Manufacturing by CNC machining was already fairly efficient, but if human ingenuity has proved anything, it is that everything can always be improved. This case is no exception: CNC machining centres have transformed the “nesting” method, a major step forward in optimising the materials used to produce furniture while saving cost and time.
More precisely, CNC nesting is a furniture machining system based on saving material and full automation, with minimal human intervention and millimetre-precise management of every resource. These are generally woodworking machining centres, so the resources in question tend to be wood panels.
How does CNC nesting save time and money?
First of all, it should be made clear that in a factory or joinery workshop without nesting, the different parts of a piece of furniture have to be made one by one. This is the main difference with a CNC machining centre with a nesting system, since these machines can produce all the parts of a piece of furniture simultaneously from a single wood panel, leaving them ready either for assembly or for packing.
In addition, the computer numerical control (CNC) system makes it possible to automate the various machining tasks needed to cut, pierce, plane, drill and turn each wood panel used in the manufacturing process.
Then there is the fact that the bed, table or work base is designed to move the materials into the best positions to make full use of them. Machining centres without nesting, by contrast, end up generating large amounts of waste with material that could have been used.
All this means that CNC machines with nesting really can save time, thanks to simultaneous processing of different parts, and money, as they waste less material from the wood panel used.
Benefits of using nesting in a joinery workshop
The main benefits of having a nesting system in a workshop are saving wood, by using it more efficiently and completely, and saving time, thanks to its ability to produce different parts of a piece of furniture simultaneously.
However, it has more advantages to offer over machining centres without nesting and, even more so, over conventional joinery methods:
- They significantly increase productivity.
- They work non-stop, even 24 hours a day if necessary.
- They have an automatic tool change system.
- They shorten delivery times.
- Fully customised orders can be handled in real time.
- The furniture is ready for packing or assembly straight away.
- As a result of all the above, the workshop improves its reputation and customer trust.
- Profitability and cash flow are greatly boosted.
- Fewer employees are needed, with very few operators required for several nesting machines.
A final advantage is that they can be programmed to run completely automatically. This automation in turn guarantees precise, high-quality results in finishes as well as joints and edges. As a result, CNC nesting is one of the best ways to produce the same piece of furniture in series and on a large scale, with no differences or imperfections between units.
Conditions for getting the most out of CNC nesting
CNC machining centres with a nesting system can be optimised even further if they are installed in a workshop together with an edge bander and a nailing machine, creating a complete production cell capable of manufacturing entire furniture kits.
It is important to note that these machine tools are extremely expensive, and maintenance over their service life is also costly. However, these costs are quickly recovered thanks to their high productivity in workshops with a constant flow of large orders. That is why another condition, at least for recovering the initial investment quickly, is to buy one only if the business receives large volumes of orders.
Last but not least, they tend to take up a lot of space, as they are horizontal machines large enough to hold the wood panels from which, for example, doors or large shelving units are cut. In short, another requirement is having enough space to install a CNC nesting machine. But if you have it, it is a great investment.