Emmaus manufacturer lands a first in the U.S.

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American Millwork & Cabinetry of Emmaus recently bought the Schelling panel saw and retrieval system, and now that it’s operational, the device has boosted the company’s production, increased its competitiveness and made the company more efficient, said George Reitz, owner and operator of the company. The machine uses computer-numeric control technology to fabricate the company’s cabinetry, woodworking and countertop products.

“It should put us at that competitive edge to bring in that work against companies from Canada, Europe and other parts of the U.S.,” Reitz said this morning. “It got us to the point where we increased our efficiency about 30 percent, as far as what we see right now.”

Produced by Schelling Inc. of Austria, the panel saw and retrieval system allows for the company’s employees to be redeployed to more value-added positions, rather than reducing the company’s workforce, according to Reitz.

“We are looking to hire additional employees to make us more efficient where we can sell a greater amount of goods and those employees are deployed elsewhere,” Reitz said.

Now, fewer employees need to use forklifts, which means less damage to sheet goods and better time and inventory management, Reitz said. The machine also requires fewer people to operate.

Engineers will send what information is needed to the retrieval system so that it knows what it will need the following production day, allowing for the system to be programmed in the evening before it shuts down for the day.

“In effect, it works all night long, sorts the materials and gives you the materials the next day,” Reitz said.

Since the machine can compress the fabrication timeline for the next day, it can produce much more material. Reitz sees these tighter timelines as necessary in today’s lean manufacturing climate, which calls for faster product delivery times.

The machine, now in operation within the company’s AmeriCase line, cost more than $500,000, Reitz said. This system is not new technology, since these types of machines have been used for 10 years in Europe, he added.

“We feel this is going to get us to the next level of where we need to be,” Reitz said.

The system was featured at the International Woodworkers Fair in Atlanta, Ga., from Aug. 20-25.