Automated unloading table for Wood IQ CNCs automates production at affordable cost

Wood IQ continues the development of its portfolio, following the launch at BIFE SIM 2019 of its second generation of CNCs, with a range of optional features to improve workflow, increase productivity and supplement labor shortages. The new automatic unloading table that can be attached to the CNC increasing productivity and with the 50% or the automatic loading elevator that streamlines production are just two of them. With them you can achieve the results of an automated production line at much lower costs.

„Our mission is to provide CNC technology at an affordable price„

While a few years ago the idea of having a CNC was utopian for many furniture manufacturers, it has now become almost commonplace even in small and medium-sized factories. Those who needed precision and productivity and were facing a lack of manpower quickly realized that this could be the solution. This was also made possible by the emergence of manufacturers who were able to make this cutting-edge technology affordable.

Wood IQ is one such manufacturer. At BIFE SIM 2018 the company's motto was „a Wood IQ CNC in every corner of the country„ and they did just that, with Wood IQ CNCs arriving in Maramureș, Mehedinți, Suceava, Moinești or Bucharest. Their affordable prices have made it possible for smaller business owners, who considered such technology an impossible dream, to realize it.

Wood IQ's next challenge was to technically and aesthetically improve the CNCs on offer. The start was made at BIFE SIM 2019 with the launch of the second generation of CNCs (models 2040 Pro, 2040 Pro ATC) and now continues with optional equipment designed to increase productivity and streamline production. It's all done in the spirit of the company's mission to offer advanced technology at affordable prices, as Dan Pruteanu, the company's manager, says.

Advantages of CNCs with unloading table

One of the operations that interrupts the flow and consumes time is unloading the machined parts from the CNC worktable. Unloading table proposed by Wood IQ allows the continuous processing of wood-based panels (chipboard, MDF, solid wood panels) without interrupting the flow and wasting time. The processed pieces are automatically moved at the end of the execution cycle, by pushing them by means of a mobile arm fixed on the CNC portal, onto the unloading table (see video) Here they can be picked up and stacked or moved to another operation, while the CNC continues the processing of another board. This way the production flow is not fractured, while increasing productivity by up to 50%.

The unloading table is made of multi-chamber aluminum composite frames and has height adjustable legs. It is covered with movable rubberized belt, resistant to industrial use. The feed speed is adjustable and the table has sensors to detect the presence of material. The system also includes a gantry-mounted, pneumatically operated moving arm. At the end of the machining cycle the arm automatically intervenes, pushing the machined board onto the unloading table and allowing the CNC to restart the preset program on the next board in the loaded stack.

The movable arm also acts as a mobile exhaust hood, with an automatically operated flap for vacuuming the work table at the end of the machining process. The pneumatic pistons have adjustable stroke to adjust the working height according to the thickness of the material being processed.

The unloading table can be used with any of the Wood IQ series CNCs Pro, Pro x 3, Pro ATC and Pro ATC + 4. It can be 1270 mm or 2060 mm wide and 3000 mm or 3500 mm long, depending on the type of CNC chosen.

Additional equipment to help production run more smoothly

With each additional equipment added to the CNC you replace the work of a few people and create a continuous flow similar to automated lines. Wood IQ assures us that the prices are affordable and the results will be immediately visible, amortizing the investment in a very short time. You choose the degree of automation of your production flow by choosing one or more CNC equipping possibilities.

The self-loading elevator is also part of the productivity-boosting package. It can pack about 30 sheets of material, depending on the plate thickness (30 18mm plates). The elevator, with hydraulic drive and arms fitted with vacuum suction cups, automatically feeds the CNC work table, eliminating loading downtime. Together with the discharge table it achieves a continuous and balanced flow.

You have continuous feeding, unloading is also done automatically immediately after machining is complete, what else would you need to have the benefits of an automated machining line? Exactly, a CNC rotary tool magazine. Those who have opted for CNC without an automatic magazine know how frustrating it is to stop work to change the cutter. With the rotary magazine the tool change time is greatly reduced and the operation is automated.

CNC technology is the "industrial revolution" that Wood IQ has managed to bring to small and medium-sized factories. With its help, it has made it possible to mass-produce in small spaces with a minimum of personnel. With its new equipment, Wood IQ is once again supporting manufacturers by helping them, at low cost, to increase productivity and realize continuous production flows similar to automated lines.