More than 80% of reworked panels are caused by abnormal edge banding. How can we re understand edge banding?
Edge sealing is the process that involves the most tools, parameters, and materials in an intelligent workshop. According to statistics, over 60% of downtime in the production line of intelligent workshops is caused by the edge banding process, over 80% of reworked panels are caused by abnormal edge banding, and over 25% of complaints are related to edge banding. Therefore, edge banding is the most complex process in the production of customized furniture.
Therefore, analyzing the current situation of the edge sealing process and exploring its development trend can point out the development direction for enterprises that have established intelligent manufacturing workshops, reduce unnecessary downtime and rework in production, and reduce customer complaint rates.
01 Current Edge Sealing Technology and Equipment
At present, hot melt adhesive edge sealing technology is the most commonly used technology in panel furniture enterprises. Below is an analysis of the equipment involved in hot melt adhesive edge sealing technology.
Edge banding machines are divided into manual edge banding machines, automatic edge banding machines, and intelligent edge banding machines based on the degree of automation. The edge banding process is divided into single machine, two machine connection, and four machine connection according to the number of edge banding machines.
The process of edge sealing can be seen as five steps: transportation (loading, feeding, unloading), pre-treatment (pre milling, preheating, spraying separation agent), adhesive sealing, trimming (trimming, chamfering), and inspection.
With the improvement of automation level, the number of operations that equipment can complete increases, reducing the physical labor of workers, reducing the requirements for worker proficiency, and also improving the quality of plate edge sealing operations.
▲ Comparison of edge banding machine functions at different stages
01-1 Manual edge banding machine
The manual edge banding machine can complete the operation of glue melting and coating, relying on manual feeding, rotation, and movement of the board. It manually controls the conveying and cutting of the edge banding belt. After the edge banding belt is firmly combined with the board, the board is then trimmed and chamfered. Finally, the quality of the edge banding is visually observed to meet the requirements.
01-2 automatic edge banding machine
The automatic edge banding machine is operated by two operators in conjunction with a rotary table. The main operator needs to strictly follow the loading gear to ensure that the plates are in a regular rectangle after edge banding is completed. The auxiliary operator unloads the plates at the discharge port and places them on the rotary table. The plates are transported to the upper material port through the rotary table.
The operator also needs to add hot melt glue and supplement the edge banding belt in the glue pot, and complete operations such as selecting hot melt glue, replacing the edge banding belt, adjusting the gear position, and selecting the function of the edge banding machine according to the processing requirements. In addition, it is also necessary to consider the turnover of panels between processes.
01-3 Intelligent Edge Sealing Machine
The intelligent edge banding machine has an independent controller that can upload data, automatically recognize the code of the board through a code scanner, read the processing information of the board, and achieve operations such as square adjustment, automatic switching of hot melt adhesive, switching of edge banding belts, chamfering, slotting, etc. according to requirements.
The system includes a feeding system, a gauge system, a gluing system, a sideband system, a processing system, and an inspection system. It can be directly connected to the Manufacturing execution system for data transmission, and can form a full-automatic production line with other intelligent equipment through rollers and belts.
Application of Edge Bonding Machine in 02 Customized Home Furnishing Enterprises
A complete cabinet is composed of several different panels (as shown in the table below), mainly including rectangular panels with a thickness of 18 mm, such as door panels, side panels, partitions, shelves, and back panels. These panels are collectively referred to as cabinet body panels;
The drawer surface, drawer side, back panel, storage compartment, and other smaller panels with a thickness of 10mm or 12mm are collectively referred to as small panels; Non rectangular tabletop panels with a thickness exceeding 18mm and ultra high door panels with a height exceeding 2400mm are collectively referred to as irregular panels;
Application of 02-1 Manual and Automatic Edge Sealing Machine
The degree of automation of manual edge banding machines is low, and the quality of edge banding depends on the proficiency of the operator. At the same time, production efficiency is low, so manual edge banding machines are not used for large-scale production in enterprises.
However, manual edge banding machines have high flexibility, relative safety, and low cost, so they are commonly used to complete edge banding of curves and small size panels, making up for the shortcomings that fully automatic edge banding machines and intelligent edge banding machines cannot complete.
The automatic edge banding machine has complete functions and can perform edge banding operations on multiple panels. Its production efficiency and product quality are much higher than manual edge banding machines.
Unlike mass production, customized home furnishing enterprises produce panels with different sizes and designs, and there are also certain differences in the processing requirements for edge banding. Therefore, during the production process, it is necessary to frequently replace the edge banding tape and hot melt adhesive, switch processing units, and interrupt the production rhythm, which affects production efficiency.
