Fitschen band hinges are rarely found today. However, they are still used in the preservation of historical monuments and to maintain the original character of workpieces.
Manual insertion using a chisel is extremely time-consuming and costly. That is why the Daxenberger carpentry decided to purchase the CAVO H mortising unit from BENZ Tooling to machine the hinge slots on the CNC.
Discerning private customers are the main target group of the Daxenberger carpentry in Seeon (Bavaria). True to the company slogan „Making a difference,” custom-made products are part of the daily work of the more than 80 employees. The broad range of carpentry services is created in the 3,800 square meter production area. This includes everything from sophisticated interior design, furniture, doors, windows, and stairs to modern commercial furnishings. Customers particularly appreciate Daxenberger's expertise, e.g., in villa-style interior design or restoration of listed buildings.
„We love craftsmanship challenges. That's why we were happy to receive a large order from an architect for 350 room and furniture doors, which were to be manufactured using traditional hinges.“
Bernhard Daxenberger, Owner Daxenberger Carpentry
Fitschen hinges, also known as mortise hinges, are special fittings for doors and windows that are now almost exclusively used in the preservation of historic buildings or to maintain the original character of workpieces. They consist of two hinge leaves and a pin.
Slots are cut into the window wing or door leaf so that the hinge leaves can be inserted. The other hinge leaf is inserted into the frame. Metal pins are driven through pre-drilled holes in the hinge and frame to secure it in place.
During the order planning stage, Joachim Raab, machine operator at the machining center and responsible for CNC production at Daxenberger, realized that it would be worthwhile to purchase a special CNC unit for mortising the slot hinges.
„I saw this type of unit for the first time at a trade fair. A comparison of the investment quickly revealed a clear picture: while manual chiseling and marking would have taken us over 20 minutes for two slots, we were able to reduce the entire machining process to just 3-4 minutes on the CNC machine—a significant saving in time and therefore costs.“
Joachim Raab, machine operator Daxenberger Carpentry
The decision was ultimately made in favor of the CAVO H horizontal mortising unit from CNC specialist BENZ Tooling. “The excellent advice provided by the BENZ team and the very good price-performance ratio were decisive factors for us. In addition, not all manufacturers offer such a solution,” adds Raab. ”The BENZ unit is also compatible with our HOMAG BOF 311 profiLine. I was able to set up the unit myself.”
The 28 mm deep, extremely narrow, rectangular slots are cut out of the material using the unit via an oscillating movement of the hinge knife. The tool is easily attached using a clamping screw. Depending on the desired cutting cross-section, the tool can be changed accordingly.
„To achieve the correct width of the slots, we run the unit twice,” explains Joachim Raab. „Initially, we had problems coordinating the unit and the tool. However, both the tool manufacturer and BENZ Tooling were immediately on hand to find a solution.“
The machining process and the material used were optimized in collaboration with the user and the tool manufacturer. The result is impressive: the large order has now been delivered to the satisfied customer and the CAVO H fitting unit continues to function flawlessly. „I was surprised by BENZ Tooling's quick response to a service call,” says Joachim Raab, summing up the positive collaboration. „You don't get that with every supplier.”
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BENZ Tooling is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of components and systems for tool and machine tooling technology. The company employs about 300 people and is represented in over 30 countries worldwide.
