Since its inception in 1954, Mumford & Wood has built a proven reputation for delivering consistently very high quality and innovative timber window and door systems.
With a turnover in the region of £10m, the company is skilled in everything from the replication of heritage design in conservation areas to the creation of modern, contemporary products to satisfy today’s designers.
“Our customers are very discerning,” claims Mike Harris, Mumford & Wood’s managing director. He continues: “They expect a first class product that looks the part, is energy efficient and will last to provide value for money.
“To be able to deliver this we have always believed in the importance of investing in first class machinery and people. We have used Homag equipment for many years, so when it came to replacing an old Reichenbacher CNC Homag was top of our list. Before making our decision, however, we did due diligence in the market talking with several other manufacturers to find the best solution for our needs.
“In the final analysis, we chose Homag for several reasons. Firstly, none of the other companies seemed to have the level of experience and knowledge to help us specify the precise machine for our requirements.
“Homag were fantastic, both here in the UK and over in Germany. They asked really intelligent questions to find out exactly what we wanted the machine to do and as a consequence we were able to tailor the Homag BMG 611 five-axis CNC to our own unique specification.
“Secondly, our operators were already familiar with the woodWOP software. They felt it was the best in the market so, if at all possible, there was a desire to stick with that known quatity. WoodWOP is one of the best software solutions we have seen for a very long time.”
Shaped windows and doors
“Our old CNC was used for making our shaped windows and doors and we wanted the replacement machine to be capable of producing more demanding shaped products quickly and efficiently. It had to be a robust and reliable solution because we can’t afford to let our customers down.
“These days, customers tend to have very precise schedules which we have to meet; late delivery can mean expensive delays to building program and if we’re late delivering, it reflects very badly on us.
“Our experience of Homag machinery has always been good. German engineering is second to none and their equipment is totally reliable. This was highlighted when we went out to Germany to see the machine at the factory and also at a couple of reference sites where the BMG was being used in a working environment.
“Since the BMG 611 has been installed its reliability has been absolutely outstanding. Yes, there were a couple of minor teething issues, but since then it has unfailingly delivered high quality work for us.”
Craftsman’s quality
“With skilled craftsmen harder to find, we are putting more and more work onto the BMG 611 because, with its five-axis head, it can handle complex tasks quickly and consistently. Also, the easy-to-use software enables us to program the machine accurately so there is very little follow on work that we have to do when a door or window comes off the machine.
“So far we haven’t found anything we can’t do on the machine in terms of the complexity of work. Recently we did a window with a curved on plan, curved head (a convex bubble like window) which in the past we wouldn’t have had the confidence to do.
“Our experience of the software and previous four-axis machines has meant that it has been relatively easy for us to maximise the potential of the BMG 611, but its ability to handle complex jobs efficiently still surprises us.
“The machine has enabled us to achieve some of the more fanciful ideas that architects dream up these days. That has given us tremendous confidence in pitching for new work because we know that with the BMG we can deliver the concept that the customer is looking for.”
Return on investment
“In some ways, Homag almost undersold the machine, because it can do a lot more than we’d originally anticipated. Also, as far as return on investment is concerned, we originally planned for a two year payback, but in reality it looks like it will be achieved in a significantly shorter time frame,
“As for Homag UK, they understand the problems that we as manufacturers have and can therefore help design the machine to give the best possible value that they can provide. There’s nothing held back, they’re very open and honest and if you’re the same with them they come up with what we believe is the best solution possible,” concludes Mike Harris.
For more information, or a demonstration, of any of the Homag five-axis machines, contact Adele Dixon on 01332 856424.
