Spotlight on CNC Tools at the Top

Taiwanese woodworking equipment suppliers impressed world buyers with their progresses in computer numerically controlled (CNC) equipment at the InterWood Taipei 2005 woodworking show, held from July 1 to 4.

According to Bill Hung, chairman of Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association (TWMA), a co-organizer of the 2005 event, all of the routing systems at this show were CNC types. "It is the first time the equipment at the show is so consistent because in past shows we still had lots of semi-automated and manually operated machines, " he noted.

The application of CNC technology is expanding to other types of woodworking machines, like sanding systems, suggesting that suppliers are eager to increase product values at a time when competition is heating up in the market for semi-automated machines.

A total of 170 exhibitors, including 160 from Taiwan, demonstrated their latest products at 965 booths for 3, 826 buyers and visitors at the triennial show. The numbers of both exhibitors and visitors made the Taipei show the second largest woodworking event in Asia.

The 2005 event was the first under Hung's leadership since he was elected chairman of Wood Technology Club, a world leading woodworking-equipment organization. Hung used this position to convince many world leading suppliers like Homag Group of Germany to exhibit their products.

For professional buyers like Michael Drolet, director of operations at importing company Drolet Machine of Canada, the 2005 show offered a good chance to search for budget-priced but quality CNC routers for their customers. "We're importing machines from Europe. But it is impossible now to import budget-priced equipment from European suppliers since the value of the Canadian dollar has kept rising against the euro, " said Drolet, who visited the Taiwan trade show for the first time. Drolet defined "budget price" as below 150, 000 Canadian dollars. He was satisfied with the quality of the Taiwanese machines. "They are better than I expected, " he added.

Such appreciation of Taiwan made woodworking machines could inject new life into the industry here, which retreated by 31.9% from the fourth quarter last year and 42.4% from the first quarter of last year to NT$3.8 billion (US$122 million at US$1:NT$31) in first quarter this year, according to local market research organization Industrial Economics and Knowledge Center (IEK).


Well Polished

Boarke Machine Co., Ltd., which had long specialized in wood-surface polishing machines since it was established in 1988, unveiled its CNC machining center at the show for the first time this year. This highly automated model commands better profit margins than the company's sanding machines do because of heated competition in the latter market, according to company chairman Bill Hung.

The new machine, dubbed as PC-250R44, is a gantry type routing machine. Equipped with two vacuum tables (each measuring 3, 000mm x 1, 500mm), the unit is well suited for large workpieces. The machine's four spindle heads allow it to process four work-pieces simultaneously. Its four automatic tool changers have a combined load capacity of 32 tools at a time, each having a maximum storage capacity of eight tools and tool change speed of only 10 seconds. The machine has a maximum processing speed of 80 meters per minute, with its three spindles turning at a maximum speed of 20, 000 rounds per minute along X, Y, and Z axes.

Most of this machine's parts are made in Taiwan except for the control unit, which is made by Siemens AG. The control unit comes with conversational parameter input and tool-path simulation designs. It is also capable of controlling five axes and has a 10.4-inch liquid-crystal display for viewing data.

In addition to the gantry model, the company has developed vertical and traveling-column type models.

Hung said that CNC woodworking machines are gaining acceptance among Taiwanese manufacturers because of their production efficiencies and falling prices. "A typical CNC router, for instance, is priced at around NT$2 million (US$64, 000) apiece now, about 10% less than five years ago, " he noted.

Still, the company had been able to squeeze out descent profits through cost-cutting measures such as focusing on certain popular models and keeping enough inventory to shorten delivery times. Hung reckoned this measure had kept his company's production costs 20% lower than its rivals'.

Boarke began to ship CNC machines early last year. The new models have accounted for a rising portion of the company's total revenue, reaching 15% in 2004.

Cutting Out Waste

This year at the woodworking-machinery show, Anderson Group turned visitors' eyes with its control programs and woodworking machines utilizing its core technologies. The publicly held company is currently Taiwan's largest supplier of CNC woodworking equipment.

A "conversational" program the company was demonstrating at the show allowed the machines working with it to interpret commands entered into a language the machines recognize and then act on the command, eliminating unnecessary time translating the data outside the machines with other calculating machines. "In the past, such data had to be deciphered outside the machines and them programmed in, wasting time, " said Yang Wei-jen, the group's general manager for manufacturing.

Another eye-catching program was "nesting" software, which helps woodworking-piece manufacturers arrange various woodworking patterns on the same wood board in the most optimal way to minimize material waste. "If the patterns are not arranged this way, there will be a lot of unused spaces among the patterns. That is a huge waste at a time when raw material costs are heading up, " Yang added. The software is usually used with routing machines.

As software suppliers are gaining upper hand over equipment suppliers in terms of deciding the flow of CNC equipment orders, Anderson set up a software development unit two years ago. "More and more equipment buyers now choose machines after consulting with software suppliers, " Yang noted. His company is now the only Taiwanese woodworking machine supplier capable of developing software for the machines.

Yang said he was optimistic about the prospects of his company's software-development unit. This year alone, approximately 40 European and American buyers have placed orders for machines running the company's software, according to Yang.

Show visitors got a peek at the group's Exxcel family of routing systems equipped with magnetically levitated linear drive systems, which enable the machine's tool units to move at a maximum horizontal speed of 100 meters per minute.

In recent years, the company has branched into non-woodworking machine productions as part of its strategy to minimize risks resulting from over concentration. It has turned out machines for shaping plastic products, machines for drilling on printed circuit boards and machines for cutting metal pieces. In the sector of metal cutters, the company has introduced a "cold saw, " which can cut high-carbon steel and tungsten steel pipes. The saw cutter has a diamond edge, eliminating the need for a blade cooling system.

