Daltons Debut at Royal National Theatre
SAOM and Elcon ensure that the show goes on
The Royal National Theatre in London is the largest in the country, staging
over twenty new productions a year across three venues to an average annual
audience of over
600,000 people.
Backdrops to scenes such as this are produced on the
SAOM CNC
at the Royal National Theatre. Photograph by Stephen Cummiskey.
This huge undertaking requires highly skilled professionals both on stage and behind the scenes to ensure everyone breaks a leg on the opening night. One of these people is Paul Evans, Head of Scenic Construction and Armoury.
“Each production is unique”, says Paul, “A new set must be created from scratch for every show, the bulk of which is constructed from wood. We were contracting all this work out, often leaving us in difficult situations when opening night deadlines for shows were not being met. We needed to bring construction in-house”.
Daltons had supplied the theatre with classical machinery in the past and were the obvious company to approach. Following long discussions with machinery expert Sean Taylor, it soon became apparent that a CNC Machining Centre would be an invaluable asset to the theatre.
Paul Evans of the Royal National Theatre with the SAOM
3-Axis
CNC Machining Centre supplied by Daltons.
“I didn’t know a lot about CNC machines before I contacted Daltons, but Sean explained the concept in layman’s terms which was a big help. Once I had a decent understanding of the machine’s capabilities I realised how much work the machine could take on”.
Following the in-depth discussions not only regarding the machine specification
but also the software, Paul decided on a SAOM T30-2MCU+UF CNC Machining
Centre. “What really attracted me to the SAOM machine was that it
was going to be built bespoke. I am very short of space here on the bank
of the Thames and we had a maximum footprint for the machine to fit in”.
As part of the package Daltons also supplied a bespoke Elcon 215DSXE Vertical Panel Saw including advanced panel clamping and a maximum panel capacity of 5.3 x 2.15 metres. The fully automated cutting cycle ensures an unparalleled accuracy of cut with maximum ease of use and safety.
“Again I was impressed by Daltons’ ‘one stop shop’. With scene construction we use a lot of oversized and odd sized sheet material. I really don’t know how we managed without”.
Daltons, a leading player in the sales and distribution of woodworking machinery for over 100 years, are fast developing their involvement and capability within the CNC technology area. Their marketing arrangements with Italian manufacturers SAOM are enabling the company to extend its customer base whilst continuing to support its more traditional activities with Panel Saws, Planer/Moulders, Resaws, Sanders, Edge Banders, etc, as well as a comprehensive range of classical machines.
All these activities are backed up by the Daltons ‘service team’
who provide national coverage for their entire range and an
in-house training facility offering operator training up to City and Guilds
recognised standards through the Woodwise scheme.