In modern woodworking, precision and efficiency are paramount. Furniture & Joinery Production spoke with Richard Ilendo, Managing Director of London-based Rai Developments, to explore how the Evolution 7402 from Holz-Her is redefining panel processing. Compact yet powerful, this enhanced machine delivers exceptional results with remarkable speed and versatility, making it a game-changer for workshops of all sizes.
The Evolution 7402 boasts a footprint of less than five square metres, yet it offers full four-sided panel formatting, back wall grooving, and comprehensive connector hole drilling. This efficiency allows operators to maximise productivity in limited space, streamlining the entire machining process while maintaining outstanding accuracy. With an intuitive design, operators can choose whether to return finished workpieces to the loading station for seamless one-person operation or allow continuous production in throughput mode. This flexibility delivers workflow efficiency, catering to both small-scale artisans and high-volume manufacturers alike.
Richard said: “For our clients, timely delivery is just as critical as precision, and extending the timeline by a year simply isn’t an option. By keeping everything in-house, we have full control over production schedules, ensuring efficiency and quality without compromise.”
Holz-Her’s Evolution series stable roller conveyors and supports ensure precise and gentle transport of workpieces, while the in-feed table allows for exact presetting for format dimensioning. Whether handling panels up to 2,500mm in length without additional supports and 920mm in width or processing delicate pieces as small as 200mm x 70 mm, this machine delivers precise results every time. The Ecovacs system enhances material protection while offering energy efficiency, the vacuum system ensures optimal handling of various panel types, including sensitive solid surfaces and composite materials. The ability to adjust vacuum settings based on workpiece shape further demonstrates the Evolution 7402’s intelligent adaptability.
The flexibility granted by the Holz-Her Evolution 7402, played a pivotal role across multiple aspects of RAI Developments’ projects. From cutting doors with Tectus and standard hinges to crafting timber grilles, tables, and other intricate designs, the machine’s capabilities have significantly expanded production potential.
“The machine is very flexible,” continues Richard. “Once you start thinking outside the box, you discover new ways to use it that aren’t even listed in the manual! This allowed us to push the machine’s functionality beyond standard expectations.”
Equipped with a fully loaded drill head, the Evolution 7402 Format facilitates both horizontal and vertical drilling, as well as precision grooving. The optional XL drill head expands these capabilities, offering even greater flexibility. Additionally, the machine can accommodate an 8.5mm grooving disc for seamless furniture component production, ensuring faster and more efficient panel machining. The Quattro HSK package includes a four-position automatic tool changer serving a powerful 10.3 KW electro-spindle.
For enhanced precision and flexibility, a built-in laser measurement system ensures pinpoint accuracy when drilling into pre-edged workpieces, automatically compensating for fluctuations in edge thickness.
Holz-Her integrates cutting-edge software solutions to complement the machine’s mechanics. The CAMPUS software package provides a range of pre-tested macros for effortless operation, while the innovative ‘easy snaps’ function ensures accurate programming reference points, eliminating machining errors and reducing material waste. The laser plausibility check offers an extra layer of precision, verifying workpiece height and comparing it against the active machining programme. This smart feature minimises operator errors, increasing efficiency while preserving valuable materials.
Holz-Her’s open interface technology enables seamless data transfer from leading CAD/CAM software. Whether designing a kitchen layout or crafting bespoke furniture components, the Evolution 7402 integrates effortlessly with post-processors, ensuring a smooth transition from digital design to physical production.
One of the standout reasons for choosing the Holz-Her Evolution 7402 over other manufacturers was its unique vacuum cup system, which eliminated the need for traditional clamping that inevitably causes exclusion zones. By using vacuum, all sizing can be completed in one operation, thus delivering extra accuracy, flexibility and saving time.
“Holz-Her’s vacuum-based clamping system is unmatched,” said Richard. “Other machines use grippers, which come with severe limitations. With Holz-Her, you can securely hold materials in place without compromising precision. I researched extensively, and no other manufacturer does it like this.”
This flexibility allowed Rai Developments to take on unique, large-scale projects, including the production of 130 individually shaped timber fins for a ceiling installation, creating a wave effect. The Evolution uses an automatic re-clamping process, a standard feature, the X machining dimension is infinite.
“We machined 130 unique, six-metre-long timber fins, each shaped differently to create the wave effect,” Richard explained. “This project alone covered nearly half of the machine’s cost.”
Ultimately, the acquisition of the Holz-Her Evolution 7402 has transformed Rai Developments’ production capabilities, enabling it to accept and execute complex commissions with confidence.
Richard concluded: “We’re very happy with the Holz-Her Evolution 7402. It has given us greater control, increased efficiency, and allowed us to take on projects we previously wouldn’t have been able to do.”
In the past, sourcing a workshop with the necessary six-metre CNC capacity would have been a significant challenge. Now, with the machine in-house, Rai Developments has the autonomy to produce exceptional results efficiently and consistently, ensuring a competitive edge in the woodworking industry.
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