The main feature on the Hamuel Reichenbacher was a CNC production centre capable of making 300 doors a day.
Designed for Swiss manufacturer Entla, the heart of the technology package was a Vision II U T-Sprint machining centre with two 5-axis working heads. The latter are equipped with 15kW routing spindles which operate up to 24,000rpm for routing, drilling, sawing and sanding. An automatic chain magazine holds 60 tools and a measuring pin for gauging workpiece thickness and can also include two tracing heads for assessing the surface contour.
The feed rates of the system are up to 60m/min in X, up to 90m/min in Y and up to 20m/min in Z and the line is just 17.5x8m – much smaller than the system the company was using previously. “They’re getting 25% more output from less floor space,” said Albert Thompson, managing director of UK-based Hamuel Reichenbacher Ltd.
Also on show was a Vision Premium CNC-machining centre. This can be equipped with a variety of different heads and has applications in a range of sectors, with the model at Ligna geared for high-speed stair production.
The centre’s 5-axis working head assembly interfaces with different tool changers, a drilling head with 19 places, and two slides which can each accommodate a 3-axis routing spindle.
The company is continuing to sell machines in the UK and Ireland, despite the economic slowdown. “Joinery manufacturers are looking to drive up efficiency and productivity and automate without sacrificing quality, and CNC is increasingly seen as the solution,” said Mr Thompson.
