Browns 2000 continues investing with more CNC's from SCM
With an impressive manufacturing facility in Cramlington, near Newcastle, Browns 2000 is one of the UK's leading suppliers of kitchen, bedroom and bathroom doors and other associated products.
With a line-up of 14 - SCM ERGON CNC Machining Centres already installed, more than any other manufacturer in the World, Owner Peter Brown visited the W8 Exhibition at the NEC last November, to discuss with a limited number of potential suppliers, the purchase of 3 more twin-table CNC's, capable of the high production of nesting doors from a full-size sheet of MDF.
Peter Brown comments "I spent two whole days at W8 in detailed discussions with manufacturers of CNC Machining Centres, who were capable of providing me with the very latest nesting technology that was available, as this process was now critical to our increasing production levels of our high quality doors."
"In the end, after careful consideration, I selected, once again, the SCM Group's CNC machines, placing an Order for 3 - ERGON NT machines fitted with several new features that really impressed me. In discussions with SCM's Area Sales Manager, Ian McCarthy, he also agreed to sell 2 older CNC's to make floor space for the new Ergons."
Browns 2000 Production Manager, Richard Jenkins, continues "The first Ergons supplied to us had tables with bars and pods so that door blanks, all cut from an MDF sheet, could be individually machined. Peter Brown then ordered and installed a flat-table machine, fitted with SCM's high volume vacuum system, so that the Nesting solution could be investigated. All successive machines installed were to this same specification and now about 95 per cent of our total production is nested, with the bar and pod machines used for specials and re-working."
The new Ergon NT machines will have two work tables with dimensions of 2120 x 3120mm each, with a gap between them for easy loading and unloading. High capacity table vacuum of 1000 cubic metres per hour ensures full sheet hold down.
Two powerful electro spindles, each 13KW running at 24000 rpm and fitted with 12 plus 24 position automatic tool changers provide the high quality finish demanded. The routing heads can either run together or with the Independent X-axis controls, the heads can therefore operate independently, one per table, effectively providing two separate machines within the one machine.
SCM's new system for the cleaning of any excess dust from the work tables will be included ensuring the expulsion of any dust after a machining cycle before loading another full-size MDF sheet. Syncron Copying Devices will be fitted to each routing head to allow for any inaccuracies in the thickness of the MDF.
Browns 2000 have developed their own incoming order system that can transfer Orders received by fax or internet, process them and then send directly to the CNC machines using AlphaCam and AlphaDoor very quickly so that Brown's customers receive their orders in the shortest possible time.
Sales Director, Garry Brown, Peter's son, comments "We are really looking forward to the installation of the three new Ergons, as the Nesting process has completely revolutionised our production processes. We are taking an increasing number of orders since the beginning of 2009 due to the demise of some of our competitors. We are currently introducing some new door styles, such as Melbury and Premier in the latest foils, with High Gloss finish continuing to be very successful."
Concluding, Peter Brown states "We have an excellent working relationship with SCM and my production staff can contact them at any time. Although we can normally resolve any problems that arise ourselves, it's good to know we can contact SCM's CNC Help Desk in Nottingham, and they can then dial into our machine using Telesolve to solve the problem. We can't wait for the new Ergons to arrive and be installed, that will make a total of 17 Ergon machines we have in our factory."
Contacts: Browns 2000 Tel 01670 590556 Fax 01670 738206
SCM Group UK - Tel. 01159 770044 www.scmgb.co.uk
