Industry Review
Preventative Maintenance: A Guide for Your HOMAG Edgebander
Planned corrective maintenance action can help you avoid unexpected downtime and ensure your machinery operates at its best. For smooth production now and in the future, follow this guide for fixing problems on your HOMAG edgebander.
Read MoreNine Reasons to Invest in New Vs. Used Woodworking Machinery
When it comes to running a woodworking shop, having the right machinery makes all the difference. You might be tempted by the idea of saving a few bucks by purchasing used equipment, but investing in new machinery is often the way to go to achieve long-term success for your woodworking business.
Read MoreThe Power of Networking in the Woodworking Manufacturing Industry
Boost The Success of Your Business by Taking Advantage of Industry Networking Opportunities In the world of woodworking manufacturing, the saying “It’s not just what you know, but who you know” holds true more than ever. Networking with fellow businesses and woodworkers is not just a nicety; it’s a strategic move that can significantly impact…
Read MoreEnhancing Woodworking Efficiency: The Benefits of CAD/CAM Solutions
In today’s everchanging world of woodworking, technology has become an indispensable tool for enhancing productivity and efficiency. One such technological innovation that has revolutionized the woodworking industry is the integration of Computer-Aided Design, also known as CAD, and Computer-Aided Manufacturing, or CAM, solutions. Understanding what CAD and CAM are, the benefits to using them, and…
Read MoreThe National Woods Board: Creating a New Wave of Skilled Woodworkers
Addressing the Need for Skilled Trade Laborers in Woodworking As more and more woodworkers in the field are retiring and switching careers, companies are struggling to find skilled trade laborers to fill those jobs. The National Woods Board was created to help face the challenge of labor shortages head-on—by making trade education accessible within high…
Read MoreThe Advantages of Automating Your Production: Automatech Robotik Multi-CNC Robotic Integration Cell
The manufacturing industry is rapidly evolving, and the traditional processes many woodworking shops once relied on are, in many cases, no longer achieving top-notch results. Many shops are turning to automation, having multiple machines run in conjunction with one another and requiring less physical labor to man the equipment. In the above video, James Swanson,…
Read MoreEmbracing MES Solutions: Revolutionizing Woodworking Automation
One of the most interesting and innovative aspects in our industry today is the concept of MES. Automation has become a cornerstone for numerous industries, revolutionizing their operations and enhancing efficiency. The woodworking industry is no exception to this trend. With the rise of Manufacturing Execution Systems, or MES, woodworkers can unlock a new level…
Read MoreSchuler Consulting Gives Manufacturers a Competitive Edge
Growing a successful manufacturing business requires so much more than simply purchasing stronger, faster machinery. Changing market demands are influencing materials and processes, requiring more efficient and innovative manufacturing solutions resulting in higher levels of quality, efficiency, and productivity. Building a Roadmap to Success Schuler Consulting offers a holistic approach to helping manufacturers achieve a…
Read MoreA Rare Look Inside China’s Thriving Manufacturing Market
Stiles Machinery hosted an exclusive tour of China’s manufacturing sector with a select group of manufacturing professionals during their recent Global Production Experience, which took place April 14-20, 2018. As one of the fastest growing markets for advanced manufacturing technology in the world, attendees were able to experience China’s innovative production processes first-hand and benchmark…
Read MorePerspective on the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act"
An overview of the impact on your business in 2018. Changes to Business Taxes for 2018 The new tax law has significant impacts on businesses. Here are the key facts of the new law: Lowers the corporate income tax rate permanently to 21 percent, starting in 2018. Increases the Section 179 Deduction from $500,000 to…
Read MoreTurnkey Parquet
With Burkle’s lines you feel at home with all parquet floorings and, therefore, they have developed different line concepts for the manufacture of two-ply and three-ply parquet. As one of the trend-setters in the development of fully integrated production lines, Burkle, as general contractors, offer complete parquet factories. Their lines are in operation with the…
