Cutting Edge Technology

REVEALING HOW CREATIVE PLAY IS REVOLUTIONISING PLAYGROUND MANUFACTURING

Creative Play, specialists in playground consultation, design, manufacture, and installation, have recently introduced the purpose-built, groundbreaking woodwork machine MD Top XXL at their North Wales factory. It is anticipated to reduce production time by a third, improve precision, minimise waste, and eventually unlock possibilities for creating new, previously unattainable designs.

Since 1991 the business has been building a strong reputation for delivering great value, activity-led, fun playgrounds focusing on long-term solutions for thousands of customers in the education, local authority, and commercial sector. A family company, over the years an environmental awareness and drive to provide children with more natural playscapes has led them to work primarily in timber-based play equipment.

Expert knowledge in product design, manufacture, and installation has always been vital to their success, along with transparency – employees are encouraged to discuss ideas for improving efficiency, sustainability, and how to better serve the communities in which they operate. The implementation of MD Top XXL, a new drilling and sawing machine which is streamlining processes and positively impacting time, cost, and the environment, is a direct result of this open attitude.

This latest addition is by far the most revolutionary investment in years, which has staved off competition from a switch to new recycled plastic materials, sustainability updates to their fleet of delivery vehicles, installation of 104 solar panels, and a general upscaling of the company.

Managing Director James Harris provides insight into the capabilities of the innovative MD Top XXL, the impact it is having on the company, and the industry at large…

What prompted the need for such a groundbreaking new woodwork machine?

A belief that there’s always room for improvement!

It was a case of keeping an eye on the business and wondering what we could do better. The idea of acquiring a new machine had been brewing for a few years, but searching for the right one didn’t really start until 18 months ago. We were busy updating many aspects of the company in 2022, including relocating to a new building, so investing in new tech just felt like a natural progression.

Our original CNC (Computer Numerical Control) Drilling Machine must be 15-20 years old now, and has become increasingly high maintenance, needing a lot of attention and repairs. Before purchasing that 2-axis machine all those years ago, all our drilling had been done by hand, by pillar drills. Automating our work had been a radical change back then, and we thought the company was long overdue another upgrade on the same scale.

The MD Top XXL was made by Italian woodwork machine specialists Comec. How did you discover them?

We knew we wanted something special but weren’t sure of exactly what or where to start looking. A company which supplied us with many CNC machines over the years had put us in touch with several organisations in Nottingham, but following a couple of demonstrations we didn’t feel they had anything that would take our production to the next level. After that our search lost some urgency.

Then, in July 2023, Amy joined the company as Product Design Manager. She was keen to take us out of limbo regarding a new device, and after some research suggested we get in touch with woodwork supply specialists JJ Smith, Comec’s UK dealers. We visited their site in Liverpool and after consultation had a much better idea of what we needed.

In December, they sent us on a very quick 24-hour trip to Porcia, just north of Venice in Italy, for a demo of the base version of an MD Top. Further discussion of our technical requirements led to them adapting it to Creative Play’s specific needs.

Considering the weighty price tag and competitive market for woodwork machines, why did you ultimately choose Comec?

Other companies are good and have great CNCs, but the abilities of Comec’s machines, the scope of what they can do, are just amazing. Seeing the MD Top functioning in their factory was impressive enough, but combined with their outstanding customer support it became an obvious choice. Such a wonderful company, and great people.

Following the factory visit we were ready to place an order and they had it built, delivered, and installed on our premises by the beginning of March 2024.

What can the Comec MD Top XXL do?

Very much a bespoke design, we have pushed Comec to their limits by asking them to deliver a device which can handle 90-120mm timbers up to 4 metres in length – hence the XXL version of the MD Top, the largest one they make. The impact this will have on us, a company working primarily with wood, is huge.

For example, an arched bridge, one of our more time-consuming items, used to take 6 hours to make, but can now be done in 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, one of the parts for our Jigsaw Range has gone from taking over quarter of an hour to 2 minutes. Rad sanding, a task our guys have always undertaken somewhat begrudgingly, normally takes 10 minutes, but now they can get it done with the push of a button in 20 seconds.

