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Sharpening Service Guide

September 15, 2021 By Editor

Would you take your truck to a motorcycle mechanic for repairs? No, and you shouldn’t take your carbide cutting tool to just any sharpening service either. Here’s a guide to identifying a sharpening service that best fits your business needs and can even help grow it. When choosing a sharpening service, look for:

A rep that can recommend if your saws and machines are running smoothly. A skilled rep who is a reliable source of technical cutting tools and manufacturing information can provide you with more than just pickup and delivery services. They can give on-site troubleshooting, on-site technical support, and test tools. Reps that are continually trained in state-of-the-art technology can identify process improvements, provide solutions engineered to reduce your cost-per-cut, and collaborate with you to implement optimal performance. These are value-adds for you.

Consider a company with a local facility or a rep that travels in your area frequently and coordinates the logistics. They can restore your saws to better-than-new conditions at a certified local service center. This will save you time and money in shipping costs.

To ensure you are getting the most out of your investment, use an EOM-certified tool service provider that can restore worn tools to like-new conditions in a 7-step process: inspection, tip replacement, straightening, re-tensioning, sharpening, cleaning/polishing, and final inspection. You’ll be glad you switched to a service provider that does; they have special skills from years of training.

Look for a sharpening service done by manufacturer-trained technicians that can provide high precision sharpening. They can extend tool life, reduce scrap levels, provide a cleaner cut from the original factory specification service, and lower noise levels. They can provide quality with exact specifications, close tolerance testing to correct the slightest misalignment, extend tool life, improve cut quality with the sharpest cutting edge possible, less drag, and verification with an optical comparator.

Also, they know how to pre-tension the saw body to compensate for stress under load and can increase run-times up to 150%. Remember, the lowest price does not mean it’s the least expensive option in the long run.

When you choose a rep that can deliver an impact to your business, they can improve your manufacturing process with your team through on-location support, saving you time and money. A partnership with your rep can drive growth for your entire organization. They are a knowledgeable resource for solving production problems and a valuable contribution to increasing your team’s efficiencies through personalized service. A partnership with your rep can maximize your investment and keep your machines running smoothly.

A rep that will visit as often as you prefer to deliver service on your schedule.

Look for a service company that offers an extensive selection of inventory. They will be the most familiar with your product and its specific sharpening requirements, adding no extra costs to you for custom or standard products.

Are you getting all the benefits that can be standard from your sharpening service and rep? They should listen carefully, ask questions to understand your service needs, provide high-value tools and solutions that exceed your expectations, follow up as needed for your continued satisfaction, provide complementary engineering services, deliver superior service and not just product to your door. If this is not your experience, it may be a good time to review your options.

The right, knowledgeable partner can make all the difference. Their expertise can grow your business, reduce your waste and lower your stress level because you’ll have confidence that you are sharpening at the facility designed for your equipment.

Woodworking Manufacturing Month Toolkit

September 14, 2021 By Editor

The Marketing Toolkit has been released for the IWF Woodworking Manufacturing Month. The first-ever celebration of woodworking technology and innovation launches in October 2021. 

Woodworking Manufacturing Month (WWMM) is created by WMIA and WMMA and produced by IWF to draw attention to your company’s products, services, and innovations and promote the vitality of our industry — supporting recruitment and investment. 

Under the banner Woodworking Manufacturing: Experience Innovation, Woodworking Manufacturing Month will celebrate woodworking industry vitality on two parallel tracks: A national awareness and outreach campaign operating in tandem with local grassroots programming initiated by participating manufacturers.

In continuous operation for more than a half-century, IWF is one of the world’s top events serving the custom and general woodworking industries with extensive penetration in specialty sectors, including architectural woodwork; cabinetry; flooring; furniture manufacturing; engineered products; doors and windows; machinery, tools and metals; plastics; and more.

IWF has made participation in WWMM simple and easy. Participating companies will be part of a national advertising and promotional campaign. It includes exposure on IWF’s website, in dedicated emails, and social media channels—including direct links to your website. 

Your WWMM Marketing Toolkit includes logos, email templates, digital banner ads, promotional ideas, and more—just about everything you need to run your own programs and be part of the large IWF-produced national campaign. These ready-to-use marketing tools allow you to develop your own local promotions that leverage the momentum developed by the national campaign. To see the full toolkit, go here.

CNC Essentials: How to Maximize Your Machine

September 10, 2021 By Editor

A CNC is usually the first major equipment purchase a woodworker makes, and it’s important to know how to both choose and use it well. 

During the 2021 AWFS Fair, Brian Clancy brought his CNC advice to an educational session. He shared how he researched his purchase, integrated it into his shop, and learned how to make the most of its capabilities. We asked him to share some of the highlights of that presentation, CNC Essentials: How to Maximize Your Machine.

The purchase

My decision to buy a CNC came from a project requiring me to create an elaborately curved reception desk. I wasn’t sure how I would do it with the equipment I had, but fortunately, a local contact connected me with a woodworker who had a CNC. I watched him fabricate these pieces for me and vowed that I would figure out how to get one of those machines. 

