April 2009 - Low Resolution - PAWPRINT PUBLISHING

NEWS
a new Giben Prisma 3000 saw for Unitech
Unitech began as designers and suppliers and didn’t actually move into manufacturing until 2001,
when demand had been positively identified.
capability to the business. It replaces
an older model, which was
also supplied by RW Machines and
which had reached the end of its
working life.
“The new Giben has slotted
seamlessly into our production
line,” says Kevin, “and it is giving us
greater precision working. It’s easier
to program and it loads at the
front, so that the operator can run
the panel sizing operation single
handedly.”
Prisma 3000 SP is from a world
leader in beam saw technology
and features the heavy duty construction
that the market has
learned to expect from Giben. The
Unitech machine specifically is a
single line panel sizing centre that
was developed by Giben for the
wood-based panel processing sector
and particularly for use by
small to medium sized cabinet furniture
makers. Front loading of the
stacks is facilitated by a panel
pusher with grippers featuring
double bottom floating appendices,
which block the stack during
the whole cutting cycle and
until the last trim cut is made. Support
tables under the pusher bar
are equipped with roller modules
to protect the board surface from
any damage: saw blade projection
is to a maximum height of 132
mm and the split pressure beam
ensures maximum stack control.
Unitech produces around 250
cabinets/wk, of which most are
sold ready assembled and with
doors in position for trade customers.
Kevin Crouch estimates
that the Giben will enable a doubling
of this throughput due in
large part to the significant improvement
in materials handling
that it represents. This has eliminated
the need for manual removal
and turning of workpieces
between passes, allowing panels
to be loaded, cut, turned and finished,
all in one sequence.
Unitech’s focus on smaller trade
customers has proved invaluable
during the economic downturn.
Says Valerie Crouch: “We are not
dependent on one or two big customers
for the majority of our
business. A good mix of smaller
specialist buyers makes us less vulnerable
to big swings in the trading
climate.
“Our customers are not dependent
on large-scale building
projects and have been less affected
than bigger operators by
the slow-down in the building sector.
We are confident, but not complacent,
that we will have enough
demand to see us through the
worst of the recession.
“A new factory and new machinery,
like the Giben Prisma
3000 SP, will make us more efficient,
avoid down-time and it will
also help us to make the most of
the opportunities that will arise
when the economy starts to recover
and grow again. We feel we
are about as well placed as we
could reasonably hope to be in
the circumstances!”
RW Machines Ltd
Tel 01869 244943
Email sales@rwmachines.co.uk
www.rwmachines.co.uk
Manufacturing versatility on the Giben allows Unitech to field a truly bespoke service.
Panel, Wood & Solid Surface April 2009 Page 13