The Speed factory

Biesse Systems says it is the team of expert engineers who create innovative tailor-made solutions in which the automation of the production process transforms Biesse's customers' factories into "Speedfactories".

Biesse Systems designs ready-to-use woodworking systems and plant and acts as a provider of high-tech solutions, supplying systems and engineering solutions for customers who are faced with solving complex production, technology and logistical problems in the panel machining and furniture making industries.

The company is headquartered in Pesaro in Italy and says it produces 70 batch-one projects per year. The company also says it has 1,000-plus systems installed throughout the world and that it has 365 days per year for investment recovery (ROI). Biesse Systems also claims an 83% figure for the value of its total system efficiency (OEE).

The guiding strategy of the Biesse Systems team is, says the company, based on clear key concepts.

The first of these is 'Definite Lead Times' and a perfect knowledge of the production process and the importance of reducing the time for responding to the market, to ensure speed and flexibility. The customer is sure of knowing the order dispatch time and Biesse Systems is able to maximise it, meeting market requests within just 24 hours if necessary, says the company.

Biesse System's second key concept is 'Automation': the certainty of the production process action.

As part of the automation process, the machine optimises its performance constantly and continuously, says Biesse Systems, adding that its solutions offer the customer the certainty of knowing what is produced with an OEE level (Overall Equipment Effectiveness - the index of total system efficiency) of 83%.

Third is 'Stock Management' with warehouse optimisation. The creation of an integration process also means the optimisation of the warehouse flow, says Biesse Systems, as it guarantees a stock reduction thanks to the possibility to programme production on the basis of actual sales.

The fourth of the company's key concepts is, it says, 'Modularity': the certainty of the investment. The integrated lines of Biesse Systems take a modular approach to design, so that they can be expanded at any time. This means the customer can measure and calibrate investments according to market trends and the future developments of his/ her factory.

Fifth, and finally, is the 'Total Quality' key concept: error-free management. A perfect knowledge of the production process allows the customer to ensure quality in every step, says the company.

Automation reduces the risk of error to zero and manual intervention enables a leaning towards perfect production output.

These concepts are applied in the BA Components factory, which is a world leader in the production of sashes.

Established in 1990 and operating from Cookstown in Co Tyrone in Ireland, and Doncaster in Yorkshire, BA Components has grown steadily to become a major manufacturer of kitchen and bedroom doors and accessories in the UK and Irish furniture components industries. The firm's management contacted Biesse Systems with the ambitious request to integrate and automate its production process.

The response of the Biesse Systems team is an example of science and applied technology, claims Biesse.

"Our engineers set up an integrated production process for the construction of cabinet doors, combining Winstore K1 and K2 with six Rover Nesting packages to guarantee optimum performance and good flexibility," said a spokesman. "The solution perfectly fits the factory production layout and, thanks to the new technology introduced, an OEE of 83% has been reached. In addition, large-scale personalised production is now possible, without the use of stock and spare supplies."

Brian McCracken, managing director of BA Components said: "We chose Biesse especially because it was the only company that could supply the complete system, totally controlled by a unique supervisor software, and give us this guarantee".

The final solution provided by Biesse Systems will give the customer an automatic process for its board storage and routing department, along with better efficiency, quality, approximately 30% more output and a cost saving, with six less operators than today.

The machine involved was Winstore, an automated magazine for the optimised management of panels for large contract manufacturers, which guarantees production with reduced times and costs.

The automated magazine stacks panels of different sizes and materials, including mixed ones, with no need for operator intervention. Magazine mapping is fully optimised, thanks to the automatic panel handling function managed by the system supervision software. The panel scissor pick-up mechanism enables installation in low-height areas, as well as supporting high system performance and guaranteeing optimal panel stability, says Biesse.

The rotating panel pick-up system and squaring laser photocells optimise the internal area of the magazine, enabling the perfect alignment of the stack, as well as correcting manual loading errors. Magazine space is significantly reduced thanks to the management of multi-sized and multicoloured stacks.

Two configurations are available and can be customised according to sizing and nesting capability, based on the magazine's size and characteristics.

Winstore K1 is a configuration designed for high-volume manufacturers who need to respond to the demand for increased product flexibility. On average, it can handle up to 400 panels per shift (average value for a seven-hour shift), says Biesse.

The second configuration, Winstore K2, is dedicated to manufacturers who require high production flexibility. On average, it can handle up to 200 panels per shift (average value for a seven-hour shift).

Rover B FT is the Biesse NC processing centre with gantry structure and FT worktable, not only for the nesting of panels, small doors, furniture components and frames for sofas, but also plexiglass, plastic, alucobond, aluminium and acrylics.

Rover B FT has a robust and well-balanced structure, designed to handle demanding machining requirements without compromising product quality, says its manufacturer. It can be customised and fully integrated into a working cell to meet customer requirements by increasing manufacturing capacity. Its great flexibility to handle both large and small panels of varying thicknesses - as well as the large number of sizes available - enables operators to process all standard panel dimensions required for nesting.

Winstore supervisor software

The 'Smart' optimisation of the Winstore magazine is also 'Made In Biesse'. The smart management of high-rotation material is an aspect that's essential for the customer. It means the panel most frequently used in the customer's production is always ready to be loaded onto the machine.

By means of an automatic statistical process, the software always keeps high rotation material in the front line, ensuring the immediate loading of the panel which, in terms of percentage use, may be required in a short space of time.

The primary goal of the magazine is to minimise 'non-productive' cycles for moving panels that are not needed at that moment.

This ensures the maximum efficiency of the system's operating machines, says Biesse, adding that this software function is the practical implementation of its 'Think4Ward' concept.

"From the customer's needs to the end solution, via weeks of study and commitment to find the perfect combination of practicality, simplicity and efficiency. The great satisfaction lies in seeing customers' expectations met in every part of the system, improving their production process. More than suppliers, we aim to be partners first and foremost, and it's this philosophy that brings us nearer to the best solution for our customer," says Biesse.