Mount Industries has been manufacturing quality furniture for over 40 years. Based in Eastleigh, Hampshire, the company takes great pride and passion in every single piece of furniture it makes. Mount is a social enterprise for the charity Enham Trust in Enham Alamein near Andover. Over the course of nearly 100 years, the Trust has helped over 20,000 disabled people in the cornerstone areas of their lives – care, housing and employment.
“We only use quality raw materials in the manufacture of our product range,” explains Darren Pottinger, operations manager for the business. He continues: “And we have invested heavily in technically advanced machinery and software that enables us to respond to bespoke requests and ensures that our products are finished to the highest standard.
“The machinery we use not only has to be reliable and provide first class quality results, but it must also be easy to operate for our workforce which includes many disabled people.”
Selecting the right machinery
“Early in 2015 we recognised the need to make significant investment in new equipment as our existing saw, edgebander and CNC were no longer keeping pace with our expansion. The saw in particular, was very old and whilst we were very happy with our Weeke Venture 3 CNC, we needed more capacity.
“After considering options for the three machines and talking in depth with Andy Potter from Homag UK, we decided to opt for a package from the Homag Group which included a Holzma HPP 300 beam saw, a Weeke Venture 220M CNC and a Brandt Ambition 1660 edgebander.
“Andy was really helpful; he made sure that not only did we get the right specification machines for our current and future requirements, but he also brokered a really attractive deal for us.”
Holzma HPP 300 beam saw
Although the Holzma HPP 300 beam saw is the base model of the 300 series, its specification is anything but basic. It is a compact and powerful saw featuring an 80mm saw blade projection, an exceptionally smooth running saw carriage and low energy consumption.
Optional extras include increased cutting height, ascending and vertical post forming packages, pneumatic trim stops, manual angle cuts, high precision laser guide beam, kerfing, a label printer, a stress-release cut option and Magi-Cut optimisation software.
Brandt Ambition 1660 FGC and Weeke Venture 220M
The Brandt Ambition 1660 FGC is a single-sided edgebander fully equipped for processing panels from 8 – 60mm in thickness at feed speeds from 8 – 18m/min. Configured with heavy duty pre-milling units, a pre-melting device for continuous, controlled glue flow, a robust pressure zone and units for trimming and finishing of edges (from 0.4 – 12mm in thickness, in coil or strip form), the 1660 FGC can handle anything thrown at it. The automation package permits fast, accurate change overs whilst a grooving unit adds an extra level of productivity to the machine.
At the heart of Mount Industries production facility is the powerful Weeke Venture 220M CNC router. With a working width of 1600mm it handles all of the company’s panel requirements and is capable of routing, drilling (vertical and horizontal) and grooving in the x and y directions.
The Venture 220M is equipped with a 12kW four axis router motor, 19 tool positions, 18 drills, a grooving saw and Weeke’s tubeless vacuum clamping system for 100mm high vacuum cups, so it can cover all of Mount Industries’ machining requirements.
Software – the key to success
Darren Pottinger again: “Whilst the price was clearly important for us, we also placed a very high priority on practicality. We wanted a simple interface that would enable our workforce to operate the machinery easily. Homag’s woodWOP and Magi-Cut optimising software are very intuitive. Magi-Cut enables us to do all the sizing work in the office and then send the job direct to the saw, so it’s very efficient and saves time.
“Once the new equipment was installed our team had software training at Castle Donington on the Magi-Cut software and then two days training at our factory for both the Holzma saw and Brandt edgebander.
“The training enabled our team to hit the ground running and the results they are accomplishing with the new machinery are first class. The Homag equipment is extremely reliable and the quality of the finished work pieces more than meets our expectations.
“The dependability of the machines gives us peace of mind too. All the machines run reliably and on the odd occasion there is an issue, Homag’s superb after sales service means it is quickly put right.”
A partnership with Homag UK
“With these new machines we can handle more complex jobs than before and also deliver bigger contracts in less time which in itself will help us attract new customers to the business.
“It’s not just about the machines though; for us, the relationship with Homag UK is critically important. The team at Castle Donington are all very helpful; they are open and honest, making dealing with them a pleasure. Their technical liaison man, Kevin Kay, is particularly supportive which is a great help when it comes to getting the best out of the equipment,” concludes Darren.
For more information or a demonstration of any of the Homag Group machinery or software, please contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424.
01332 856500
www.homag-uk.co.uk
