The Homag Centateq S-800 CNC – advanced production opportunities for David Salisbury
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David Salisbury Joinery is an award-winning manufacturer of world-class timber orangeries and garden rooms. With a turnover of around £16m, the company’s 3000m2 facility in Somerset is a subject of great pride. Clients are encouraged to visit the factory to see for themselves the design and engineering involved in the manufacture of their products.
Andrew Clarke, manufacturing manager for David Salisbury Joinery, explains the company’s philosophy: “When David Salisbury established the business in 1995, his aim was to create an outstanding joinery business that would set the standards for high-end bespoke timber buildings.
“Part of David’s strategy was investing in automated machinery. As a joinery business, therefore, we have always been at the forefront of CNC adoption. The company invested in its first five-axis CNC router in 2004, followed closely by an additional twin-table robot-fed machine a few years later.
Time to upgrade
“Those CNCs continue to serve us well, but during the intervening years technology related to our window and door production has moved on considerably. As a consequence, we felt the time was right to further enhance our CNC portfolio, by replacing our aging throughfeed window line and original CNC router. This would enable us to continue to set a very high bar for our products.
“Upgrading this machinery requires significant investment and so it was critically important that we investigated this meticulously to ensure the best long-term outcome for David Salisbury.
“Initial research focused on three potential CNC manufacturers, and arriving at our final decision wasn’t easy. However, when we considered our three key drivers – stability of the parent company, UK service and support infrastructure, and build quality of the CNCs – one company stood head and shoulders above the rest.
Homag’s Centateq P-600 and Centateq S-800 CNCs
“Homag’s worldwide reputation as the market leader won its place on our shortlist. It was, however, the exceptional performance of the CNCs recommended, combined with the level of knowledge and enthusiasm of its team, and the company’s comprehensive service support, that cemented the deal.
“We were really impressed with the people at Homag – in particular Phil Pitchford, who went to great lengths to understand exactly what we wanted to achieve. It was his knowledge and experience that enabled us to specify with total confidence the two machines we ordered.
Bespoke Oak Orangery from David Salisbury – www.davidsalisbury.com
“To handle our core joinery elements – windows, doors and frames – we settled on the Homag Centateq S-800 CNC. We were impressed by this machine’s gripping and clamping technology, which will open up new opportunities for us to design and build more cutting-edge structures.
“This CNC also has a small footprint compared to the competition. Despite this, it delivers high performance with parallel processing of multiple components and efficient tool changes.
“For our ancillary products, such as decorative items and elaborate facings, we opted for the Centateq P-600 CNC. This machine will be used for 3- and 5-axis work, enabling us to produce shaped components such as curved rafters for dome roofs, and curved doors and windows, as well as elaborate glazing bars, more efficiently.
Flexibility, consistency and control
“Another huge positive of partnering with Homag is its woodWOP software. This industry-leading system provides a simple solution for programming and is perfect for special window shapes, door leaves and ancillary components.
“It interfaces with our own bespoke Window Builder design software developed by David Salisbury, and so it is set to become the software that underpins our entire manufacturing process.
“To improve our production control, consistency and flexibility further still, we have added a number of software options to the package, including the CAD-CAM plugins, woodMotion, woodScout and collisionControl.
Accuracy drives quality and throughput
“The accuracy of these new Homag CNCs is outstanding – they will enable us to push the boundaries and make significant gains in quality and throughput. The woodWOP software will enable our operators to modify and adapt complicated jobs in real time on the machines without having to refer to the office team. This is especially important for us as we run two shifts, where at times there is no office support available.
“To be honest, we cannot wait for these two new CNCs to be installed. They are going to make such a massive difference to our capabilities, raising our output quality and quantity to even greater heights,” concludes Andrew.
For a demonstration or more information on Homag’s Centateq CNC machines, contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424.
