Rimobel
Furniture Technologies
THE SPANISH COMPANY SPECIALISING IN THE FURNITURE SECTOR HAS 150 SCM MACHINES AT ITS PRODUCTION PLANTS IN VINARÓS (CASTELLÓN)
Its latest purchase is an automation system specifically for “batch 1”: the "stefani rocket" edgebanding line which, thanks to two single-sided edgebanders and a fully automatic interconnection/control system guarantees custom designed production of large volumes and one that is extremely easy to manage.
On visiting the Rimobel company at its plant in Vinarós (Castellón) we instantly realised we were facing a highly dynamic, fast growing business organisation. The plant's figures are also significant with a capacity of 50,000 square metres split between warehouses, loading benches and production areas.
Rimobel specialises in two particular business sectors: on the one hand, the traditional furniture market, with single-brand shops; on the other, that of furniture kits, where this Spanish company records extremely high levels of production and combines a vast network of distributors.
The main product is for children's bedrooms and lounges, together with the equally important furniture for bedrooms. It focuses mainly on the quality of its product and service provided. "Our delivery times are much faster than those of the competition” points out Francesc Reolid Sanz, production manager of the prestigious company in Vinarós. For furniture kits in particular, Rimobel works with several important clients who deal with direct on-line sales. This is where the decision to establish an "express delivery" service for this important market segments, so that the furniture reaches the end buyer quickly and directly.
Angel Puig Plana, head of production is here to explain to us the variety of products in their catalogue: they range from children's bedrooms to "low cost" ones, right up to a catalogue entirely dedicated to lounges which is proving extremely successful with the market.
Rimobel currently handles around 160,000 items. "We aim to expand the catalogues, provide associate shops with continuity and guarantee a quality service" explains the company owner and CEO, Mr Manuel Ripollés.
Piece by Piece
SCM has sold to Rimobel a "stefani rocket" square edging line particularly suited to “batch 1”. This kind of processing is done piece by piece, each one different from the previous one with stacks of panels of different materials, colour and size. Everything becomes a lot simpler with "stefani rocket". The bar code found on each individual piece is automatically read on entry to the line, thus allowing for instant changes of edgings to be achieved with up to as many as 24 different colourings, always available and in stock in the vast roll holder warehouse.
"This new SCM solution of industrial edgebanding offers Rimobel maximum flexibility to be able to deal with even special productions, with the right guarantees” points out Pier Alpañez, Manager of SCM ESPAÑA-. In order to achieve the same result, the company would have had to purchase more machinery and, in any case, would not have been able to manage the "batch 1" edgebanding process simply due to the times and costs incurred to regulate the machinery in succession. All this with the addition of a high risk of errors, subsequent complaints and returned goods".
In just one year the new "stefani rocket" line has allowed the Vinaròs company to become "three times faster with half the resources".
"BATCH 1" MANAGEMENT AT ITS SIMPLEST
We are talking about a square-edging line that boasts maximum reliability. SCM analysed in detail the product that RIMOBEL was looking to produce and, once the configuration of the machines had been defined, a customised IT solution was drawn up for a practical, correct management. "We are one hundred per cent the right partner", adds Pier Alpáñez.
Rimobel's technical office assigns the characteristics and specific instructions to each piece for machining and edgebanding. From here, production orders are launched which the cell carries out rigorously and at high speed, processing the various mixed-panel size stacks.
. The machines know exactly what to do with each of them. "With such a wide and varied catalogue, we cannot produce large batches of pieces for market niches. We try to group together and optimise production as well as making subsequent processes easier", explains Francesc Reolid.
In real time, RIMOBEL has the information it needs on each piece and can transfer it to its own ERP software for flow management. "This SCM solution adapts perfectly to the current changes under way in the furniture industry", states the head of production at the Spanish company. "As we are dealing with interconnected production processes, interventions can be carried out at a distance, as well as monitor and try to improve performance or instantly resolve any breakdowns".
The "stefani rocket" line has, therefore, become the beating technological heart of the factory, in perfect harmony with the needs of Industry 4.0.
HIGH TECH FOR A TOP QUALITY SERVICE
Rimobel chose to invest in this SCM square edging line to uphold and even improve the level of speed and efficiency of its service, bringing delivery times down to a minimum. The company has gained in productivity. "Our catalogue includes numerous products, with a wide variety of colours, shapes and thicknesses", explains Francesc Reolid. The new SCM square edging line allows us to be more flexible and provide multiple combinations of finishings which, if they were to go through other machines and processes, would slow us down and make us less competitive".
After almost a year since it was installed, the new "stefani rocket" line has allowed the Vinaròs company to become "three times faster with half the resources".
"We have made a leap in quality. We work with PUR glue, squaring and profiling all the pieces that pass through the line, correctly and in real time. Furthermore, we avoid a number of errors", concludes the head of production at Rimobel. "Each piece is coded and contains all the information needed for processing: trimming, colour and thickness of the edge... In the past, all these parameters were changed by hand. Now, thanks to SCM technology, the machine acquires and manages all the information and each day we record a high level of production reliability".
IMPECCABLE COMMISSIONING AND AFTER SALES SERVICE
Sebastián Gombau, head of the production areas at Rimobel, says he particularly appreciated the commissioning model used by SCM for this new line of flexible industrial edgebanding. "This is an extremely important aspect for us because the SCM technicians were at our side and taught us how to use this technological solution to the best of its potential. We were greatly reassured by the working procedure and support given to the technicians in charge of maintenance by SCM's after-sales service staff and this is why we have so many machines from this important brand at our plants.
SCM can boast more than 30 years of experience and success on the Iberian peninsula. Generally speaking, after selling the first machine, the most difficult part is holding on to the customer's trust, but in the case of Rimobel, the partnership has continued successfully for decades bringing reciprocal satisfaction. There are currently 150 SCM machines in operation at Rimobel. "We get great satisfaction from seeing a company of this calibre once again placing its trust in our technology and our service, to successfully face up to continuous, new market challenges" concludes Pier Alpáñez.
Text and images by Juan Manuel Miranda (Madera Sostenible)
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