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17 line items in process order, each with its tag, specification, quantity, power and an indicative unit price.
Cabinet design + nesting licence · 32 GB RAM workstation · 27" display
Turns a customer's kitchen or wardrobe design into cut lists, nested sheets and CNC programs.
Flat board racks for 2,440 × 1,220 mm sheets · timber bays · 2 t trolleys
Stores MDF, particle board and plywood flat and dry, sorted by thickness and décor.
15 m³ charge · offcut-fired hot-water boiler · reversible fans · MC probes
Dries sawn cypress, pine and hardwood to 10–12 % moisture so doors and frames stay stable.
Hammer-mill crusher · screw press · 150–250 kg/h briquettes
Turns offcuts and bagged dust into fuel briquettes for the kiln boiler or for sale.
5 spindles · 230 × 120 mm section · 6–36 m/min feed
Planes rough timber square on all four faces and profiles door stiles, frames and mouldings in one pass.
410 mm width · spiral cutter block · 3–250 mm thickness
Flattens and thicknesses short runs, wide boards and repair parts off the moulder.
3,200 mm sliding table · scoring blade · 45° tilt · digital fence
Rips full sheets and solid timber, and cuts rectangles and worktops the router does not need to nest.
1,300 × 2,500 mm · 9 kW spindle · 12-tool carousel · 7.5 kW vacuum pump
Cuts nested cabinet parts, grooves, pockets and hinge holes from full sheets with almost no waste.
Pre-milling · EVA/PUR glue pot · end & fine trim · scraping · buffing
Seals every visible panel edge with PVC or ABS tape so boards resist moisture and chipping.
Drills all 6 faces in one pass · barcode job load · 2,800 × 1,200 mm panels
Drills dowel, cam-lock and shelf-pin holes on faces and edges straight from the CAM file.
1,300 mm width · 2 heads (drum + platen) · 3–110 mm thickness
Calibrates and fine-sands solid-wood doors, veneered panels and MDF fronts before finishing.
≈ 12,000 m³/h · cyclone + bag filter · galvanised ducting · spark trap
Pulls chips and fine dust from every machine to a cyclone and sealed collection bags outside.
4 × 3 × 2.7 m · water curtain + dry filters · explosion-proof lights
Applies PU and NC lacquers, stains and paint to doors and fronts in a fire-safe enclosure.
≈ 30 m² · 25–40 °C · filtered air · mobile drying racks
Cures lacquered parts dust-free between coats so finishing does not bottleneck the line.
15 kW · 2.2 m³/min at 8 bar · refrigerated dryer · 500 L receiver
Clean, dry air for spray guns, the edge bander, boring machine clamps and nail guns.
2.4 × 1.2 m benches · case clamps · drills, nailers, hinge jigs
Dry-fits carcasses, hangs doors and fits hardware so every job is proven before packing.
L-sealer + shrink tunnel · carton taping · corner protectors · label printer
Packs panels, hardware bags and fitting instructions into labelled, protected flat-pack cartons.
Indicative ex-works prices (US$, 2026) for budgeting a sample project, not quotations. Photos are illustrative of each machine class.
12 unit operations in order, with the equipment that performs each and its control point.
