Established in 2008, Trade CNC prides itself in offering the complete package that any customer could want from a CNC routing business. Its ever-increasing reputation has been built on the solid foundations of quality, professionalism and innovation driven by its founding directors.
“Our passion is to ensure we provide our customers with over and above what they expect. We’re not just any manufacturer, we’re a design-led manufacturer,” Paul Dodd, MD of Trade CNC explains. “When customers come to us, we’re able to completely transform their timber work into great products. We design, fully assemble and arrange the complete logistics of their products – we offer the full package.”
Setting the stall for a productive future
“2014 was a milestone year for us. After careful analysis from the company directors, it was clear that if we were to keep up with the demand and potential opportunities within the market, we needed to automate the most time-consuming of processes within our production.”
“Of course when investing in new machinery we instinctively did our research to ensure we acquired the best in the industry. For us this wasn’t difficult. Renowned for their well engineered, flawless German-quality built machinery, the brand name of Homag alone sets them head and shoulders above the rest – it was an unquestionable decision.
Weeke BHX 050 – fast and accurate automated drilling and routing
“Our initial investment saw the introduction of a Brandt Ambition 1110F and Weeke BHX 050. Right from the off they opened the doors to greater opportunities. Trade CNC began winning contracts that we never would have even considered nor been able to manage before. From using desktop edgebanders to having flexible production at our fingertips, the transformation in the quality of edgebanding was priceless.
“Prior to the BHX, we had to drill certain items by hand. One contract alone required 16,000 holes to be produced all of which were done manually. However, as soon as the BHX 050 was introduced to our production, it became a whole different ball game. The process became remarkably quicker and the accuracy of the results were second to none.
“The time saved by automating both the edgebanding and drilling processes gave the business the expansion and business openings we could have only have dreamed of before.”
Taking the next step…
“The following year, we once again took to the drawing board to see how we could enhance the technologies at Trade CNC further – having considered the cost implications to upgrade and improve our existing flatbed nesting machine, it was evident that not only was the machine outdated but we simply could not justify an expenditure only in hope that it would keep up with the production levels we intend to achieve.
“Even though our original machine is still in production, we decided to invest in a brand new CNC processing centre that had the capacity to fulfil our wildest expectations.”
“Our decision to stick with Homag for this investment was purely down to a number of key factors – one of the main driven reasons to continue our loyalty was based on the support we receive from both sales and service.
“When we call, we can always speak to the hotline. Any problems, questions and queries we have, are always answered and solved efficiently. The importance of a seamless flow in production is vital when manufacturing – we need to know we’ve got someone to rely on. This is when Homag steps in – they’re our lifeline.
“We also wanted to remain consistent with our software programming and Homag provides just that – their woodWOP software application is so easy to use and as it is compatible with other Homag equipment, it meant we would be able to reap even more benefits within the manufacturing process and our existing machinery.
Weeke Vantage 100 CNC – increased production by 53% for Trade CNC
“Investing in the Weeke Vantage 100 instantly propelled Trade CNC into new dimensions. Straight away we had the facility to machine 10ft sheets, increasing our scale in production dramatically. The introduction of a 14-place tool changer and FLEX-5 axis took the flexibility of our production processes to new levels, achieving and creating intricate 3D work to a standard and detail we’ve been unable to offer before.
“We also opted for the automatic push-off device for the Vantage 100. This conveyor belt removes all the machined parts from the matrix table allowing the operator to load another sheet ready for the next batch to be processed immediately. Overall this facility has increased our production by 53%.
“Previously the loading and offloading responsibility was down to our operators – we were experiencing at least 10 minutes loss in production due to manual handling whereas now the same process takes a matter of 30 seconds.”
Support when it’s needed most…
“Homag Finance make it easy. Naturally for a small company like ours, purchasing new machinery is no small commitment. Homag Finance have been involved with all three of our purchases and having the support from a team who not only understand our business but also our financial needs, is very reassuring.
“The future for Trade CNC looks very positive and the decision to automate the key processes that the business relies on couldn’t have been more successful. With the helping hand of Brandt and Weeke, they’ve allowed us to outstrip certain costs and achieve results we could only have imagined. By the end of the year we aim to have achieved a complete return on the Vantage 100 investment and for a small company like us, that’s a fantastic achievement.”
Seal of approval
“We always invest heavily in products that we believe will be most beneficial to achieving above and beyond what our customers expect, therefore ensuring that we have top end design software and manufacturing facilities is one of our key priorities in ensuring this happens.
“At Trade CNC we offer our visitors the opportunity to see our factory subsequently where their products are made – it’s on a regular occurrence visitors will comment on our Homag Group machinery and its distinguished high quality results. This gives us great pride in knowing that we really did invest in the best,” concludes Paul.
For more information, or a demonstration of any of the machines from the Homag Group, contact Adele Hunt at Homag UK on 01332 856424.
