SCM 5-AXIS ACCORD CNC INSTALLED AT E KENDALL & SONS LTD

Tucked away behind a row of houses in the delightful market town of Easingwold, North Yorkshire, between York and Thirsk, is a thriving hi-tech family business manufacturing top-of-the-range furniture and speaker cabinets.

E Kendall and Sons Ltd was established in 1900 as wheelwrights, manufacturing cart wheels for the many local farmers. The business has diversified over the following years, manufacturing joinery, shop-fittings, dove-tailed drawers and other components. Edward Kendall has now retired, but his son, Phil Kendall, Managing Director, is a very "Hands On" owner and enjoys a close working relationship with his customers, transforming their orders into products to be manufactured in their compact but hi-tech facility.

Already running two 3-axis SCM CNC Machining Centres, a 10 year old twin-head Record 220 and an Actionline Record 110 AL, Phil Kendall decided about 6 months ago to investigate the market for a 5-axis CNC that he thought was essential for the ranges of high class speaker cabinets that they were continually being asked to manufacture.

One of their customers is Meridian Audio, a world leader in the design and manufacture of state-of-the-art audio and video home entertainment systems.  The speaker cabinets are manufactured in many varying shapes and specifications and are composed of high density Birch Plywood, laminated with thin sheets of aluminium to give a super-stiff and resin-damped speaker that is perfectly vibration and resonance free. The new CNC had to accommodate the cabinets and be capable of machining the various materials very accurately and faster than previous methods utilised.

Phil Kendall comments "We supply our customers with fully completed cabinets for them to fit their own equipment, sourcing and supplying the raw materials, laminating them on a press, machining the blanks, sub-assembly and then machining them on the CNC's before final assembly of the cabinets. Our business totally revolves around the CNC's, and as we now employ only 8 people, it is essential the CNC Machining Centres perform to their ultimate capacity."

"Six months ago, as we realised our work and orders was becoming more complex, it became obvious that we needed a 5-axis machine. I looked at numerous Italian and German suppliers and finally decided upon the SCM Accord 40 PRISMA, as it met all our specification requirements, table size, head configuration and had SCM's extensive experience in 5-axis machines behind it.  It also provided real value for money. It was installed in August 2009."

The Accord 40 PRISMA has a 3600 x 1560mm multi-function aluminium work table, ideal for machining and nesting full-size sheets of MFC, MDF, Plywood, etc., and also for locating jigs that are often necessary when machining shaped components and assemblies.

With the powerful Prisma K 5-axis Routing Head, an F18 vertical and horizontal Drilling Unit, 24-Station Rapid Automatic Tool Changer, a supplementary 10-Station Rack Tool Changer and a 500 mc/hour high volume vacuum system, the Accord 40 PRISMA has met all of Phil Kendall's expectations.

Continuing, Phil Kendall states "We are very pleased with the new Accord PRISMA. With the 5-axis routing head, we have managed to reduce machining times and cycles on certain curved items by 65% compared to machining on our 3-axis machines. The programmable dust hood that surrounds the routing head is very effective as some machines do not even offer this feature on them."

Phil Kendall programs the CNC's using AlphaCam and Solid Works.  The latter actually assisted in E Kendall & Sons Ltd receiving work from their customers as designs can be sent in Solid Works for converting into programs to go directly to the CNC.

The 3 SCM CNC's have enabled E Kendall & Sons Ltd to reduce their overheads and employ less operatives but at the same time increase turnover and stay ahead of their competitors and, with the 5-axis installation, new orders are continually being received."

All 3 CNC's have been networked to the office and with the machine's PC controls.  In addition, all tools are interchangeable between the machines, giving considerable savings on tooling costs.

Concluding, Phil Kendall comments "We are very pleased with our new 5-axis machine and would like to thank SCM's Area Sales Manager, Ian McCarthy, and Craig Cairns of SCM's local Distributor, JMJ Machinery for all their help and assistance. Over the years we have built up a good relationship with SCM's Nottingham-based Service Division and we know they are only a phone call away should we encounter a problem."

Contacts: E. Kendall & Sons - Tel 01347 821489 Email mailto:philip kendall@hotmail.co.uk

SCM Group (UK) Ltd, Blenheim House, Camberley Road, Bulwell, Nottingham NG6 8UW. Tel: 0115 9770044 Fax: 0115 9770946 http://www.scmgb.co.uk/

E Mail scmgroupuk@scmgroup.com