| Step | Operation | Equipment | Control point |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Design, cut list & CAM nestingThe approved design is converted into parts, nested onto sheets and posted as CNC and boring programs. | DS-101 CAD/CAM Design & Nesting Workstation |
Signed drawing · nest yield ≥ 85 % |
| 02 | Receive boards & timberBoards are checked for thickness, décor and emission class; timber for species, grade and permits. | MH-102 Board Racking & Lift Trolleys |
E1/CARB P2 label · KFS movement permit |
| 03 | Kiln-dry solid timberSawn timber is stickered and dried on a schedule matched to species and thickness. | KD-103 Timber Kiln Dryer |
Moisture content 10–12 % on 5 samples |
| 04 | Mill & plane timberDried timber is planed square and profiled into stiles, rails, frames and mouldings.Chips → extraction | MD-201 Four-Sided MoulderPL-202 Surface Planer & Thicknesser |
Section ± 0.3 mm · no tear-out |
| 05 | Size panels & worktopsFull sheets and solid blanks are ripped or cross-cut where nesting is not needed.Offcuts → briquettes | PS-301 Sliding-Table Panel Saw |
Size ± 0.5 mm · square diagonal ± 1 mm |
| 06 | CNC nesting & routingThe router cuts, grooves and pockets every nested part and labels it for the next stations.Skeletons → briquettes | CN-302 CNC Nesting Router 1325 with ATC |
First sheet checked against nest · ± 0.2 mm |
| 07 | Edge bandingVisible edges are pre-milled, glued and banded, then trimmed, scraped and buffed. | EB-401 Automatic Edge-Banding Machine |
Glue line invisible · edge pull test daily |
| 08 | CNC boringDowel, cam-lock, hinge and shelf-pin holes are drilled on all six faces from the part barcode. | BR-402 Six-Sided CNC Boring Machine |
Test assembly of first carcass per job |
| 09 | Sand & calibrateDoors, fronts and solid parts are calibrated and sanded to 180–240 grit.Dust → extraction bags | SD-403 Wide-Belt SanderDC-404 Central Dust Extraction & Cyclone |
Thickness ± 0.1 mm · no sanding marks |
| 10 | Finish & cureParts are sealed, sanded and top-coated with PU or NC lacquer, curing between coats. | SB-501 Spray Booth (Water-Curtain)DR-502 Heated Drying RoomAC-503 Screw Air Compressor & Dryer |
Gloss + adhesion cross-cut test per batch |
| 11 | Assemble & QCCarcasses are dry-fitted, doors hung and hardware adjusted against the job checklist. | AS-601 Assembly Benches & Power Tools |
Square, gaps 2–3 mm, doors level · QC tag |
| 12 | Flat-pack, dispatch & installJobs are packed flat with hardware and instructions, or delivered and installed on site. | PK-602 Flat-Pack Carton & Shrink-Wrap Line |
Packing list scan · customer sign-off |
6 zones arranged for one-way material flow, with every item of equipment placed by tag.
One CAD/CAM file drives the router and boring machine, so no part is marked or drilled by hand.
Nesting puts 85–90 % of every sheet into parts, against 70–75 % on a manual saw.
In-house kiln drying to 10–12 % moisture stops doors and frames warping in Kenyan humidity.
Every machine is ducted to a central cyclone and the booth has a water curtain to capture overspray.
Offcuts and bagged dust become briquettes that fire the kiln boiler or sell as clean fuel.
Accurate CNC boring means cabinets ship flat and assemble on site with cam-locks and dowels.
The core routines operators follow, from start-up to batch release.
7 sections: open any one to read it, or download the whole document.
Mbao Precision Works Ltd is a CNC woodworking factory in Ruiru, Kiambu County. It makes kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, internal doors, office furniture and flat-pack ranges for homeowners, developers, contractors and retailers across the Nairobi metro. One CAD/CAM file runs through the whole factory, from design to nesting, CNC routing, edge banding and six-sided boring, so the company can offer factory-grade accuracy, repeatable quality and 10–15 day lead times, something most local carpenters cannot match.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Factory Size | ≈ 1,500 m² (≈ 16,000 sq ft), leased |
| Initial Investment | KES 45,000,000 (~$346,000) |
| Equipment Share | KES 27,700,000 (~$213,000), 62% |
| Capacity | ≈ 900 boards/month + 25 m³ solid timber (single shift) |
| Year 1 Revenue | KES 72,000,000 (~$554,000) |
| Year 3 Revenue | KES 144,000,000 (~$1.1 million) |
| Gross Margin | 29-34% |
| Payback Period | ≈ 3 years |
| Staff | 32 at launch, 48 by Year 3 |
