During this year’s Xylexpo show, Italian woodworking machinery specialist SCM Group used the opportunity of its customers descending on Milan to showcase one of its latest investments.
It held a grand opening of the SCMSuperfici Technology Centre in Villasanta in the heart of Brianza, just 30mins north of Milan.
An evening event at the building saw disco music and chocolate fountains, with wood industry customers dancing on an impromptu dance floor created near the latest machining technology – surely a first for the woodworking industry!
Xylexpo visitors had the chance to visit the SCM stand at the show, where multimedia presentations educated about the latest innovations and capabilities of the Superfici range, as well as see examples of board products finished in various creative and efficient ways.
But with SCM’s decision not to display physical machines at the exhibition, visitors and customers instead could make use of the free shuttle buses from the exhibition to the new Technology Centre every day during Xylexpo.
Practical demonstrations were possible on all the machines on display and WBPI was treated to a tour of the facilities.
The Centre features 2,000 square metres of high technology, with around 30 solutions focusing on efficiency and versatility, including an even wider more advanced range of technologies and services for the whole secondary wood processing industry. Software and digital services also form a component part of demonstration at the new facility.
So, it’s not just the Superfici range of solutions dedicated to finishing and SCM’s complementary proposals for sanding, but also examples of the wider SCM Group’s numerous other technologies to meet every machining demand.
This includes the Maestro Lab for CNC machining centres, Maestro Optiwise, Cutting Optimiser and Maestro Stackwise for stacking pieces at the sizing stage.
Also on display are the new digital services for machines connected to SCM’s Maestro Connect IoT system starting with the new Digital Control Room where customers can see how data is processed to provide proactive and advisory assistance services, with a view to guaranteeing the client production continuity.
NEW INNOVATIONS AT THE TECHNOLOGY CENTRE
For finishing, an interesting focus of attention includes the state-of-the-art UV processes and UV LED polymerisation systems with Superfici’s patented system for the finish and solutions using robotic sprayer to machine both the panel and windows and doors.
The Valtorta Bravo 2, a Cartesian robot with two arms to spray panels, is designed to drastically reduce spraying times. The seven- axis – extendible to 11 – updated maestro robot is aimed at window and door painting lines, with new technology making for even faster colour changes, seen as ideal for ‘batch 1’ production needs.
Also in the spraying technology portfolio is Magnum: a spraying machine with a high production capacity. Superfici says finish quality is ensured thanks to the optimal distribution of lacquer even in more critical situations through the patented independent double reciprocators.
The automatic change of the suction filters allows you to reduce maintenance operations without interrupting the production cycle.
The system is integrated with an intuitive 3D graphics PC interface. The parameters, functions, and diagnostics can be remotely monitored via remote control. The software is able to manage automatic colour changes up to 10 colours and can set all the parameters necessary for the specific painting operations.
Meanwhile, the Compact xl spraying machine is designed with a high productivity capacity, designed to guarantee a saving in energy consumption and a more efficient paint-recovery system. The spraying machine has a new design, which Superfici says makes it unique and unmistakable.
The machine can be supplied with filter on demand (the self-changing filter) without line stops or operator interventions. It is possible to save different gun settings into recipe and switching from one application to another in a short time thanks to the quick release of the gun holder plate. Thanks to the new reclaiming replacement kit, cleaning operations are significantly reduced.
Another spraying unit visitors can see at Villasanta is the Mini – aimed at companies which previously sprayed manually. It is designed to bring all the advantages of automatic spraying in a small, efficient, and easy cabin. The machine can also be equipped with a speedy cup on the spraying arm for small batches.
Elsewhere on display at Villasanta is an array of roller coater, filling and drying technology, such as the Valtorta f1, suitable for the finish on flat panels, doors, parquet and furniture panels. The Valtorta s4 filling machine is designed for the use of recyclable fillers.
On the subject of UV drying technology, the Excimatt user excimer technology, patented to achieve extra-opacity effects while being surprisingly smooth. It is designed to give a soft touch effect and an extremely low gloss level – effects that are highly appreciated by the latest design trends.
Another system on display is the UV Poliedra dryer – a dryer designed for the polymerisation of UV paints on 3D surfaces. Superfici developed UV modules with special reflectors – the special geometry of the reflector allows the UV ray to be distributed more evenly, both on the surfaces and vertical edges.
In this way, with a single lamp, inclined with respect to the direction of advancement of the pieces, it is possible to irradiate the surface, all the side edges of the panel and any pantographs on the panel.
Linear dryers include the air blade dryer using high-speed hot air for a fast flash-off cycle, ideal for drying water and colour-based paints. The UMI-UMA dryer
Is also ideal for flash-off cycles or drying with the continuous advancement of the panels.
Of course, sanding technology is also vitally important for achieving a good finish and examples from the SCM stable of sanding solutions are also being demonstrated at the Villasanta Technology Centre.
This includes the new DMC system with laser unit to create sophisticated finishes and three-dimensional scorings on parquet, wooden pieces and panels.
The new multifunction roller unit available on the DMC sd 90 sanding and calibrating machines mean it is able to switch from calibrating to sanding unfinished, veneered and painted solid wood panels in a matter of minutes.
Other related technology aimed at panel product finishing includes the Stefani range of edgebanders, the Morbidelli range of CNC machining centres and Gabbiani range of panel saws.
The Superfici Technology Centre in Villasanta also has a vast warehouse and assembly operation and we saw a long line of Superfici machines packaged and ready for distribution. The area to the north of Milan is, of course, a very large centre for furniture production and the proximity of the Technology Centre is ideal to service the region and for onward distribution in Europe.
