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Scm Group
Tom Howley Kitchens is a brand for clients who want something rather special. Almost every kitchen that leaves the Glossop factory is sold direct to the consumer via a network of 19 retail showrooms strategically-positioned between London and Edinburgh and a new showroom is about to open in Nottingham soon.
Predominantly in-frame designs, 95% of Tom Howley kitchens are painted and everything is custom-designed and made in timber. Part of the BHID Group, the company has enjoyed a remarkable growth trajectory since it was established 19 years ago by Tom Howley and his partner, Mark Clayton, now the company’s Operations Director.
At the start of the line, Superfici’s proposal included a “dmc system” automatic sanding, denibbing and cross-grain finishing sander equipped with barrel brushes, planetary discs and superfinishing pads. First, the frame, fascia, plinth or rail – or combination load – is thoroughly cleaned of any residual dust from the sanding process using a blower and overhead extraction as it passes along the infeed conveyor. Spraying paint onto cold timber often results in poor drying, so the next station Superfici included is an infrared heater that warms the timber and prepares it to take the paint.
Before entering the spray cabin, the component passes under a scanner that reads the size, shape and profile and relays that to the sprayer. Superfici recommended their “compact 3” automatic spraying machine, a flexible reciprocator machine with double arms, which Mark had equipped with 12 Kremlin guns. As the arm is traversing the cabin, it’s spraying all sides of the doors, the edges and all the inside edges. It knows automatically from the scan which guns to use. According to Tom Howley the huge benefit of this machine over hand spraying is the consistency it provides.
One of the options on the Superfici “compact 3” is the choice of either a paper protection system, or a self-cleaning belt for lacquer recovery. “That was a very big part of our decision,” recalls Mark. “With the other supplier we consulted, we felt we were being pushed down the paper roll route. We didn’t feel it was right for us and we couldn’t work out why we were being driven down that route when all the calculations we did suggested recycling would be better for us. The problem with paper is you’ve got to get rid of it. It’s industrial waste. Buying the paper is also quite expensive. Even factoring in the replacement cost of a belt every two or three years, the paper route worked out much more expensive. When we went to Superfici, Klaus was totally in agreement that the paper roll option wasn’t for us”. “With the cleaning system we’ve got, we can recycle some of the product – mostly the primer. We don’t recycle the top coat because we’re changing the colours so often, but recycling the primer gives us the opportunity to make it go further.”
Melvyn Earle's full article in Furniture Journal 09/2023
“We are really pleased with Superfici and SCM for what they have done for us. We definitely made the right choice”
- Mark Clayton, Operations Director of Tom Howley
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