Thumbs up for finger jointers
GreCon Dimter of Germany elaborates on the trends in the woodworking industry and provides a solution to raise the standard of poor quality timber and reduce waste on expensive hardwoods.
01 MAY 2001
Growing environmental concerns and the changing pattern of timber demand are leading manufacturers to consider ways of increasing the yield from the timber they use, improving quality by cutting defects and reducing waste. The good news is that technology is available to achieve this, and in addition, add value and increase profit margins.
Many companies in the industry are increasingly buying timber at lower prices - which means using timber with more defects. This is a growing trend as can be seen from the rapid expansion of lower grade timber imports from Russia and the Baltic states. By finger jointing, defects can be cut out and the timber upgraded for use in furniture and construction.
Germany-based GreCon Dimter is a specialist in the field with machinery that increases yield, reduces waste, provides an economical system for cutting out defects, finger jointing off-cuts as short as 150 mm into usable long component lengths, or for laminating.
Choosing the appropriate solution to suit individual manufacturer's requirements, adds value and increases profit. This can be assessed and estimated by GreCon Dimter, before purchase of the equipment.
The track records of companies that have employed finger jointing techniques provide proof of a quick pay-back on investment - often in just six months to a year.
The benefits of optimising cross-cut saws are relatively well-known now and the number of installations are growing rapidly.
Not so well understood are the benefits of finger jointing - where profits are potentially even larger. Forward-looking companies, which have installed GreCon Dimter finger jointers, are stealing a march on their competitors. Further proof of this is that most will not publicise this fact - for obvious competitive reasons!
Some manufacturers still think that finger-jointed timber must be structurally weaker. Not so. Tests have proved, without doubt, that finger-jointed components are stronger, more durable and give a higher performance. If finger-jointed components are tested to breaking point, the finger joint itself is the last section to break.
Finger-jointed material can also be produced in longer lengths, so smaller logs can be used. It is also straighter and more stable than natural timber, and all these benefits put together provide a better quality and higher value product - allowing for a bigger profit margin.
It is important that the technology is not judged on finger jointing techniques and machinery used in the early days of the process. Today, there is a world of difference.
The tooling for cutting finger profiles is now much more precise.
GreCon Dimter supplies tooling made by specialist companies to extremely close tolerances - providing a perfect closed joint. When the material is planed all round, the joint is hardly detectable.
And glue manufacturers have perfected adhesives to advanced levels. Even wet timbers can be finger-jointed now with the moisture in the timber activating the joint. Hence, the increasing use of finger jointing for glulam beams for main building structures, laminated timber in window scantlings, panels and more recently, in decking.
As a point of interest, in Germany, glulam structures have a better fire rating than steel structures.
Finger jointing technology and products produced from the technique are widely used in Europe. More and more finger-jointed products can now be seen in structures, furniture (just look at Ikea products for instance), and decorative timber now widely used in shopfitting and garden furniture products.
GreCon Dimter has a showroom and demonstration facilities at its premises in Germany, and can demonstrate the merits of both vertical and horizontal finger jointing, used for different applications.
