Rising demand for multi-piece framed cabinet doors has prompted Huddersfield-based Decorative Panels Ltd to purchase a Koch mitring, drilling and dowelling line.
The line, which cost about £150,000, is designed to streamline foil-wrapped door frame component manufacture, which is expected to increase by 33% this year to 15,000 doors per week. It has been installed at the company’s 80,000ft2 Crosland Road HQ site, formerly a foil lamination plant but now converted to component and door production.
Decorative Panels reports that the previously highly labour intensive procedure can now be cut, drilled, glued and dowelled by a single operator on the Koch at rates of up to 30 accurately mitred corners per minute.
Its double-sided mitre trim saw stations are equipped with quick change blades, while motors have static frequency converters to adjust blade speeds within the 2,000-6,000rpm range. The overall bed length accommodates doors in the 360-2,500mm range with mitre cuts possible from 30-100mm and square cuts from 30-140mm.
The company’s design chief Julian Tatham believes frame door production gives foil laminators a competitive edge, because of the opportunities to contrast frames and centre panels in different colours, textures and designs.