Read MoreSchuler Consulting, Helping Manufacturers Build a Roadmap to Success
Schuler Consulting offers a holistic approach to helping manufacturers achieve a competitive advantage, offering services for customers of all sizes who wish to increase efficiency in their production and reduce downtime. Growing a successful manufacturing business requires so much more than simply purchasing stronger, faster machinery. Changing market demands are influencing materials and processes,…
Read MoreTraining Tomorrow’s Leaders
As the manufacturing employment gap continues to grow, one Colorado school district has taken matters into their own hands, turning a formerly abandoned middle school into a state-of-the-art woods manufacturing lab that offers students skills training in modern-day manufacturing. Many of today’s abandoned buildings were once home to thriving manufacturing companies, born out of the…
Read MoreBenchmarking – Why You Should Make a Point to Do It
What inspires us to be our best? Would it be our competitor or something more? “Benchmarking” could be a tool for us to determine where we stand and, even more so, what we stand for. By Stephan W. Waltman, Vice President of Communications 2014 Stiles European Benchmarking Tour Recently, I was in conversation with a group…
Read MoreHOMAG Group’s Sales Revenue Reaches Billion Mark
Schopfloch – HOMAG Group AG, the world’s leading manufacturer of plant and machinery for the woodworking industry and for cabinet makers, substantially raised its order intake and sales revenue in fiscal year 2015. The Dürr Group affiliate grew its order intake by roughly 16% to EUR 1,058 million in 2015 (prior year: EUR 911 million).…
Read More“Networked production” and “Industry 4.0”: Entry for woodworking shops
Digitalization and networking of production beyond company and national boundaries – this is the core of the “Industry 4.0 vision”. The aim is for widely diverse units within the company to communicate with each other and even organize themselves. At the same time, machines operating today within a completely networked production set-up already “know” which…
Read MoreGet an Extra Return from Your Machinery Investment
For manufacturers looking to make a machine investment, the time has never been better. In December 2015, the House and Senate passed “The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015” (PATH Act) into law. Two key components of this new law are the extension of the Section 179 Deduction to a permanent level of…
Read MoreIndustry 4.0: The Next Revolution in Manufacturing
The term “Industry 4.0” provides a symbolic keyword to represent the fourth industrial revolution that is currently taking place. “Industry 4.0” was introduced in 2011 at the LIGNA Fair in Hanover, Germany to provide a symbolic keyword to represent the fourth industrial revolution that is currently taking place. History of Industrial Revolutions The first industrial…
Read MoreUsing Automation as Your Competitive Advantage
As you have undoubtedly experienced, we are under all kinds of pressure in the manufacturing industry…it’s just a fact of life. Such challenges as the continuous need for increased volume, the need for more unique components, and a shortage of skilled labor are just a few of the many issues we have to contend with.…
Read MoreSize Does Matter – Smaller and Smarter Work Cells
Nested-Based Manufacturing Trends toward Smaller and Smarter Work Cells Machine selection in the past Looking back ten years ago in the woodworking market, it was commonplace for manufacturers to purchase a CNC machine that could do everything possible, and because of this, these machines carried a high cost. It wasn’t until after machines were installed…
Read MoreSchuler Consulting – The Trailblazer for Innovation Consulting Services
SCHULER Consulting GmbH has offered its range of products and services, with a special focus on the timber and furniture industries, for more than 50 years and has become a global center of competence. The consultancy founded by Gerhard Schuler focuses both on the analysis, design, and optimization of existing processes and the optimal strategic…
Read MoreDiversity in the World of Furnishing
For over 50 years now, the employees of the HOMAG Group have been concerned with addressing the needs of their customers and with the trends and developments of tomorrow and beyond. We are concerned with issues such as how expectations placed in furniture are likely to change over the coming 10 years, or which furniture…
Read MoreEdge-Polishing Machines: The Clear Advantage
