FDM - March 2009

TECHNOLOGY FIRST LOOK

The new Omec F9

Entry way door manufacturers spend a great deal of time and effort designing and building doors to incorporate strength, beauty, and old world construction techniques. Technology has addressed these needs and there are any number of machines which will provide the manufacturer the tools and methods to help fabricate these doors with precision and efficiency.

Unaddressed in this process is an effective way to produce the door frame needed to support these doors. Historically, this door frame or jam has been constructed via a slot mortise and tenon or rabbetting. This two step process generates parts to interlock the header and the two rails but does little to minimize racking of the frame. This leads to manual

Making door jamb and glazing frame construction installation f astan daccurate

leveling of
both the
header and
the rails at
installation
to ensure
the frame
is square.
Needless
to say, a high
qualitycustombuilt
doorlosesmuchofits
appeal if it is not hung
squarely in the frame.

from 5/8
inchto
2”thickmaterial
witha widthof2-3/8to11-5/8”,
the Omec F9TShastheabilityto
workwithmostsizesofdooror
window frame material.

The F9TS Omec CNC Milling Machine is designed specifically to produce an accurate mitered corner for door jambs or glazing frames. The corners are machined with a mitered and vertically notched interlocking joint. The mitered ends ensure a perfect 90 degree fit and the interlocking notches eliminate movement across the joint. Additionally, the Omec F9TS Milling Machine drills a pilot hole in each of the notches for insertion of a wood screw to lock the pieces together during assembly. This process provides for quick and precise assembly of the door header to the door rails at a perfect 90 degree angle as well as the four sides of glazing frames. Traditional clamping is minimized as the mitered corners are aligned via the notches and pulled together with the wood screws.

At door installation, the carpenter need only level the header and trim the floor end of the side rails to length. This effectively minimizes the time to position the side rails. With milling capacity to accommodate

Omec F9TS CNC manufactures door jambs and glazing frames quickly and precisely. In the case of the door placement, installation becomes fast and consistent providing labor savings and a value added product to both the installer and the final customer. In the case of window glazing frames, the mitered interlocking joint provides both the aesthetic appeal and strength required for high end glazing construction.

Luigi Mangone, President of Bennet Millwork Western of Calgary, Alberta, explained the advantage of his Omec F9 Milling Machine is not limited to the mitered outward appearance. The real advantages are the speed and ease of corner construction as well as the ability to quickly assemble a strong stable door frame whether in the shop or in the field. The reduction in labor and equipment needed to produce conventional joints is where the Omec F9 Milling Machine saves Bennet Millwork both time and money all while providing a superior product.