College of Wood Technology in Melle
The College of Wood Technology in Melle, Germany, has been training young adults in wood technology since 1991. Mr. Kasselmann, instructor at the college, teaches stair building in one of his classes. His coursework is supported by the stair
building software from the German company Compass Software.
The software, which is the most renowned solution on the stair building market, is integrated in the college´s EDP system. The school uses the system both for the design part of the stair, also called CAD, as well as for the practical implementation on a CNC machine. The goal of the wood technology courses is to create a connection between theory and practice that will enable the students to implement their expertise as soon as they leave school.
For this purpose, the College of Wood Technology in Melle owns state of the art machinery, which is reflective of the technology used in the surrounding regions. The processing center BIMA CX 40, which is very well suited for solid timber processing of any kind, was only recently put into operation with the stair manufacturing software from Compass. Detlef Hollinderbäumer, CEO of Compass Software, explains: “The department head of the technical college, Mr. Cramer, and I want to foster solid timber construction in the region further. In order to do this, the students need a CNC machine that is state of the art and capable of such projects.”
Stair Building Project for LIGNA 2019
At the beginning of 2019, three of the soon-to-be technicians who study at the college, Rick Gerweler, Marcel Husmann, and Renè Hellmann, chose to test the connection of the new CNC machine and built a model staircase as their final project for their stair building class. The material was donated by the local business H. Heitz Furnierkantenwerk GmbH & Co. KG. The three students finished the project, which was supervised by Mr. Kasselmann, with flying colors. The impressive staircase will be exhibited to the public at this year’s LIGNA at the college’s trade show booth.
Utilisation of Compass Software in Schools
Partnerships like that between the College of Wood Technology in Melle and Compass Software are not unusual. The staircase construction software specialist is deeply committed to the academic advancement of young adults in the industry. The possibility to practice the navigation of CAD software and the production on CNC machines during their educational career is a clear advantage for the students. This enables them to demonstrate valuable software knowledge and experiences with the completion of their education and makes it easier to integrate them into the workforce right away. Furthermore, it promotes the interest of young adults in the industry. A clear win on all sides.
