by Web Editor | Jun 12, 2015 | News
According to estimates made by the organizer Deutsche Messe, visitor numbers at this year’s Ligna 2015 in Hannover increased to roughly 96,000, representing 7% more than those at the 2013 event. With approximately 40,000 visitors from abroad, the proportion of foreign visitors increased by roughly 2% to almost 42%. Most foreign visitors came from Austria, France, Italy, the USA, Great Britain, Russia, Belgium, Poland, Sweden, China and Brazil. The proportion of trade visitors also apparently rose by 2% compared with 2013 figures, to 96%. Deutsche Messe reports that the number of participants from Asia, at 4,700, increased over-proportionally by roughly 68%. Similar strong growth in numbers was shown by visitors from South and Central America, at 68%.
Deutsche Messe and the Wood Processing Machines Trade Association within VDMA (German Machine and Plant Construction Association) have announced a new layout concept for the next staging of Ligna from 22 to 26 May 2017. The three previously spatially separate sections “Solid Wood Processing”, “Furniture Industry” and “Crafts”, which until now dealt with final processing, will be merged in the newly created main product-range section “Tools, Machines and Plant for Custom and Series Production”.
Exhibitors focusing on “Solid Wood Processing” will in the future enjoy priority to be located in Hall 27, as a result of which suppliers will be moved closer to the “Sawmill Technology” section in Hall 25. The associated section “Wood Construction” in Hall 13 will also then be situated in the immediate vicinity. The organizers expect this change to generate synergies between the sections “Surface Processing” in Hall 17 and “Wood Based Panels” in Hall 26. With its own focus in Hall 16, Automation Engineering is to be given greater weight in future.
From EUWID: https://www.euwid-wood-products.com/news/roundwoodsawnwood/single/archive/2015/june/Artikel/ligna-visitor-numbers-up-by-7-to-roughly-96000.html
by Web Editor | Jun 10, 2015 | News
Weinig’s solid wood business unit solid sold a total of 190 machines and systems at LIGNA 2015, the big German trade show held in Hannover last month.
“Buoyant interest throughout the entire duration of the event translated into a high order inflow,” Weinig reports, with “an increase of 21 percent compared with the previous LIGNA.”
Weinig says its Holz-Her subsidiary, which specializes in panel processing and edgebanding, recorded a 5 percent increase in orders, selling 75 machines.
Weinig and Holz-Her were among the larger exhibitors at LIGNA, and attendees from 91 countries visited its 45,000 square foot exhibit.
“In a generally good investment climate, we were able to impress with our innovations,” CEO Wolfgang Pöschl says. Weinig presented innovations in a new stage in the evolution of planing and profiling machines, along with CNC centers for window production, and ripping technology with scanner integration. Another focal point was networked production.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/weinig-sold-190-machines-ligna-2015?ss=news,woodworking_industry_news
by Web Editor | Jun 8, 2015 | News
Tall wood buildings proponent and famed architect Michael Green teamed with Finnish timber and panel maker Metsä Wood to redesign the iconic Empire State Building in timber frame construction.
Part of Metsä Wood’s Plan B campaign to educate the public on the importance of wood in construction, the company says that wood should always be considered as a serious option in everything from design to construction and also in buildings in which wood hasn’t been previously used. The Plan B campaign re-engineers famous buildings – another project redid the Roman Coliseum – using engineered beams and panel instead of steel, stone and concrete. Metsä produces laminated veneer lumber – LVL – among many other high-strength wood construction lumber and panel products.
Green and his architectural design firm MGA created the design and construction plans for the wooden version of the Empire State Building.
