Following installation of an AXYZ 6010 CNC router in October of last year, Waltham Abbey, Essex-based B2B Exhibitions has been able to take on a huge amount of additional work that has contributed significantly to the company’s future growth prospects.
B2B Exhibitions owner Greg Shire commenced business seven years ago as a single-person enterprise, operating initially out of his garage. As business developed, he moved to the present 3500ft2 facility, employing a full-time staff of five and using up to 20 additional part-time employees, contingent upon the level of work in progress, at any given time.
B2B Exhibitions specialises in the bespoke fabrication of exhibition stands, special event promotional displays and shopfitting units. The AXYZ router is used for virtually all of the company’s output, ranging from the processing of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) for the production of furniture, melamine-faced boards for high-end exhibition stand elements and fabricated Perspex acrylic sheets. Greg Shire comments: “Since installation of the router, we have been able to take on much more work, to the extent that it has been possible to set up a new business called cncwarehouse.co.uk to fully maximise the router’s capabilities.”
The AXYZ 6010 installed at B2B Exhibitions has a processing area of 2159mm (width) x 3048mm (length). It also incorporates the AXYZ Automatic Tool Change (ATC) and the AXYZ Vision System (AVS) production tools. Greg Shire adds: “The router also includes special pop-up pins on either side of the machine bed.
“These ensure that successive sheets of material are always located in the same position on the bed, while the AVS provides precise alignment of the program with any printed graphics to ensure optimum routing/cutting accuracy and a perfectly finished end product.”
In common with all AXYZ routers, the 6010 can be supplied with additional machining options. These include the AXYZ Auto Zone Management facility that ensures the material being processed is always held securely during the routing/cutting process and the latest A2MC machine control system.
“The A2MC system has a massive 16GB memory for program storage, as well as providing network connectivity for error-free program transfer. A further optional production tool enhancement is the latest helical rack and pinion drive system.
“This incorporates a multiple gear teeth configuration that helps spread the workload more evenly, leading to greater cutting accuracy, faster throughput speeds, reduced material wastage and ultimately a longer than normal machine life.
Included in a number of high-end projects that involved the use of the AXYZ 6010 router was a special pop-up shop created for optics specialist Leica. Greg Shire continues: “The entire structure was made from plywood that was cut by the router, with a MDF frontage that was painted to simulate the appearance of brick.
“The router was also used internally to build the B2B office that is made of wood. It involved the processing of 150 sheets of 18mm hardwood ply over a period of four days.”
As to the service provided by AXYZ International, Greg Shire concludes: “The service has been exceptional and the advice and problem-solving support freely given was of particular benefit to our business.”
01952 291600
www.axyz.com
01992 713202
www.b2bexhibitionsltd.com