It works to timescales we only dreamed of before, and it is eventually going to force us to rethink our manufacturing practices.

Improved efficiency is going to result in less waste, and that’s very much a priority for us now that we’ve initiated a drive towards sustainability and reaching Net Zero carbon. Precision cutting is delivering an improved accuracy, which means all components can be produced identically, leading to even safer products and quicker assembly times on site.

How has the integration process been?

Programming the TPAEDi32 software with our products is the biggest obstacle, but mostly in the sense that it takes time. I used to be able to programme the older machines myself, but I wouldn’t know where to start on this one – it is very much a job for the Product Design team.

No major issues have come up yet, but we’re still learning what it can do and how we can work with it. There’s a possibility that there are some operations it won’t be great at, but we haven’t discovered them yet.

Full benefits of the machine are still to be felt of course, as these things always take a little while to reach peak performance. JJ Smith spent 5 days training our guys and they produced our most popular item, the DART, plus some random components. Obviously, this was about developing skills, so it took them a while, but the results were impressive and they’re already confident about how much quicker it will be next time.

The Production team were able to see the advantages early on, and have approached it with an open mind and just as much excitement as me!

Keeping it greased and connected to the server are amongst the weekly maintenance duties required to ensure it runs smoothly. However, all mechanical matters involve JJ Smith, who also provide outstanding online support. Experiences with the drill are being logged, so in a couple of weeks we’ll assess if further training is needed.

Regular, daily, operations are expected to be in motion from April onwards.

What effect will the MD Top XXL have on the company?

Combining the strengths, capabilities, and experience of Comec with our processes is going to significantly accelerate the manufacturing side of our business, delivering a timescale unthinkable until now. Utilising the best technology available is crucial for creating opportunities for growth, which is a key aim of the company for the coming decade.

We’re trying to push boundaries, and the feedback I’m getting is very positive.

How does this contribute to Creative Play’s overall position within playground manufacturing?

It is a competitive market with creeping costs, and this machine goes a long way to addressing that. Harnessing the drill’s abilities will help us adapt and evolve to market pressures and provide a greater product range than ever to customers.

Despite being one of the most recognisable names in the industry we’ve always occupied the mid-tier in terms of revenue. While this has largely been by choice, a new growth mindset has developed in the past year, and the Comec machine will play a vital part in scaling up.

I know of only one playground manufacturing company which has anything comparable, but they don’t offer the range of services we do, such as installation. None of our direct competitors has anything like this, nothing as modern. Our offering is totally unique in the market, and it is going to differentiate us from competitors. For the foreseeable future we’re gearing up to take full advantage of these opportunities.

Honestly, right now the only limitation is our imagination.

Was the company supportive of making such a large technical investment from the get-go?

Oh yes, everyone knew it was long overdue. It was decided very quickly that we should take a chance on a new vision for the company. Not much of a risk to be honest, we’ve invested in a new class of machine which is going to help us refocus the business.

The machine makes it 3 times faster to create playgrounds, delivers an accuracy leading to safer products, and uses less materials, saving money while aiding our sustainability efforts. Energy costs and labour shortages haven’t pressured us as much as it has many others in the manufacturing game, but it is still a major concern which the new machine can help alleviate.

We’ve spent over 30 years refining our craft. That’s a lot of research and effort developing ways to work with materials, design products with end-users’ needs in mind, while also considering the manufacturing and installation requirements. MD Top XXL isn’t some novelty tech trend coming along and discarding everything we’ve learned over the years. Quite the opposite really – the machine embraces it.

The materials are the same. The products are the same. Even the guys operating the machines are the same! Everything is just faster and more accurate. It incorporates so much of what we already do, to the standards we demand, that we can be confident in accepting it as the best possible technical solution for our needs. There’s no trepidation about committing to this, it’s as though JJ Smith and Comec have fully grasped who we are and what we do, and have compacted it into a 22 x 10 foot box.

MD Top XXL is our new factory within a factory.