Based in Northern Ireland, Timbertone Design has over 30 years’ experience in manufacturing kitchen and bedroom furniture. It began life servicing consumers direct before moving to a trade only business over 20 years ago.
The company operates out of a 17,500 sq. ft. purpose-built factory on a two-acre site near Moneymore. It is equipped with advanced production machinery, the latest addition to which is a HOMAG SAWTEQ B-200 beam saw.
“This is the third beam saw we’ve purchased from HOMAG,” enthuses Timbertone director, David Anderson. He continues, “Coincidently, the very first piece of equipment we bought from HOMAG was a beam saw and since then we’ve been sold on the quality, performance and reliable back-up service provided by the company. In addition to the SAWTEQ B-200, our HOMAG plant list includes a SANDTEQ W-200 wide belt sander, an EDGETEQ S-380 edge bander with a LOOPTEQ O-300 return system and an XES 200 PUR service station.
“Our previous saw was 12 years old and, although it continued to perform consistently well, we wanted to invest in an up-to-date version. The objective was to increase the throughput of the saw as much as possible so we could improve the feed volumes to the edge bander and CNC further down the production line.”
A strong and trusting relationship
“Over the years, we’ve developed a strong relationship with HOMAG’s area sales manager in Ireland, Derek Reid. His office is nearby, and he always looks after us very well. So, when it came to looking for a replacement saw, Derek was our first port of call.
“We sat down with him and discussed exactly what we wanted from the new saw and Derek recommended the SAWTEQ B-200. This beam saw is very similar to our previous model but is a more intelligent machine and has a faster saw carriage.
“After further consultation, we specified it with an upgraded clamping system and wider air tables. This has enabled us to cut smaller pieces and do multiple cuts at once, thus saving time.”
A smooth installation despite the pandemic
“Despite the machine being installed during the pandemic, it went sweetly with no problems whatsoever. It was delivered on a Monday evening and was up and running by Thursday. On Friday, the HOMAG engineer was able to train us whilst we were actually manufacturing production parts.
“Since then, the SAWTEQ B-200 has been working perfectly and is delivering all and more than we expected. The increase in capacity is over 20% which is above our initial hopes and we are confident that it will pay for itself in well under four years.
“From the operator’s point of view, it is very similar to our previous saw and can be controlled via the touch-screen or a more traditional mouse which some of our team prefer. We create the jobs in Cabinet Vision and then send them via MagiCut from the office directly to the saw – it is all very straightforward, reliable and quick.”
They do what they say they are going to do
“The communication with HOMAG is always good. If they say they will do something, you can rest assured it will be done. All the team are excellent at communicating and I really can’t say a bad word against them.
“Although we always look at what alternative options are out there in the market, we are very happy with how HOMAG looks after us. What’s more, aside from their operational excellence, the new machines all have the same colour scheme and so they look very impressive when customers visit our facility. It gives them real confidence that they are dealing with a truly professional business that invests in the very best technology available,” concludes David Anderson.
If you would like a demonstration or more information on HOMAG’s SAWTEQ beam saws, please contact HOMAG UK on 01332 856424.
“The communication with HOMAG is always good. If they say they will do something, you can rest assured it will be done. All the team are excellent at communicating and I really can’t say a bad word against them.”David Anderson, Director, Timbertone Design