Birmingham Veneers in Tyesley, Birmingham, has a reputation for high-class joinery and doors, working with some very esteemed clients and projects across the UK. Birmingham Veneers approached Dean Grimbley of John Penny Woodworking Machinery to find out more about its MB machine range and its unique features … 

Birmingham Veneers has been supplying factory-finished doorsets and bespoke joinery for years, and has tried several brush sanders in the past. Its experience of brush-sanding machines with small-diameter heads was that the sanding paper life was poor, and it was difficult to achieve a quality finish on harder materials.

Time-consuming setting is not required on the Fentech – instead, automatic part recognition at the inlet of the machine, and the subsequent motorised adjustment of all sanding units, take care of thisFully automatic and all-sided sanding of all types of IV 70-105 and wood-aluminum window systems

Following discussions with Dean Grimbley from John Penny Woodworking Machinery, the Roba Fentech fully-automated sanding machine – manufactured by MB Maschinenbau – was suggested as an ideal solution for Birmingham Veneers’ requirements.

The Roba Fentech carries large, 400mm-diameter oscillating sanding heads, putting more sanding paper in contact with the workpiece – and the oscillation of the sanding heads over the workpiece prevent wear in one area, thus ensuring the quality of the finish.

A large brush diameter optimises the surface quality – while a vacuum transport system also enables short parts

For Birmingham Veneers, the Fentech’s main unique feature was the way the machine could deal with small batches. The parts are laser-scanned on entry to the machine with the shape measured – the machine sets everything for the profile automatically from this data. 

The machine sets almost instantaneously, with the parts being transported through the machine on a vacuum transport belt. The operator has the choice of working in one-man operation with components returned through the machine, or, for higher capacity, an operator can stack at the outfeed of the machine.

This was enough of an incentive for Birmingham Veneers to conduct sanding trails and visit MB Maschinenbau at its headquarters in Herford, Germany, for a demonstration – and, shortly after that convincing visit, an order was placed.

Typically, high-quality sanding is required for Birmingham Veneers’ demanding clientele

Birmingham Veneers has now had the MB Fentech in production in Birmingham throughout the Covid-19 year. “The machine has performed to our expectation,” remarks production manager James Ferguson, “and has helped to complete some notable installations in London to a high and consistent quality very efficiently.”

From John Penny Woodworking Machinery’s Midland office, Dean Grimbley says: “For those interested in brush-sanding machines for flat surfaces and mouldings, call John Penny Woodworking Machinery and make your first step towards sanding perfection. Also, if you require high-quality joinery, call Birmingham Veneers for advice, quotation requests, or just to find out more about their services.” 

For further details, contact Dean directly on 07973 851454.

www.john-penny.co.uk
www.mb-maschinenbau.de
www.birminghamveneers.co.uk