WEINIG MACHINERY FAQs: The Toolroom & your Powermat

While the toolroom may not directly generate revenue, it’s an essential piece of the puzzle, which allows a moulder to drive profitability for your business

A well-organised and well-equipped toolroom ensures smoother and more efficient mill operations, thus increasing Powermats’ productivity. It’s the beating heart of the operation – something you simply can’t do without.

Q: How should a toolroom be set up?

A: It’s recommended to divide a working toolroom into two areas: a clean area and a dirty area.

• The clean area should house the Template Maker, PC and measuring stand.

• The dirty area should include the tool washing tank, grinders, and, if relevant, the jointer preparation area.

Having tool trolleys for collecting and delivering tools to the moulder is a significant advantage. Additionally, ample bench space, good lighting and an organised system for storing templates, profiled knives and blocks are absolutely essential.

Q: What's the starting point for a modern toolroom?

A: For any toolroom without CNC grinding facilities, the first step is drawing the profile and making a template – without this, nothing else can proceed. For years, Weinig has provided Template Makers and 2D CAD software to simplify this process. A template can be created from a CAD drawing provided by an architect, a timber sample, or by drawing the profile from scratch. Once the drawing is in electronic format, it’s sent via a post-processor to the ISEL Template Maker – a miniature 3-axis CNC router. This ensures a precise and consistent template.

Q: Why should I consider a Template Maker?

A: Compared to making templates by hand, a Template Maker is significantly faster and far more accurate.

• Mouldings produced in multiples will be perfect replicas

• If a physical template is lost, an identical replacement can be created effortlessly from the saved file.

Q: What profile grinding options does Weinig offer?

A: Weinig offers a range of profile grinders depending on your tool preparation needs:

• The R960 is the industry workhorse, available in multiple configurations, from a basic manual grinder to an advanced heavy-user specification complete with an automatic straight knife grinding package.

• The R1000 CNC profile grinder is a fully automatic solution that eliminates the need for a template, generating profiled knives directly from a CAD drawing. This allows the operator to focus on other tasks while the machine works independently.

Q: What about planer knives & solid profile tools?

A: The R980 is designed for this purpose and is available in two versions:

1. A fully automatic straight knife grinder

2. A version with an additional solid profile package. 

The R980 guarantees high accuracy and a superior finish on planer blocks, ensuring the moulder delivers first-class results. It’s particularly useful for mills with multiple Powermats or those using multi-knife blocks (z=8, 10, 12, etc.).

Q: Is tool measurement essential, & what’s the best way to do it?

A: Yes, tool measurement is absolutely essential for maximising your moulder’s efficiency. By measuring axial and radial reference points, the PowerCom or WMC setting system can calculate the precise tool position, which significantly reduces setup times. Weinig offers both an optical measuring stand plus a digital measuring stand; this features a camera-based system that provides numerous advantages over traditional optical versions. These are particularly beneficial for setting up sawblade gangs for splitting applications and measuring various tool types.

Q: What software controls the system?

A: The latest moulder setting system is WMC (Weinig Machine Control), which has replaced PowerCom. While a moulder with WMC can run independently, most mills use Moulder Master, a centralised database of tools and profiles that supports multiple moulders.

Moulder Master includes:

• A powerful 2D CAD program for designing profiles and defining tools.

• The ability to store and share profiles across all moulders in a network.

• Integration with the R1000 CNC grinder, which allows for automatic knife production. When combined, these components form System Plus – a fully integrated tool management solution.

Q: Are there any tools that improve safety & efficiency?

A: Yes, several simple yet effective tools enhance both safety and ease of use:

• Tool carrying handles lock into the HSK taper, making transporting tools safer.

• The HSK setting gauge ensures perfect alignment of knives in a block.

• A bench-mounted HSK tool holding stand provides a secure grip on an HSK tool, which frees up both hands when working on the block.

Q: What’s the best way to keep tools clean?

A: Removing resin build-up manually is time-consuming, so a washing tank is therefore highly recommended. There are two types:

1. Ultrasonic washing tanks, which use high-frequency vibrations to agitate a water and detergent solution, loosening resin from tools. Best suited for HSK tools

2. Standard washing tanks – which are better suited to large and heavy hydro tools – utilise a spray system with heated detergent for cleaning blocks. 

FURTHER INFORMATION

Michael Weinig (UK) Limited

T: 01235 557 600

E: sales.uk@weinig.com

W: www.weinig.co.uk