August/September 2011 - PAWPRINT PUBLISHING

NEWS
SCM machines increase efficiency at Oakwood Joinery
LOCATED in Sudbury, Suffolk,
Oakwood Joinery Services (OJS)
is a progressive and dynamic
business that is benefitting from
its recent investments in a range
of classical woodworking machines
from SCM.
Owner and managing director,
Malcolm Rogerson, wanted some
windows manufactured for an office
development in 1996, and
upon approaching a local joinery
manufacturing company, he
found they were in financial difficulties,
so he decided to invest in
the company and soon became
the owner. The company steadily
expanded, then in 2001 moved to
its existing, purpose built factory
that has recently been extended
to 10,000 ft 2 .
When the recession hit in 2007,
Malcolm Rogerson looked at this
period as being an advantage to
examine the whole business and
change OJS’s operating methods,
as previously the focus had been
on longstanding traditional methods
and tooling. As the Government
increased business rates by
30%, it meant OJS had to look at
where savings could be made and
overheads controlled.
Malcolm Rogerson comments:
“The world had moved on and the
basic principles of our business
were now being driven by safety,
costs and the environment. When
we looked at the layout and the
machines we operated, it had
turned from an efficient operation
into a fragmented layout of equipment.
For example, we had 13
spindle moulders, all set up for
performing only one operation on
each machine. Elements of the
production process came together
as the goods went out of
the door. Because we were busy,
the ‘Emu’ effect was present where
we just got the job done.”
Along with OJS’s workshop
manager, Scott Grimwood, Malcolm
Rogerson looked in detail to
exactly what the company was
doing and decided a number of
radical changes had to be made to
the production processes. They
identified that they needed to release
valuable space and therefore
dispose of machines that were either
not being used or were surplus
to requirements, and for
example, all machines were
switched on whether being used
or not, wasting costly electricity,
and also they were all linked to the
extraction system, making it very
inefficient.
Malcolm Rogerson called in Phil
Vaux of Blyth Woodworking Machinery,
SCM UK’s distributor for
East Anglia, and with Scott Grimwood
they looked at various options.
A CNC machining centre that
many joinery manufacturers have
purchased was a set too far at this
time, and with the mix of work OJS
undertook, including windows,
doors, stairs, reception desks,
screens etc, for building contractors,
the public, major house
builders and refurbishing companies,
Phil Vaux recommended the
purchase of several new SCM machines,
part exchanging some of
OJS’s old redundant traditional
machines. Orders were placed.
The new SCM machines include
a Compact NT Planer Moulder, a
L’Invincibile Spindle Moulder
model TF 1400, a TI 155EP Class
Spindle Moulder, a TEN 220 Class
Single-End Tenoner and a Re-Saw,
adding to existing SCM planers, a
thicknessser and a sliding table
panel saw.
The two new spindle moulders
each have SCM’s powerful ‘Easy’
Electronic Controller fitted that
makes setting up of the spindles
fast, simple and precise as well as
being safe and reliable with recovery
of programs easily achieved.
The TI 155EP Class has a tilting spindle
providing even more flexibility.
Both spindle moulders have interchangeable
spindles ensuring fast
changeover between jobs, avoiding
the use of spanners, thus reducing
set up times by as much as 75%.
The SCM Compact NT replaced
a four-sided planer and has a
moulding facility as well as
straightening and planing all
round. Manufactured from a rigid
single-piece steel main base, the
Compact NT has a long table infeed
system that ensures high
quality finished products. Setting
up is fast and easy and includes
the latest pressure shoes, fences
and exhaust hoods with an axial
adjustment of 40 mm and a 40
mm profiling capacity. The electronic
control unit provides rapid
adjustment of the work piece section
and along with the integral
safety cabinet, all controls are on
the front of the machine for maximum
operator safety.
The TEN 220 Class tenoner has a
rapid tool change system making
changeover between jobs very fast
with the machine ready to use in
seconds. The two clamps for clamping
two components together allows
the simultaneous processing
of two tenons at the same time. A
rotating chip breaker with turret
stops can be easily replaced for new
profiles when required.
Malcolm Rogerson is clearly
very happy with his SCM machine
purchases and concludes, “After
the last three years, in our busy periods
we can achieve a 30% increase
in production with 50% less
machines and with more factory
space, our assembly area is now
twice the size it was.
“Our electric bill has been reduced
and, thankfully, the noise
level, due to the efficiency of the
new machines, has dropped by at
least 20% in the machine shop,
which makes a better environment
for our employees. As business
increases as the country exits
recession, we will certainly call on
Phil Vaux again and invest in more
SCM machinery to benefit Oakwood
Joinery Services and further
expansion plans.”
Oakwood Joinery Services
Tel 01787 880600
www.oakwoodjoinery.me.uk
SCM Group (UK) Ltd
Tel 0115 977 0044
Email
scmgroupuk@scmgroup.com
www.scmgroup-uk.com
Page 10 Panel, Wood & Solid Surface August/September 2011