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Power Tools
News Release from: Masterwood (UK) | Subject: Masterwood MasterStair system
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 27 February 2008
Top Yorkshire stair maker moves up to
Masterwood.
ASD Joinery has proved that the Masterwood MasterStair system is probably the most user-friendly in the woodworking industry enabling them to up production by 50%.
Before lunchtime on the day its new Masterwood Project CNC machining centre, equipped with Masterwood's specialist MasterStair specialist CAD/CAM software, was installed, it had designed and produced a staircase By the end of the same day the total had reached seven - equivalent to over a week's work for one man using traditional methods
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 21 Dec 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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ASD Joinery , based in Rotherham, is a family business that proudly proclaims itself as 'Yorkshire's Premier Staircase Manufacturer.' It was set up by Trevor Barraclough and his two sons, David and Stephen, in 1999 and has a total of 15 staff.
Its highly skilled joiners make all types of standard and bespoke timber staircases; both kite winder and straight flights.
Producing stairs for loft conversions is a growing part of its output.
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Customers include national house builders as well as smaller local builders in the South Yorkshire area and members of the public.
As well as serving the UK market, its staircases have been installed in properties in France and the Channel Islands The story of ASD Joinery is a familiar one of a joinery company struggling to cope with traditional methods of stair making, as director Stephen Barraclough explained: "Because we could not always guarantee to get the work out on time we often had to turn it away, which is very disheartening for a small business.
When it got to the stage that we were turning as much work away as we were doing, we realised we had to do something about it".
He said the choice was to take on more trained joiners, who are difficult to recruit and keep, or take the CNC machining centre route.
After deciding to invest in the latest technology they looked at various manufacturers' machines.
What persuaded them to buy from Masterwood was the fact that it could supply both the machining centre and its own specialist staircase CAD/CAM software.
"We had heard horror stories of businesses with CNC machining centres that used third party software of the difficulties of resolving technical problems, with the machine's supplier blaming the software and vice-versa.
We also liked the build of the Masterwood and its clean and modern appearance".
Before making the final purchase decision all three directors visited four joinery companies, two of them staircase manufacturers, who were Masterwood users.
They chatted to staff, including the machine operators, to find out what they thought of the machining centre and the software, rather than simply relying on Masterwood's claims.
The positive responses they received at all four joinery companies confirmed that they were making the right decision to go with Masterwood.
The Project 415 V2L they purchased has a 5m long bed to take the longest staircase strings.
It features a tubeless system vacuum bed, 10.5hp router motor, 12 position tool carousel, dedicated horizontal router, 17 spindle drilling head, and heavy duty newel clamps to complete the ideal staircase machine.
ASD had been using a proprietary CAD package to design stairs, but chose to change to MasterStair, which was developed following extensive trials at leading UK stair makers.
The Project now makes all of the stair components including the strings, kite treads, bull nose treads and newel posts, working to an accuracy of 0.1mm with both softwoods and hardwoods.
"It has slashed production time dramatically as there is no marking out needed and has enabled us to boost production by more than 50 per cent," said Stephen Barraclough.
"Masterwood claim their MasterStair system does the work of around four to five joiners, and I reckon they are right".
For example, a shaped kite winder string that used to take one and a half hours to make now takes 10-15 minutes, and loft stairs can be designed and produced in two to three hours, compared with 10-12 hours before.
He had nothing but praise for the training received.
"I spent two days at Masterwood's training school, and the technician gave us some more training when he installed the machine.
By lunchtime on that first day we had already made our first staircases on it, and by 4.30pm we had made seven.
I could not design them quickly enough".
The Project worked in tandem with traditional methods for a week before it took over completely.
Stephen Barraclough has trained three other staff to use it, one of them who had never even used a computer before.
In the office, another member of staff, Dawn Trigg, who has no previous staircase manufacturing experience, is also being trained to use the software so as to help out with the design process as the workload increases.
Its introduction has led to ASD moving to an entirely new way of working.
Production methods have been totally redesigned around the Project and it now makes batches of components, which has made the operation far more efficient.
"We don't have to turn work away anymore," said Stephen Barraclough.
"Our turnover has more than doubled and profits have gone up considerably.
Having the Project has helped us take on contracts we would not have considered before.
We can even afford to drop prices slightly to win a contract and still make a good margin.
"Customers have commented on the improved quality of the stairs and how easy they are to fit first time, with no chiselling or other adjustments needed on site".
The increase in profits generated by the Project has enabled ASD to invest in new equipment.
This has included a Casadei double drum sander and a new fork lift truck to unload the extra deliveries of raw materials now needed and to load finished staircases.
* Amongst numerous other joinery firms benefiting from the Masterwood stair system are MSJ Joinery of South London and Iona Joinery of Upper Lissivigeen, Killarney, Co Kerry, Ireland.
Since purchasing a Project 300 fitted with MasterStair software last December, MSJ Joinery has boosted stair production considerably.
Owner Richard Mant said: "We were making between 200-300 stairs a year by traditional methods but are now on target to produce more than 1,000 this year.
Everything is so quick and accurate with the Masterwood.
We recently had an order for 15 straight flights and finished the work in a day and a half".
The arrival of the machine has enabled MSJ to extend its product range by adding a less expensive range of stairs to its portfolio.
Iona Joinery's owner Pat Moynihan is delighted with his MasterStair software, used with a Project 416L machining centre.
"It's fantastic.
I tried out a couple of other software packages but none were as user-friendly as MasterStair".
His Masterwood, bought from High-Tech Machinery, Dublin, produces all of the stair components.
A staircase can now be designed and produced in four hours compared to a day-and-a-half using traditional methods.
"One of the big advantages is that you don't need to be a trained joiner to operate it, which frees up skilled staff for other work".
The ultra-versatile Project is also being used to produce arched work and door sets.
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