After 23 years representing Spielvogel in the UK, Pat Sharkey Engineering in Doncaster has decided it is time to expand the range of machinery it is selling in anticipation of a release of pent up demand left by the economic crash.

Pat Sharkey Engineering, which has represented Spielvogel in the UK for 23 years as well as carrying out installations, maintenance and repairs on all makes of stone machinery, has decided the time is right for a major expansion. It has taken on new UK agencies for CMG, EmmeDue, Dazzini and Sigma Group.

Until now, the eponymous Pat Sharkey, who has been joined in the business by his son, Neil, in recent years, has concentrated on the sandstone niche of the industry. Now they intend to satisfy the requirements of a wider base of stone processors.

“There’s a pent up demand, even though people aren’t aware of it,” says Pat Sharkey. “Things have been on hold so long now that when this thing does come to an end there will be a lot of machinery wanted. We came to the conclusion that we needed to be able to react when that happens.”

The new ranges on offer include the in-line edge polishing machinery of Italians CMG Srl.

CMG has been making edge polishing machines for more than 30 years. It has units operating throughout mainland Europe, where its Flotter range is recognised for delivering a flat polish to high standards. Flotters are available in versions with between five and 10 polishing heads.

For profiled edges there is the CMG Taurus range, again with five-to-10 polishing heads. Recognised for its speed of operation without compromising the finish, the Taurus is capable of producing 10 or more different profiles.

The edge polishers are an ideal complement to the EmmeDue range of CNC saws, workcentres and carving stations that Pat Sharkey Engineering is also now selling.

EmmeDue machines are user-friendly, easily installed and at the cost-containing end of the price scale.

The Zenith Variaxis (pictured left) is the top-of-range CNC bridge saw mounted on steel shoulders with five continuously interpolated axes operated by brushless motors that run on slideways with ball-bearing guide blocks.

It can be fitted with a 1.0m diameter blade for cutting or a 12kW ISO 40 electric spindle. There is automatic head rotation through a full 360° combined with automatic blade tilting of 0-95°. Combined with the EmmeDue CAD/CAM package this make it ideal for large production runs.

If space is at a premium, it can be supplied as a monolithic structure without compromising its performance levels.

The EmmeDue flagship is the 4-axes Discovery. It can accept a program direct from CAD or can be programmed at the ­control panel on the machine. It can profile and cut out arches and circles.

With a 625mm blade, Discovery is ideal for the production of anything from fireplaces to staircases and the shaping of memorials. Its rotating head enables a cut to be made at any angle and any length, while the optional tilting table can be installed directly on to an existing concrete floor – no additional foundations required.

From the installation and repair work carried out by Pat Sharkey Engineering, Pat and Neil are well aware of the number of water treatment plant and dust extraction units being installed and the amount of lifting and handling equipment that is helping to make masonry workshops and factories safer and more employee friendly places to work. Now they are offering to supply this equipment as well as install it.

On water filtration and dust control, they are representing Sigma Group, producing solutions designed to meet each customer’s individual requirements from water walls to complete dust extraction units and water recycling systems.

For lifting and handling, Pat Sharkey Engineering has taken on the agency for the full range from Elephant Srl, including hoists and pillar cranes.

In quarrying, the company is offering hydro-bags for the non-explosive extraction of stone block by exerting a lift of up to 300 tonnes, although they are available in a variety of size.

They come from Dazzini, which also makes chainsaws, wiresaws and drills for quarrying that Pat Sharkey is now selling into the UK.

The chainsaws are available with blade lengths up to a colossal 9.1m, although they start at 1m lengths. PLC on Dazzini wire saws means they can be set to optimise extraction efficiency.

And, of course, Pat Sharkey Engineering has its long-standing and continuing relationship with Spielvogel, supplying the maker’s primary and secondary saws.

Spielvogel has been making machinery for more than 90 years and offers saws from 600mm up to 3.5m, all capable of producing sequential cuts, linear profiles and CNC contour profiles.

The latest from Spielvogel is the Pelican. Based on the principles of a jenny lind polisher, the Pelican is available mounted on a floor-standing column or fixed to a wall with a 4m rail.

With a frequency driven tool spindle, a variety of tooling can be used, including core drills, saw blades and routers.

The arms on the machine can be independently locked off, allowing it to travel along the rails in a fixed position. It has a tilting table as an option so, for example, splay cuts for heads and cills can be produced.

The Health & Safety Executive has said stone companies will have to look at new ways of working to protect employees from exposure to vibration white finger and Respirable Crystalline Silica dust. This solidly-made machine addresses these health & safety issues that affect masonry companies all over the country, as well as offering improved productivity.