Not long ago it was predicted that the future of moulders would be about maximum technology delivering maximum automation and speed.
But the future didn’t turn out quite so one track. Manufacturers agree one key concern for moulder users is meeting rising mouldings demand, with the same or fewer personnel. But they need machines to satisfy other criteria too; to handle increasingly bespoke moulding requirements of more discerning end users, produce a more finished product and more complex profiles. Then there’s the perennial trade-off of machine capabilities and price.
So that’s how moulder producers have also applied new technology; to make machines that meet a greater variety of user-needs and cater to increasing mouldings market diversity.
“The bespoke components market is surely the most interesting for [customers],” said SCM UK managing director Gabriele de Col. “Standard production may have migrated abroad, but the UK [wood processors] have been boosted by demand for more madeto measure windows, doors, stairs and furniture.”
There’s a call for high output multi-spindle machines, like SCM’s Topset, he added. But five and six-head models, like the long established, but constantly evolving Superset, remain a mainstay for companies large and small. These have been developed to deliver ever higher finish quality, efficiency (and 80% of SCM moulders are now electronic rather than manual set-up), and the versatility to offer high output of single profiles, but also switch rapidly between batches via automated single control point set up.
“We don’t see a move towards super specialised moulders, but multiple capabilities and flexibility in one machine,” said Mr de Col.
New developments illustrating latest trends at SCM’s latest Nottingham in-house show were the Superset NT and Profiset 60, with gearbox feed drive, cardan joints and pneumatic feed roller pressure for ‘powerful, efficient liner component input’.
DaltonsWadkin director Francis Dalton also sees the key application of new technology in moulders as giving them ‘intelligence’ to meet a range of user requirements ‘from quick set up for small batches, to large scale runs’.
“There are also opportunities to equip machines to better integrate into modern production processes,” he said. “For instance, more window makers are investing in CNC solutions requiring a moulder capable of handling data from the machine control.”
An example of such moulder ‘intelligence’, said Mr Dalton, is the Kuper K2 Professional, which DaltonsWadkin supplies. Nine and 15” colour touch screen controls show which settings operators need for various profiles and products – and highlight when and where maintenance is required.
“Ease of programming and flexibility for productivity are key,” said Mr Dalton. “That doesn’t necessarily mean fully automatic, but a degree of automation to suit individual demands.”
He illustrated this with Kuper’s 5.8” touch screen model for smaller joiners and merchants, featuring automatic axial and radial spindle positioning and combining bespoke and large profile run capability.
Rebuild, new machinery and service specialist Advanced Machinery Services agrees today’s moulder sector is about using technology to satisfy user expectations of ever greater choice.
“Our Wadkin Bursgreen range goes from simple four-side machines to high speed multi-spindle moulders,” said director Stephen McGloin. “A new installation is a six-head, computer-memory model for planing and strip moulding production at CB Design, which is already delivering setting time and quality improvement.”
Leadermac also takes very much a horses for courses approach, said UK managing director Kevin Wright, with the availability of technology in ever more compact packages giving even small and standard machines what would previously have been considered non-standard capabilities. “Not everyone needs all singing, all dancing technology, but even our four or five spindle basics include electronic positioning,” he said.
Further underlining that today’s moulder market is about variety, Mr Wright stressed the range of Leadermac latest UK installations. Howdens Joinery, Arbor Forest Products and Ramsey Timber & Son Timber Ltd are among companies investing in Leadermacs capable of 120 metres a minute; James Jones recently installed an 80m/min 623 Speedmac as part of a finger jointing line, while Kendal-based LB Joinery bought a five-spindle 523 Smartmac.
“And in its new Huyton machining facility, Hardwood Sales has installed a heavy duty 623 Hypermac with electronic motorised setting and 230 x 150 mm capacity, which runs from 6 to 36 m/min,” said Mr Wright.
Weinig also sees options and flexibility as key market drivers. The company still makes the super high output, large-scale machines for which it is historically renowned. But these today must also be ‘more agile and capable of quick changeover,” said Weinig UK managing director Malcolm Cuthbertson.
At the other end of the spectrum are compact footprint models that have benefited from technology ‘trickle down’ from their larger cousins – with all Weinig moulders now incorporating its PowerCom setting system, for instance. They may be small, but lack nothing in sophistication.
Weinig’s prime example is, of course, the Cube, the compact planer moulder designed, with laser-assisted setting and rapid changing systems, for minimal operator intervention and maximum flexibility. Some 100 have been sold in the UK in three years.
“Never has one little machine offered so much to so many sectors of our industry!” said Mr Cuthbertson, adding that the latest development, Cube Plus, will be available in the UK this year.
Another prediction for the moulder sector was that it could see increasing competition from CNC machine manufacturers, with the latter adding more moulding-type functions to products’ capabilities for ‘single-station processing’
“The trade-off with conventional throughfeed moulders can be time taken to set multiple cutters and our CNCs, with wood WOP software, large tool changers and advanced clamping come into their own on more bespoke, low volume pieces requiring multiple processes,” said Homag UK sales and marketing director Simon Brooks.
“For instance, they can machine a one-off doorframe for rebates, fire-seal grooves and bevels, and apply mortise and tenons or mitre joints in the same cycle.”
But even Mr Brooks conceded that CNCs won’t oust moulders from the market, and couldn’t compete on throughput speed.
The moulder manufacturers meanwhile were also clearly confident of holding their ground, particularly with their machines’ growing versatility and range of capabilities.
Mr de Col agreed with Mr Dalton that the future would be about wood processing technology that could form part of an integrated processing whole; including moulders with CNC machines and vice versa.
“CNC’s express their highest productivity when manufacturing complex shapes, complementing the linear elements produced by moulders,” he said.
While predicting they would be ‘evolutions rather than revolutions’, Mr de Col said moulders would also continue to increase their worth through further technical development, with the pace of innovation set to accelerate now the industry feels global economic crisis is behind it.
Mr Cuthbertson agreed. Recent buoyant moulder sales growth, he said, may plateau, but value will increase due to development of ever ‘higher levels of sophistication required for greater flexibility … and machine integration”.
“We’ve developed software tying individual machines together to form a completely integrated moulding mill, from profile drawing, tool selection and configuration, to CNC profile grinding, production planning and machine setting,” he said.
“And we’ve won an order for a complete integrated CLT panel production line, the UK’s first.”
As part of this package, dovetailing machines with mechanised handling systems is also vital.
“An essential for a successful installation is matching capabilities of moulder and mechanisation to product,” said Mr Cuthbertson. “It’s a three-legged stool. One leg not matched means lower efficiencies.”
One way of assuring this doesn’t happen, he added, is a technology provider, like Weinig, which will set up the entire plant, like the brand new 100m/min mechanised MDF moulding facility which Weinig recently helped achieve full capacity in six weeks.
All this said, Mr Dalton has assurances for users who want lower tech solutions “There are still traditional users who prefer more standard moulders – Pro-lock spindles and digital readouts – and happily, we, with Kuper, will cater to all preferences.”
