Input Joinery has its sights firmly set on the future. Family-run for 45 years, the bespoke window and door manufacturer has navigated its way through economic uncertainty, a global pandemic and more recently, a growing skills shortage. But how has the Andover-based manufacturer achieved this and what is behind its success? Its unwavering approach to innovation and willingness to accept change has been at the core of its business model since 1979 and has continued to influence its recent 1 million investment project and the purchase of its second Conturex CNC single component production system from German machinery manufacturer, Weinig UK.
“My father started the business from a chicken shed in the late 70’s,” begins Martin Ruddick, Co-Owner of Input Joinery. “It grew from a window priming business to a fully-fledged bespoke joinery business that today specialises in the design, supply and installation of bespoke hardwood windows and traditional, made-to-measure timber doors, staircases and conservatories for the developer and retail market. We pride ourselves on our ability to diversify and evolve, but we couldn’t do this alone.”
It's this commitment to future-proofing that started the company’s relationship with Weinig over 30 years ago. “Back in the early 90s, to enhance our position in the retail market and to help us with a surge in orders, we invested in a Weinig UniControl window line. At the time, it was the best bit of kit on the market but the whole manufacturing process was very labour-intensive and involved hours of machining. We needed five machines to complete one window and skilled workers to operate them.”
The drawn-out process, which ultimately caused a bottleneck in production and wasted man-hours, was behind the forward-thinking company’s decision to invest in its first Weinig Conturex 124. The single-cell window and door machine offered complete processing in one clamping process – making light work of small batch sizes and challenging profiles – whilst requiring no jigs or fixtures when switching between components. “The technology allowed us to put a piece of timber onto the machine and, without any intervention, come off the other end fully profiled, with locks and housing done and assembled - ready for the paint shop.”
It was clear that this machine had the potential to take the joinery business to the next level but the country was in the midst of a banking crisis and it was hitting the industry hard. “We revisited the numbers,” explains Mark Fisher, MD and Co-Owner of Input Joinery. “At first glance, people might have questioned why we decided to still invest but it was the machine’s innovation that helped us decide to move forward with our plans. Martin and I looked at the cost of the machine, its capabilities and the benefits it could bring to our production. With the addition of an external tool changer and another head, it made financial sense to purchase the machine and aren’t we glad we did. 12 years later, it’s still integral to our business and with the original tooling from Oertli.”
The introduction of the Conturex 124 saw immediate cost-saving benefits at a time when companies were looking at ways to tighten their belts. Martin says, “It replaced five traditional machines - including mortisers & tenoners - and allowed us to re-train the machinery operators in other areas of the business. It also freed up large amounts of floor space.”
The speed and accuracy of the machine saw turnover increase by 30% and helped Input Joinery improve efficiencies across the board, whilst combating the growing skills shortage. “This machine is great at single and small batch production,” says Martin. “Nothing we do is standard, so batch sizes, shapes and sizes can vary massively and orders range from one-off designs to orders of over 200 windows at a time. These can now be batched and machined together seamlessly, with the Conturex 124 automatically switching between parts with zero change-over time.”
Martin continues, “It was considerably more difficult to production plan before the Conturex 124. We might have had one person marking out, another couple of people mortising and tenoning and another manning the window line. The process was never synced, with each process taking different lengths of time to complete. Each time we needed to start a new style or one-off design, we’d have to start from scratch. The Conturex’s high level of automation and simple operation allowed us to streamline production and reduce our reliance on skilled labour.”
Never a company to rest on its laurels, Martin says, “You’re only as strong as your weakest point. When it comes to manufacturing, investing in different areas of the business is continuous in some shape or form.” 15 years on and with the business going from strength to strength, Martin and Mark have invested in a second Conturex to run alongside the existing Conturex 124 in a bid to increase production efficiencies further. Mark says, “Since Covid, we’ve made a conscious decision to future-proof our business. We didn’t want to leave ourselves vulnerable to breakdowns so, as part of a £1million invest project, we bought a new Conturex Artis+ CNC single component production system that offers complete automation at the press of a button.”
Martin explains, “We’re seeing a growing trend for smaller joinery parts so we needed a machine with adaptative tooling. It needed to be capable of machining a wide range of sizes and hold enough tools to produce the variety of windows we needed it to. All sections of the machine were specified with the right aggregates and included stack tooling for efficiency. The Oertli tooling solution meant that we could easily machine door rails measuring 61x210mm and frames up to 125 x 210mm in Accoya, laminated Sapele, laminated European Oak and Pine – with room for larger, more specialised sizes if required.”
With the two machines now working simultaneously, the Conturex 124 now produces the frames, whilst the new Conturex Artis+ machine – which is brimming with innovative features designed to assist in the processing of corner joints, longitudinal profiling drilling, shaping and insert shaping all in a single cycle – will primarily be machining sash windows and doors – and almost doubling capacity in the process. While the newer model is more compact – saving floor space even further - it is equally as flexible and is capable of machining lengths from 175mm to 3,500mm as standard and work pieces of up to 4,500mm in length if required. Plus, it is equipped to typically run for 20-30 minutes or longer depending on the type of product being processed without any human intervention.
The introduction of the second Conturex has increased the company’s turnover by a further 15% in the last two months alone but for the innovative company, this is simply a bonus. “This time round, we were keen to find new ways to increase our profit margins. By installing the Artis+, we’re no longer having to run 12-13 hour shifts or pay our workforce overtime. Instead, we’re manufacturing similar volumes in one shift and increasing our efficiencies tenfold.”
“If we were to revert to our old manufacturing methods, before the two Conturex machines, jobs would take up to four weeks to complete and the reliance on skill would be high. Now, the same batch size can take two days. That’s where the real saving is for us. We’re now working on a reduced lead time from start to finish.
“For us, our goal isn’t to become a huge manufacturing giant. We want to maintain high-quality production standards, whilst streamlining our processes and increasing our profit margins. The right equipment, in the environment will help us achieve this. After all, if we can work to similar numbers but produce a higher quality, more cost-effective product without increasing staff levels, we’re doing something right!”
Martin adds, “We’ve invested heavily in our business over the last few years and we find ourselves in a strong position. Weinig has helped us get here. For others yet to take the next step or who shy away from change, our advice would be to utilise Weinig’s knowledge and let them into your business. We’ve found them to be honest, open and realistic and it has allowed us to move our business forward. See them as an extension of your business and they will help you reach your goals. Nobody can afford to stand still and the Weinig offers great solutions to move your company forward.”
