My team and I are currently in the market for a pod and rail CNC. I have quotes from Biesse, Weeke, Holzher, and morbidelli. Our currently machinery consists of a nested based router, 2 linear edgebanders, contour edgebander and a panel saw. Our plan is to cut the parts to finished outside dimension on the panel saw and then move them to the pod and rail system to add the interior cutouts, end bore and line bore. The trouble I am having is that all of these machines now have a 4 foot wide hood on them. This means that on a 12 foot long table the longest I can pendulum process is 49" long parts. This leaves me with a 49" "dead space" in the center of the table. As Im sure everyone knows in a manufacturing facility space is at a premium. I need to be able to pendulum process 70" long parts. This puts me at a 18 foot long table and still does not give me a solution for the "dead space". The other option I am considering is purchasing 2 10 foot table and setting them up so one operator can run both at one time. This will allow me to run 2 different jobs at once, as well as, pendulum process. I need to find a happy medium where Im not paying for "dead space" and I still can produce parts at a high rate. Any thoughts from fellow manufacturers?

We purchased a Morbidelli Uniflex. It has clamps that move instead of pod and rails and 2 heads (top and bottom). Depending on type of parts you run the clamps have no setup time like a pod and rail machine and will move out of way during cycle if necessary (saves lots of time and never cut up pods). Also you can now run machine with anyone as there is no setup other than calling up program (assuming you program in office).
This allows us to load two panels at the same time and machine top and bottom parts at same time (as long as no thru holes). We are also able to machine single parts (like partitions) with different patterns on each side in same machine cycle.

I am the CNC Product Manager at Holz-Her

If I understand your question/concern

Yes the new hoods are large, this is due to new CE safety regulations, but the center area is not " dead space", you can machine under the hood, there is a center section of the safety mat that is always active but the other sections of the mat allow for an operator to be on it while the machine is cutting in the opposite zone.

On a 5' x 12' Holz-Her CNC, you can be standing on the left mat and route up to 75" to the left and 63" on the opposite side
without interupting the cycle

The other alternative is to look at a Evolution Vertical Machining Center but is it a single zone machine but no limit on length and much more economical

Jason,

Not sure how the newer machines run, but the older Biesse machines would park the head on the side of the table the part was being run on. Thus when the part in the right zone was complete the head parked in the back right side. When a part finished in the left zone, the head parked in the back left. If while running a part, the head crossed the center line and the operator was on the mat, the machine would stop, until the operator stepped off the mat and pushed the button to continue.

The way the machine was set up, we are able to pendulum process the maximum part for each zone.

What is the setup for the pods on the new machine you are looking at. Is this automated or manual. Either way there is setup time between parts, you should take in consideration. Also, pods will be hit and need replacing at a cost.

We used our Biesse similar to what you are thinking. Cut the parts on a beam saw and then run parts on the Biesse CNC. We have a flat table machine so there was no set up tip between parts. Though, I see you would be horizontal boring with your new machine which is something we do not do.

Since we have changed to a new flat table router and do mostly nesting. If I were to go back to cutting parts on a saw and machining, I would lean toward a vertical cnc or a flat table machine and a dedicated machine to horizontal bore. Horizontal boring is a time consuming process on a CNC and is much more efficient and accurate on a dedicated horizontal boring machine.

Jason:

Hello, my name is Taylor Jones and I am the local distributor for Stiles Machinery (Weeke / Homag / Heian CNC Routers). I would like to talk about the application as it sounds like we may have quoted this already. We have options for pod based machines that do not require fixed zones with safety mats and increase the flexibility of the zone sizing, vertical machining centers, and nesting solutions. Each have benefits and constraints. Please give me a call at 678-677-3668 to discuss or if there may be an opportunity to come by and re-visit the application. If you are in Atlanta I could take you to visit each of these solutions locally at end user facilities.