Peter Ramsey Timber make it 5 Stromab Matrix Saws.

Peter Ramsey Timber, who are regarded as the leading Divan and Bed Slat component manufacturers in the UK, have recently invested in two additional Stromab Matrix Automatic Crosscut Saws – bringing their total of these machines to five! Whilst the original three were stand alone machines, the two new ones - supplied by JJ Smith Woodworking Machinery Ltd, have been integrated into lines with moulders and double end tenoners.

Michael Ramsey the MD of Peter Ramsey Timber commented 'We gave the problem of the integration of the saws to JJ Smith and were pleased that they were able to tailor the machinery to suit our requirements. Space was very tight in the line and they were able to modify the equipment to suit our specific needs. They were also able to adapt existing conveying equipment and integrate it into the new controls'

Martin Smith, MD of JJ Smith who was responsible for the project confirmed the equipment supplied was from Stromab - a world leading manufacturer of crosscutting equipment based near Bologna, Italy, for whom JJ Smith are the exclusive agent for their range of automatic saws. He said 'Stromab have proved a very good partner for us for many years - their equipment is very reliable and they provide a whole range of saws, from very basic push fed saws to full optimising and defecting saws for cutting both straight and angled components. In the last few years we have sold around 150 of their automatic saws and time and again we have customers coming back to us for another machine as they have been so pleased with the first one they purchased. The installation for Ramsey Timber is particularly pleasing as they recognised the merit of investing in new machinery to ensure that they can continue to provide service to their customers.'


The overall project was co-ordinated by Lawrence Marklew, Ramsey's Maintenance / Project manager who added 'Building a relationship with a supplier is important to us as a company. If we get good service from one company they we like to try and work with them again. The Stromab saws we already had have proved very reliable and we had the confidence in both the equipment from Stromab and the back up from JJ Smith to commit to further investment with them. Space was extremely tight and I was pleased that they were able to adapt the equipment to suit our specific requirements.'





Palmer Timber Increase Laminating Capacity With Taylor Clamping System.

Palmer Timber, based near Birmingham in the West Midlands, are a Timber Importers supplying softwood and hardwood timber and panel products throughout the UK. The company have a policy of investing in high quality wood processing machinery which is highlighted by  a large modern mill capable of producing both standard and special mouldings. Timbers used include Scandinavian Redwood and Whitewood, Clear softwoods from North and South America and hardwoods from all around the world. To help meet the increase in demand for their range of laminated timber sections, Palmer have recently made a significant investment in a new Taylor rotary clamping system.

Previously Palmer had been contracting out its laminating operation but it became apparent sometime ago that there would be a number of benefits of bringing it 'in house'. These included increased production output and the ability to offer larger section and longer laminated products to their customers. The task of sourcing suitable equipment fell to operations manager Ian Cox who in the first instance made a detailed study of exactly what the current and possible future requirements would be for laminated products. Once all this information was to hand he contacted several suppliers and manufacturers to see what equipment was available. Ian comments "Through previous research I was already fairly familiar with what the options were relating to different types of machines, but I still wanted to fully evaluate each one to ensure we made the correct choice". After careful consideration Palmer placed an order for a Taylor Rotary Clamp Carrier System supplied through JJ Smith. The machine specified was a 6.3m long 30 section semi automatic hydraulic clamp carrier. It is equipped with dual independent clamp tighteners and component flatteners meaning two operators can work in tandem, thus maximising production output. Material up to 150mm in thickness can be laminated. Also supplied was a conveyorised doctor roll PVA glue applicator and glue transfer pump. Ian Cox adds " We had seen the Taylor equipment at a number of trade shows and had spoken with people from both Taylor and JJ Smith. We were impressed with the heavy duty design of the machines, their ease of use and due to the modular design a machine could be specified to suit our specific production requirements. It was also reassuring to know that Taylor were already well established in the UK with many machines in operation".

