Wessex Homes, Dorset

A Striebig Control vertical panel saw has been bought by Wessex Homes, manufacturers of timber-framed residential and holiday homes. It has cut the time taken to size panels as well as taking the hard work out the job.

The skilled craftsmen at the company’s Okeford Fitzpaine factory, in the heart of rural Dorset, have years of experience behind them. They produce five hand-built homes each week, paying close attention to detail and taking pride in a job well done.

Only top quality materials are used. These are combined with traditional construction techniques to produce homes in a choice of seven distinct designs incorporating both contemporary and traditional styles.

Striebig Control

The choice of quality materials extends to the woodworking equipment used, with the Striebig Control handling all of the panel cutting in the mill. It has replaced a manual Italian machine that was unpopular with operators.

Its workload includes cutting 8ft x 4ft plywood panels ranging from 6mm to 18mm thick into sections for use as internal screens, in ceilings and for general finishing, with bundles of the thinner panels put on at the same time. Sections of 18mm thick plywood sections are sized for the buildings’ outside skirts.

The highly versatile Control also cuts 8ft x 6ft Melamine panels into the correct sizes needed for bedroom shelving, with Wessex Homes specifying the optional scribing blade so as to prevent chipping. It also has no trouble slicing through chunky 2¼” thick Xtratherm foam panels that are used for the buildings’ insulation.

Productive Woodworking Machinery

So as to make the Control even more productive, mill staff have made up a special jig to allow shaped barge end plywood panels to be cut out on the saw, with two produced per sheet.

Mill team leader Jonathan Eveleigh said they had a Striebig saw years ago, before a former member of management decided to replace it with a cheaper Italian version.

“That was a bad move as it did not have a power drive, making it hard work to use, and we kept having mechanical problems with it. When management was persuaded to go back to Striebig, we were all pleased when the new saw arrived.”

Wessex Homes chose the 6.5m long Control 6224 version, capable of cutting 5.3m sheets, because it was power driven and fitted perfectly into the space allocated for it in the mill.

The Control is Striebig’s top-of-the range model which offers every possible option for automatic sawing operations. With manual feeding of the saw unit eliminated, the operator’s job is made easier, giving him ample time to prepare the next sawing job.

PLC Control System

Ease of operation is provided by a PLC control system, with any operating errors displayed so that they can be immediately corrected.

Numerous automatic procedures can be carried out by 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.

Everyone who uses it agrees that the Control is a brilliant saw,” said Mr Eveleigh. “It’s so simple to set up and use and because it’s power driven it has taken all the hard work out of the job. As well as slashing the time we now need to spend on sizing it gives a smooth and accurate cut every time, whatever the sheet material used.”

It was supplied and installed by Striebig’s exclusive UK agent, T.M. Machinery Sales Ltd of Leicester.