Henraux from Querceta di Seravezza (LU) has a long history in the field of marble; for two hundred years now, it has been a world leader in developing quarries, quarrying and processing stone materials. The high profile this company has in architecture, design and art, leads it to play an important role in the international markets.
In an interview released in 2019, the President and CEO, Paolo Carli, declared: “Technology is essential, and to join a group (like Donatoni), which has in-depth experience on how to make cutting-edge technology, is necessary to make progress and to develop new solutions to meet our production needs”.
This statement shows the new and important step this company has taken towards the future, driven by the need to further automate its production process for making marble and stone claddings and panels for large architectural projects, as well as design items and artistic products.
The installation of the new, one of a kind KSD-1 multifunction machine is the result of Henraux’s trust in its cooperation with Donatoni and of its commitment to innovative technologies, so much so, that it became an integral part in the development of this new plant. The experience acquired by Henraux through its architectural projects, combined with Donatoni’s ability to understand the customer’s needs, created the premises to develop innovative, integrated, and revolutionary solutions for this sector.
But let’s examine this machine in more detail. What is the KSD-1 and why is it multifunctional?
The KSD-1 is a CNC machine, that draws on some of the technology found in work centers and bridge cutters, to create a system for the preparation of slabs, claddings and panels (made of marble, stone, granite, ceramic), to be fastened to building facades and to be used for both internal and external applications. It is a multifunctional piece of equipment which performs a series of sequential processes such as making kerfs, milling, drilling blind, lateral and upper holes, and chamfering, without having to move the piece from one machine to another, thereby, automating the whole work process. All these operations are accomplished thanks to two independent bridges, each equipped with an ISO 40 electrospindle, a tool magazine and customized native software developed by Donatoni. This software allows different work processes to be programmed in sequence which can be applied to slabs with a thickness of up to 100 mm and with the following minimum and maximum dimensions: 210 x 210 mm, and 1500 x 2000 mm, respectively.
The combination of these two production structures, containing important know-how in each of their fields, made it possible to develop the KSD-1; a machine whose characteristics simplify and speed up the marble and stone work processes in a manner that no one would have thought possible before this significant and productive collaboration between Henraux and Donatoni.