Imperial War Museum, Duxford

London’s famous Imperial War Museum has bought a Striebig Compact vertical panel saw to assist it in the production of exhibition panels and associated items.

The Compact is used by the museum’s exhibition workshop department chiefly to size MDF as well as Perspex and aluminium sheets and some solid timber. It replaced a 25-year-old German vertical saw that had reached the end of its working life.

A new exhibition is staged at the Lambeth museum every six months, requiring a variety of different sized display panels. The saw is also occasionally used to prepare materials needed for other items such as exhibition plinths and desking.

In addition, the exhibition workshop also produces display materials for the underground Cabinet War Rooms in Whitehall and HMS Belfast, a Second World War battleship moored near Tower Bridge, both of which are a part of the Imperial War Museum.

Striebig Compact

The manually operated Compact 5207 is one of nine models in the Striebig Compact vertical panel saw series. It has a cutting range of 4600 x 2070mm together with a cutting depth of 60mm, and combines exemplary ergonomics and high-quality visual appearance with unmatched functionality. An extensive range of accessories is available to further extend the saw’s versatility.

Dave Booker, the Imperial War Museum’s exhibition workshop’s senior craftsman, pointed out that they had a limited budget to spend on purchasing a new saw.

“We looked very closely at several makes but in the end bought the Striebig largely on the recommendation of the service engineer who looks after all of our woodworking machinery. He told us that Striebig had by far the best reputation in the marketplace for sustained accuracy and reliability, and suggested the appropriate model for our requirements.  “The Compact is very accurate and gives a smooth, clean cut, with easy to set measuring stops  It’s a basic saw that was priced well within our budget and meets all of our sizing needs.”

The saw was bought from Striebig’s sole UK dealer, T.M. Machinery Sales, of Leicester. As it was available in stock it was delivered and installed within two weeks, with operator training provided. All nine Compact models are now available in versions incorporating an automatic cut cycle facility to make them even more productive. This feature was previously only to be found on Striebig’s more expensive Control models.

T.M. Machinery Sales provides a total panel-sizing package which includes the supply of new and used machines, backed up by a highly efficient service and repair department. It can also supply associated dust extraction equipment.