Flightcase manufacturer 5 Star Cases now has a new, much larger, custom designed sanding booth area at its Wisbech, UK, headquarters.

According to the company, this will help increase capacity, turnaround and customer service, given that it currently has a very healthy order book following one of the busiest years of its 30 year history in 2011. It is also in line with continued on-going expansion plans.

5 Star undertook the main build of the new booth area, in the process removing the existing sanding and spray booths to make way for the much extended facility containing three dust extraction systems.

The new booth enclosure occupies a total area of 35 square metres and has been designed to ensure that there is plenty of room to manoeuvre, as well as for future expansion.

Air Bench Ltd. from Colchester, Essex was commissioned by 5 Star to specify the three new downdraught tables that form the basis of the sanding booths. The company supplied two of its FN126784s and one of its FN189784 products, which extract the dust and fumes away from the workspace by drawing them down through the work surface into the internal filters, simultaneously returning clean air into the room.

The sanding booth plays a central role in 5 Star's case production process, as all the specialist woodwork passes through it to be prepped prior to final spraying and finishing.

The majority of specialist woodwork is produced on one of 5 Star's three Thermwood CNC machining centres, and usually requires various stages before it is completed.

Audio console side cheeks, stage manager desks, 19" rack-mount inner sleeves and top end DJ consoles are examples of 5 Star items that rely on specialist woodwork fitted inside the flight cases.

Once the woodworked elements are glued and pinned together to make the required sub-structure, they head for the sanding booth where they are filled, sanded and sealed ready for the spray booth.

www.5star-cases.com.