After that, I began researching on my own and through the Cabinet Makers Association’s online forums. The info I got from shop owners who had already made that investment was really helpful. 

Here are a couple of thoughts that influenced my CNC buying experience:

  • While I had always bought used equipment in the past, I didn’t have enough knowledge to feel confident about going that route for this large purchase. I bought a brand-new machine so I would have service and support to rely on.
  • I ended up agreeing with the mindset that you should “buy your last machine first.” In other words, if you already see a time when you’ll need more, go ahead and buy for that scenario. This was a massive investment for me, and I wanted to ensure I got the right machine for both the residential and commercial work. I decided to stretch and buy a 5×10 model instead of a 4×8, and I have never regretted it. 

I touched on several topics in the presentation, and I’ll boil them down for you here. (By the way, none of my advice is original to me! I learned so much from others and through trial and error and making lots of mistakes; mistakes are great teachers.)

Material handling

This is such an important consideration, and I learned the hard way. You have to think through where the machine is going to be located in your shop in terms of the logistics of loading and offloading the materials. There are fancy tables out there for loading and unloading, but in the end, I solved my problem by taking ideas from the CMA forums and coming up with my own solution. I found a heavy-duty material handling cart that tilts and lifts. It’s set up in such a way that I take the stored panels and slide them onto the cart. It’s on wheels, so it’s easy to move it over next to the CNC to start sliding the material onto the spoil board. I also made a parts cart for storing the cut parts before they head to the next step in the production process. Thanks to all of the ideas I got from others, I seldom have to lift a sheet of material and transfer it from one horizontal surface to another. 

In short: Plan for the space needed to load and unload BEFORE you get the machine. 

Software

My advice on this important topic is a) be aware of the learning curve and b) get familiar with the program before you buy the CNC, if possible.

The extent of my experience on a computer was emails, Facebook, and the CMA forums! The intimidation factor was huge. If you are worried that you have to know AutoCAD, you can stop worrying: Most software has features that mean you don’t have to be a CAD expert to be successful.

For me, the breakdown of getting up to speed on my CNC was 80 percent on the software piece and 20 percent on learning the machine. You’ll be so far ahead of the game if you do your homework with the software beforehand.

Tooling

Here are some tooling tips, in a nutshell:

  • Understand what you’ll need,
  • Establish a partnership with a supplier,
  • Buy three sets of tools, and
  • Budget for the price of tooling and sharpening expenses.

It’s so important to have additional tools for the CNC; when one breaks, you need to put the backup tool in place quickly, so you don’t lose any time on the project. The third set should be at the sharpener.

I don’t have three of every single tool, but I have backups, especially for the more heavily used tools — cut-out tools, compression bits, drill bits, etc. I also have a great supplier who can get parts to me by the next day, and I have a sharpening service that comes once a week. 

I have resolved the budgeting issue by adding these costs into the jobs. For instance, melamine and laminate wear out the tools faster, so I add in $100 or so for the set of tools for those types of projects to cover that reality. 

Training and service

I’m combining these two topics because they are so intertwined. Here are the questions I recommend researching as part of your homework:

  • How reliable is the manufacturer’s service and parts program? 
  • Where is the manufacturer located? 
  • What is the installation process? 
  • What training will the manufacturer provide? 
  • Beyond the manufacturer training, what peer support is available to you via user groups or forums? 

These questions are self-explanatory, but here’s a little more detail about Question #2.  

My manufacturer is based across the country. While they don’t have reps in my area who can stop by, they are very responsive (they usually get back to me within 30 minutes) and will get on the phone, connect virtually and visually if they need to see something, or log in to my machine if they need to troubleshoot. 

Parting thoughts

Before I invested in the CNC, I was physically exhausted from doing everything manually. When I got it, I was so enthusiastic and reinvigorated. Some think automation takes the fun out of the work, but after working with the CNC, I felt the sky was the limit. 

You begin to appreciate the lack of mistakes, the ability to make joints that fit together so perfectly, and the unique or tricky things that are so much faster and easier to execute. 

I also experienced a common effect of having my own CNC: Other shops asked me to cut parts for them, which is a nice added income stream. 

Good luck! 

This article was reprinted with permission from FDMC magazine.

5G CNC working cell has brawn and brains

August 19, 2021 By Editor

CNC Factory’s 5th Generation Technology not only does all of the critical thinking, but it also eliminates manual lifting of parts.

Compact yet powerfully productive. Technologically advanced, yet super simple to operate. Loaded with the latest in CNC, laser, and robotic automation, yet affordable to own. These are just some of the hallmarks of the 5th Generation CNC Working Cell. The driverless cut, edgeband, and bore/insert system, requiring only a 24-foot by 48-foot block of space, is capable of cranking out more than 100 ready-to-assemble cabinets in a 7-hour shift. Making the working cell even more efficient is the addition of CNC Factory’s new robotic arm. 