“We designed a skyscraper using Metsä Wood’s Kerto LVL engineered wood as the main material from floors to column spacing,” Green said. “I believe that the future belongs to tall wooden buildings. Significant advancements in engineered wood and mass timber products have created a new vision for what is possible for safe, tall, urban wood buildings. The challenge now is to change society’s perception of what’s possible. In fact, this is the first new way to build a skyscraper in the last 100 years.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/iconic-empire-state-building-gets-wood-makeover?ss=news,woodworking_industry_news
by Web Editor | Jun 5, 2015 | News
Business is improving, albeit slowly, for the composite panel industry. The news set the tone for the Composite Panel Association’s spring annual meeting, which saw its highest attendance since 2007. More than 280 people, representing 118 woodworking firms and related organizations, converged on Bonita Springs, Florida, May 31-June 3 for the event.
Dr. Bill Conerly, Conerly Consulting LLC, kicked off Monday’s session, providing an economic outlook for building materials, including a look at new opportunities and risk factors. Although the early outlook is positive for 2015 and 2016, he cautioned companies to take a “flexible stance” when planning for a changing economic landscape. In a nutshell, he said, the most likely economic scenario will be: “better markets for composite panels, stronger growth in the rest of 2015 and for 2016, higher interest rates, and oil prices around $60 to $70.”
To ensure they stayed successful, John Spence of John Spence LLC provided wood industry executives with a winning formula: (T+C+ECF) x DE = Success. The elements in the equation represent Talent + Culture + Extreme Customer Focus, multiplied by a Disciplined Execution. Culture, he explained, should not only reflect what corporate wants, but employees’ needs as well. Spence cited a recent study which found employees are most satisfied in their jobs when the following terms are met: parity in pay, challenging work, cool colleagues, a winning culture/fun workplace, the opportunity for personal and professional growth, and a boss or leader that can admire.
“One of my favorite sayings is ‘Ambiguity breeds mediocrity,'” Spence added. To avoid that pitfall and create a good corporate culture, there needs to be: goal setting, trust, communication (open, honest, robust and transparent), accountability (personal and mutual) and recognition. “The customer’s experience will never exceed the employee’s experience,” he added. “Create a culture that catches people doing things right.”
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/composite-panel-group-meeting-kicks-optimism-high-attendance?ss=news,woodworking_industry_news
by Web Editor | May 29, 2015 | News
North American production of engineered wood products (EWP) declined again in the first quarter of 2015.
In spite of a customary seasonal revival compared to the previous quarter, production volumes of LVL and I-joists were down year on year. The weakening trend already seen in the fourth quarter of 2014 has therefore continued.
While the reason quoted for production cutbacks at the end of 2014 had been primarily the slow recovery of the business situation in new residential building and adjustments to stock, the weak start to 2015 has been partly blamed on the cool weather prevailing in most of the eastern federal states.
North American LVL production has declined year on year by 3%. A moderate minus of 1% in the USA is contrasted by a sharp fall of 17% in Canada.
From EUWID: https://www.euwid-wood-products.com/news/wood-based-panels/single/Artikel/north-america-ewp-production-declines-further.html
by Web Editor | May 27, 2015 | News
B.C. OSB Mill Given Green Light On MDI
Despite local opposition, Peace Valley Oriented Strand Board (OSB) in Fort St. John has been granted an amendment to its Environmental Certificate to allow the use of a controversial chemical in its manufacturing process. The plant is currently only permitted to use phenol formaldehyde resin as an adhesive — a condition on its original certificate.
The Louisiana-Pacific Ltd. (LP) plant applied for the amendment to use methylene diphenyl diisocyanate, or MDI, at its factory for the production of its particleboard items in spring 2014. Before that, it had applied to the Ministry of the Environment for an amendment to its Discharge Authorization Permit to use MDI at the plant in late fall 2012.
MDI would be incorporated as a resin into the core of the oriented strand board before it undergoes the pressing process. During that process, MDI would be discharged from the press vent stack.
The news of the certificate’s amendment was met with disdain from at least one Baldonnel resident, Sandra Cushway, whose 2013 Freedom of Information request revealed “hundreds of pages” of non-compliance to environmental regulations with Peace Valley OSB.
Peace Valley OSB is now following up on its discharge permit from the Ministry of Environment to have it altered to include MDI emissions.
From Alaska Highway News: alaskahighwaynews.ca.
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