Right on schedule, the first installation in the UK of Emmegi’s next generation +Quadra machining centre has just taken place at Express Bi-Folding Doors’ 200,000ft2 factory in Leeds.
Ryan Wombell, Continuous Improvement Manager at Express Bi-Folding Doors, is impressed not just with the new machine but with the service and delivery from Emmegi. He commented: “The entire process, from evaluation to commissioning, has been seamless. Ian and his team have expertly managed every detail with remarkable efficiency – from our first visit to see the impressive facilities at the Emmegi HQ near Bologna in Italy, all the way to the delivery, installation and ongoing commission work.
“In Italy, we got to meet several members of the expert team involved in the development of the +Quadra, and saw the machine in action processing our profile, which was an exciting experience.
“The delivery process was smooth and handled with professionalism, with the team going above and beyond to ensure everything was set up perfectly.
“As with any major project, we had anticipated some level of disruption and downtime during the installation of the +Quadra L2. However, thanks to close collaboration with Emmegi during the planning phase, this was minimised to virtually zero, allowing our manufacturing team to continue working with minimal interruption.”
The new 20 axis +Quadra L2 has some significant enhancements over the existing Quadra L1. It offers the same 360° rotary based milling but now with up to 8 spindles drilling and tapping on 4 faces of the profile, and has the same 360° rotary cutting blade, but now with a new head and tail end milling module with variable rotation speeds up to 8000rpm. Being the L2 variant of the +Quadra, it also features an additional 350mm radial saw blade for larger profiles requiring mitres. And it incorporates dynamic counterblocks, which can be programmed to recognise the profiles being selected and automatically adjust and set the vices, eliminating the need to set up individual counterblocks each time. There is also the option of an automatic labelling module which can position the label on 3 sides of the profile.
Ryan Wombell explained why Express Bi-Folding Doors chose the +Quadra: “With an existing Quadra L1 12-axis machine already installed, we knew all about the precision and durability of the Quadra models, but we still carefully reviewed several machines from various suppliers before we made what is a very significant investment. While each company has made impressive advancements in research and development since we bought the L1 in 2016, Emmegi still stood out as the clear choice for us.
“We assessed our current needs and our future requirements, and the +Quadra L2 ticked all the boxes. As a strong advocate for change, lean manufacturing, and efficiency, I was particularly drawn to the +Quadra’s promise to deliver on all three fronts.
“It is a machine which excels in terms of volume, speed and quality and gives us the capability to process a wider range of profiles, with significantly shorter machining lead times and extended unmanned cycles. One aspect which was also significant was the fact that the +Quadra L2 is a real space saver in our factory. To match its output, we would otherwise need two saws and three CNC machining centres.”
Now that the +Quadra L2 has been successfully installed, the Emmegi team are helping to train the Express Bi-Folding Doors’ machinists team on the new features. Ian Latimer, Emmegi (UK)’s Managing Director, added: “This has been a pretty much textbook installation, with exceptional work from our service and installation team and real commitment from Express Bi-Folding Doors to integrating the +Quadra L2 into their operation as smoothly as possible. It certainly provides an ideal template for our future +Quadra installations in the UK.”
Looking forward, Express Bi-Folding Doors will be dedicating significant R&D resources to further reducing waste, enhancing quality and improving efficiency as it continues to forge ahead.