The  Clamping system arrived on schedule in early March and since then it has been in full daily production. The main components being produced are laminated handrail section, stair strings, joinery sections and newel posts. Ian concludes "The Taylor is fulfilling our expectations and we are very pleased with the results. Having a machine as versatile as the Taylor means we can now offer our customers a wide variety of laminated hardwood and softwood components with short lead times".

Door Kit Machining Made Simple At Joinery Craft

Gloucester based high class joinery manufacturer Joinery Craft have recently invested in a new Centauro ALFA NC milling machine to help speed up production of their door kit components. Previously the various slotting, boring and recessing operations had been performed on a number of manual machines or with hand tools using jigs. Now all these can all be done on the ALFA without even having to move the component. The Centauro ALFA has been specifically designed for the machining of door components, window parts and frames. It can be used for hinge recessing, window hardware recessing, slotting for lock cases, slotting for louvre type doors and drilling for handle holes / key slots. It is also ideal for the machining of rebated lock kits and complete 3 point multi-locking systems including the euro groove. Thanks to the front table support bars complete doors or frames can also be clamped and machined. Joinery Craft owner Adrian Robson comments "We had for some time toyed with the idea of investing in a full blown large bed CNC machining centre. However this would probably have been overkill for what we actually wanted to do on the machine and as result it was hard to justify spending £70,000 plus. Once we had seen the ALFA demonstrated at JJ Smith's showroom it was clear it would do everything we wanted. The other big pluses for us were the fact it did not take up a huge amount of space, plus the price was significantly less than the other machines we had originally started to look at" As standard the ALFA is equipped with a fully programmable interpolated milling head that can automatically swivel for either vertical or horizontal machining. Standard working capacities are 2800mm on the X axis, 150mm Z axis and 180mm on the Y axis, which if required can be increased to 400mm. Programming is extremely quick and simple thanks to the colour graphic touch screen controller incorporating electronic macro templates. Components are placed on the table and positioned against either the left hand or right hand end reference stops, plus the front retractable pneumatic reference stops. Once the required program has been made or recalled from the memory operation is activated by the two hand push button control, the pneumatic work piece clamps are activated and the machining cycle commences. For operator safety there is a front light curtain which automatically stops the machine if it is broken / crossed. On request the milling head power can be increased from 3.3kw to 5.5kw and also quick change ISO30 or HSK40 tool holders can be fitted. For end boring a front retractable table complete with clamps is available. The ALFA has now been installed at Joinery Craft for several months and Adrian adds " We have been very pleased with its performance. Previously to machine out for a complex multi point locking system or a rebated door kit could take up to an hour on manual machines. With the new ALFA we can easily do it in anything from 3 to 6 minutes. We can also machine a multi lock keep and groove for a door bolt in one single operation. Plus not only is it much quicker we also achieve excellent repeat machining accuracy and better quality".

Back to top of page

Kingstown Invest In Latest Manufacturing Technology

Kingstown Furniture are a leading UK manufacturer of preassembled quality bedroom and dining room furniture. The company was set up 30 years ago by Mike Sharp and from humble beginnings has grown in to a very successful multi-million pound turnover business operating from a 17,500 sq/m modern manufacturing facility based in Hull. Under the current management headed by MD Richard Sharp the company aim to stay at the forefront of manufacturing excellence, furniture design and customer service. To achieve this they have in place a continued investment plan covering all areas of the business, with machinery being a key element.

