Taking human error out of sanding set-up

Imeas says it has over 1500 lines installed worldwide and has offices in Europe, America, Asia and Oceania.

The company has specialised in special machinery and equipment for the grinding and finishing of metals, wood and composites for 45 years.

“We have always worked closely with our clients to define and develop technologically  advanced solutions for innovative products, highly customised and with the highest production rates,says Francesco Zenere, sales director and son of the president of Imeas. “We are also present in three other continents, with offices in Peachtree City (Atlanta, Georgia, US), Beijing (China) and Melbourne (Australia).”

During the Ligna exhibition this year, Imeas presented what it sees as the biggest news in the field of sanding of wood based  panels: the control system which it calls ‘Full Control System’, or FCS.

“Having reached, over many years, a high degree of reliability and mechanical construction, we have invested heavily in the automation of our panel sanders, offering an electronic system which combines a fine graphical visualisation and the precise positioning of every single sanding head,explains Mr Zenere. “The FCS management software not only provides plenty of information on the status and use of the sanding line, but also allows the customer to manage the line both through incremental changes freely settable by the operator, as well as through the use of preconfigured ‘recipes’ which can eliminate up to 90% of the set-up time for the machine.”

Mr Zenere points out another advantage which Imeas claims for this system, which is that staff changes between shifts in a panel mill often mean that different people have different ideas concerning what are the best settings for the sanding machine.

However, the FCS software can store the exact parameters required for each thickness of panel, in its memory, meaning that the operator simply has to select the appropriate thickness and set-up is then automatic. The FCS system also integrates into the mill’s existing automation system, says Mr Zenere.

At the time of writing, he says the Full Control System has been fitted to more than 150 sanding heads worldwide, including Arauco do Brasil, Metsäliitto Finnforest, Rexcel and Mayr Melnhof Kaufmann.

Imeas set up its Chinese company, as a joint venture with a Chinese partner, in Suzhou in 2001. Imeas Sander Manufacturing Co Ltd makes only four-feet wide machines with four to 10 heads, leaving the wide-belt machines to the Italian factory. Spare parts, service and support for the Italian-made machines is provided by Suzhou and it also has technicians to handle installation and set-up in China.

Imeas in Suzhou sells the majority of its production on the Chinese market, but has also sold into Pakistan and other Asian markets.

With the new FCS system, Imeas is doing what every machinery maker must do – ensuring that it does not stand still, but continually looks for new ideas to help its customers achieve the best results, while increasing its market share.