Between 1967 and 1983 the Automated Tool & Machinery Co., Ltd. manufactured a comprehensive line of machinery for manufacturing bookshelves, cabinets, etc., from sheet goods. Their machines used the Automac brand name. We have also seen the names Automac Machinery Ltd. and Plada Machines Ltd.; these names were all associated with the same business address and at overlapping times.

The Automac specialty was V grooving machinery that was used on laminated sheet goods to cut joints where the vinyl skin of the laminate is left intact so that it can act as a hinge as the sheet is folded. It was widely used in manufacturing TV cabinets, bookshelves, kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, etc. These machines were heavily and precisely built for assembly line use.

Information Sources

• June 1968 New Manufacturing Establishments in Canada (PDF) has a listing for Automated Tool and Machinery Co. Ltd., 66 Milvan Dr., Weston, Ont., producing "tools, dies, fixtures".
• 1971 Canada Trademark Registration for "Automac". First use 1967-07-01. Registered owner Automated Tool & Machinery Company. Registration inactivated 1987-08-27.
• 1973 issue of F.I.R.A. Technical Bulletin notes that Belgian woodworking machinery manufacturer Danckaert had licensed V grooving machinery designs from Automac.
• 1977 Miscellaneous Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers, a publication of Statistics Canada, lists Automac Machinery Limited, 40 Millwick Dr Units 1 & 2, Weston, M9L1T3 (O1). The O1 code means 0-4 employees. The 1978 guide gives identical information except that the code is O3, meaning 10-19 employees.
• 1980 issue of Plywood & Panel, page 38.

  Automac Machinery & Plada Machines Ltd., 40 Millwick Dr., Weston, Ontario M9L 1Y3, will be displaying its universal V-groover, Model AVG-30 R; Automac edge belt sander, Model ES 60; and a universal router and groover, Model URG-24. To find out more information, see Ted Benyovits, president, Miriam Benyovits, vice president, or Amit Benyovits, sales, in booth 1038.

• 1984 issues of Wood Products contain ads for Automac "V" grooving machines.
• A Holocaust survivors website has an article on Tibor (Ted) Benyovits (1932-2020), who had written a book, Unsung Heroes.