A Ferwood Premiere

Established more than 25 years ago, Premiere Kitchens specialises in supplying kitchens to housing developers and providers across the UK. Keen to increase production, simplify both volume and just-in-time production and build on its reputation as a supplier of cost-effective, design-led kitchen solutions, the Gloucester-based business purchased a ‘Ferwood Approved’ Biesse Skipper 130 from reconditioned machinery specialist, Ferwood.

“For over 15 years, we had been using a Brema drilling machine to feed our assembly line but it was struggling to keep up with demand,” explains Mike Allen, Head of Operations at Premiere Kitchens. “We needed a machine that could offer us a higher level of automation, work effectively on volume orders and help us to fulfil growing demand for response orders. We also wanted to decrease the machine’s footprint in our factory, allowing us more room and increase machining efficiencies by at least 20%.”

Following a recommendation from a trusted contractor, Mike began to research Ferwood’s used machinery offering: “I’d never bought a used machine before but their business model made complete sense,” he admits. “By buying a ‘Ferwood Approved’ machine, the business would not only be benefitting from a newer machine with modern technology but also a fully-reconditioned machine for a considerably smaller price tag.”

A Biesse Skipper 130 fit the company’s requirements perfectly. Equipped with an automatic panel infeed and measuring system that verifies the exact size and thickness of each panel in real time and automatically adjusts the machining depth as necessary, it not only automated production, it also facilitated the machining of six panel faces simultaneously in one single step (including dowel insertion), eliminating the need to feed the panels through the machine several times.

A trip to Ferwood’s Headquarters in Pollenzo, Italy, gave Mike and his team the opportunity to see the machine and to experience the company’s unique 10-step reconditioning process, which sees machines completely stripped down and worn or damaged parts replaced before a full test by specialist engineers. Mike says, “I was keen to see as much of the machine as possible and the engineers were really helpful. The level of refurbishment was incredible. They were also able to give me some background on the machine, talked me through the benefits of a Ferwood Approved machine, including its six-month warranty, and they used our own materials to demonstrate the machine’s performance. This allowed us to make an informed decision and we bought the machine a few days later.”

The machining centre was installed three weeks later and improvements to the company’s manufacturing processes started to be noticed immediately. “We had been running 400 units through our old machine on an eight-hour shift and we had hoped that the introduction of the new Skipper would help us reach 475 units per shift, but the double-sided production of doors, drawers and side panels, meant it smashed this target by continuously hitting 600 units per shift – and we know we can achieve even more.

“We’ve adapted our assembly line to work to these new speeds, and we no longer suffer from a lag between units and build time. It’s also given us the production flexibility and responsiveness needed to fulfil response orders that need to be completed in a matter of hours. If this continues, we expect to see a return on investment in 18 months.”

But it’s not all about volume for the kitchen manufacturer. “Quality is big factor for us and we haven’t had any quality concerns since the Skipper was installed. It’s helped us significantly reduce handling and material waste. Now, we get consistently accurate boring, routing and grooving at the touch of a button, allowing the assembly team to push panels together seamlessly. Even during the early stages of assembly, we’ve now got a nice tight unit before we use any glues. It’s phenomenal.”

Mike adds, “For those yet to experience a ‘Ferwood Approved’ machine, it’s well worth considering. Not only do they offer a cost-effective solution to purchasing machinery, the level of service and support they offer throughout the buying and installation process is great and the machine has been running like clockwork. My advice to anyone looking to invest in new machinery? Weigh up the pros and cons of buying new. We did, and it’s changed our approach to buying woodworking machinery.”