Family owned timber importer carves out £1m investment in Ripon

Duffield Timber has made a £1m investment in operates at at its site near Ripon, North Yorkshire.

The addition of new machinery forms part of a new generation sawmill at the firm’s facility in Melmerby.

The equipment provides increased speed, quality, quick change tooling and waste efficiency when profiling wood.

The machinery consists of two WEINIG Powermat 1200 moulders. With WEINIG Raimann waste-optimising, laser-guided multi-rip saws, the machines also contain a WEINIG Rondamat grinder and automatic cross-cutter and defect detection.

The new equipment allows Duffield to cater to customer demands for bespoke precision profiling with a 5-7 working day delivery time.

The new moulders can change profile automatically, reducing average set up time from one hour to 10 minutes. At 12,000 RPM, the moulders have double the power of the old machines, profiling timber 200% quicker, at a speed of 30 metres per minute.

With eight heads, there is greater scope for complex profiling, with the ability to provide a glass-like finish.

Founded in 1957 by Robert Duffield, Duffield Timber now boasts a 40-strong team.

Howard Duffield, managing director of Duffield Timber, said: “We’re delighted to be in the position to make such a huge investment in our sawmill. These additions take advantage of the very latest and best that machining technology has to offer.

“On our 60th birthday, the whole team is looking forward to continuing to provide the high-quality, cost-efficient service that we’ve built our local and regional reputation on.”

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