Woodworkers Drill Down on Latest Boring Technology
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Woodworkers Drill Down on Latest Boring TechnologyDrilling panels, solid wood and composites are fundamental requirements for manufacturing wood products, while boring and dowel insertion equipment is necessary for all casework applications using dowel construction.

RedBookonline.com has compiled factors that need to be considered when purchasing a boring or drilling machine, including quality, reliability, product support, productivity, reliability, how user-friendly it is to operate, setup time and floor space.

The machine’s composition and configuration can also play a part in the decision-making process. Consider the weight of the base, the quality of the steel, the type of table, the brand of electronics, the presence of a PC front end, the quality of the documentation for parts and the electrical schematic.

Also consider the machine’s ability to communicate with design software, its flexibility and the ability to provide vertical and horizontal drilling.

Users should also look for multiple reference systems for part placement flexibility. The choice of an overhead CNC working center vs. a stationary single-side CNC drill and dowel machine vs. a feed-through CNC drilling machine, depend on a host of factors, including lot size, part characteristics, degree of automation and production rate.

Today’s machines are used for everything from simple drilling to complex three-, four- and five-axis routing. Advances are continually being made to the drill spindles and user guides to assist in setting up the vacuum pods and rails. Another area that continues to improve is the speed of operation of both flat table as well as pod and rail machines.

Good quality tools and tool holders will minimize vibration and extend the life of your router motor bearings.

Keeping the part immobile also is important in the overall quality of the cut. In drilling, particularly with melamine, rigidity is important to reduce chipping and blow out.

A list of boring machine manufacturers follows. Find more information on suppliers at RedBookOnline.com.

Accu-Systems offers the CXD, a high production multi axis CNC double-sided feedthrough machine for bore and dowel insertion used for case construction in cabinet and/or furniture manufacturing. Standard features include: 15-in. industrial color touchscreen for creating and selecting programs; 3-hp high frequency 24,000 rpm direct drive routing spindle for boring; heavy-duty 6,300 lb frame; standard sealed glue injecting system injects glue or water with little to no maintenance; “Protrusionator” dowel inserter allows for adjustment of dowel protrusion; and digital mechanical readouts for height and depth. (801) 965-1900, Accu-Systems.com

The Detel, KM-4/2T from Adwood Corp. is a dowel drilling machine that incorporates high-quality tools and linear bearing guides to provide easy set-up, accurate positioning and efficient processing. Thermally treated gear wheels and top-quality bearings insure smooth, precise operation as well as a long, productive life for the machine. The performance of the KM 4/2T is further enhanced by electro-pneumatic components which select the program sequence, detect errors and control movement of the furniture parts throughout the process. (336) 884-1846, Adwood.com

Biesse America says its Elix series is an advanced horizontal drill, glue and dowel insertion machine. It features advanced technologies to make sure glue and dowels are properly inserted. The numerical control is the same XP600 PC-driven technology used on the Rover line. The line offers different sizes and a large variety of options to suit the specific customer need. Elix is a key machine for efficient cabinet manufacturing cells. It has a drill rotation speed of 6,000 rpm and drills a 30mm maximum depth of the holes with dowel insertion. (704) 357-3131, BiesseAmerica.com

Cantek America offers the HS21T boring machine, which has boring depth adjustment; adjustable boring depth from panel edge; back fence with flip stops; longitudinal dowel drilling; adjustable side fences and a tilting boring unit. Features include: single line boring with 21 spindles at 32mm centers; quick 6-position boring depth selector for fast changeover and 21 quick change chuck for fast changeover. (888) 982-2683, CantekAmerica.com

The Casadei FM21 from Casadei Busellato is a single-head, 21-spindle boring machine designed for vertical, horizontal and 45° boring. The boring unit, a single-piece aluminum casting, runs on two ground cylindrical guides. The machine is complete with a lateral fence with a 3000mm length and retractable stops and 21 spindles preset for quick change adaptors. The FM 21 can be completed with different options for specific applications. (336) 854-1211, Casadei-Busellato.com

Doucet Machineries’ sturdy and compact AIRBOR 735 is a budget-priced vertical / horizontal boring machine. Operated by an air-oil system, the AIRBOR 735 is equipped with air hold downs and adjustable front stops that firmly secure parts to the table. It can be used either in vertical or horizontal mode or in combined horizontal / vertical modes. The basic machine includes: an 18-in. wide by 36-in. long hardwood table, complete air /oil operation and controls of the vertical and horizontal boring, fast approach, two vertically adjustable 3-in. air operated hold downs and safety guard. The AIRBOR 735 is available in 3-, 4- and 6-ft frames. (819) 367-2633, DoucetInc.com

Hendrick Mfg’s Borter Point to Point Machining Center is an economical high-speed combination CNC router, boring and sawing machine. Many options are available including automatic tool change, independent vertical and horizontal gang boring and 0/90 degree saw heads. Single or dual table models with various table sizes can be specified. It is suitable for cabinet manufacturing. (978) 741-3600, HendrickManufacturing.com

