Productive cycle
The company has a complete and efficient production cycle, carried out at its main facility in Giussano, near Monza, 28 km north of Milan, covering an area of over 30,000 square meters.The various buildings at the company’s headquarters are strategically gathered to maximize process efficiency. Elli focuses on production with both head and heart, driven by one true motivation: passion. The company constantly surprises and evolves through a wide range of unconventional proposals and product lines.Elli Fratelli’s production cycle is complete and particularly specialized in relation to the models typically manufactured by the company. The high flexibility of its departments also allows space for special productions made to meet specific customer requests.
Carpentry and Cutting
The department dedicated to veneer sheet preparation, along with the multi-blade cutting lines and the double-angle panel sizing system, enables the production of all components for individual panels.
Honeycomb Panel Manufacturing
Panel Construction:
– Pre-assembly of the supporting frames (fir-frame).
– Component assembly using E1 class CEE-certified glues and natural rice flour–based adhesives.
– Automatic loading and unloading via suction cups.
Preparation of the Reinforcing Honeycomb Core (Ta Pro Lite 50 System)
– Gluing and assembly of the honeycomb core supporting frames and closing cover sheets.
– Hot pressing using a two-level press system (Double Deck system).
Squaring and pre – edging
In a single step, the panels undergo the following processing on all four sides:
– Automatic loading and unloading with suction cups.
– Squaring to size on the longer sides and optional milling.
Pre-Edging of the Longer Sides, the edges are veneered.
The panel is then rotated to 90.
Squaring to size of the shorter sides, with any necessary milling.
Pre-edging of the shorter sides.
Veneer Preparation
Sheets of high-quality wood veneer, 1 mm to 0.6 mm thick, are prepared to cover the panels. Several “tailored” processes are carried out on the veneers, including selection, inspection, numbering, cutting, and stitching. The enumeration indicates the log of origin to the following departments and ensures that wardrobes have doors made from the same original log.
Panel Veneering
The panel is covered with fine wood veneer:
– Automatic loading and unloading with suction cups
– Calibration of the panels to the required thickness
– Gluing and assembly
– Hot pressing using a two-level press (water temperature 80°–90 °C, minimum cycle time: 1 minute 15 seconds)
The components that make up the panel are assembled.
Perimeter Edge Finishing
In just two steps, the shaping, sanding, and polishing of the panel’s perimeter edges are completed, with up to 9–10 operations per pass.
– Automatic loading and unloading with suction cups
– Optional surface sanding
– Various milling operations performed by sequential cutters with electronic control
– Multiple sanding operations (edges, flat surfaces, recesses, curves)
Polishing and Final Finishing
Multiple polishing stages are carried out, alternating with rapid drying and final sanding, applying up to five layers of non-toxic, anti-static coatings.
If necessary, the entire stack is flipped upside down.
A 3D robotic system performs the final automated spray polishing along the perimeter of the stack. Operators are not in contact with the painting area and perform visual checks from outside the enclosure.
Flat Surface Polishing Line
The sanding and polishing of the flat panel surfaces are completed in two steps.
– Automatic loading and unloading with suction cups (for UV acrylic, UV water-based, EVP finishes, etc.)
– Multiple polishing stages with up to five layers of non-toxic, anti-static coatings, alternating with rapid drying and various sanding steps
– Final paint drying in a vertical oven
– Optional upside-down flipping of the piece for the next processing phase
– Storage of semi-finished products in the company’s internal warehouses
INDUSTRY 4.0
Elli’s approach to the fourth industrial revolution is based on targeted investments aimed at maximizing production flexibility. New spaces have been created to host fully automated machines that are completely interconnected. Communication occurs between departments arranged across the three floors of the new buildings. With the Industry 4.0 factory concept, plant flexibility is such that products can be customized to each individual customer. Robots work and learn naturally from humans. The workflow is virtually reproduced to analyze its behavior in theory and optimize performance. The factory is capable of sourcing energy efficiently, minimizing waste and reducing costs as much as possible. With a production model based on “just-in-time” principles, semi-finished panels are retrieved from the automated warehouse and processed by robotic systems to produce only the pieces that have been sold. On the upper floor, components are distributed across various departments, where they are customized according to customer specifications. The top level handles the assembly and packaging of the finished furniture elements. At the top level, assembly and packaging of the finished components take place.
Web Configurator
To manage the demand for unique and customized products distributed worldwide, Elli provides its sales network with design software interconnected with the factory. Each order is created starting from standard based models and then customized according to the final customer’s requests. Once submitted to the company servers, every detail is thoroughly checked by the technical offices, and production data are then sent directly to the factory.
Batch Size 1
In response to the growing requests for tailor-made products, the innovations introduced in the company make batch size 1 production possible, which in turn has a significant impact on logistics processes. Industry 4.0 brings digitalization, extensive automation, and networked connections between machines and systems. The factory works on orders, even for minimal quantities. Thanks to technological advancements, it is now possible to produce individual products tailored to each customer.
Lacquering robots
The panels are lacquered with the colors required for the sold product. The operator does not come into contact with the painting area and monitors the process visually from outside. An optical scanner detects the shape of the panels to be processed and controls the robot, which sprays paint following the contours of the panels. Drying takes place inside the vertical oven.
Customization and assembly
Manual and automated operations are carried out for the final selection and inspection of components and hardware. CNC-controlled automated systems perform customized drilling according to customer requests and orders: the production lines retrieve the panels to be processed, automatically select the necessary tools (drill bits, cutters, pantographs, blades), install the required hardware (hinges, bases, bushings, drawer slides, glue for furniture assembly), and deliver finished parts and glued furniture, which are immediately packaged.
