Simon Brooks, sales and marketing director of Homag UK is delighted with the progress that has been made this year, “It would be very easy for a company the size of Homag to rest on its laurels, but thankfully that is just not in the German’s nature. Their engineers are always pushing the boundaries and looking for new solutions to woodworking challenges. This was underlined at Ligna earlier in the year when they pulled out all the stops to put on the company’s best display yet.
“If I had to pick the three most significant launches for the UK market at Ligna they would definitely be Brandt’s low cost solution for zero joints, airTec; the compact yet powerful Weeke BHX 200 drilling centre and Homag’s new operating system, powerTouch which enables all group machines to be operated using the same interface.
On trend – zero joint technology
“The demand for zero joints continues unabated and naturally this has been a key development for Homag. The Group already has its well-established laserTec solutions for industrial-sized producers; for smaller businesses, however, this system is not economically viable.
“To address this, Brandt has developed a revolutionary technology – airTec. The airTec unit is available for all machines from series 1400 to 1800 and can be retro-fitted to some models following inspection.
“Since its launch we have had unprecedented interest in the system and at our October open house it was the star of the show. For small to medium sized manufacturers, it really does open up a whole new world of possibilities, attracting new customers wanting high quality solutions.”
The next generation – compact vertical CNC technology
“The Weeke BHX 200 CNC processing centre is the big brother to the hugely popular BHX 050/055 series. Using the same vertical machining style, the BHX 200 offers considerably faster machining speeds whilst maintaining high levels of precision in a small footprint.
“It is equipped with two individually movable high-speed drilling heads which activate a total of 34 high-speed drilling spindles – 20 vertical and 14 horizontal – enabling, for example, rows of holes to be processed considerably faster. As standard, the BHX 200 is equipped with two CNC-controlled clamping devices to position and fix the workpieces during operation.
One for all and all for one
“One of the most versatile innovations at Ligna was the introduction of powerTouch – a single operating system that controls all Homag Group machines using the same interface. With a widescreen HD multi-touch monitor, powerTouch combines design and function to create a user-friendly system controlled entirely by direct touch.
“Using Homag Group brands as standard across a factory floor creates a simple yet efficient work process. The ultra-modern user interface offers an array of help and assistance functions designed to radically simplify the work experience. Now, with the introduction of powerTouch, it’s even easier for personnel to operate every machine without having to learn different operating systems.
Automated solutions – driven by efficiency
“One of the hottest topics this year has been automation. Small and large manufacturers alike are looking for ways to reduce costs and improve quality. The best way to achieve this is through automation.
“Group company Ligmatech, introduced its latest advancements in automation, assembly and packaging technology during the year. Amongst its many popular innovations were robotic solutions that increase throughput by automating production lines.
“Whether sanding, cutting, edge processing, drilling, milling, assembling, packing or commissioning – robots can give you a real edge in production processes, whatever the type of manufacturing – batch size one, small series or serial production.
“Innovative feeding and stacking systems or ’pick amd place’ applications provide a high capacity with maximum repeat accuracy and outstanding precision. With robots already available, Ligmatech is in the midst of creating robotic technology for all aspects of the production line. The key advantages of these developments are in the reduction of manual handling which in turn, increases efficiency, accuracy and improves health and safety.
Store and Saw – stock where you want it, when you want it
“Homag Group’s power duo, the Bargstedt TLF 210 storage system and Holzma 3 series saws have proved very popular in 2013. Accurate, efficient and easy to use, this dynamic duo has already exceeded double figures for sales in the UK.
“Store and Saw (SAS) provides customers with an efficient, automated system that saves time and money whilst producing high quality results. The TLF 210 maximises productivity, minimises downtime and saves valuable factory floor space. Small and large companies specialising in low batch, make-to-order production, using various board types, colours and sizes, find that this system is a real money saver. When coupled with a Holzma saw, the results are a high throughput rate without compromising quality and accuracy.”
Paul Watson, managing director of shopfitting and office furniture manufacturer S W Watson, is a fan, commenting:“To be honest, it wasn’t until I saw the TLF 210 storage system actually working in Germany that I fully realised the potential for our business. And, although we have only had it installed for a few months, it is clear that the Bargstedt/ Holzma combination has revolutionised our production process.
Accurate Stock Control
“From the moment the boards arrive and are entered onto the system we know exactly what we have in stock. We don’t have to go out and physically count them, the system keeps track of not only what we use, but also what off-cuts are stored as the boards are cut.
“Early results show that we have increased the cutting volumes by 30-40% and, because we can now store more boards in a smaller area, we have saved around 2000ft2 of floor space.”
Eco-friendly – 30% energy savings
The pressure on manufacturers to become even more environmentally aware is, quite rightly, immense. To help its customers, the Homag Group has developed ecoPlus. Designed to save energy, time, material and human resources, ecoPlus enhances productivity and substantially reduces costs.
Simon Brooks again: “Using the latest control technologies, smart standby systems, efficient suction concepts and reduced compressed air consumption, ecoPlus can reduce machine energy consumption by up to 30% per year.”
2014 – An exciting prospect
“It is impossible to cover all the innovations and developments that the Homag Group has introduced over the last 12 months. Hopefully, however, we have given you a glimpse of the major announcements from the Group.
“That said, there is so much more to discover which could give your business an edge in the race to remain competitive. So, we’d strongly recommend a visit to the Homag UK showroom at Castle Donington where our team of enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff will be delighted to take you through the advances that have been made in Homag equipment across the entire group.
“As for the future, the mood inside the Homag Group continues to be one of excitement and enthusiasm for what has yet to be achieved. Our UK team is keen to develop new relationships, particularly with small- to medium-sized businesses and we will be launching a new initiative to help this sector of the market in 2014, so watch this space. Finally, we’d like to say a very big thank you to all our customers and suppliers for their support in 2013,” concludes Simon.
Tel 01332 856500