Edge-Polishing Machines: The Clear Advantage Manually polishing plastic edges is tough and time-consuming. The moment an individual begins handwork on an edge, he or she introduces distortions and deformities in the piece: slight bends, rounded corners, microscopic air pockets, and other defects that compromise the quality of the product. Despite your best efforts, you cannot…
Read MoreNetworked Production on Course for Industry 4.0
The way in which manufacturers approach the industrial production of furniture is becoming increasingly polarized. While some producers are dedicated to the mass production of a few furniture models in high piece numbers, an increasing number are going down the route of bespoke production focusing on individual customer requirements (batch size 1). The aim here…
Read MoreFlexible, Fast, and Safe in Process
Flexible, fast and safe in process High flexibility on simultaneously low production costs plays a decisive role in the furniture industry. Many suppliers are increasingly focusing in intelligent production of high tech batch size one lines, combined with appropriate transports and storage systems, an optimal material flow and automatic panel handling instead of simple mass…
Read MoreYour Parts’ Questions, Answered
I know that I need a part, but I’m not sure what part? Both the Parts and Technical Support departments at Stiles Machinery work closely together to provide solutions, If you have some idea what part it is that you’re looking for, call our Stiles Parts Department. Representatives will identify the exact part in our system then…
Read MoreBuilding a Sustainable Plant
By Stephan Waltman Infinity Retail Services’ new manufacturing facility in Turtle Lake, Wis., epitomizes the company’s leadership in thoughtful resource management. Since its founding in 2007, Infinity has been dedicated to providing a sustainable platform for everything it does. The company produces custom fixtures in metal, plastic, wood, and varied materials, primarily for electronics and…
Read MoreRed Grandis is an Ecologically Sound Tropical Hardwood Alternative
Woodworkers concerned about sustainable lumber practices have a year-round alternative to hardwoods such as mahogany and cherry in red grandis, a flowering species of eucalyptus. Red grandis runs at a comparable price, but it offers a higher level or sustainable growing and provides many benefits to environmental health. The International Wood Products Association gave lumber…
Read MoreStiles Machinery Promotes UV LED Curing
An award-winning technology for curing both pigmented and clear UV coatings can save you energy and floor space, with added benefits for processing sensitive materials and protecting the environment. UV coatings applied to a wide range of material types and dimensions are cured when exposed to cool, radiant emission from LED bulbs mounted in…
Read MoreFurniture Industry is Seeing Strong Growth
Rapid growth in the furniture industry is driven by high sales, but there are several factors that are impacting the increasing demand for high-quality products. According to Furniture World, there are a variety of trends affecting this growth, and by understanding these trends better, firms will be able to make the products consumers want and…
Read MoreStiles Machinery is Only Woodworking Company in the Nation Authorized as CEU Provider
In today’s competitive world having the most effective programmers, efficient machinery operators and knowledgeable maintenance technicians are the most important keys for companies to be successful. And, for the 17th year in a row, the woodworking industry has depended on a Kentwood, Michigan company to lead the way in lifelong learning. Prestigious re-accreditation from…
Read MoreHow Technology has Improved Guitar Manufacturing
Every year, millions of children and adults embark on a quest to learn to play the guitar. This impulse is nothing new, as people have been attracted to the classic instrument for centuries. Historically, guitar making has been a laborious process, typically requiring dozens – if not hundreds – of hours of labor and…
Read MoreOffice Furniture Makers AIS and Haworth Enter an Agreement
Contract furniture manufacturer Haworth of Holland, Michigan, has purchased a stake in the Massachusetts-based office furniture maker AIS that is expected to broaden the product lines that Haworth now offers to small and mid-size businesses. We currently focus on that market directly, through our ‘Start-It-Up’ program, and indirectly through our alliances with Groupe Lacasse, United…
Read MoreCorrective Versus Preventive Maintenance: What is the Difference and Where is the Value?