With this in mind Kingstown are continually looking for equipment that can help increase productivity, efficiency and quality. For 2009 several key areas of production were assessed for investment, one of which was the drilling and grooving of drawer front components. While they already had a machine dedicated for this work it was apparent that they needed to increase output. Also, as new painted ranges and components with delicate foil wrapped edges had recently been introduced a machine was needed that would handle these without marking or damage. During a visit to an overseas trade show, Richard and engineering manager Dave Busby spotted the Comec Frontal CN drawer front machine in operation which had the base general specification they required. However Kingstown had some specific requests that needed to be incorporated in to the machine and these were discussed in detail with Comec, and their UK agent JJ Smith, during a visit to the Comec factory in late 2008. One particular area Kingstown had significant input in to was the design and operation of the transfer system. It was critical that the components were transported smoothly out of the machine and that one operator could easily load and unload. Also another criteria was the ability for quick and simple change from one drawer front size to another. Dave Busby Comments " Due to our experience in processing drawer front components we new exactly the type of machine we needed and how it should operate. Comec's design team were very happy to work with us and understand our particular requirements. The end result was a machine specification that ticked all our boxes". The compact design Comec Frontal CN consists of an automatic vertical loading system that the operator fills with the drawer fronts or panels. These are then transported through the machine by a 'gripper system' to the drilling area were a bank of 11 independently controlled drills bore the holes. The component then moves to the next area were the grooving saw or router produces the slot for the drawer base. All the loading and feeding sequence is PLC controlled, while the actual drilling and grooving operations are CNC controlled. Programming is extremely quick and simple and is done through the colour graphic touch screen controller. The standard max length of component is 1000mm x 280mm wide, although larger components can be processed on request. The machine for Kingstown was also specified with a rear lateral outfeed conveyor, cross belt tilt transfer and side return conveyor. The operation of which was all linked to the PLC control sequencing. Final tests and pre delivery inspection took place in June with the machine being delivered shortly afterwards. It has now been in operation several months and Kingstown have been very pleased with its performance. Dave Busby says "The Comec Frontal is working really well and is achieving everything we wanted. Accuracy is excellent and average production is around 9 to 10 drawer fronts per minute. The loading, return and unloading system handles the drawer fronts very well without any damage or marking, while the change over time between different drawer front sizes is only two to three minutes. Also a single operator can comfortably run the machine and still maintain maximum production output". The Frontal CN is in fact one of a family of 'Frontal' machines that Comec manufacture for panel or solid wood production. They can be specified with a variety of vertical or horizontal drilling configurations and on request can equipped with dowel insertion units. Final specifications can be tailored to suit customers specific production requirements.

Back to top of page

Quick Set Tenoner Proves A Hit At Sturrocks

A. Sturrock and Son of Kirkbuddo near Forfar are a long established architectural joinery manufacturer specialising in high quality windows, doors and staircases. To keep them at the forefront of flexible manufacturing techniques the company have a philosophy of investing in the very latest machine technology that can give them added versatility, quick set up times and improved quality.

One area of production that was recently identified as in need of improvement was the tenoning. While Sturrocks for many years had been successfully using a traditional single ended tenoner with manual settings, it was apparent that they needed a machine with faster set up times thus giving more flexibility. Aware that JJ Smith had recently introduced a new programmable machine from Saomad, Alex Strurrock contacted the company for further information and to arrange a demonstration. Following successful tests an order was placed for a Saomad 'Quick Set' Evolution fully programmable 4 head heavy duty single end tenoner. It has a head configuration of cut off saw, top and bottom tenon, and 200mm long vertical scribe shaft. All the head movements are programmable via a user friendly Siemans Semantic touch pad control unit and the only manual adjustment is to set the pneumatic workpiece clamps. The machine has now been installed several months and Alex Sturrock has been delighted with the purchase. He comments " The Saomad 'Quick Set' takes a fraction of the time to set up compared to our old manual tenoner and it is so easy to program. Another big plus is that we now get a very high level of repeat machining accuracy. It is also important that the machine itself has a strong heavy frame which is important when machining 150mm long tenons in hardwood for door rails". The 'Quick Set' Evolution can on request be equipped with a 400mm long vertical scribe shafts, additional vertical shafts along with a motorised carriage. Saomad manufacture a full range of standard and programmable tenoners along with profilers and NC window centres.

