WWP March Red Book 2011
In This Issue
Calculating Finish Rates of Feed for Wood Materials
The finish of the material is dependent upon the feed and speed of the machine. No matter how good the quality of the cutting tool, if you are using the incorrect speed and feed, then the cutting tool will fail. Signs of incorrect feed and speed rates include burning and high heat, causing the knives to dull quickly.
Tips to Extend Tool Life and Raise Productivity
Tips to Extend Tool Life and Raise Productivity
Profiling the Industry: Wrappers Get in the Groove
Intricate profiles and shapes can be profile wrapped, for a high-end look at an inexpensive price.
Helmstown Cooks Up New Niche Markets
For Helmstown, a maker of high-end cabinetry for bathrooms and kitchens, expansion of its product line and entry into new markets — especially outdoor kitchen and grill displays — proved key to new sales and success.
Part Preparation for Membrane Pressing of 3D Laminate Films
A common challenge when using a membrane press is eliminating surface contamination on 3-D laminate products. Outlined here are some guidelines for reducing contamination in and around the pressing area, thus reducing the amount of rejected parts.
Cold Press Troubleshooting
Below is a listing of the most common problems, causes and recommendations when cold pressing.
Northern Contours Opens New Doors
For Northern Contours, a Minnesota-based component manufacturer, the recent economic downturn has been a mixed blessing.
One Goal: Best in Business
What does it take to thrive in today’s economy? To have one goal: The desire to be the best in business.
New Market Study Reveals Component Purchasing Trends
The cabinet industry remained in the number one position as the largest end-use market for wood component products in 2010, primarily due to the continued decline in the building products industry and slowdown in the construction markets. That information, along with other trends, is included in the 2010 Dimension & Components Market Study by the Wood Component Manufacturers Assn. (WCMA).
A Polyester Primer
An underlying reason to use any of the polyester types is due to their ability to close grain quickly and give an extremely hard surface. While most of the other favorable polyester attributes can be obtained by using other, easier to apply, coatings systems, polyester is undoubtedly however the “king of coatings."
Jasper Group Focuses on Finishing
Indiana-based furniture manufacturer Jasper Group recently acquired a new facility 30 miles from its plant, in Taylorsville, NC, to handle finishing. The former location of a Kincaid Furniture plant, it has 98,000 square feet and is big enough to handle future growth.
5 Tips for Keeping a Paint Booth Clean
• Keep dust outThe simplest and most important way to prevent dust from entering a booth is to keep all booth doors closed. When opening the doors to bring in the object to be sprayed, be sure that the booth is on and running in order to draw any airborne contaminants into the exhaust filters.
Spray Gun Tips for Operators
The best way to achieve consistency is the spray gun application is to use equipment that allows you to record your settings and then return to them very easily. For instance, be sure to use regulators with accurate pressure gauges that are easy to read — and record the pressure settings used under different conditions and with different materials in a log book. Use a spray gun that allows you to identify the exact position of the needle (via the fluid control knob) and the fan control.
Picture This: Digital Printing on Demand
The digital age has hit the woodworking industry with a gusto, with digital printing for surface technologies now being used to a greater extent.
Do’s & Don’ts for Using ‘Super’ Coatings
In recent years, a number of so-called “super” high-performance coatings have been taking over the wood finishing industry. But what, exactly, are they? This will give you a quick overview, with some information about one of the most popular ones, conversion varnish.
Favorite Woods 2011
The Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc.’s (AHMI) annual “Furniture Styles and Material Use Survey” provides a snapshot of the wood and veneer being used by furniture manufacturers. Administered by the AHMI since 1934, the analysis tracks wood species and design style trends in home furnishings at the High Point market.
Tradition Meets Wood Ripping Technology
Optimized rip sawing equipment and integration from the log to the wood parts it makes, improve manufacture at JM Champeau, a Quebec City producer of quality dimension components.
Smooth, Steady: New Strides for Drawer Slides
Besides the ease of installation, end-users also desire special features in their drawer slides, such as soft-closing capabilities or aspects related to aesthetics, such as concealed slides or inset drawer fronts without knobs.
The Advantages of Dowel Construction
Constructing frameless cabinets with dowels is a well-established process worldwide.The advantage of dowel construction is having all of the joints butted and that the dimensions of the box are better defined by the size of the parts. There are several points to be aware of when using dowel construction.
