Improving Time Efficiency using CNC Equipments in Wood Processing Industry

Abstract

The use of CNC machines is changing radically the furniture making industry. Time consuming techniques in the production process, such as cutting curves, became much easier. CNC machines are 'programmed' to perform several steps at a time, cutting down on the time required for human action. With the advent of wood based panel products such as particle board and medium density fiberboard (MDF), CNC equipment has now been widely adopted for the production of components for many types of furniture. This study is focused in showing the advantages of the use of CNC equipments in furniture making industry in Albania. We have considered the processing of wood based panels for producing furniture parts using CNC machines in comparison to the traditional methods used up-to-now in a wood processing company. The efficiency gains in production of “side elements” for wardrobes sized 2400 x 580 x 18 mm are measured in terms of production time, raw material quantity used and quality of the product and compared to the above mentioned elements resulting from the traditional production techniques. Production of “side elements” for wardrobes is done in a drilling CNC machine type “Biesse Rover 20”, which is one of the CNC equipment used a wood processing company for production of furniture parts. Saving in production time and raw material used results in decreasing costs per unit of production and the better quality of the parts gives the company a potential higher margin of profit per unit.