Powles Kitchen Co. Reduces Waste Costs by Over 50% with WEIMA Shredding & Briquetting Solutions

2 days ago

4 min read

From Family Business to Modern Joinery Operation

Powles Kitchen Co. is a second-generation family-owned joinery business based in Shepparton, Victoria. Having built a strong reputation throughout the Goulburn Valley and broader Victorian region, the company specialises in high-quality residential and commercial joinery, including kitchens, wardrobes, vanities, and custom joinery solutions for a wide range of applications. Today, the business is led by Managing Director Kyle Powles, who purchased the company from his father three years ago after spending more than 15 years working within the operation.

As production volumes grew, Kyle and his team began looking for smarter ways to manage timber offcuts, MDF waste and dust, generated throughout the manufacturing process.

The Hidden Cost of Waste Handling

Like many Australian joinery businesses, the team at Powles relied heavily on manual waste handling.

Production staff would collect offcuts from machinery, place them into bins or the floor and then manually transfer those bins into larger waste skips. Not only did this consume valuable labour hours, but it also created unnecessary material handling throughout the workshop and created a lot of dust and dirt on the manufacturing floor.

"We were originally just putting all the offcuts onto the ground many years ago, and then we would have to pick them up and physically put them into the bin."

Although the business later introduced collection bins at the end of the panel saw, the process still required two employees to empty and transfer material into larger bins.

The workshop was also managing multiple waste streams, including separate bins for dust extraction systems and additional manual emptying of collection bags from other machinery.

Eliminating Double Handling with a Fully Integrated Waste Solution

Kyle's introduction to WEIMA dates back several years after seeing a WEIMA shredder in action at AWISA, and they were impressed by it.

Following further research and positive industry feedback, Powles invested in a WEIMA WL 4 single-shaft shredder integrated with a WEIMA C 150 briquette press through CEMAC technologies, WEIMA's authorised distributor and service partner for Australia and New Zealand.

The new system completely transformed the way waste moves through the workshop. Now, timber offcuts generated from the CNC (Computer Numerical Control) and panel saw are fed directly into the shredder, where the material is size reduced to ~10mm before being conveyed into the dust extraction system and briquette press.

"Every offcut off the CNC or off the saw that's waste goes straight into the shredder and then into the dust extraction and into the briquette press."

Most importantly, the previous manual handling process has effectively been eliminated and the workshop is now clean at all times.

From Multiple Waste Streams to One Simple Process

Before installing the WEIMA system, the business managed:

• A 1.5m³ dust bin

• A 3m³ general waste and offcut bins

• Additional dust extraction bags that required manual emptying

The general waste bin was being emptied three times per week, while the dust bin required collection roughly every fortnight.

With the WEIMA shredding and briquetting system consolidating waste into dense briquettes, the workshop now operates with a single skip bin collected just once per week.

"We've gone from three to one empty per week. So, it's pretty much cut it into a third."

The simplification has reduced workshop clutter, improved housekeeping and significantly streamlined waste management.

Cutting Waste Disposal Costs by Over 50%

One of the most significant financial outcomes has been the reduction in waste disposal costs. Prior to installing the WEIMA system, Powles was paying for multiple waste collections each month. Today, those costs have fallen dramatically.

"Our waste is at least halved, if not more in terms of costs."

Kyle estimates monthly waste expenses have fallen from approximately $2,000 per month to just $600-$700 per month. For many joinery businesses, savings of this magnitude can have a direct impact on profitability and equipment return on investment. In Powles case, it “almost covers the cost of the repayments of the machines."

Reliable Equipment Backed by Strong Local Support

Beyond the operational savings, Kyle credits the installation and support experience as another major benefit of choosing WEIMA through CEMAC technologies.

"The machines were delivered on time. David (CEMAC technologies Service Technician), that did the install was actually really handy. We had a couple of teething issues, probably more so with us knowing how to run the briquette press.”

In addition to the performance benefits, Powles valued the ongoing support provided throughout commissioning and operation of the system. CEMAC technologies Service Technician David remained readily available by phone to answer questions, provide operational guidance and help the team optimise the performance of their WEIMA equipment. This level of responsive local support helped ensure the business quickly gained confidence with the machinery and maximised the benefits of its investment.

For manufacturers introducing new processing equipment into their operation, access to knowledgeable local support can be just as important as the machinery itself.

Why Kyle Recommends the WEIMA WL 4 and C 150

For joinery businesses still manually collecting offcuts and managing multiple waste bins, Kyle believes the benefits are clear.

The combination of the WEIMA WL 4 shredder and WEIMA C 150 briquette press has delivered:

• Elimination of unnecessary waste handling

• Reduced labour spent managing offcuts and dust

• Streamlined workshop housekeeping

• Fewer waste collections

• Lower disposal costs

• Improved production efficiency

• Strong return on investment

Transforming Waste Into a More Efficient Operation

For Powles Kitchen Co., investing in WEIMA shredding and briquetting technology wasn't simply about reducing waste volume. It was about removing inefficiencies from the manufacturing process, lowering operating costs and creating a cleaner, more streamlined workflow.

The result is a workshop that spends less time handling waste and more time producing quality joinery for its customers.

"Every offcut off the CNC or off the saw that's waste goes straight into the shredder and then into the dust extraction and into the briquette press."

That simple change has helped transform waste management from a daily operational burden into an efficient, cost-saving process.

(03) 8400 6066 | info@cemactech.com