North Wales-based, bedroom and living room furniture specialist, Welcome Furniture, has recently invested in a Schelling fh6 cut-to-size saw to improve its capabilities and strengthen its offering to the market.
“Delighted with this major new investment,” says Welcome Furniture MD John Peterson who sees the investment opening the door to new opportunities: “As an innovative company, we have been instrumental in developing new markets and our latest investment will enable us to support our long-term growth ambitions.
“At Welcome Furniture, our techniques unite the best of modern technology with time-hallowed craft skills. We operate a state-of-the-art facility almost entirely fitted out with Schelling technology, which ensures absolute precision time after time, yet every finished wardrobe or cupboard is also the result of hand craftsmanship.
“Many of our skilled craftsmen and women have been with us since joining the company as apprentices, and now in turn help to pass on their expertise and skills to the next generation. Now and for years to come.
“We feel that our customers want to make informed decisions about what they buy, and that they’re interested in the provenance and sustainability of our products. All of our furniture is made in Britain and we’re proud to offer British design and quality and celebrate the nation’s skills and craftsmanship, it’s also great for promoting the region as an area where manufacturing can thrive.”
As well as investing in a new Schelling saw, the company has also made a considerable investment in the development of the premises, including a new energy-efficient Biomass boiler. John Peterson comments: “As a business we are continuing to grow year on year and are prepared to invest in our future. These most recent investments support our future growth and our plans to improve our efficiency.
“At Welcome Furniture we knew that material loading and handling were essential performance characteristics, which would increase the efficiency of our cutting operation. Often manual labour is used to convey large panels to a saw, which creates huge inefficiencies.
“But on our fh6 material loading was automated with a scissor lift, powered roller tracks and a separate push-off carriage. All these resulted in a far more reliable and predictable transfer of components, creating a more efficient production process.
“This new machine is highly accurate and consistent, enabling more precision for improved quality and fit. It’s also very fast and efficient allowing us to be more responsive and offer shorter lead times to our customers. And because all Welcome’s furniture is made to order and despatched to retailers already built up, via their own fleet of vehicles, it is important to match their customers’ expectations every time.”
With over 30 door finishes to inspire its customers, Welcome Furniture demanded a versatile machine with the ability to cut a variety of materials. The solution was the Schelling fh6 cut-to-size saw because it delivered high quality cuts with the flexibility, accuracy and capacity required by their production process. It is important to have a sawing system which was adaptable to changing customer needs, particularly with regard to board dimension and board surface quality.
Another impressive aspect of the fh6 are the automated integrated sensors, which come as standard, which automatically detect the panel size and book height, making life easier for the saw operator. Also, there is the double-strip aligners placed before and after the saw line, which remain on the material to provide precise angular alignment when cutting. With an alignment range of 40mm to 2200mm, this was ideal because Welcome Furniture knew the fh6 could deliver high cutting accuracy even with the narrowest strips. Also thanks to a 21kW motor and a 460mm diameter saw blade, the fh6 delivers a maximum saw blade projection of 135mm.
“The ultimate test of a Schelling fh6 for us is its repeatable product performance,” says John, “a company like Welcome Furniture trades on the reputation of its brand, so this makes consistent accurate, repeatable cutting a critical component of manufacturing and it delivered on all counts.”
Welcome Furniture’s investment in Schelling is a resounding vote of confidence – back in 2009, the company invested in its first Schelling. John concludes: “Based on its performance and reliability we didn’t hesitate to buy our fourth Schelling saw because they have played such an important part in delivering our success at Welcome Furniture.”
