Speed & precision: Western Joinery transforms fire door manufacturing with Essepigi

Nestled in the scenic town of Ennis, County Clare, Western Joinery has long been a respected name in bespoke joinery and door manufacturing

Having set out to dramatically increase the company’s fire doorset production, company directors Dave Burke and Paudie O’Callaghan quickly realised that their existing setup – based on standard pod and rail CNC machines – couldn’t deliver the required throughput or efficiency. So, the logical step was to start looking at viable solutions to solve this problem.

 Essepigi Horizon Plus – a fully automatic frame machining centre with integrated loader

“We were producing good quality doors, but the volume just wasn’t there,” Dave explains. “We needed to scale up fast without compromising on quality.”

After evaluating machinery from several suppliers, Western Joinery found that most options were simply variations of what they already had – until they came across the Essepigi Doormatic at a trade show. This throughfeed door production system stood out immediately for its speed, automation and versatility.

With fully automated setup between jobs and the capability to handle every aspect of door machining – including squaring, splayed edges, 3-point locks, hinges, drop seals, top closers, letterplates, window cut-outs and spyholes – the Doormatic offered a complete solution.

 Integrating the Horizon Plus has eliminated bottlenecks at Western Joinery

A visit to the Essepigi factory in Fano, Italy, sealed the deal. Watching the Doormatic handle a variety of fire-rated doors with remarkable speed and precision convinced both directors that they’d found the right fit, and as Paudie confirms: “It was unlike anything we’d seen. The speed, the automation, the flexibility – it ticked every box. We placed an order straight after the demo.”

However, once production ramped up, a new bottleneck appeared: the existing frame production process couldn’t keep pace with the door line. Once again, Essepigi had the answer. The Horizon Plus, a fully automatic frame machining centre with an integrated loader, twin saws for straight or mitre cuts, end drilling, a CNC milling head and a secondary pilot-hole drilling head, fit seamlessly into Western Joinery’s workflow.

Essepigi Doormatic throughfeed door line installed at Western Joinery

“Adding the Horizon Plus was essential,” Paudie notes. “It completed the workflow and eliminated the bottleneck.”

Since installation, the results have been outstanding. “Thousands of fire-rated doorsets have already been delivered across Ireland,” Dave reports. “Without a doubt, this has been the best investment we’ve ever made.”

Paul Parker, Sales Director at JJ Smith, who supplied the equipment, reflects on the success of this collaboration: “Western Joinery had a clear vision to dramatically increase output without sacrificing quality. With the Essepigi Doormatic and Horizon Plus, we delivered exactly that. It’s rewarding to see a forward-thinking company achieve such rapid success with the right technology.”

Fully automated setup between jobs helps to increase volume in door production

With increased capacity, streamlined operations and a rapidly expanding nationwide customer base, Western Joinery is now firmly positioned as one of Ireland’s most agile and capable fire doorset manufacturers.

For further information on JJ Smith Woodworking Machinery, call 0151 548 9000 or visit the website: www.jjsmith.co.uk.