Shredding Costs: How Furniture Tech Inc. of NC Saves with WEIMA

In the world of furniture manufacturing, efficiency and sustainability go hand in hand. For Furniture Tech Inc. of NC, a leading producer of CNC-routed wood components in Hickory, NC, managing wood waste was once a costly and labor-intensive challenge. With thousands of parts produced each week, the company spent $21,000 per month just to haul away scrap. That all changed when they invested in a WEIMA WLK 13 single-shaft shredder—a powerful solution that not only cut disposal costs but also transformed waste into a valuable resource. Here’s how WEIMA helped Furniture Tech Inc. of NC shred their expenses and streamline operations.

WEIMA WLK 13 plywood shredder at Furniture Tech

In Hickory, North Carolina - a town with a long tradition in furniture manufacturing - Furniture Tech Inc. has established itself with 40 employees as a leading specialist for high-quality, CNC-milled wooden components. The company manufactures precisely cut plywood parts from first-class Brazilian imported wood, supplying numerous furniture manufacturers in the region. Plywood shredding and recycling also plays a central role in this: by efficiently using state-of-the-art shredding technology, the company is able to process wood waste sustainably and return it to the material cycle. Furniture Technologies, Inc. was founded on July 10, 1998 by Kenneth Houston Drum in Adelanto, California - today the name stands for quality, efficiency and a clear commitment to sustainable business practices.

The Challenge: A Costly Waste Disposal Process

Before Furniture Tech Inc. invested in a powerful WEIMA WLK 13 single-shaft shredder, the disposal of plywood scraps and wood offcuts was still carried out using a complex container system. At each CNC milling station, there was a five-meter-long collection container into which the employees manually threw the wood skeletons. As soon as a container was full, it was emptied into a large waste container.

However, this process was anything but efficient – and above all expensive: around 700 US dollars were spent every day just to remove the full containers. Extrapolated, this meant monthly disposal costs of around 21,000 US dollars. In addition to the financial outlay, the system was also labor-intensive and not very sustainable. Valuable waste wood ended up unused in the garbage instead of being returned to the production cycle through targeted shredding and recycling of waste wood.

WEIMA WLK 13 wood shredder: A decisive step towards efficient waste wood recycling

To meet the growing challenge of waste disposal, Furniture Tech Inc. from North Carolina decided to invest in a WEIMA WLK 13 single-shaft shredder – a pioneering measure that fundamentally changed the way waste wood is handled. The 90 kW machine is strategically placed behind the production building and fits perfectly into the workflow. Since then, waste wood shredding has been efficient, automated and an integral part of a sustainable waste concept.

Instead of disposing of wood scraps in waste containers, the employees collect the scrap directly at the CNC milling stations. A forklift truck takes it to the WEIMA shredder, where the material is shredded and automatically loaded into trucks with a walking floor. The shredded wood is then sold to a local farmer as animal bedding. A waste container only needs to be collected every three months - this saves enormous costs and makes the business much more sustainable.

Reliability through maintenance – for long-term performance

To ensure that the WEIMA shredder continues to run smoothly, Furniture Tech Inc. consistently follows the recommended maintenance schedule. Regular inspections, preventive measures and annual maintenance by WEIMA America’s service experts make a decisive contribution to the high reliability and longevity of the machine.

With this proactive investment in maintenance, the company not only protects its productivity, but also its return on investment – and ensures that the shredder continues to contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of its operations in the long term.

The WEIMA wood shredder has significantly increased the efficiency, sustainability and profitability of our company.”

Benito Galvan

Managing Director of Furniture Tech Inc. in North Carolina, USA

Conclusion: A smart investment with tangible results

Furniture Tech Inc.’s decision to integrate the WEIMA WLK 13 into the production process has paid off in several ways. The significant reduction in disposal costs, the optimization of internal processes and the consistent focus on sustainability have turned a cost-intensive problem into a smart solution. The example impressively demonstrates how modern wood shredding technology not only brings economic benefits, but can also make an important contribution to the environmentally friendly use of resources.

Find original story published here.

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