Moulder Adds Texture
Keith Malmstadt, president of Great Lake Woods, a manufacturer of hardwood and laminated mouldings and components based in Holland, MI, would certainly prefer that business was humming along as it had pre-recession. The silver lining, he says, is that the downturn has created opportunities for research and development of new products.
Automated Kitchens
The cabinets of the future are here and being manufactured in Brigham City, a little town north of Salt Lake City, Utah. These cabinets not only offer high-tech components in a completely automated system, but a sleek, tapered look as well.
idX Goes Lean
Utilizing a large workforce, idX Corp. manufactures store fixtures and custom millwork for a client portfolio that reads like a “Who’s Who” of retail, including Levi’s, Guess, Microsoft, Marriott Corp., Starbucks, CitiGroup, Coach, Charles Schwab, Old Navy, Gap, JCPenney, T-Mobile, Williams Sonoma and more. The company has eight facilities and offices worldwide, housing more than 1,700,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehousing space.
Wrapping up: 4 Items to Consider
The best practices in manufacturing can help in producing the highest quality product possible, but all that can go for naught if the product does not ship safely to its destination.
OFS: One Piece at a Time
Office and healthcare furniture manufacturer OFS Brands practices what it calls one-piece flow manufacturing, which is an emphasis on single-piece manufacturing over batch production, according to Jeff Eckert, senior vice president of the Huntingburg, IN-based company .
Reader Service W&WP/ Red Book March 2011
Reader Service Wood & Wood Products/Red Book March 2011
Choosing the Best Ripsaw for the Solid Wood Machining Application
Using the right ripsaw for the job can improve the operation’s yield, saving material, time and money.
10 Energy-Saving Tips to Help Save Money
Below are 10 easy steps for saving energy, and money, with compressed air systems.
Components, Hardware & Assembly
Custom Cupboards Goes Robotic
Retrieve. Scan. Place. Repeat. Demonstrating precise accuracy and flexibility, the robotic cell at Wichita, KS-based Custom Cupboards builds face frames for the company’s line of traditional cabinetry. This cell is the first of its kind in the United States.
Good Panel Saw Cutting Practices
Provided are tips for optimizing panel saw usage and eliminating waste from the cutting operation.
Efficiency in Edgebanding at Haworth
Being a good environmental steward means Haworth Inc. of Holland, MI, must continuously review its materials and processes to eliminate waste. The company says reducing the amount of raw materials used for manufacturing products, as well as maximizing equipment utilization in production are two keys to global responsibility
Boring Machines: Some Not So Boring Tips
Drilling panels, solid wood and composites are fundamentally the most basic requirements for manufacturing wood products, while boring and dowel insertion equipment is necessary for all casework applications utilizing dowel construction. There are a variety of factors that need to be considered when purchasing a boring or drilling machine, including quality, reliability and product support ranking among the top in importance.
Vertical Saws: Getting a Clean Cut
Keeping the blade from binding during rip cuts:
CNC for the Small Shop: What to Consider
For a small shop, making the move to CNC equipment involves different considerations than a larger shop may have. Here’s what the experts advise:
The Right Route to CNC Routing
The following five tips will help you maximize the performance of your CNC router.
Technology Drives Wood Products NW
Based in Ellensburg, WA, Wood Products Northwest is a full-service manufacturer of cabinetry, commercial casework, millwork, institutional furniture and countertops.
In-house Tool Grinding Saves Restoration Company Time, Money
Restoration & Preservation Enterprises moved production of moulder profile tools in-house for its historic projects.
North America Taking a Shine to High-Gloss Surfaces
New surfacing options deliver lower costs, higher durability, and exact matches in complementary materials
Cologne: The Global Destination for Great Furniture Design
New surfacing options deliver lower costs, higher durability and exact matches in complementary materials
Sanding Wood Products: Changing the Mindset in the Production Process
Some fundamental points to help optimize your company’s sanding operation.
What’s Hot: Favorite Woods for Casegoods and Components
Manufacturers share their list of popular domestic and exotic species.
Mapping Out a Plan
Mutual Action Planning works by focusing the customer, and the plant, on eliminating roadblocks.
The Up Side of ERP
An owner’s guide to a guaranteed ROI. Seven ways to ensure you get the most out of your ERP software purchase.