Paladin Industries has achieved a seamless appearance in its edgebanding and has gotten rid of the glue pot to boot. The Kentwood, Michigan, company is using the zero edge/AirTec technology to boost its edgebanding capability.

 

“Our main intent was to use the edgebander to apply a high gloss edgeband with a high gloss acrylic laminate, providing the customer with a seamless looking product,” says Paladin’s Craig Bell. “However, it produces a seamless look to any material, such as just a melamine laminate and a matte finished edge band.

“It provides a seamless look to the edge treatment as well as a superior bond. It also eliminates the glue pot on traditional machines and all the maintenance that goes along with that.”

 

Paladin is using a Homag edgebander from Stiles Machinery with the new technology.  Paladin’s 36 employees primarily make office furniture and store fixtures. 

 

“The flow is usually to panel-saw sheets into blanks, CNC rout, membrane press, then assemble into packaged complete units,” Bell said. “Or it could be to lay up sheets using the PUR lamination line, panel sawn to rough size, edgebanding, CNC machined to assembly and packaged complete."

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Homag Group’s airTec uses compressed, highly heated, high-velocity air to activate the adhesive layer of edgebanding materials. With this technology, air is propelled through a nozzle as the edgebanding material passes through the magazine, fusing the material to the panel edge.

 

The airTec reactivation unit can be integrated into existing control systems. The system can be used for both straight and curved edges on work surfaces, cabinet doors and other furniture and fixture components.

 

Paladin can offer a variety of ABS and PMMA edgebanding coated with a layer of polymer (often referred to as the functional layer). In the banding process, this layer of polymer is melted and adhered to the edge. The result is a strong bond, with improved moisture and heat resistance. The traditional hot melt adhesive application of edgebanding is still an option with this machine.

 

This is newer technology, and not all edgeband designs are available.

 

“The edgebanding manufacturers are still catching up with this technology and it is not as readily available as standard banding,” Bell said. “All but the most basic colors and dimensions will require a minimum order.”

Paladin has added a PUR line, and a bore/dowel insertion machine and case clamp. The latest addition has been an Intellastore/panel saw system.

 

“The edgebander has added a new capability for Paladin,” Bell said. “We added a PUR lamination line specifically for laying up the high gloss acrylic product. It gives us an alternative process for edge treatment to offer our customers other than our membrane pressing.”

 

A Brandt Ambition 1440 edgebander with airTec zero edge technology was also seen recently at Siteline, a new cabinet manufacturing plant in Virginia. Siteline’s Pat Corsi said that the process has worked well for them and creates a minimum glue line. “It gives us all the quality of a laser without the limits you have with a laser in the edgebanding preparation,” he said