Schopfloch 06/12/2011

HOMAG goes all out for flooring flexibility

Manufacturers of laminate flooring are not only interested in the latest high-end machinery for maximum output. With the increasing diversity of the product laminate flooring, ever greater importance is also attached to the flexibility of manufacturing techniques. To address these demands, HOMAG offers not only different performance categories of double-end tenoners, but also a range of different variants and options to guarantee maximum flexibility.

While the talk just a few years ago revolved only around output, today flexibility and future capability are the hot topics of debate. These issues also make for ever more complex demands on the design of double-end tenoners, taking into consideration different output requirements and machine lengths as well as a diverse selection of product variants. And of equal interest to customers is the scope offered for future upgrading. The decisive factor here is to opt for a modular structure to allow trouble-free modification at a later date. Depending on the machine output, the procurement cost has to be structured to allow a reasonable rate of return on investment.

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Today, HOMAG offers double-end tenoners for profiling laminate flooring in three different performance categories: From the series FPR 200 for longitudinal feed rates of up to 100 m/min, through the FPR 500 series with feed rates of up to 150 m/min to the flagship among double-end tenoners, the FPR 600 with feed rates of up to an astounding 300 m/min. The standard equipment package for these machines guarantees a consistently high standard of product quality. All the series are fitted with an infeed system for tensionless infeed of planks. A high-quality rolling chain takes care of consistently precise transport. The chain track is equipped with low-wear running surfaces. The trimming motors come with a large vertical and horizontal adjustment path and offer infinitely adjustable swivel action. Precision adjustable support and pressure pads are mounted at the processing positions to guarantee perfect profile accuracy and protect the chain from wear due to laminate dust.

The options are freely selectable and the wide spectrum of variants can be combined in different constellations. The newly developed 5G-S trimming unit for trimming the FG-S toothed profile, for instance, can be installed on the machines of all the series. The unit can also be simply retrofitted.

The latest new development of the 200 series permits equipment with either six or eight motor positions. This means that the low-cost series 200 is already prepared to address possible future requirements.

In order to manufacture products of different lengths, the transverse profiling machine is also available in a tandem version. This FPR 262 “Random Length” machine initially profiles the planks in a single pass on the right-hand end face, then offsets them from right to left and then profiles the left-hand end face. Parts from between 350 mm and 2400 mm in length can be profiled. Even this machine is designed to permit the inclusion of options such as a 5G-S trimming unit or supplementary units such as tongue application at a later date.

In addition to these machines, HOMAG Group Engineering also offers the project engineering of complete flooring production plants to customers around the world. This entails determining the ideal modules for the job – irrespective of manufacturer - and engineering complete production plants.