| Product Line | Description | Avg. Order Value (KES) | Monthly Volume (Y3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchen Cabinets | Base, wall and tall units in MDF/melamine board with PU or laminate fronts, soft-close hardware | 280,000 per kitchen | 12-16 kitchens |
| Wardrobes & Closets | Built-in and free-standing wardrobes, walk-in closet systems | 95,000 per unit | 40-50 units |
| Doors & Frames | Kiln-dried solid cypress/mahogany and flush doors, pre-hung frames | 28,000 per door | 80-120 doors |
| Office Furniture | Desks, workstations, filing and storage units, reception counters | 35,000 per piece | 60-80 pieces |
| Flat-Pack Range | Standard TV units, shoe racks, bookshelves and bedside tables for retailers and online sale | 12,000 per unit | 200-280 units |
| Installation & Contract Cutting | Site installation, and CNC cutting/edging for other carpenters | Per job / per sheet | 150-250 sheets |
| Equipment | Specification | Cost (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| CAD/CAM Workstations (x2) | Cabinet design + nesting software licences | 1,365,000 |
| Board Racking & Trolleys | Flat racks for 2,440 × 1,220 mm sheets | 490,000 |
| Timber Kiln Dryer | 15 m³ charge, offcut-fired boiler | 3,120,000 |
| Crusher & Briquette Press | 150-250 kg/h | 1,170,000 |
| Four-Sided Moulder | 5 spindles, 230 × 120 mm | 2,470,000 |
| Planer & Thicknesser | 410 mm, spiral cutter block | 585,000 |
| Sliding-Table Panel Saw | 3,200 mm, scoring blade | 910,000 |
| CNC Nesting Router 1325 | 9 kW spindle, 12-tool ATC, vacuum bed | 3,250,000 |
| Automatic Edge Bander | Pre-milling, trimming, scraping, buffing | 2,340,000 |
| Six-Sided CNC Boring Machine | Barcode-driven, 2,800 × 1,200 mm | 4,550,000 |
| Wide-Belt Sander | 1,300 mm, 2 heads | 2,080,000 |
| Central Dust Extraction | ≈ 12,000 m³/h cyclone + bag filter | 1,820,000 |
| Spray Booth + Drying Room | Water-curtain booth, 30 m² heated room | 1,560,000 |
| Screw Compressor & Dryer | 15 kW, 8 bar | 715,000 |
| Assembly Benches & Tools (x6) | Case clamps, drills, hinge jigs | 700,000 |
| Flat-Pack Shrink-Wrap Line | L-sealer, shrink tunnel, label printer | 585,000 |
| Total Equipment | Indicative 2026 ex-works mid-point | ≈ 27,700,000 |
| Requirement | Authority | Status | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standardization Mark (furniture, doors) | Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) | Apply at M4 after first production | Annual surveillance |
| Timber dealer registration & movement permits | Kenya Forest Service (KFS) | Registered before first timber purchase | Annual / per consignment |
| Workplace registration & fire safety audit | DOSHS (OSHA 2007, Fire Risk Reduction Rules 2007) | Register at M2, audit before start-up | Annual |
| Environmental Impact Assessment licence | NEMA | Project report submitted at M1 | Annual audit |
| Fire clearance certificate | Kiambu County Fire Department | Before commissioning | Annual |
| Single Business Permit | Kiambu County | At lease signing | Annual |
| Item | KES | ~US$ |
|---|---|---|
| Production equipment (ex-works mid-point) | 27,700,000 | 213,000 |
| Freight, clearing & installation | 4,200,000 | 32,000 |
| Factory fit-out (power upgrade, ducting, booth fire system, office) | 5,600,000 | 43,000 |
| Working capital (2 months boards, hardware, finishes) | 6,200,000 | 48,000 |
| Pre-operating, training & showroom | 1,300,000 | 10,000 |
| Total | 45,000,000 | 346,000 |
| Metric | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 72,000,000 | 108,000,000 | 144,000,000 |
| Materials & Hardware (48% / 47% / 46%) | 34,560,000 | 50,760,000 | 66,240,000 |
| Direct Labour | 12,960,000 | 18,360,000 | 23,040,000 |
| Power & Utilities | 3,600,000 | 4,860,000 | 5,760,000 |
| Overheads (rent, sales, admin, delivery) | 8,640,000 | 11,880,000 | 14,400,000 |
| EBITDA | 12,240,000 | 22,140,000 | 34,560,000 |
| Depreciation | 4,500,000 | 4,500,000 | 4,500,000 |
| Corporation Tax (30%) | 2,322,000 | 5,292,000 | 9,018,000 |
| Net Profit | 5,418,000 | 12,348,000 | 21,042,000 |
| Net Profit (~US$) | ~$41,700 | ~$95,000 | ~$162,000 |
| Net Margin | 7.5% | 11.4% | 14.6% |
Key assumptions: KES 130/US$. Capacity use of 40% in Year 1, 60% in Year 2 and 80% in Year 3. Material share falls as nesting yield improves and briquettes replace bought fuel. Payback is about 3 years on a cash basis (net profit plus depreciation).