Combined with automatic load/unload systems and motorized roller conveyors, manual material handling from feeding full sheets onto the machining center through unloading parts that have been edgebanded, is eliminated. The 5G working cell’s driverless technology not only does away with the heavy lifting, but it also does all of the critical thinking. Even a new hire with zero industry experience can learn to operate the large 21-inch touchscreen control in about an hour. The result is a highly reliable, lean manufacturing system that dramatically reduces errors and waste while assuring part quality and maximizing productivity.

The robotic 5G CNC working cell that CNC Factory demonstrated at the AWFS Fair was anchored by the Python XPR CNC machining center. Winner of FDMC’s Best CNC for 2020, the Python’s driverless technology seamlessly adjusts all critical functions of the machine when production calls for changing to a different substrate thickness, size, or nesting pattern. By simply pressing a short sequence of buttons on the command center touchscreen, the Python automatically makes precise adjustments to tool height and vacuum hold-down placement; raises or lowers the unique robotic dust hood to the optimal fixed position; selects the required tool from the 12-automatic tool changer; and more. In addition, the Python robotically affixes bar code labels to each part that includes downstream processing instructions.

The Python’s driverless technology kicks into full gear after completing the machining cycle of the first panel of a production run. After automatically unloading the freshly-sized parts onto a stacking table, the Python cleans the spoil board with a one-two punch of pressurized air and dust collection within 30 seconds. Simultaneously, the next panel is rear-loaded and positioned onto the Python for processing, with any or all adjustments again being made with no operator intervention.

While the Python continues to go through its paces, the new small-footprint robotic arm springs into action. The robotic arm can handle any size part up to 50 pounds. It is the latest example of a plug & play add-on CNC Factory developed that allows customers to expand their production capabilities as needed now or in the future. The robotic arm methodically places one part after the other onto a conveyor leading to the Badger 4600 edgebander. A return conveyor moves each piece to an unloading station upon exiting the versatile Badger 4600 with corner rounding capability.

Rounding out CNC Factory’s 5G work cell is the Scorpion LDR boring and dowel insertion machine equipped with an advanced wireless bar code reader. Upon scanning the bar code, the Scorpion’s laser-guided robotic measuring system precisely positions the dual 2-HP air-cooled spindle to drill two holes at a time. As a new pair of holes are being drilled, the Scorpion inserts dowels on the opposite side of the workpiece, further boosting productivity and more expeditiously preparing parts for cabinet assembly.

Rising to the Labor Challenge Today and Tomorrow

The COVID-19 pandemic did not create the critical skilled labor shortage. Still, it has undoubtedly magnified the challenges woodworking companies face moving forward, says Chris Corrales, owner and CEO of CNC Factory based in Santa Ana, CA.

“Good employees are hard to come by, and trying to find and keep an experienced person is especially tough,” Corrales says. “As a result, wood product manufacturers have to continuously strive to find ways to make more product with fewer people if they want to grow their businesses.”

New Partnership for 2020 Ideal Spaces

July 14, 2021 By Editor

2020, the world’s leading provider of applications and enterprise solutions dedicated to interior design, space planning, and furniture manufacturing, is excited to announce that its long-time partnership with Benchmarx has recently evolved, the specialist outlet choosing 2020 Ideal Spaces to enhance its online presence.

Benchmarx is a trade-only specialist outlet supplying high-quality kitchens and joinery products, a one-stop shop catering to businesses of all sizes. As a member of Travis Perkins PLC, Benchmarx is also part of a group of leading companies in the builders’ merchant and home improvement markets in the UK.

Benchmarx was looking to enhance their web experience to get more highly qualified actionable leads through their website, for which 2020 Ideal Spaces was a perfect fit. 2020 has been Benchmarx’s technology partner for 15 years, since the specialist outlet’s establishment in 2006, with the deployment of 2020 Fusion in-store.

With a successful and well-established relationship with 2020, Benchmarx chose their online engagement solution to enhance their online strategy further and enable more leads to get captured on their website.

2020 Ideal Spaces is a cloud-based 3D space planning solution that provides an industry platform enabling omnichannel retail for consumers, home centres, retailers, and manufacturers. It improves the consumer onboarding experience through every step of the buying journey, from inspiration to qualification to space planning to purchase—resulting in higher qualified leads and conversions.

“We were looking to enhance our online engagement and gain more leads,” says Karl Andrews, head of product at Benchmarx. “Since we already had a great partnership with 2020, we assumed their 2020 Ideal Spaces solution would be the perfect fit to deliver more valuable and qualified leads to our business – and we were right! It has already proven to be the case since its launch, and we’re very happy with our decision.”

Using the interactive platform provided by 2020, visitors to Benchmarx’s website can now design and visualize their kitchen with Benchmarx products, collaborate with family and friends, and share their contact details to enable Benchmarx designers to follow up make their dream projects come true.

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