A wide range of entry level and volume-producing CNC machinery will be amongst a host of technologically advanced equipment demonstrated by Homag UK at its two day open house, running on May 11-12th at its Castle Donington showroom.
A wide range of machinery will be demonstrated and product specialists will be available throughout to discuss and advise visitors. The equipment on show will vary from affordable entry level models to higher end products. Software experts will also be presenting the user-friendly systems including the latest versions of woodCAD/CAM, woodWOP plus software for nesting and solid wood processing.
These easy to use programs improve both production performance and the manufacturing efficiency.
“CNC machinery and technology have advanced hugely over recent years, which is fantastic news for our customers as they can now invest in Homag machines more cost effectively,” claims Simon Brooks, sales and marketing director for Homag UK.
He continues: “We’ve worked hard to ensure that our machines stay at the top of the table in terms of both quality and technology. Our first open house of the year is an exciting platform to showcase the advances we have made with our CNC machines. This equipment significantly increases productivity and is testament to our continual pursuit to develop the very latest technology.”
Live demonstrations
At the open house there will be demonstrations of a variety of machines, ranging from the best-selling compact Weeke BHX 050 machining centre to the higher end specification Weeke Vantage 100/710 nesting router.
With over 3000 sold, the Weeke BHX 050 is one of the most popular drilling and routing CNCs in the UK market. It can process panels as small as 200 x 70 x 12mm up to panels sized 2500 x 850 x 60mm. However, there is also an option to increase this working length to 3050mm.
The Weeke BHX 055 is the 050’s big brother and will also be demonstrated at the open house. It was the success of the BHX 050 that prompted Weeke to develop a higher specified version, the BHX 055. This powerhouse has all the benefits of the original 050 but includes automatic adjustment of workpiece thickness, a maximum working length up to 3050mm and 13 vertical spindles as standard.
The Weeke BHX 200 marks the next generation of powerful CNC drilling and routing machinery. It boasts considerably faster machining speeds than the 50 or the 55, yet still maintains the same high levels of precision, despite its small size. The machine can be equipped with two individually movable high-speed drilling heads which activate a total of 36 high-speed drilling spindles enabling, for example, rows of holes to be processed considerably faster.
Two Weeke nesting machines will be demonstrated – the 100/710 and the 43M. The Weeke Vantage 43M is a gantry-style CNC machine which ensures the highest precision over the entire working width. It has a 10ft x 4ft matrix table with the gantry travelling at a vector speed X/Y of 80m/minute, making it very fast and efficient.
This machine is perfect for nesting and general machining as it comes as standard with a powerful four axis controlled router head, an impressive toolchanger capacity and a large drill block with vertical and horizontal drills, as well as an X and Y direction grooving saw.
The Weeke Vantage 100/710 on display at the open house is for jumbo sheet nesting. It is equipped with an infeed lift table, push off and table sweep system, and an outfeed conveyor belt to provide a fully automatic throughfeed nesting cell. It comes with a powerful 12hp (9kW) HSK routing spindle as standard (optionally upgradeable to 16hp [12kW]) and a vertical drill block with automatic toolchanger for fast, versatile and efficient conversion of raw boards into fully machined components.
Another powerful Weeke workhorse being shown at the open house is the ABD 260 drilling and dowel inserting machine. This machine can be used on its own or to complement the nesting models where horizontal drilling and dowelling is required.
It delivers controlled and clear-cut results through the use of a vibrating hopper, fed from the top of the machine. Controlled with Homag’s user-friendly woodWOP software, the ABD260 can cope with one-off components as easily as high production runs. The machine drills, glues and inserts dowels horizontally at a rapid rate and can also drill vertically lending itself nicely to ‘knock down’ products.
CNCs for solid wood processing
The Weeke BMG 211/32/12/K four axis CNC processing centre is particularly impressive thanks to its high configuration. It is ideal for machining components such as doors, door frames, solid wood components and complex furniture parts. The machine comes with Homag’s tubeless vacuum clamping system as standard. This means workpieces can be securely held with a mix of vacuum pods and clamps to cope with even the most complex components.
Also, it is very easy to change from job to job with minimal downtime.
Last but not least will be the Homag BMG 311/42/F/K. It is part of a range of heavy duty gantry processing centres which provides state-of-the-art CNC solutions for furniture, window, door and stair manufacturers. This five-axis machine has an impressive specification including Homag’s LED positioning system for fast, accurate adjustment of the vacuum pods and rails, a heavy duty five-axis router head and a large drill block for drilling vertically and horizontally.
The BMG 311 will be producing various five-axis machined workpieces throughout the event demonstrating its complete versatility.
With programming software now recognised as perhaps more important than the machine itself, Homag UK will be demonstrating its array of software systems for nesting, solid wood processing, furniture design and production.
“If you’re considering investing in CNC technology, this open house is a must,” enthuses Simon Brooks. He continues: “To enable customers to afford brand new equipment, our Homag Finance team will be available throughout the open house to give advice on investment plans and provide solutions tailored to individual needs. Cash flow is crucial in order for a business to thrive, but there’s no reason to let it impede expansion plans,” concludes Brooks.
To reserve a place at the Homag open house over the 11th and 12th May, call Adele Hunt on 01332 856424.
01332 856500