Corrective maintenance can be defined as a maintenance task performed to identify, isolate, and rectify a fault so that the failed equipment, machine, or asset can be restored to an operational condition within the tolerances or limits established for in-service operations. Corrective maintenance is maintenance which is carried out after failure detection and is aimed…
Read MoreCNC Technology at Local High School Moves Wood Program to a New Level
Computer-aided design (CAD) software and CNC machinery have moved into the spotlight for many of the wood shop students at East Kentwood High School in Kentwood, MI. In 2010 In 2010, Stiles Machinery donated a used Heian router model NC 131P to the high school to introduce the concept of CAD/CAM, helping to educate and…
Read MoreFurniture Industry Predicted to Enjoy Large Profits in 2012
As the economy continues to slowly improve due to increasing consumer confidence, many industries that previously felt the pressure of low demand are now experiencing a renewed customer base. The woodworking business is one such industry that is enjoying an upward trend, and new statistics show that furniture companies stand to benefit the most in…
Read MorePerformance-Based Manufacturing
The move to automation or new technologies is a considered process. It’s a decision you make based on confidence, capabilities and a trusted relationship. That’s why the professionals at Stiles work closely with you during the entire process to make the way you work simpler, more logical and more cost-effective. Evaluate To help maximize your…
Read MoreCNC Tooling: Increase Profits with Proper Utilization
Did you know that using CNC tooling correctly would lead to increased profits? When properly used, it can reduce tooling costs, minimize rejected parts and lower machine maintenance costs. How is this done? Is there a special formula? Not really. In the majority of cases it is common sense pared with knowledge. Let’s explore how…
Read MoreEdgebanders: Maintaining Your Glue Pot
If you own an edgebander, then you already know that maintaining the glue pot on your machine can be a challenging task. The glue pot is the heart of the edgebander. If the glue pot is not functioning at 100%,then neither is your machine. Through the years, we have developed a list of the most…
Read MoreEdgebanders: Maximizing Your Glue Pot
Glue application is the heart and soul of every edgebander. Without proper adjustment, maintenance and lubrication, problems are certain to arise. Knowing a few important steps for adjusting a glue roller style glue pot will assist you in maximizing your product quality and assure reduced downtime. Start by performing regular cleaning, maintenance and lubrication on…
Read MoreProper Photographic Techniques to Assist Vendor Support
When you need assistance for your equipment from the machinery vendor’s technical support department, we suggest using these photographic techniques. These tips will aid in identifying the part(s) needed, the proper name of the needed component and electrical / mechanical supporting information. It is recommended to collect as much information as possible, to assist with…
Read MoreMaking the Case for Robotics
Nearly 50 years after it was invented, the six -axis robot has had a profound effect on manufacturing processes worldwide. Today’s generation of robots offers manufacturers a powerful and precise solution for an infinite number of manufacturing applications from automobiles to plastics and pharmaceuticals to food processing. Aside from the partnership announcement between FANUC…
Read MoreRFID Arrives on the Loading Dock; In-Plant Use to Come More Slowly
RFID — radio frequency identification — is coming into wider use as a tracking technology. RFID has been around for some time. It is used in a variety of fields from medical environments and many product areas to shipping and logistics. Basically, RFID involves attaching or embedding a computer chip on parts, which can be…
Read MoreThink “Better” – Lightweight Panel Advantages Drive its Momentum
When you think of lightweight panels, think “better.” That was the message conveyed at the first ever fully functional PUR Lightweight Panel Line with Support Edge Technology demonstration hosted by Stiles Machinery in Grand Rapids, MI, November 2 – 4. Lightweight honeycomb panels are increasingly being used in the furniture, store fixture, flush door and…
Read MoreWood Goes “High Tech”… Finally
Honeycomb panels offer performance, design flexibility and, most importantly, much lighter weight. A honeycombed-paper core is the secret ingredient of aircraft-grade, lightweight panels. Versatile honeycomb panels used in diverse applications such as these stairs. Versatile honeycomb panels used in diverse applications such as this furniture. When I entered this industry in 1982, an older gentleman,…
Read MoreLightweight Panel Production Gets Real
New Throughfeed Technology Lowers Assembly Cost for Popular Panel Option “This is probably one of the greatest opportunities for companies producing furniture for retail consumption, where shipping weight and costs are a concern. It’s also an advantage for producers of office furniture and store fixtures when they consider how much labor they may be able…
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