Editorial - Joiners Magazine NZ - September 2012
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I have always been a machinery buyer - you are either employing more people or buying machines.
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cutting stone quickly
Andrew Jakimiuk has been cutting stone at his Glenfeld Granite Workshop for 16 years, so when he decided to upgrade his stone cutting machinery he had a pretty good idea what he wanted. A machine that was faster with quick set up and change outs, a machine that was sophisticated enough to cover all the options required by his top end clients and a machine that was represented by a local agency. He found all these in the Intermac Master 33 from Biesse.
Granite Workshop on Aucklands North Shore specialises in cutting and shaping stone surfaces, most of their business involves benchtops but they also prepare granite and marble for a range of other uses including cladding, tiling, fire surrounds and anything else you might wish to build or clad in stone.
“Bench and countertops, whether in kitchens,bathroom, laundries or commercial applications comprise the bulk of our business,” says Andrew, “and we needed a machine that was fast and efficient for cutting and shaping one off designs.”
Andrew travels regularly to source granite and marble from countries such as Italy, Spain and India giving him the opportunity to also view what is available internationally in stone cutting equipment.
“Attending the major European trade shows enabled me to do plenty of research on what was available and suitable for my needs. I had seen the Biesse Intermac range demonstrated at various shows and liked what I saw. I also decide that I would only purchase a machine that was represented in New Zealand, for me local service and local commissioning was very important and the Intermac obviously falls into that range. I also liked the way Biesse was able to provide an all up price which included purchase, transport, installation and commissioning to our required set up. I found other companies were not as transparent quoting a price and then adding in extras later.”
Granite Workshop ended up purchasing an Intermac Master 33 in March this year.
“The difference between this machine and our previous is basically that it is more sophisticated and much faster. It is probably twice as fast as our last machine which means substantial savings in both labour costs and turnaround times. It also has laser positioning of the cups and stops which I love. You can see exactly where the cut is to be made and where the cups are, which eliminates the possibility for a number of mistakes, repairs and subsequent hold ups.”
“Biesse handled the installation and commissioning very well, it took a couple of weeks. Local Biesse technician Conrad Mincher began the install and then was joined by one of his Australian colleague with specialist knowledge of the Intermac range for final commissioning.”
“Our guys picked it up quickly - they are obviously pretty experienced in working with granite and marble so adapted to the new machine easily and love using it. It came with its own software which is very user friendly and allows programming for anything from standard cut outs to engraved drainer boards, and from high polish to leather and textured finishes to suit all needs.
Six months down the track Andrew is pleased with his purchase.
“It’s a great machine and we are all really happy with it. I have always been a machinery buyer - you are either employing more people or buying machines - you need to keep up with technology or you will regret it.”
View the entire September issue of Joiners Magazine online here:
http://www.netlineservices.co.nz/joiners/pdf/online.pdf
Glen
field, Auckland
ph 09 443 1064
www.graniteworkshop.co.nz 
