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Grech and Grech

A Sander to Sing About

Biesse’s Viet Opera 5 veneer, basecoat and lacquer-sanding machine exceeds all expectations at Grech and Grech.

Customer: Grech and Grech
City: Chichester
Product: OPERA 5

Every furniture manufacturer knows you can’t produce a really high-quality finish without careful preparation and never is this more critical than with lacquered high gloss work. It’s unforgiving.

Chichester-based Grech and Grech have really set the bar at the very top when it comes to high gloss lacquering. The finish they produce is exceptional – mirrorlike and among the best I’ve seen – but as factory manager Steve Plumstead says, they are extremely critical at every stage, don’t cut corners and won’t compromise. “We make kitchens, bedrooms, bars, study furniture… It’s all high-end for clients who want the very best. We are using anything from a grained matt lacquer to a fully grain-filled high gloss burnished finish that’s either painted, or a clear lacquer over veneer. We also finish with metallics and liquid sprayed metals.”

“We looked at several machines,” he told Furniture Journal. “But we already had several Biesse machines and the service Biesse has given us has always been fast and efficient. When the Biesse representative arrived unexpectedly and started telling us. about the Viet Opera 5, it sounded unbelievable.

A Sander to Sing About: Photo 1
The vacuum bed is an important feature and it’s certainly one Grech and Grech have found very useful. "It allows the sanding of painted panels as well as small or short pieces because it keeps the pieces attached to the conveyor during sanding,” Michele explained. “Lighter pieces and painted pieces will always slip more and the vacuum keeps them stable."

Steve is also thrilled with how clean the boards come off the Opera 5: “We have an air-blowing unit that cleans the panels before they go to spraying – something the other machines we looked at didn’t have – so instead of the lads cleaning by hand, the machine does it for them. It’s taken a lot of work off our shoulders and that’s really important when each panel goes through so many processes.

In an average kitchen, we’re talking 30-40 carcase panels, each with five components. That would normally take a day for one guy to prep by hand. The Opera 5 will do it in two hours."

But in the best tradition of Grech and Grech, while the machine ticks all the boxes, Steve already has his eyes on the next goal: finishing with 1500 grit on the crossbelt and burnishing every panel by hand until it sparkles like a mirror isn’t enough for him. He now wants a 2000 grit belt for the ultimate in panel perfection.

Download the full article here to discover the three internal units that Grech and Grech use, plus find out additional extra features on the Opera 5. Belt changing has never been made easier!

Or

Visit the product page here.

If you would like to arrange a demo on the Opera 5 in our Northamptonshire Tech Centre, contact Michele Luzio on 13327 300366.
The Viet Opera 5 is certainly a sander to sing about. Compact, flexible and designed with veneer, basecoat and lacquer sanding in mind, it can be configured with up to four units inside, plus accessories like a Scotchbrite roller and a structuring brush at the outfeed.
Michele Luzio Brand Manager - Biesse UK
Michele Luzio
A Sander to Sing About: Photo 2
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