The IMAGIC drilling system from IMA America Corp. can be integrated in production lines or be a stand alone unit with fully automatic feed and stacking. The drilling machines are designed for operation with middle and large lot sizes. IMAGIC drilling systems are used for industrial production of furniture for living room, bedroom, kitchen, bath and office, and by producers of knocked-down furniture and suppliers. Designed for horizontal and vertical drilling from above and below on rectangular panels. The optimum machine array with exchangeable drilling gear box makes economic drilling with fast cycle performance, the company says. (919) 246-0350, IMAAmerica.com

The Ayen DBE-23 from Joos USA can drill both horizontally and vertically with insertion of the dowel completed in a single cycle. Additionally, one of the DBE’s optional features allows for the machine to drill holes and insert dowels on an angle. This versatile machine allows insertion of the glue nozzel into a hole before spraying begins. It also possesses the capabilities to drill/insert into long parts or pieces that were previously hard to work with. Changing over to a different dowel size is quick and easy, the company says. (732) 786-0490, JoosUSA.com

Koch Ltd. Machinery offers the SPRINT-PTP-3 drilling and dowel insertion machine. It is equipped with two separate working fields and one workpiece can be processed while the next piece is loaded. The drilling and dowel insertion pattern is processed on PTP-basis. A complement to a CNC-working center, it is suitable for both just-in-time manufacturing and batch production. It is flexible for all drill/dowel patterns, including inches, mm or non standard patterns and requires little or no time needed for setup or change of program, the company says. (678) 444-5000, KochMachinery.com

The Laguna 46 Boring Machine from Laguna Tools offers the following features: minimum distance between heads is 7.25 in. and maximum distance between heads is 24 in.; two US made Baldor 3-hp 60 Hz motors; 46 spindles; 32mm distance between bits; 33-in. working surface height; four flip stops and four adjustable air panel hold down clamps. (800) 234-1976, LagunaTools.com

Lobo Machinery offers the BR-244 boring machine. Suitable for industrial and small workshop use, features include: multiple drill heads; pneumatic clamp and drill head travel; 360-degree horizontally swiveling head design for side or angular boring; easy adjustment for length and depth of boring; front mounted, centralized control panel, 3-hp motor; and cast iron base and table. (626) 369-6500, LoboMachine.com

The Advance 21 from Mini Max USA is a 21-spindle boring machine capable of both line and construction boring. The drilling head flips for both line and construction boring and it has 1.8 hp (available in both single and 3-phase). This boring machine comes with 21 spindles and a 32mm system. Quick-change chucks are standard and other features include: pneumatic foot pedal that activates both clamping and drilling; 25.2-in. maximum panel width and 2.4-in. maximum boring depth. (770) 813-8818, MiniMax-USA.com

Ritter Mfg. offers the Model R150 Double Row System Drill. Standard features include top drilling; hardened steel helical gears; 5-in. minimum drill row centers; electronic precision drill row positioning and squaring; twin ball screw boring stroke control; 30-in. x 108-in. table area; right and left hand work stations; Fagor 101 CNC controller and wired 3-phase 230V, 60hz. (925) 757-7296, RitterMfg.com

The OMAL HBD 1550 from SCM Group has a 5-ft work table and the CNC bores, glues and inserts dowels. According to the manufacturer, the machine has a cycle time of approximately one second for each bore, glue, and dowel insertion when holes are on 32 mm intervals. It features the company’s high-speed laser measuring probe, which measures panel width to +/- 0.1mm and calculate the correct dowel spacing based on a set of logical instructions. (800) 292-1850, SCMGroup-USA.com

Silver Machine offers a three line boring machines. Features include 32mm center distance between drill spindles; 1 x 21 spindles on horizontal boring head; 2 x 21 spindles on vertical boring head; 2-hp x 1 pc (horizontal) motor, 3-hp x 2pcs (vertical) motor; and 2,700 rpm spindle speed. (888) 354-3388, SilverMachineInc.com

Stiles Shop Solutions offers Ironwood line boring machines, aimed toward closet and cabinet manufacturers. The units are designed for applications that require drilling single or multiple rows in a single function. The DBR 50 model features quick-release pneumatic clamps, quick reference point on the rear fence for easy alignment, 3-m extension fence, and tool storage compartment. (800) 424-3232, StilesShop.com

The DB 21 boring machine from Tritec Associates is a universal construction boring machine from Tritec/Gannomat that replaces the Optima series machines. The DB 21 features a new program logic controller, a larger torsion design working table, a drilling aggregate that now incorporates 40mm linear bearings and ways, and larger struts for horizontal and vertical travel. (703) 904-7890, Tritec.com

Unique Machine’s single row line drills provide an economical means to efficiently produce clean and accurate rows of holes, the company says. The high quality drill head is made with precision spindles and heat treated gears. Heavy-duty construction with the features that include 2-hp drill motor, 11-in. throat depth, compressed air requirements of 80psi – 1cfm, and 60-in. x 35-in. footprint. (602) 470-1911, UniqueMachine.com

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