Time saving

Based in Inzing in the district of Innsbruck-Land, Tischlerei Kirchmair GmbH provides high-quality furniture solutions for both residential and office interiors. The company, which was founded almost a century ago, today employs 16 staff including apprentices. "We aim to produce the best possible product for every client" is the motto of company director Ferdinand Kirchmair. Together with his team of furniture specialists, he places an emphasis on customer proximity, high flexibility, and individual implementation to meet even the most unconventional requirements. Other secrets to Kirchmair's success include guaranteed quality workmanship as well as reliable adherence to schedules - a practice highly valued by its many clients.

Some time ago at an in-house exhibition held by specialist supplier Schachermeyer, Kirchmair employees came across Lamello's P-14 Clamex connector. Back at the joinery, they tested the joining system as a potential new standard in interior fitting - and quickly made it part of their programme. Project leader Christian Matt explains their decision: "Aesthetics, tensile strength, and functionality are just a few of the aspects that our joiners appreciate when it comes to the Clamex P-14. The furniture components' high level of prefabrication also saves a lot of time." And there's another advantage: even with pre-installed connectors, the individual furniture parts are easy to stack in the workshop and then deliver in flat-pack form without risk of damage. In addition to the Clamex P-14, Kirchmair also makes use of the Tenso P-14, which has qualities that are particularly valued by the fitters at the construction site. The fitting is especially quick to connect, with the Tenso P-14's high clamping force meaning that no additional aids such as screw clamps or presses are needed during gluing. This reduces waiting times - and makes damage that could be caused by additional aids a thing of the past.

Of course, they also wanted to be able to handle Clamex P-14 and Tenso P-14 on the CNC machine. The chosen suppliers were two partners in the Lamello CNC network: Format 4 for the CNC machine and CAD+T for the CAD/CAM software. They also purchased aggregates for machining mitre joints, so that in future cupboards with tilted tops could also be made on the CNC machine. With the purchase of the Format 4 P-System option, Mr Ahlers could make use of the connector voucher for 380 pairs, sponsored by Lamello.

Kirchmair strives to achieve a high level of automation in its production processes, project leader Christian Matt explains. Integrating the P-system into production is an important component of this strategy. That's why the joinery company decided to develop an angle programme especially for cabinet construction using the P-system. Their goal was to achieve as efficient a production process as possible, thereby saving enormous amounts of time. "I had an exact vision here of how we could improve the accuracy of our production planning, which we have already been optimising continuously for years, throughout the entire production chain," Matt explains. The self-developed programme is based on a material thickness of 19mm and requires only two measurement values from the plan: the length of the finished component and the total angle of the joint. The programme uses these two values to position the P-System cuts on the cutting surface at the correct distance from the edge. The depth of the workpiece is also automatically apportioned and the correct number of connectors positioned where needed.

Approximately twenty years ago, Tischlerei Kirchmair made the switch to CNC production, and for two years now has been processing with the help of a Homag BMG 311 Venture five-axis CNC machine. This allows the data to be taken directly from production plans and implemented using CNC. For CNC programmer Stefan Mattern, the P-System in combination with the angle programme provides the perfect starting point for efficient production. As it continues to develop its manufacturing processes, the innovative joinery company is applying the many possibilities of the P-System in many other fields as well. Several weeks ago the P-System was integrated as the fitting in Kirchmair's bath programme. "The P-System is now an indispensable part of our operations," company director Ferdinand Kirchmair explains. The Tenso P-14 gluing aid, with its stability and connector that can be deployed in all angles and mitres, has made a big impression on the team. "We want only the best for our clients, including the appropriate fittings to match our high-quality furniture," says project leader Christian Matt, "and with Lamello, we've found just the right fittings partner."