Yang said his company was developing the saw for cutting stainless steel pipes. His company plans to demonstrate the new model at the next show.

The company exports one-third of its output to the U.S. and Europe, a similar share to Asia and the remaining third to other countries around the world.

Since its establishment in 1972, Anderson has been seeking to become a technologically self-sufficient company. Eight years later, the company became a dealer for Homag Group of Germany, currently the world's No. 1 woodworking-machine supplier, and began acquiring technology from the German supplier. It later began developing its own CNC machines and shipping them to Europe and North America. Today, it has R&D offices in Germany, the United States, mainland China and Taiwan.


Sanding Machines

Jun Shiau Machinery Co., Ltd. Is developing a high-precision CNC sanding machine, though it did not have a working model ready in time for demonstration at the 2005 show, says company sales manager James Lin.

Lin confessed that it has been hard work to develop the sophisticated machine. "But it pays since it can upgrade our technological level and competitive edge. Competition in the market for manually controlled machines is already crowded today, " he noted. Lin pointed out that sanding machine is the largest segment of the woodworking machinery industry in terms of volume. "The number of suppliers has increased at an amazing pace. In Taiwan alone, there are around 20 suppliers. In mainland China, there are thousands, " Lin added.

The mainland, Lin said, was catching up to Taiwan and is already able to offer highly mature entry-type machines.

A growing number of traditional models in this segment are adding capability to polish different types of wood material as processors seek to trim costs, according to Lin.

The company showed off its SD-family machines with sanding belts in 75-inch, 83-inch and 103-inch lengths. Designed for big work-pieces, these machines are equipped with two to three sanding units to ensure optimal sanding results and have maximum sanding widths ranging from 600mm to 1, 300mm.

"A good sanding machine can perfectly finish the surface of wood pieces so you don't have to apply too much varnish to create a smooth effect. Moreover, a well-designed machine will prevent the sanding belt from wearing out too fast, " Lin stressed.

This family of machines comes with many user-friendly devices. Its belt oscillation is controlled by a specially designed mechanism, which keeps wood particles from falling on the belt. The belt keeps oscillating when power fails so that it will not slip away from the rollers. The belt oscillates within the range of 15mm to 20mm. The opposite and cross sanding method leaves clear grains on work-pieces, and greatly extends the service life of the sanding belt.

Its hydraulic conveying belt ensures stable and precise work. The system's hydraulic device is pressure adjustable in relation to the weights of work-pieces. On each side of SD machines' sanding belts there is a micro switch, which is used to adjust the belt so that it will not derail. Automatic stoppage device turns off power when the belts get loose or broken.

Jun Shiau Machinery was founded 30 years ago and worked with the government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) in 1995 on a new generation of sanding machines. Its products are sold under the "Sheng Shing" brand. Thanks to the reliable quality of its products, the company earned Canadian Standards Association (CSA) certification in 1995, CE mark in 1997 and ISO 9001 certification in 2002.

Super Cuts from Super Sam

Blue Steel Machinery Co. debuted its HP-1400 "Super Sam" horizontal band resaw system at InterWood 2005. This machine, measuring 39 feet long and 10 feet wide, and weighing in at a hefty 10, 000 lbs, is designed for cutting lumber. According to company chairman Roger Yeh, the machine is highly automated and easy to operate, obviating the need for assistance from experienced workers.

The machine's turner system allows the operator to turn the cant for grade off line with a joystick at the operation station or pass the cant through for dimension sawing. The system's rollover arms are designed at each end of the band resaw system to allow the board to exit either end of the machine. The cross over chains, turners and rollovers are designed to handle cants between six and 16 feet long. "In the past, the turning work had to be handled manually, " Yeh noted.

An electrically powered actuator controlled by a temposonic cylinder moves the resaw system's sawhead up and down for different thickness and precise cuts. A 30HP motor powers the 14-inch x 14-inch sawhead. The resaw system's in-feed-hold-down wheels apply enough pressure to the cant to help drive it through the saw head, keeping an even feed rate.

All of the control data are entered and viewed on the touch screen of the system's high-performance PLC controller.

The Super Sam retails for about US$130, 000 and is built by the company's U.S. affiliate High Point Tools Corp. According to Yeh, High Point is now the No. 2 brand of horizontal band resaw systems in the U.S. as measured by revenue, and Blue Steel is the only horizontal band saw supplier in Taiwan. "For a long time, Taiwanese band-saw makers have been dedicated to vertical saws, which are not popular with American users, " he said.

Yeh claimed his company saw its global business double last year, with shipments numbered at 670 machines. His company's shipments from Taiwan in the first half this year surge 50%, to NT$80 million (US$2.5 million), as compared with the same period of last year. The company's top three markets are the United States, mainland China and Russia.

Yeh pointed out that some suppliers of horizontal band saw had emerged in mainland China, but they are not able to compete with his company on quality. "Our machines deliver eight times the output efficiency of their machines. Yet our machines need only two operators, whereas theirs require four, " he said.


Precision Cutting

YAN's Industrial Co., Ltd. Demonstrated various saw blades for precision cutting purposes at InterWood 2005.

"CNC machines are developed to upgrade output efficiency and product precision, eliminating labor work on all work pieces, " says company sales manager Yang Ya-ting. "Accordingly, cutting tools used with such machines need to make perfect cuts to avoid manual patchwork, " she stressed.

YAN's claims to be Taiwan's largest saw blade supplier. Its products are sold to equipment suppliers as new components and equipment users as replacement components. It now produces blades made of tungsten-carbon steel, ceramic and diamonds.

Yang claimed that her company's finger-joint cutters are ranked the best in Taiwan in terms of precision. "We examine every tool with precision instruments. No one else can compare, " she said.