The Complete Kitchen Company, situated in Wellington, Somerset was founded in 1995 by Tony Ellis. A kitchen fitter and qualified carpenter/joiner by trade, Tony has built the company’s success and excellent reputation on quality, value for money products and first-class service.
All its furniture is manufactured in two purpose-built units totalling 16,000 sq ft of floor space. The company has two retail outlets under The Complete Kitchen Company brand, as well as suppling a large developer market and trade studios throughout the South West.
Investing in technically advanced machinery and skilled personnel have always been priorities, as managing director Tony Ellis explains: “From the outset, our philosophy has been focused on providing customers with the very best solutions at competitive prices.
“Over the years, this approach has paid dividends, helping us to establish an unparalleled reputation for the brand. A significant factor in our success has been the investment we have consistently made in the very best woodworking machinery available. That is why we have been buying HOMAG machinery since we started the company. In fact, we’re now at a point where all our machinery is supplied by HOMAG.”
Updating our edge banding capabilities
“One of our edge banders was coming to the end of its life and while it was still working, edge banding technology has moved on so we felt it was the right time to invest in a new machine. It was important that the new edge bander would help increase our output capacity, whilst at the same time enable us to take advantage of the benefits of PUR glue.
“PUR provides an almost invisible glue line between the panel and the edge tape; it is also much more resistant to moisture and has higher thermal resistance properties, so it’s ideal to use in the manufacturing of kitchen cabinets, work surfaces and bathroom furniture.
“After discussing our requirements with HOMAG’s area sales manager, Simon Durant, we decided to invest in an EDGETEQ S-380 edge bander and XES 200 glue station.”
HOMAG’s compact XES 200 glue station
With PUR glue, there can be challenges in processing, particularly if there are extended interruptions to work, such as overnight or over the weekend, when the glue can go off.
The HOMAG XES 200 glue station eliminates these issues. A compact unit with a footprint of less than 1 sq m, it enables easy, efficient switching between different colours and glue types.
The station stores the glue application units in a vacuum; this delays the bonding time so that the PUR glue does not harden during an interruption to production. It then pre-heats the glue application unit to minimise downtime before use. Also, cleaning or glue change can be done automatically without interrupting production on the edge banding machine.
Premium quality edge banding with a small footprint
“There were a couple of reasons we decided to buy the HOMAG’s EDGETEQ S-380 edge bander,” continues Tony Ellis. “Firstly, its ability to produce invisible edging was a major advantage as it enables us to manufacture high quality kitchen, bedroom and office furniture. Secondly, it has a small footprint which is important to us as space is limited in our factory.
“Experience has also shown us that HOMAG are past masters in handling the installation of a new machine. They take care of all the details and disruption to production is kept to a minimum.
“The training conducted by the installation engineers on site was excellent. It provided us with the necessary knowledge and skills to have the edge bander up and running smoothly in a few days.
“As with all HOMAG machinery, the quality, reliability and lifetime value of the EDGETEQ S-380 are clear to see, and it is already proving to be a wise investment. We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with HOMAG as we continue to provide the very best quality products for our customers,” concluded Tony Ellis.
For a demonstration or further information on HOMAG’s machinery and software, contact Adele Hunt at HOMAG UK on 01332 856424 or email info-uk@homag.com.
