Six-generation family business

Founded in 1889, CardoTech has become a European reference in the field of structuring and ginning wood. The realisations that roll out of the French company's production hall thus play a direct role in the design and functional quality of finished products such as wooden facades and floors.

CardoTech's headquarters are in Sainte-Hélène in the Burgundy region. The company has 15 employees and turns an annual turnover of EUR 2.8 million. CardoTech realises most of this turnover domestically. 25% of orders come from customers in the rest of Europe, Asia and North America.

The core business? President Dominique Vittot is clear about that: "At CardoTech, we talk ourselves of engineering around, researching and manufacturing brush tools." CardoTech products are always developed on demand and according to specifications and fit all brands of brush and ginning machines.

Another thing Dominique Vittot is proud of? "We work without intermediaries, contact with the customer is always direct. It is an efficient way of working that reduces the risk of misunderstandings and misinterpretations of briefings."

Coaching role with promised results

CardoTech does not limit itself to the production of brush tools only, quite the contrary. "We ourselves like to talk about engineering because our products are developed in-house according to a whole range of variables such as the customer's quality requirements and the environment in which the tool will be used," says Dominique Vittot.

CardoTech works closely with sawmills, woodworkers, joiners, carpenters, structural and ginning machine manufacturers, floor installers and producers of cladding material (polish, peint,…), among others, on a daily basis.

Above all, the French company wants to offer added value to customers, and this is not just an empty marketing promise. CardoTech is committed to delivering results and to do so, it works around five pillars: advice on equipment choice, quality of texturing and ginning, working to extend the life of the brush tools, cost reduction regarding to the structuring and ginning process and training users to use the brush tools in the best possible way.

"That driven follow-up is in our DNA. We always ensure that the user no longer has any questions and can easily start working independently with the various types of brush tools," continues Dominique Vittot. Innovativeness is also clearly in CardoTech's DNA, and the company develops brushing tools that keep up with trends in the parquet sector. "With our tools, one can both structure and age parquet, and this thanks to a combination of various brushing and ginning processes.”

Brush tools, diversity trumps

To say that the world of brush tools is diverse is an understatement. There are a lot of variable factors involved in the operation of a device or tool to brush, texture, age or gin a floor. We dive into the production hall and take a look at CardoTech, which also develops brushes for rotary sanders (maximum diameter of 400 mm).

The wire is usually made of metal or abrasive nylon. The density of the wire also plays an important role. The type of wire affects the quality of the end result, but also the life of the brushing tool. The length and the diameter of the wire also affect the operation and lifetime of the brushing tool.

The diameter of the brush tool, in turn, plays a role that should not be underestimated in controlling temperature. A brush with a small diameter will hold up the temperature, a brush tool with a larger diameter will dissipate the temperature faster.

The quality of brushing or ginning is also determined by the type of brushing tools. So you have a cylindrical brushing tool or a tool with a flat surface or a combination of bovitth. "The most efficient is a combined solution that allows you to work the wood from different axes without leaving marks," Dominique Vittot clarifies.

Other variables cited by the president of CardoTech include the advance speed of the blades and the rotation speed of the brush tool, the working depth as well as the individual adjustment of the different variables of the brushing and ginning equipment.

Bright future thanks to dynamic approach

CardoTech has a rich history, but also looks eagerly to the future. The latest developments for the wood sector include innovations for ginning. Just think of tools equipped with combined tools that can be mounted on the same base. The complementary operation leads to a high-quality result. Of course, it is important to always observe precautions.

In addition, CardoTech notes a trend for aged wood. "Today's consumers love the authentic look of aged wood. Our company is developing ginning tools to remove splinters without touching the unique colour of aged wood," says Dominique Vittot. The French company has also made strides in developing tools to texture panels veneered at 0.6 mm thickness, without piercing the panel.

Clearly, CardoTech has a bright future ahead of it. Its assets? Its decades of experience, its thorough focus on quality and development as well as the fact that the French company responds to the specific trends in the various sectors as well as the specific needs of each customer, and of course the 6th generation that will still be present beyond 2050!

Website: www.cardotech.com