Solid Surfaces, Brentwood

The experiences of BSF Solid Surfaces in Brentwood when they purchased a new Striebig Control vertical panel saw for their flourishing bespoke 3D and shaped solid surfaces fabrication business.

BSF Solid Surfaces is a flourishing bespoke fabricator of 3D and shaped solid surfaces, using all available quality sheet material. The highly successful company was born out of a shop fitting business. In 1997, managing director David Bailey, a pioneer in the use of solid surfaces in the UK, decided to set up a business specialising solely in commercial solid surface fabrication.

Based in Brentwood, Essex, the family-run business has grown to become a major and well-respected solid surface fabricator, with a reputation for delivering and fitting quality products on time.

The company produces everything from reception desks and display equipment to shop front entrances and dispensing outlets. They are supplied to, amongst others, offices, banks and the leisure, entertainment and medical sectors in the UK and overseas. Prestige jobs have included installations at the headquarters of Bloomberg in the City, a restaurant in the OXO Tower on London’s South Bank, and the Al Khalifa Museum in Bahrain

Top of the range Striebig Control replaces old saw

BSF recently bought a top-of-the-range fully-automatic Striebig Control vertical panel saw to replace a 12-year-old German-made model.

“I have always been exceedingly innovative when it comes to buying tools and plant,” said Mr Bailey. “As far as panel sizing is concerned, I wanted to automate the operation as much as possible as long as the quality and reliability of the cut could be guaranteed.” He said the switch to Striebig was based on his extensive experience with panel saws and the opinions of industry colleagues. “Today, Striebig is recognised as the key machine for cutting amongst solid surface fabricators.”

BSF buys in 3.6m long lengths of solid surface board, in thicknesses of between 3 and 12mm, so it opted for the largest machine in the nine-strong Control range, model 6224, which has a cutting range of 5300 x 2240mm. After being sized the cut panels go direct for fabrication or for shaping on BSF’s Masterwood CNC machining centre.

The Control features an optional Electronic Positioning System (EPS) on both the horizontal and vertical axes for the automatic positioning of both the length stop and saw head. This increases the saw’s productivity by delivering automatic repeat strip and upper trim cutting.

Incorporated as standard is Striebig’s user-friendly “touch and saw” operating system. This delivers easy and convenient machine control through a touch screen panel that operates all of the machine’s functions.Other standard features include a digital measuring system, accurate to 0.1 mm, and an adjustable precision display that can be set to an accuracy of 1.0, 0.5 or 0.1 mm, according to the thickness of the panels being sized.

The Control offers every possible option for automatic operations. 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.

“The Control is easy for our staff to operate and gives us a good clean and precise cut every time, both vertically and horizontally,” said Mr Bailey. “It’s certainly a piece of quality kit which laughs at cutting the hardest of solid surface panels.” He gave as an important reason for buying the Striebig the ‘can-do’ attitude displayed by the Swiss manufacturer’s sole UK dealer, T.M. Machinery Sales who specialise in the distribution of vertical panel saws.

“Their positive approach was evident right from the start, with their fast response to my initial telephone enquiry. It’s something that has continued since the machine’s installation, such as when they were asked to move the saw’s ventilation from the left of the machine to the right.”

He said that BSF’s success as a company was due to its close attention to detail in everything it does, from design and fabrication through to installation on site. “To get the very best out of our people you have to give them top-grade tools, and I consider the Striebig to be unsurpassed.”