Edgebanding with Tempora F600 - saving time and adding quality

Some time ago we informed you about Felder Gruppe novelties presented at the Holz-Handwerk fair in Nuremberg. One of these is the new range of Tempora cant applicators from Format-4. I thought I'd tell you more about it, more than you would find in the presentations on the website. So I went to the Felder Gruppe showroom in Bucharest where I was able to see a Tempora F600 60.06 Tempora F600 60.06 machine at work and where I got a lot of information from one of the experts them. I have to admit that in the 3 hours I spent there, I understood much better the particularities of this car by seeing how it works.

Tempora range - canting machines

I asked Felder Gruppe Romania where the name Tempora came from because it seemed somehow related to time and I was right. The machine has been designed to minimize as much as possible the time it takes to apply the edge and especially the time wasted on adjustments and fixing defects. So the Tempora combines the skills of fast machining, simple to accomplish and efficiency.

All machines in the Tempora range save time without compromising on quality. The main strengths of the range are:

• Complete comfort and control in operation thanks to the command and control panel
• Save time and increase flexibility thanks to the short warm-up time glue unit, quick glue pot change system and glue temperature maintenance when the machine is on stand-by
• Guaranteed imperfection removal and superior quality of edgebanding thanks to the pre-friction unit
• Save time and material thanks to the quick and easy adjustment system: "x-motion plus" or "m-motion" with automatic adjustment or with indicator in the cant film.

Demo on Tempora F600 in the Showroom Felder Gruppe Romania

The demonstration was made on the Tempora F600 60.06, a machine that can lay both PVC/ABS cant from 0.4 to 3.0 mm and wood strips up to 6 mm thick on panels up to 60 mm thick.

Tempora combines key features - speed, productivity, flexibility and user-friendliness - in a complete packageis a machine for those who work with wood-based panels (PAL, MDF) at industrial level and beyond. As we said at the beginning, Tempora is part of the Format-4, i.e. industrial machinery for medium and large companies that want increased productivity and quality without compromise.

Control panel

Ease of operation through the command and control panel via the packages "x-motion plus" or "m-motion" that ensures absolute repeatability, and configurable individual programs allow quick adjustment of aggregates manually or automatically from the smartouch control panel (10.4'' 16'' 21'')

The machine has a touch screen control panel where you choose from the start what you are going to do. You choose whether to cant on one side, 2 or all sides, how to do the corner joint, how to finish the edges, how much to round them (radius of rounding). The control panel also allows you to make electrical adjustments, which minimizes manual settings, not as sensitive and fine as electrical. The control panel is very intuitive and allows for quick selection and control, as well as monitoring of all machine functions. All settings are done from the start, and you can easily see the options you've chosen because the colored screen marks them in green. There is the option to store this information so you can use it for other jobs.

The machine is considered semiautomatic because the edge feeding is done manually, piece by piece, not automatically, but you should be aware that the machine can be equipped with a conveyor belt system. Furthermore, the cant feeding is automatic, with control over production through the counter for meters of cant applied, number of pieces and hours of operation. On the m-motion version, the adjustments of the edge thickness and gluing pressure are not made from the panel, but with a touch probe, using a sample of the edge. But everything is extremely simple and fast.

Pre-braking unit

Once the options have been set and registered, the panel can go live. The machine tells you with a traffic light when the panel is ready to go (green, of course). It first arrives in the pre-milling area with diamond milling heads with 2 independent, separately controlled, spiral profile motors, which ensure a perfectly finished surface ready for the application of the edge wrap. This is necessary because the cut to size of the panels may not be perfect and if a thin edge is used all defects become very visible.

Applying adhesive and bonding

The adhesive vat is heated and maintained at a temperature of 190°C. Application is by roller, the quantity is metered. The adhesive (EVA or PUR) is fed from the adhesive vat to the application roller by means of a helical system. You can use any type of adhesive from either category so you are not limited to one brand or supplier. Using a roller for application is the most efficient because it ensures a metered and constant application throughout the thickness of the material.

The pressing is done with a mechanized main straight pressing roller and two additional conical pressure rollers, adjustable by means of the "m-motion" system, which is a marker type of the cant sheet to be applied, controlled from the central panel.

Cutting and finishing

The glued edge is preset to be longer than the side to make sure that the whole side is covered. At this stage the excess is accurately trimmed according to the length of the material and the finishing operations proceed.

In the finishing area, milling is done to the desired radius (R1/R2/R3) or without radius. Then the finishing of the radius is done (radius țicling), which involves removing any excess adhesive that may appear at the joint between the edge and the panel (surface țicling). This is followed by rounding the corners up and down and across the thickness of the panel, so that in the end everything is even and smooth to the touch and the panel lines are continuous. I checked this on all the panels I cantuled.

We also checked at the end how strong the gluing is. Using a screwdriver, I loosened the edge applied to the chipboard with a very heavy weight. On the surface of the peeled off edge there were a lot of chips of chipboard, obvious proof that the break was not on the glue line but inside the chipboard.

What other features are or can you have on the cant applicator Tempora F600 F600 60.06

The car also has many other features or options that make your life easier and save you time and quality. Here are just a few of them:

• is equipped with a brush system that makes a final polishing and cleaning of the edge to reduce the color difference between the center of the edge and the edges;
• can be equipped with 3 spray systems:

              - separating solution to prevent the adhesive from sticking to the melamine (surface of the piece)

              - an antistatic and cooling solution immediately after the pressing and adhesive bonding area. Cooling makes it easier to remove any excess adhesive and prevents the processing tools from loading with adhesive, thus prolonging their life;

               - cleaning solution so that no traces of adhesive remain,

• invisible joints thanks to Felder Gruppe's patented "advantEdge" edgebanding unit, which offers the possibility to apply "laser-type" edges
• automatic turning system of the machined parts which makes it possible to service the equipment with a single operator.

A lot can be said about this car and Gerard Tăicuuțoiu, Sales Director - Machinery and Industrial Solutions at Felder Gruppe Romaniahe really did. We sat together next to the car for almost 3 hours telling me about it, opening and closing lids, showing me why each option is good and how much you save by choosing a quality system.

As well as the explanations we saw how the machine works and realized how much it saves you time. In a few minutes the panel is all 4 sides covered, the edges are rounded and cleaned, the piece is cleaned and ready for assembly. If you're short on time and manpower it doesn't hurt to consider this option.