The Application of 02-2 Intelligent Edge Sealing Machine
Intelligent edge banding machines are the ones with the most complete functions, the best equipment stability, the highest production efficiency, and the least manual demand among the three types of edge banding machines. They are generally used in production in the form of two machine or four machine connections.
(1) Two machine connection
The connection between the two machines is to connect two opposite direction edge banding machines (left and right mobile phones) through a roller conveyor. Thanks to the code scanner and gauge system, the operator only needs to place the board in the specified direction when loading, and can complete the edge banding operation on the opposite sides in one feeding.
(2) Four machine connection
The edge sealing process of the four machine connection can meet the production needs of intelligent workshops, and is used in fully automatic production lines. It has high production speed, stable rhythm, and good product quality. However, fully automatic production lines also have their limitations, mainly including the following two points:
① There are strict requirements for the size of the board:
During the entire production process of cutting, edge sealing, drilling, sorting, and packaging, the plates are transported by rollers and conveyor belts, collectively known as the line system, which can reduce the demand for manpower. At the same time, the transportation of panels in the workshop is very orderly, which is conducive to analyzing and managing the on-site situation.
② Affected by the previous and subsequent processes,
Simultaneously affecting the previous and subsequent processes.
In a fully automatic production line, all processes are connected in series. If the equipment in one process malfunctions, it may lead to the shutdown of the entire production line, especially the edge sealing process. This is because the four edge sealing machines in the edge sealing process are connected in series. When one of the edge sealing machines stops, the entire edge sealing process will stop working, thereby affecting the operation of the entire production line.
Three types of edge banding machines each have their own strengths. Intelligent edge banding machines have high production efficiency and product quality, but the processing of boards is relatively single, with significant limitations; The efficiency and quality of automatic edge banding machines come second, but they are relatively flexible and can complete linear edge banding operations for irregular parts; The manual edge banding machine has the lowest efficiency and quality, and is also the most flexible. It can complete the curve edge banding operation, and use the automatic edge banding machine to produce small size plates with operational risk.
Future Development Trends of Edge Sealing Process 03
The development of edge banding machines can be seen as a process where manual operations are constantly replaced by equipment, improving production efficiency, improving edge banding quality, and improving machine stability. At present, the edge sealing process in the customized home furnishing industry has the following development trends:
(1) Increase the proportion of intelligent edge banding machines
Intelligent edge banding machines have good product quality, high production efficiency, and low technical proficiency requirements for operators. Therefore, currently, customized home furnishing enterprises are using intelligent edge banding machines to produce as many boards as possible. Automatic and manual edge banding machines are used to assist in the production of intelligent edge banding machines, achieving maximum production capacity.
However, the current limitations of fully automated production lines are significant, so it is necessary to consider and improve the structure of the production line to reduce the inevitable correlation between the front and rear processes.
(2) Strengthen the control of materials
The edge banding process involves a wide variety and quantity of materials, including edge banding tape, hot melt adhesive, Tena water, polishing wheels, various cutting tools, etc. So it is necessary to have more systematic control over the materials on site and in the warehouse, reduce on-site chaos, and reduce the time and effort spent by operators on material replenishment and replacement.
(3) Improve control over quality inspection information
At present, the main quality control method is to inspect the products after the edge sealing is completed. Once quality problems occur, unplanned downtime is required, and the already produced products are traced, which has a huge impact on production efficiency.
The occurrence of problems is often traceable, and quality inspection information can be controlled, patterns can be found, and statistical process control and other technologies can be applied to gradually shift from post inspection to pre prevention, achieving pre prevention and improving production quality and efficiency.
(4) Improve device stability
In a fully automated production line, equipment failures can lead to sudden shutdowns, which not only affect production progress but also result in the generation of defective panels. Therefore, reducing the loss of production efficiency and improving equipment stability have become important topics of concern for enterprises. Currently, some enterprises are introducing Total Production Safety (TPM) into production and management, improving equipment stability through talent cultivation and improving the quality of all employees.
04 written at the end
The production efficiency and quality of the edge sealing process have a direct impact on the production of panel furniture. Only by ensuring that the edge sealing process is carried out in an orderly and normal manner, and promoting the stable development of the edge sealing process, can the production efficiency of panel furniture be steadily improved. By analyzing the common edge banding machines and production forms at present, we look forward to the future development of edge banding processes, and help enterprises carry out more reasonable production planning and layout.