Back to top of page

Log Cabin Notcher For Tunstall

Tunstall Garden Buildings based in Stoke On Trent have recently installed a new Auer four way notching machine which is able to produce the high quality notched corner joint used in continental style timber cabins and chalets

Tunstall already manufacture an impressive range of quality garden buildings including summer houses, workshops, sheds and garages and so it was only natural that they wanted to start producing the 'log cabin' type building which is becoming increasingly more popular and desirable in the UK. The company were established in 1989 and since this time have steadily grown now employing 14 staff and supplying on a nationwide basis. The Austrian built Auer machine, supplied and installed by JJ Smith, was specifically designed for this type of work and as standard is equipped with two horizontal and two vertical milling heads which are sequenced by PLC control. Various types of notch can be produced depending on the section of timber used and the design of the TCT tooling supplied. Generally for the UK market the most popular wall thicknesses are 34 and 44mm, although for very heavy duty buildings you can go up to 75mm. The section is normally single or double tongue and groove meaning each level of the wall slots in to each other. Tunstall opted for tooling that was adjustable for timber from 28 to 50mm thick making a classical half lap joint with chamfered edges. The machine is equipped with the optional heavy duty infeed and outfeed roller tables and adjustable pneumatic reference stops set to suit the required notch length position. On request it can also be supplied with an integrated up cut saw to 'square end' the timber prior to notching, a horizontal drilling unit that enables a steel tie rod to be used during assembly of the building and lastly an end grooving unit in case long timber lengths need to be jointed together. Tunstalls owner Mark Jobburn comments " We are very impressed with the build quality of the machine and how easy it is to use. In particular the quality and fit of joint is excellent". He adds " Not only are we now able to offer a new standard range of log cabins, we are also giving customers the option to design their own and we will build it to their required specifications. As we manufacture all our own windows and doors we can offer a complete bespoke service".

Back to top of page

Bayram Increase Cross Cutting Capacity

Bayram Timber located in Hull were established in 1977 supplying general rough sawn and machined timber to the joinery and furniture industry. Since then the company has gradually grown year on year with 2007 seeing a significant investment in a new 28,000 sq.ft purpose built factory. This makes a total of two sites employing over 100 people in all. They have a nationwide client list, but with a focus on serving the caravan leisure industry with a variety of timber components, manufactured on a 'just in time' basis to meet customers individual stocking and production requirements

Cross cutting is an important area of Bayrams production facility, and prior to the new factory being built they had purchased a number of new and used machines from cross cutting specialist JJ Smith. These included two new Stromab Matrix programmable push fed automatic saws, an H&M Anglemaster saw along with four used automatic cross cuts saws which were recently supplied with upgraded software .Therefore when Bayram decided they needed to further increase their sawing capacity there was no hesitation in contacting Smiths for advice. After several discussions with Martin Smith from JJ Smith, it became apparent that Bayram would greatly benefit from an additional programmable saw for both straight or angled cuts. The new machine that was specified was a Stromab CT600 automatic programmable cross cut saw with a 6m infeed capacity and a blade that can swivel and cut anywhere between +70 and - 70 degrees. Cutting height depends on the width of timber and the angle being cut but the maximum is 160mm. The machine incorporates a heavy duty rack and pinion drive for the pusher fence and a magnetic strip encoder for maximum cutting accuracy. The saw blade dia is 600mm and motor size as standard is 10hp. Due to the angle cutting facility the machine uses a vertical and horizontal clamping system that is sequenced with the pushing and cutting cycle. Programming is extremely simple thanks to a colour graphic touch screen controller with the facility of remote programming of the cutting list with data transfer via a USB key. Full optimisation is standard. Options include defect cutting, windows operating system, label/inkjet printing and electronic workpiece sorter for the cut components. Bayram's Technical Director Tony Clarke comments “The CT600 is a very user friendly machine offering a quick and accurate cutting facility. We produce many different angled cuts for a wide variety of components and these can now be automatically produced with extreme confidence which is great for both us and our customers", The machine has now been installed for just over two months and Mr. Clarke adds " JJ Smith gave us a wonderful overall package with delivery and installation bang on schedule. It was also refreshing to already know that we could relay on excellent back up and service if and when it was needed" The Stromab CT600 supplied to Bayram is just one of a family of crosscuts that JJ Smith from manual pull over saw with programmable stops to complete lines including infeed and outfeed handling that J J Smith offer, making them the leading supplier of this type of machinery to the woodworking industry..

Back to top of page