Established in 2013, panel processing company CNC Creations has a turnover of £1.5 million. Its panels and carpentry are manufactured in CNC Creations’ 17,000 sq. ft. facility in Northampton, with the business supplying a wide range of customers including Aston Martin, Nissan, Ibis Hotels, Aston University and McLaren. To help cope with a surge in demand, it recently invested in two new HOMAG woodworking machines –a SAWTEQ B-130 beam saw and an EDGETEQ S-300 edge bander.
“The pandemic was a challenging time for most businesses and we were no exception,” explains CNC Creations’ managing director, Paul Gristwood. He continues, “As the pandemic deepened and it became clear that it was going to be a long road to recovery, new opportunities began to emerge.
“Because people were unable to travel, they began to look at making home improvements. This led to a rise in demand for new kitchen, bedroom, bathroom and home office furniture. Local suppliers of this furniture turned to us to provide the panels and carpentry needed to meet the growth in the market.
“This unexpected upturn meant we needed to improve both our throughput and the quality of our finished panel products. Our first thoughts were to explore the options to replace and upgrade our ageing wall saw.
Selecting the right beam saw and edge bander
“HOMAG has perhaps the best reputation in the market place for state-of-the-art woodworking machinery, so we began by studying the options for HOMAG beam saws online. That led us to arrange a visit to their showroom in Castle Donington to see the saws in action. Whilst at HOMAG, we were shown the EDGETEQ S-300 edge bander, and were impressed with the speed, quality and ease of operation.
“We were also attracted to the interchangeable glue pots which offered a significant advantage for our manufacturing processes. These benefits swayed our decision and we decided to place an order for the EDGETEQ S-300 first.
“Before visiting HOMAG we had looked at a couple of other leading European suppliers of beam saws and edge banders. Overall though, the HOMAG machines came out on top; they are much more robust with a better build quality and a more aesthetic look. That may sound like a strange statement to make, but my dream is to have a workshop that looks as professional and efficient as a Formula One pit garage.
“Following the purchase of the EDGETEQ in February 2022, we returned to HOMAG to see the saws in action. That led us to place an order in June for the HOMAG SAWTEQ B-130 beam saw. The speed, accuracy and cut quality of this entry level saw is fantastic and it has since proven to be a great asset to the business, more than tripling the throughput.”
Game changers
”In terms of specifying the machines, we opted for the standard spec on the EDGETEQ with the addition of an extra glue pot. The touch screen operation which comes as standard, is easy to use and foolproof. Since it was installed, it has doubled throughput compared to our previous edge bander.
“For the SAWTEQ we added a label printer which has helped improve throughput and traceability of cut panels. My only regret is that we didn’t invest in the larger SAWTEQ B-300 machine. Both the saw and the edge bander consistently deliver a quality finish giving our customers peace of mind and confidence in our products.
“Overall, we’re delighted with the performance of both machines. The beam saw in particular has been a game changer for us because of the way it processes panels. It’s more automated than our previous saw, enabling us to cut panels accurately, faster and with a much higher quality finish.”
Installation and training
“The installation of both machines went smoothly and the engineers who installed both the saw and the edge bander carried out the training for our staff on site. It was a simple, painless process and our team were able to go live with production almost immediately.
“For the saw we had some additional training on the Magicut software. HOMAG’s trainer came to our offices to guide our staff through the necessary familiarisation and training which was very informative.
“The impact the SAWTEQ and EDGETEQ have had on the business has been tremendous. We’ve been able to take on larger jobs which previously we weren’t able to do because of restrictions with throughput and quality. Now, even with the faster processing capability, we don’t have to worry about finish quality or accuracy. The investments in HOMAG equipment have given us the confidence to take the business to the next level.” concludes Paul.
If you would like a demonstration or further information on HOMAG woodworking machinery or software, please contact HOMAG UK on 01332 856424 or email: info-uk@homag.com
“The impact the SAWTEQ and EDGETEQ have had on the business has been tremendous. We’ve been able to take on larger jobs which previously we weren’t able to do because of restrictions with throughput and quality. Now, even with the faster processing capability, we don’t have to worry about finish quality or accuracy. The investments in HOMAG equipment have given us the confidence to take the business to the next level!”Paul Gristwood, Managing Director