Kenya's furniture demand is driven by urbanisation, the Affordable Housing Programme and a steady stream of new apartment blocks around Nairobi, Kiambu and Machakos. Every new home needs a kitchen, wardrobes and doors. Most of this work is still done by informal carpenters with hand tools, while mid- and upper-market buyers turn to imported flat-pack and ready-made furniture. A local CNC factory can match imported precision at shorter lead times, and it can make furniture to the exact dimensions of each room.
| Tier | Definition | Value (KES) |
|---|---|---|
| TAM | Kenya furniture, fitted kitchens, wardrobes and doors | ≈ 70 billion |
| SAM | Nairobi metro fitted furniture + panel-based furniture | ≈ 22 billion |
| SOM (Year 3) | Mbao Precision Works at ≈ 0.65% of SAM | 144 million |
| Competitor | Strength | Weakness |
|---|---|---|
| Established furniture brands | Showrooms, brand trust | Premium pricing, limited custom sizing |
| Imported flat-pack (China, Turkey, Malaysia) | Low unit price, modern designs | Fixed sizes, 8-12 week restock, weak after-sales |
| Informal carpenters (jua kali) | Lowest cost, flexible | Inconsistent quality, green timber, poor edges |
| Kitchen specialist importers | High-end finishes | Very high price, long lead times |
Differentiation: Made-to-measure at close to flat-pack prices, kiln-dried timber, 3D design previews before ordering, 10-15 day lead times, and a 5-year carcass warranty.
| Phase | Months | Key Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Setup & Approvals | M1-M2 | Company registration, factory lease, NEMA EIA project report, KFS registration, equipment orders placed |
| Fit-out | M2-M4 | 3-phase power upgrade, floor pads, dust ducting, booth and drying room, office and showroom |
| Equipment Arrival & Install | M4-M5 | Clearing at Mombasa, installation and commissioning, supplier technician on site |
| Training & Trial Production | M5 | CAD/CAM and machine training, trial kitchens and wardrobes, QC procedures |
| Commercial Launch | M6 | Showroom opening, developer contracts, first flat-pack retail listings |
| Scale-up | M7-M18 | Second shift on CNC and edging, contract cutting service, KEBS mark, UV finishing line evaluated |
| Risk | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|
| Board price and FX swings (imported MDF and hardware) | High | Two-supplier sourcing, 60-day stock buffer, price-adjustment clause in contracts |
| Timber supply and legality | Medium | KFS-permitted suppliers only, plantation cypress and pine, 1-month dried stock |
| Power outages damage CNC jobs | Medium | Standby generator for CNC, boring and extraction; UPS on controllers |
| Skills gap on CNC and CAD/CAM | Medium | Supplier training, TVET intern pipeline, documented programs |
| Dust fire or finishing fire | High | Spark trap, outdoor filter, daily housekeeping, booth interlocks, insurance |
| Slow developer payments | Medium | 30-40% deposits, staged billing, mix of retail and contract revenue |
Equipment specifications, process flow diagrams, recipes and the business plan, bundled as one download.
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