Solutions for a smart workshop

We live in a digital age and it's everywhere, from phones or watches that take your blood pressure and tell you you're eating too much sugar, to the most sophisticated machines that can reproduce identical sculptures. Computer software is everywhere in industry, increasing productivity and reducing labour. Even the woodworking and furniture industries could not stay away from these benefits of the modern world. The advent of CNCs has made operations such as cutting, milling, drilling and feeding much easier and precision has become in the micron range. Sophisticated equipment first made its appearance in large factories, where identical reproduction of an item tens and hundreds of thousands of times was essential and productivity mattered. Over time, however, machine manufacturers also developed software for small factories or even workshops, software for flexible, adaptable, small- or even high-volume production. One solution for such small factories is Smart Workshop at East European Trade (EET).

Why would it tempt you to have a smart workshop? Because:

• means savings in material and labour,
• everything is interconnected - the handling system, the circulator, the CNC, the cant applicator,
• is perfect for custom production,
• the seating on the plate is optimised, with minimal losses,
• the scrap can be processed again in the warehouse,
• smart storage automatically prepares your material when you're not working.

The system comprises an automatic Store-Master plate warehouse with handling robot. In addition to fully automated procedures, the system offers very good storage space efficiency. With the help of the system you will know at any time what the situation in the warehouse is, the existing stock, the plates scheduled to be processed and the leftovers after processing.

Here are some of advantages of the system:

• control of slab separation by weight monitoring also valid for thin slabs;
• recording of operational and evaluation data;
• software-the ceis self-learningioptimizesalways the routes inn warehouse  
• efficient use of low-rise space;
• the possibility to store your material even above ground in aspace 
  tiered;
• plate separation device;
• electronic plate measurement;
• low energy consumption;
• suction with automatic size adjustment and more.

The plate magazine is interfaced with the circular saw, the edgebander and/or the CNC. Interconnection with these machines is not mandatory but possible. In case of connection to them the CNC can be equipped with a state-of-the-art Nesting CNC software, which is a new and complete solution for individual furniture. Using this software makes everything much simpler, from board to furniture is only 3 steps.

Why is this system suitable for custom furniture production?Firstly, because the program modifies the dimensions of a design stored in a database - a digital library - to suit the end user's requirements. This means that you can make 1000 identical cabinets, but what's more, the program can adapt the design to the needs of each customer, making the cabinet taller, wider, longer, whatever the customer wants. Basically, from the digital library you choose the design, make the size changes according to the new requirements, choose the number of pieces you want to be produced, then the Better Nest software does the optimization fully automatically.

The second step is to position the board on the CNC to start machining and start the program. If you have chosen a Store Master plate magazine the plate will be transported and positioned automatically. The program will then do all the necessary machining: forming, vertical drilling and nutting, plus all the milling for the LAMELLO-P system, an ingenious, removable, reassemblable, robust and elegant Swiss jointing system. Everything is automatic, computer-controlled, your role is to adjust the operations to be carried out.

At the end, all you have to do is take the parts from the CNC table and apply the edge or joint elements for which the machining was done.

The machines of this management system, minus the plate warehouse, could be seen in action at the International Furniture, Equipment and Accessories Fair BIFE SIM, which took place at Romexpo Bucharest on 13-17 September 2017. I recommend everyone to visit it even if you don't intend to make any immediate purchase. It's all about accumulating information about what products you are offered and which suppliers you can work with.

NEXTEC was also presented in Brasov, at the Expowood, on 20 April 2018. On Expowood facebook page there is also a video made at the machine presentation.