A J Ferguson & Co, West London Timber Suppliers

A Striebig Control vertical panel saw has brought improvements to the sheet cutting service provided by West London timber and joinery suppliers, A J Ferguson & Co.

The Control, which replaced a manual Striebig Standard in use for nearly 20 years, is the only saw the company uses for panel sizing. Said director Jarlath Bluett: “The Standard had given sterling service over the last 18 years. We had no serious problems with it but I felt the time had come to replace it with a more up-to-date model.

“It earned me a lot of money over the years following the initial payback period and still had a decent residual value. It was a ‘no-brainer’ to stick with Striebig for a replacement as I knew they offered a top quality saw that was extremely long-lasting”.

Striebig Control

After deciding to buy another Striebig he looked on their web site to see what they had to offer. “I followed this up by going to see a Control being used at a local company and talking to the operator, who gave it a favourable report,” said Mr Bluett.

He chose the Control 4216 model because of the need for a semi-automatic machine that would fit into the available space and which was capable of cutting the 2440 x 1220mm MDF, plywood and chipboard sheets they use, which measure from 4mm to 50mm in thickness”.

“Another feature in its favour is that it will now allow us to cut MFC boards, which tend to come in larger sizes, something we could not do before,” he said.

The powerful Control 4216 has a cutting range of 3300 x 2160mm and a maximum cutting depth of 80mm.

Electronic Positioning System

It is fitted with Striebig’s optional Electronic Positioning System (EPS) for the automatic positioning of the saw head. This increases the saws’ productivity by delivering automatic repeat strip and upper trim cutting.

With manual feeding of the saw unit eliminated the operator’s job is made easier, giving him ample time to prepare the next job. Numerous procedures are carried out at the press of a button, including locking and releasing the beam saw, setting the horizontal cutting height, plunging and swivelling the motor, locking the support rollers during sawing and fine saw blade adjustment.

Ferguson’s also specified an optional scoring saw which prevents laminate panel edges from tearing out whilst being sized.

The machine’s operator, Andrew Sowizdrzal, previously used the manual Standard and so is in a perfect position to compare the two saws. He is a big fan of the new Control. “It’s much quicker and easier to set up using the control panel’s touch screen and gives a much more accurate cut. I enjoy using it every day,” he said.

A J Ferguson & Co, whose origins in the Shepherd’s Bush area date back to 1918, is predominantly a trade supplier. It has kept up with changing times and its web site is currently being updated to allow customers to order sheet material on-line.

To show just how impressed Mr Bluett is with Striebig, a large photograph of one of the latest Swiss-made saws is featured on the company website’s home page.

The Control was supplied and installed by Striebig’s sole UK agent, T.M. Machinery Sales, who will be showing machines from the Striebig range on Stand 8F 610 at the W14 show at the National Exhibition Centre in October.