High-performance edgebanding technology from Fravol

Today's high-performance machines were invented by companies that have continuously innovated, and the results have always improved. There are representative companies that have also raised the industry standard in the field of cant applicators, and Fravol is one such example. The Italian company has delivered performance that furniture manufacturers only dreamed of in the past. Fravol edgebanders are also appreciated by Romanian furniture manufacturers, Nika Machinery having been a partner of the Italian company for almost 10 years. Trust in the brand and the desire to benefit from the latest technical innovations have given many manufacturers the confidence to choose Fravol, thus improving their productivity and the quality of the finished product.

It all started in 1957

That year the Volpato brothers decided to set up a company to design and build machinery for the wood industry. Six years later, the first manual edge banding machine was produced, as well as a device for milling the edge to bring it to panel level. Concern for the development and improvement of this type of machine led to the founding in 1965 of Fravol, a company dedicated to the production of edgebanders.

Years of innovation have followed, making Fravol a benchmark name in the machine market. In the 1970s, the machine with automatic feed for pre-glued cant was launched, and in the 1980s the version with an adhesive tank was added to the portfolio. The very close relationship with customers has always helped Fravol to understand the needs of the market. Based on them, the company's specialists have developed systems and technologies to shorten working time, extend tool life and add new adhesives to make the edges of bathroom and kitchen furniture more resistant to high humidity.

An important contribution of Fravol has been the introduction of polyolefin (PO) adhesive, a much more moisture resistant adhesive than the classic EVA (ethyl vinyl acetate) adhesives and with a much higher softening temperature, into the range of adhesives used for edgebanding. The development was done together with the German adhesive manufacturer Jowat and led to the development of a glue reservoir that represents an absolute novelty in the field. This is not the only innovation Fravol has brought to the field of cant applicators. Below are just three of the Italian manufacturer's top innovations.

Innovative technical features specific only to Fravol cant applicators

Adhesive tank that can work with EVA, polyurethane (PUR) and polyolefin (PO) adhesives without additional pre-filling system and without changing the tank is perhaps Fravol's best known patented innovation. The tank has made it possible to use modern adhesives with superior performance on both large and small machines, making high-performance technology accessible to smaller manufacturers. PUR and PO adhesives have much higher softening points compared to EVA and much better moisture resistance. With heating they become more fluid allowing smaller amounts of adhesive to be applied. This makes the glue line almost invisible, very close to the zero glue line with PUR adhesives, while PO is completely transparent with a very attractive finish and reduces production costs by reducing adhesive consumption.

Multi-profile knives for milling, corner rounding and radius scraping units is Fravol's innovation that offers the possibility to execute any radius between 1 and 3 mm, 300° inclined milling and straight milling. The knives have a special profile, also patented by Fravol. So, whatever the type of edge used, the edge finish will always be perfect. This is important because each type of edge requires a different kind of machining. With ABS type edges, the radius made by the knives must be equal to the thickness of the edge. This produces a circular arc that blends perfectly with the panel face. Edges of 0.4-0.8 mm should be milled at an angle of 300 and thicker edges, such as solid wood edges, should be milled straight. Fravol machines are individually tested in the factory for each type and thickness of edge, and setting tables are placed on the machine frame so that the operator can adjust the machine perfectly on the first try.

Siemens CNC control system for spindle units. It is a computer-assisted control system that allows the units to be positioned and tilted using servomotors to move the multi-profile knives to the desired position. Servo motors are much more precise giving perfect positioning every time, unlike pneumatic systems which are much more sensitive. To do the positioning you first measure the edge, enter the value on the touchscreen, select the desired units and they will automatically adjust to achieve the required radius on that edge. You will get a quality finished product with an almost invisible glue line and a perfect fit between the edge and the panel.

"Our mission has been to create customized products for our customers that meet everyone's needs"

The concept behind Fravol machines is constant innovation, the use of state-of-the-art technology in its products and a thorough knowledge of customer needs. The proof is in the registered patents and the undeniable performance of the machines. It is a continuous challenge set by the demands and needs of the customers and all resources are allocated to help them achieve the best results, be it for small customers or large furniture manufacturers.

Today, the challenge for a company of our size is not to produce, but to understand the customer's needs and to align all our skills and energies in this direction. Today we produce machines perfectly suited to workshops and large factories, and our solutions are available to all customers, regardless of whether they are large or small. We have put the technology we know so well on all our machines, redesigning the range to be able to offer machines that require limited investment and space - Andrea Volpato, CEO Fravol.

All cars leaving the Fravol factory in Vigonza, near Padua, are now built to use polyurethane adhesive. The machines have important advantages - low maintenance and fast cleaning, reduced production time, almost invisible adhesive line - allowing everyone to be efficient and obtain quality products.

Collaboration with Nika Utilaje

NIKA Utilaje has been representing Fravol in Romania for almost 10 years. During all this time it has appreciated the very good quality and reliability of the machines, the concern for their development and improvement, as well as the address to the whole spectrum of furniture manufacturers. The large number of customers who have chosen a Fravol cant machine, the very good post-sales collaboration due to the lack of problems and the immediate results have increased year after year the trust in the Italian manufacturer and strengthened the collaboration.

LTEN Projects is among the happy customers in Romania who enjoy the performance of Fravol machines. They purchased the machines Smart S600-23 EVO, VSB, VSR in 2014 and were a reliable help in the factory, especially when there were more orders and it was necessary to work longer hours:

The quality of the products delivered is very important to us. That's why we chose Fravol. We tested several versions of the equipment and were impressed by the productivity and also the price/quality ratio. We achieved very good results using PO adhesive, especially when working at high capacity to deliver all orders. I am very pleased especially with the way the machines have worked over time- Traian Licsandru, LTEN Projects

Innovations continue, Andrea Volpato is determined to continue developing new solutions for the continuous improvement of Fravol machines:

At Fravol we are determined to continue on the path of technical excellence. Due to the changing context, we remain flexible to best help our customers overcome any challenges that arise. We have some innovations which are now adapted to the new social landscape. Technologies developed under Industry 4.0 have automated part of the production process, allowing for greater safety and efficiency. This is precisely the direction our engineers are looking for and the new releases will certainly demonstrate it- Andrea Volpato, CEO Fravol

Nika Utilaje is a reliable partner for Fravol on the Romanian market, constantly providing local information for newly developed equipment so that it can better serve Romanian furniture manufacturers:

Romania is an important country for Fravol and they pay a lot of attention to the needs of our customers. We have a close collaboration and we discuss what features to include in future models or how to better offer Fravol technology to factories to increase their productivity -Adrian Broșiu, Sales Director.