Hallo panel joinery
Transcription
Hallo panel joinery
Timber construction | Prefabrication Hallo panel joinery CNC precision goes two-dimensional Already established as in indispensable technology for rafters and purlins, CNC joinery has now moved on to embrace the world of panel processing. The company Witholz based in the Southwest of Germany demonstrates what it has already managed to achieve using ultra-high technology – including curved panel cuts or mitred three-layer panels. Although CNC joinery has long since become integral to the processing of glulam, structural timber and solid construction timber, the majority of engineered wood panels are still manually cut to size. Not at Witholz based in Ühlingen-Birkendorf in Southern Germany. As a timber dealer with its own integrated joinery centre, Witholz is supplying an ever growing number of timber construction firms with more than just bar-shaped joined timber construction elements. The Witholz delivery truck also transports three-layer panels cut precisely to the millimetre, OSB or even minerally bonded materials to customers, making the company a true pioneer in its field. Panel joinery is still in its infancy, with only a handful of timber processing firms aware of what can be achieved using the latest equipment. Process identical to bar-shaped joinery The process sequence used for panel joinery corresponds precisely to that used for solid construction timber, frame timbers or glulam. The CAD data is generally speaking already available. The 3D plan is transmitted to Witholz, where Matthias Böhler is in charge of production engineering. The design drawing is translated into machine language, including a cutting waste optimization process known in the trade as nesting. By calculating the optimum arrangement of individual parts on the raw panel measuring up to 2.5 by 6 metres, cutting waste can be reduced to a minimum. Böhler estimates that around 20% less waste is produced compared to manual joinery. Cutting curved elements Based on the supplied data, the Witholz employees prepare the panels. Using gentle-action vacuum cranes, the raw panels are hoisted onto the processing machine, the SPM 2 from Hundegger based in Hawangen, Germany. This processing centre encompasses circular saws, end mills and drilling units. The panels which emerge can take a whole range of different forms: acute-angled OSB triangular boards with cut-outs for purlins, mitred three-layer panels or even curved elements. To ensure clarity on the building site, the individual parts are marked using scribers or inkjet printers. If required, the panels can also be primed or painted. Another key feature is packet formation. The panels have to be stacked in the correct sequence to ensure their efficient processing in the workshop or on the building site. In many cases, all the panels required for a particular storey of the building or a particular component are grouped to form a packet. During our reporting visit to the factory, for instance, 42 mm thick three-layer panel elements for a canopy were just being prepared for dispatch. Witholz takes care of regional logistics using its own vehicle fleet. Otherwise, finished goods are dispatched by truck to the customer. Panels joined in ÜhlingenBirkendorf have been used for such prestigious projects as the floating stage in Bregenz or the X–wo?–X climbing wall. When it comes to freeform joinery in particular, Witholz is opening up whole new possibilities. CEO Jan Dreher and technician Matthias Böhler (left to right) in the joinery hall Demonstrating the features of the 3D drawing system, Bühler uses the example of an outsized walkable coffee cup. The convex and round elements were produced on the SPM 2 in just a few minutes – precisely to the millimetre. If a carpenter had been required to produce this, the work involved, the number of jigsaw blades required and (presumably) the aggravation of this laborious task would have been enormous. Example number two: Witholz was just producing 136 sq. metres of three-layer panels for a property in Lenzerhaide. The majority of these were mitred to an angle of 45°, and visibly assembled. This type of assignment is only possible with CNC automation. “No timber construction firm would have the staff to cope with this type of quantity”, argues Witholz CEO Jan Dreher. One week from order placement to delivery Witholz keeps a stock of 8000 sq. metres of timber and engineered timber materials. This allows it to respond rapidly to incoming orders. As a rule, it takes just one week from receiving an order to delivery to the factory or building site. In summary, there is no doubt that the CNC joinery is making an entrance into the world of panel processing, as modern machinery permits the same degree of convenience, flexibility and quality we have become used to seeing with solid construction timber and glulam. • The starting point for panel joinery is a three-dimensional planning file (1). The individual parts are calculated from a cutting waste-optimized production pattern (2). The walkable coffee cup and particularly the handle demonstrate that even radius cuts are easily achievable.