. 594
Through-Feed Moulders Offer Long List of Features
Bridgewood from Wilke Machinery Co. offers a range of through-feed moulders starting with the four-spindle model CM-180. All models offer a long list of standard features such as a full coverage sound enclosure/guard and a chainless drive system utilizing gearboxes and driveshafts. Each 40-mm diameter spindle has its own motor and a 5" diameter dust collection hook-up. The main bed area is hard chromed for durability.
Reader Service No. 593
Flooring Machine Clears Jams
The FSM "MatchMaster" from R.K. Haskew and Co. utilizes advanced technology to clear a jam anywhere in the machine and resets to exact position in one minute or less, says the company. The machine is a five-head, 6" x 3" true matcher (with directly opposed sideheads), with hydraulic feed rolls typically used for flooring and S4S moulding up to 500 lineal feet per minute.
Reader Service No. 592
Melamine Panels Offer New Color Options
Uniboard Canada Inc., manufacturer of thermofused melamine panels, has added 27 new colors to its Panval thermofused collection. The 2000 collection includes an array of solids, abstracts and rich woodgrain patterns for the kitchen cabinet, office furniture, residential furniture and store fixture markets. Six new solid colors include two neutrals and four primary colors that complement the current solid color line. The abstract pattern is offered in three colorations. Eighteen new woodgrains are available. The entire collection comes in all of Uniboard’s six finishes, which are dolomite, furniture, suede, ashwood, crystal and high gloss.
Reader Service No. 591
MDF for All Panel Needs
Langboard MDF is manufactured using 100 percent southern yellow pine chips and shavings. State of the art process controls are used to provide a high quality product for panel needs in the furniture, laminating, moulding, picture frame and kitchen cabinet industries, according to the company. Panels are available in 3/8" to 11/4" thickness, 4’ and 5’ widths and lengths up to 18’(certain minimums may apply).
Reader Service No. 590
Planer/Moulder Has 12" Finished Width Capacity
The Unimat 30 EL from Michael Weinig, Inc. is a planer/moulder with a 12" finished width capacity. Its cast-iron base, high precision spindles, solid spindle mounts, hydraulically clamped outboard bearings for all horizontal spindles, high horsepower and a spindle diameter of 2 1/8" assure a quality surface finish, reports the company.
Reader Service No. 589
Veneer Insert Panels Provide Consistency
Veneer insert panels from Northern Contours give cabinet manufacturers a raised panel that is consistent in color and grain. They also eliminate panel expansion and contraction, reducing the splitting, cracking and rattling issues that can develop with hardwood inserts, according to the company. Northern Contours produces quality veneer panel inserts in oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, maple, birch and other species. Veneer matching and grading is customized to each client’s requirements.
Reader Service No. 588
Curved Plywood for Upholstered Seating
Quality Plywood has increased its curved plywood production with the addition of another 5-axis CNC router and an extra 16,000 square feet of manufacturing space. With its implementation of "cellular manufacturing" throughout the plant, the company reports that CNC-machined and t-nutted components ready for upholstered seating manufacturers can be delivered throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico in only a few days.
Reader Service No. 587
Raw Materials Suitable for Components or Finished Products
The H.A. Stiles Company supplies a diverse array of raw materials suitable for conversion into component parts or completely machined finished products. North American hardwoods such as red and white oak, hard and soft maple, white and yellow birch, cherry, walnut, white ash, poplar and Eastern white pine are available in the form of furniture squares and rounds, edge glued dimension, glued moulder stock and blanks, cut to length strips, bending stock, and green and kiln-dried lumber.
Reader Service No. 586
Increased Availability of Chilean Cherry Hardwood
International Specialties, Inc. has increased availability of its Chilean cherry hardwood. The wood is available in dimension lumber, edge glued panels and mouldings. Chilean cherry very closely resembles American cherry, but is more competitively priced when bought in truckload quantities, says the company. Available quantities for 2000 have been increased compared to 1999.
Reader Service No. 585
Moulder for Demanding Applications
The Diehl 5000 series moulder from Diehl Machines targets the experienced wood moulding processor whose requirements dictate more choices in selecting the best spindle configurations and accessories for the most demanding applications, says the company. The Diehl 5000 series offers automatic cutterhead jointers, centralized dust collection, complete fiberglas enclosure, heavy cast construction, feed speeds up to 350 FPM and many fast setup features. The versatile 5000 series design addresses the non-"one size fits all" moulding applications.
Reader Service No. 584
Ready-to-Install Products
Plywood & Door Manufacturers Corp. says that multi-layer construction and the good mechanical properties of birch make WISA-BIRCH and WISA-COMBI plywoods produced by Schauman Wood of Finland ideal for various woodworking applications. High-tech coatings, CNC-machining, cutting to size and painting convert the base panels into ready-to-install products. All production is ISO 9001 certified. Schauman Wood also has received the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System certificate.
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