As CNC machining continues to transform cabinet manufacturing, manufacturers increasingly require complete solutions that integrate seamlessly with advanced machining centres, enabling complex components to be produced accurately with minimal manual intervention.
A recent collaboration between Wealden Tool Company and Felder UK demonstrates how specialist tooling and machine expertise can come together to meet those demands. With more than 40 years’ experience designing and manufacturing woodworking tooling, Wealden supports professional users with a range of CNC tooling, router cutters, sawblades and spindle tooling.
The challenge
The project centred on Wealden’s In- Frame Door System – a specialist tooling package that enables manufacturers to produce an in-frame door complete with a cock-beaded frame from a single sheet of MDF on a 3-axis CNC machine. Felder UK invited Wealden to its showroom after a customer expressed strong interest in incorporating the system into production using the new Format4 Profit 60N CNC machining centre. Before recommending the solution, Felder’s technical team wanted to validate the tooling’s compatibility with its machinery, assess machining quality and ensure the system could be confidently supported for the end user.
Meeting the brief
Representing Wealden was Technical Representative Simon Arthrell, who worked alongside Felder UK’s CNC Technical Product Managers Dave Whiteside and Toby Patch, together with Showroom Manager Dan Higgins. The objective was to provide Felder’s engineering team with a comprehensive understanding of the In-Frame Door System, covering its capabilities, setup procedures and production efficiencies. Crucially, the demonstration would ensure the tooling could be fully integrated into the customer’s production workflow.
From software to shopfloor
Preparation began before the demonstration itself, with Simon assisting Dave in integrating the In-Frame Door System into Felder’s F4 Integrate software.
A sample door set was produced and machining parameters refined before progressing to a full nested sheet. The tooling was programmed parametrically within the software, enabling door sets to be generated consistently and efficiently. The practical demonstration explored every aspect of the system, from cutter geometry and corner shaping to the Panel Corner profiling tool that produces the finished profile.
Simon and Dave also evaluated spindle speeds, feed rates and extraction requirements to optimise performance on the Format4 machine. Felder’s engineers then operated the tooling themselves under Simon’s guidance, assessing the ease of setup, machining quality and repeatability in a realistic production environment.
Proven performance
The demonstration successfully achieved all of its technical objectives, providing a clear proof of concept for the customer. Felder’s engineering team confirmed that the Wealden In-Frame Door System met the company’s demanding standards for profile accuracy, surface finish and processing speed. Armed with first-hand experience of the tooling configuration, Felder was able to validate the complete machinery and tooling package required by its customer, ensuring confidence in both performance and production readiness.
A stronger technical partnership
Beyond validating a single application, the project strengthened the technical partnership between Wealden Tool Company and Felder UK. By combining specialist tooling expertise with advanced CNC technology, the collaboration streamlined future cross-brand customer support while demonstrating the benefits of close cooperation between machine manufacturers and tooling specialists.
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