Determining the Economics of New Moulder Configurations

The moulder is one of the most widely used machines in the wood industry. Its function is to cut stock with rough dimensions to a finished width, thickness, and cross-sectional shape in one pass, making it cost effective to produce mouldings, floors, window and furniture components, etc. Today’s moulders are fast, safe, flexible, versatile, precise, and productive. Many different configurations can be selected when specifying the purchase of a moulder. The Moulder Economic Calculator (MEC) was developed to determine the economic impact of choosing different moulder configurations. The calculator uses input data on machine price and purchase method, machine configuration, production parameters, and production costs. The MEC program gives three types of outputs: surface quality, productivity, and costs. The MEC program is a flexible tool that allows the user to estimate the cost of machining one linear foot of wood. Some capabilities of the MEC program include determining the effect of machine price on mach...