Three widths (2,600, 3,200, and 3,800 millimeters), two multistops (1,300 and 2,100 millimeters), and four blade diameters (300, 350, 400, and 450 millimeters). A 50 percent smaller footprint compared to a traditional panel saw, cutting speeds up to 40 meters per minute, a new automatic pressure beam, and a 10-inch touchscreen, these are just some of the innovations featured on “Concept Elite“, the new panel saw from Fimal that’s in the spotlight this season.
The machine was officially unveiled during an event held in Fano (Pesaro), where the company is based. The launch drew customers and dealers from all over the world to the brand-new showroom.
“We are very pleased with the reception the market has given to our “Elite”, which is undoubtedly our calling card for 2025“, said Cinzia Facchini, ceo of Fimal. “But I’d like to emphasize that this is a particularly important step because it reflects who we are, our constant drive to innovate, to keep understanding the needs of our customers and those who could become our customers, and to offer them simple, intelligent machines that deliver results beyond expectations with the right level of investment“.
“Exactly ten years after the launch of the original “Concept” – a machine that expressed our approach to panel cutting in a new way and brought excellent results – we decided to take a further step forward by expanding the range upwards with “Elite”, a solution that I would describe as a summary of the suggestions we’ve received from our clients. We chose to add a new stage to our journey, turning the “Concept concept” into a full range designed to offer consistent and effective technological answers to a variety of needs. Always with the Fimal soul in mind, a soul that goes back well before 2013, the year our company was founded“.
Are you referring to the legacy of Paoloni Macchine, which you’ve inherited?
“Exactly. What we do today, who we are today, comes from strong roots, from a history we were part of and remember with pride. We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished together in these twelve years, but we know very well that we wouldn’t have reached these results so quickly if we hadn’t inherited the legacy of Paoloni Macchine, a name still remembered in the small-to-medium woodworking machinery segment“.
Let’s go back to the “Elite”…
“As I mentioned, it’s a solution packed with innovation, available in several versions, with large blade diameters that could even be increased to 500 millimeters in the future. A machine enhanced with features requested by key markets, and not just by panel processors“.
“With the “Concept”, we broke a barrier by designing and building a machine that didn’t exist before“, added Stefano Morselli, general manager at Fimal. “Elite” now takes us to a new dimension, even more in tune with the ideas of “Industry 5.0” and the growing focus on speed, performance, total safety, dust and noise reduction, and sustainability, priorities driving the evolution of all our machines. “Elite” builds on all this to offer an even stronger response to the wood and panel market, while also opening the door to new sectors that require cutting solutions“.
“It’s a project that, as Cinzia Facchini said, was born from listening to those who use these machines every day: for example, the extended stroke of the rear pusher, the 10-inch touchscreen that displays more information, the increased cutting clearance – which now reaches up to 2,800 millimeters and may reach 4,200 in the future – or the aluminum worktop that allows safe cutting of more abrasive materials like glass wool. Let’s not forget the adjustable scoring unit for precise depth even when tilting the blade, an inclination that can also be automated, along with the quick blade change system and the new pressure beam, which works effectively even with stacked panels.
All this is supported by a more robust structure, which allows for some of the new features and, most importantly, for “important” cuts with large-diameter blades“.
This machine clearly opens new areas of competition. Aren’t you concerned about growing competition in this segment?
“And that’s exactly why we continue to innovate“, Cinzia Facchini replied. “We all know the current state of the economy, and that the woodworking machinery sector is not in its “golden age”. Challenges are many, and the competition from ’emerging’ countries doesn’t scare us: we’re talking about offerings based on assembling parts, without the benefit of forty years of mechanical development – trying, failing, trying again – which builds true expertise“.
“Sure, we may need to work harder and settle for smaller margins, as is often the case in highly competitive markets. And I do think that when it comes to electronics and software, competition from China and Turkey is something to keep an eye on. But in terms of mechanical engineering, I believe Italy – and Europe more broadly – still has much more to offer. Not to mention design, elegance, quality, finishing touches, and all those clever details that create real distance between an Italian-made product and that of many competitors“.
