For many joinery companies the mortising operation has traditionally been carried out on manual chisel or chain machines. With the introduction of new technology in other areas of production mortising can then become a bottleneck.
JJ Smith who are a specialist supplier of equipment to the joinery industry offer a complete range of mortising machines suitable for a variety of different production requirements.

One of the companies key suppliers is Centauro who have recently introduced a new model of horizontal swing chisel mortiser which is designed to speed up and simplify the mortising of window and door components.

New ‘Beta’ Mortiser From Centauro


This all new design of machine has a fully automatic mortising and timber feeding sequence, were by the timber is held by gripper clamps and moved to the required position for mortising. No manual movement or handling of the timber component is required, other than loading and unloading.

Programming of the mortise slot position, depth, length and height, (including a haunch), is extremely simple thanks to the user friendly graphic colour touch screen controller. Up to 99 mortising programs can be memorised to the controller that has the added advantage of a USB key back up facility. Programming features include the possibility to regulate and individually memorise the Y axis cutting speed, and also the facility to take up to 3 cuts ‘woodpecker’ style, if producing a deep mortise slot.
Mortise samples

All movements of the mortise head and gripper are via re-circulating ball and screw drive to give absolute precision and accuracy. In addition to the benefits of fully automatic operation, simple programming and eliminating the need for manual marking out, the mortise head chisel itself produces a very clean mortise slot. Optionally the machine can be equipped with a dedicated hollow chisel head for making small mortise holes for items such as glazing bars. This head is also fully programmed in to the main mortising sequence.

Centauro feel that this new model of machine will appeal to the many joinery and furniture manufacturers, who need to speed up and improve the accuracy and quality of their mortising operation.
Centauro BD/NV-Z Mortiser

The competitively priced BD/NV-Z is a semi automatic machine that eliminates the need for manual marking out. Instead mortise slot length, depth, position and height are quickly and easily programmed in to the main machine controller and memorised with the possibility to store up to 99 different machining lists. Also thanks to the electronic control and movement of the table via re-circulating ball and screw drive the component is accurately mortised on a repeat basis.

Centauo BD/NV-Z Mortiser


As standard the machine is equipped with pneumatic workpiece stops that are automatically activated from the machine program along with a programmable Z axis. With this feature the height position of the chisel is automatically set from the program meaning it is possible to make off line mortises, double mortises or thicker motises without having to change chisels or re-program the machine.