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A formidable duo

Input Joinery invests in a second Conturex CNC single component production system from German machinery manufacturer, Weinig UK

Input joinery has its sights firmly set on the future. Family run for 45 years, the bespoke window and door manufacturer has navigated its way through economic uncertainty, a global pandemic and more recently, a growing skills shortage. But how has the Andover-based manufacturer achieved this and what is behind its success? It’s unwavering approach to innovation and willingness to accept change has been at the core of its business model since 1979 and has continued to influence its recent £1m investment project and the purchase of a second Conturex CNC single component production system from German machinery manufacturer,Weinig UK.

“My father started the business from
a chicken shed in the late 70’s,” begins Martin Ruddick, Co-Owner of Input Joinery.“It grew from a window priming business to a fully-fledged bespoke joinery business.We pride ourselves on our ability to diversify and evolve but we couldn’t do this alone.”

It’s this commitment to future-proofing that started the company’s relationship with Weinig over 30 years ago “Back in the early 90’s, to enhance our position in the retail market, we invested in a Weinig UniControl window line.At the time, it was the best bit of kit on the market, but the whole manufacturing process was very labour intensive and involved hours of machining.We needed five machines to complete one window and skilled workers to operate them.”

The process ultimately caused a bottle neck in production and was behind the company’s decision to invest in its first Weinig Conturex 124. The single cell window and door machine offered complete processing in one clamping process – making light work of small batch sizes and challenging profiles, whilst requiring no jigs or fixtures when switching between components.“The technology allowed us to put a piece of timber onto the machine and, without any intervention,

come off the other end fully profiled, with locks and housing done and assembled, ready for the paint shop.” It was clear that this machine had the potential to take the joinery business to the next level but the country was in the midst of a banking crisis and it was hitting the industry hard.“We revisited the numbers,” explains Mark Fisher, MD and Co-Owner of Input Joinery.“At first glance, people might have questioned why we decided to continue investing, but it was the machine that helped us make the decision to move forward with our plans. Martin and I looked at the cost of the machine, its capabilities and the benefits it could bring to our production. With the addition of an external tool-changer and another head, it made financial sense to purchase the machine and aren’t we glad we did. 15 years later, it’s still integral to our business.” The introduction of the Conturex 124 delivered immediate cost-savings at a time when companies were looking at ways to

tighten their belts. Martin says,“It replaced five traditional machines, including mortisers and tenoners,and allowed us to re-train the operators in other areas of the business. It also freed up large amounts of floor space.”

The speed and accuracy of the machine saw turnover increase by 30% and helped Input Joinery improve efficiencies across the board, whilst combating the growing skills shortage.“This machine is great at single and small batch production,” says Martin. “Nothing we do is standard, so batch sizes, shapes and sizes can vary massively and orders range from one-off designs to orders of over 200 windows at a time. These can now be batched and machined together seamlessly, with the Conturex 124 automatically switching between parts with zero change-over time.”

Martin continues,“It was considerably more difficult to production plan before the Conturex 124. We might have had one person marking out, another couple of

people mortising and tenoning and another manning the window line. The process was never synchronised.Each process took different lengths of time to complete. Each time we needed to start a new style or one-off design, we’d have to start from scratch. The Conturex’s high level of automation and simple operation allowed us to streamline production and reduce our reliance on skilled labour.”

Never a company to rest on its laurels, Martin says,“You’re only as strong as your weakest point. When it comes to manufacturing, investing in different areas of the business is continuous in some shape or form.” 15 years on, the business is going from strength to strength. In a

bid to increase production efficiencies further, Martin and Mark have invested in a second Conturex to run alongside the existing Conturex 124. Mark says,“Since Covid,we’ve made a conscious decision to future-proof our business. We didn’t want to leave ourselves vulnerable to

breakdowns so, as part of a £1million invest project, we bought a new Conturex Artis+ CNC single component production system that offers complete automation at the press of a button.”

Martin explains, “We’re seeing a growing trend for smaller joinery parts so we needed a machine with adaptive tooling. It needed to be capable of machining a wide range of sizes and hold enough tools to produce a variety of windows. All sections of the machine were specified with the right aggregates and included stack tooling for efficiency. The Oertli tooling solution meant that we could easily machine door rails measuring 61x210mm and frames up to 125x210mm in Accoya, laminated Sapele, laminated European Oak and Pine – with room for larger, more specialised sizes if required.”

The two machines work simultaneously: the Conturex 124 produces the frames; the new Conturex Artis+ machine – which

is brimming with innovative features designed to assist in the processing of corner joints, longitudinal profiling, drilling, shaping and insert shaping in a single cycle – machines sash windows and doors, almost doubling capacity in the process. While the newer model is more compact, it is equally as flexible and is capable of machining lengths from 175mm to 3,500mm as standard and work pieces of up to 4,500mm in length. It will typically run for 20-30 minutes or longer without human intervention.

The introduction of the second Conturex has increased the company’s turnover by 15% in the last two months alone.“This time round, we were keen to find new ways to increase our profit margins. By installing the Artis+, we’re no longer having to run 12-13-hour shifts, or pay our workforce overtime. Instead, we’re manufacturing similar volumes in one shift and increasing our efficiencies tenfold.”

“If we were to revert back to our old manufacturing methods, before the two Conturex machines, jobs would take up to four weeks to complete and the reliance on skill would be high. Now, the same batch size can take two days. We’re now working on a reduced lead time.”

Martin adds,“We’ve invested heavily in our business over the last few years and we are in a strong position. Weinig has helped us get here. For others yet to take the next step, or who shy away from change, our advice would be to utilise Weinig’s knowledge and let them into your business. We’ve found them to be honest, open and realistic and it has allowed us to move our business forward. See them as an extension of your business and they will help you reach your goals. Nobody can afford to stand still and Weinig offers great solutions to move your company forward.”

Call Weinig on 01235 557600 or visit

www.weinig.co.uk