Edgebander - modern equipment, without which no furniture production can do. Devices of this type are intended to give the finished parts of cabinets, tables, chairs, etc. a finished look. Using this equipment, decorative PVC film, veneer, melamine ribbons, wooden battens , etc. are applied to the edges of parts. When choosing a machine of this type, it is worth paying attention to its design features and the brand of the manufacturer.
General description of devices
The design of such equipment as edgebanding machine includes the following main elements:
Heating systems is one of the most important units of devices of this type. The fact is that glue for edge banding machines is most often used thermal. Processing blanks is made on a table of PCB. On it is installed the base module with all systems and mechanisms.
Machines designed to process the ends of the workpieces are structurally the most complex of all used in furniture production. To do a do-it-yourself edgebanding machine, for example, is unlikely to succeed. Even experienced furniture makers are advised to better purchase finished equipment, even if it’s second-hand.
When buying, among other things, be sure to pay attention to the brand. Due to the huge number of units and parts in the design of such devices, their repair is usually very complicated and expensive. Therefore, even in small industries it is worth using only the highest quality models from well-known manufacturers.
Principle of operation
Machines of this type function according to a rather simple technology. Glue is applied to the decorative tape intended for finishing the edge of the workpiece, heated in a special bath to a temperature of 150-200 degrees. Then the feed mechanism begins to advance the tape and at the same time the workpiece along the table. Further, the clamping system is included in the work, the main structural elements of which are cylindrical rollers.
The next step is the milling module. This mechanism removes excess material. After trimming, the edge of the tape adheres to the blank with an allowance. The end assembly of the machine is responsible for removing the latter.
Most popular brands
For the first time, machines of this variety began to be used in furniture production about 50 years ago. Today, edgebanding equipment produces just a huge number of companies. Factories for its manufacture are available in most countries of the world. Accordingly, there are many brands. The most popular are machines:
Filato machines
The company "Filato" specializes exclusively in the manufacture of equipment intended for furniture production. Its production workshops are equipped with the most modern equipment, which allows producing devices of the highest quality. Today edge banding machines of this brand are sold in more than 40 countries.
Advantages of Filato machines
The main advantages of equipment of this brand include its reliability and functionality. The Filato edge banding machine is marked with the letters FL. Models of this manufacturer can be used for edge banding with PVC, ABC, and other materials of different thicknesses.
The Italian Filato deserved good reviews, among other things, for its efficiency in terms of electricity consumption and at the same time high performance. Working for them is very convenient. For example, models from this manufacturer are equipped with very large glue trays. The latter is supplied to production in a dry form, and it usually takes a very long time to melt it. The presence of baths of 2-3 liters allows you to prepare as much glue at a time as it is needed for the entire shift of work.
Another plus of this brand is its wide repair and technical base. In the event of a breakdown, putting Filato edge banding machine into operation in a short time will not be difficult at all.
Brandt equipment
Reliable machines are also very popular among furniture manufacturers. They are produced by BRANDT Kantentechnik GmbH, part of the Homag holding. This company produces only three main varieties of edge banding machines:
entry level;
increased productivity.
If you wish, you can also purchase a table edge curving machine of this brand, designed for processing workpieces with a complex shape of the edge.
Key Benefits of Brandt Equipment
The main advantages of the machines of this manufacturer are:
perfect bonding of decorative ribbons from a wide variety of materials;
optimal feed and edge feed speed;
the ability to process workpieces with material of different thickness ranges (0.4-3 mm).
Brandt Edgebander is primarily a high degree of reliability, productivity and ease of use. In particular, the devices of this brand earned good consumer reviews for perfect milling and almost instant adjustment to the tape thickness, even from 0.4 to 2-3 mm. Experienced furniture makers praise even used machines of this brand. The build quality is really great.
Akron machines
The equipment of this brand is manufactured by the Italian company Biesse Artech. This company released its first machine tool in 1969. Akron brand models can be used for trimming PVC, ABC, melamine and even veneer or wooden battens. The maximum allowable tape thickness for these machines is also 0.4-3 mm.
Arkon, the edge banding machine, whose reviews are just wonderful, has such advantages as:
IMA machines
Equipment of this brand is also produced at Homag factories and is characterized by simply excellent German build quality. On this equipment it is possible to process an edge with material up to 60 mm thick. Any IMA model is a fully automatic edge banding machine. Devices of this brand are controlled by mini-computers that monitor all functions: the program being implemented, the number of parts, the amount of tape used, and various kinds of problems. Baths when changing the color of glue in this equipment can be replaced almost instantly.
Today on the market there are both single and double sided IMA machines. The company also produces models designed for edge processing not only with ribbons and veneers, but also with rails up to 12 mm thick. Professional furniture makers consider the very high cost to be the only drawback of these machines.
Basic selection rules
The brands of edge banding machines described above are by far the most popular. Of course, when choosing them, you should pay attention not only to the manufacturer, but also to the design features.
All devices of this type are classified into models designed for the processing of rectilinear blanks and curved. In the first case, the part is usually fed automatically, in the second - manually. There are also combined devices on which you can process workpieces of any shape. Manual edgebander is usually used only in small enterprises. In large industries, combined universal models are installed.
Also, all edgebanding devices are divided into one-sided and two-sided. Models of the first variety are usually expensive and are used in large and medium enterprises. On such machines, only straight edges can be veneered, but at the same time they have a very large number of additional functions.
Double-sided machines have more complex mechanics. When using them, the edges of the workpieces can be processed simultaneously from two sides.
Not so long ago, small inexpensive portable edge banding machines also appeared on sale. They are usually used for gluing tape of small thickness on rectangular blanks. If desired, such a model can be mounted on a table and used as a stationary device.