Woodworking Innovations Highlight Ligna 2017

Against a backdrop of Industry 4.0, “LIGNA 2017 will go down as a milestone in the digitalization of the wood industry,” said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, managing board member of Deutsche Messe, organizer of the woodworking industry’s largest trade show in the world.

Held May 22-26 in Hannover, Germany, the biennial show drew 93,000 visitors, including an estimated 42,000 attendees from outside the host country, according to show figures. More than 1,500 exhibitors, including 900 from abroad, showcased a range of innovative machinery, tools and solutions, with displays spanning across almost 1.4 million square feet of net space at the fairgrounds.

LIGNA 2017 featured a revamped, thematic layout, including two new display categories: Surface Technology and Machine Components and Automation Technology, which highlighted the theme of Industry 4.0: the networking of machines and automation to improve efficiency in high-production as well as small-scale environments.

“Digitalization and integrated production are the new keys to success for our customers,” added Wolfgang Pöschl, chairman of the Woodworking Machinery division of Germany’s Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA), a show sponsor, and also chairman of the management board of Michael Weinig AG. “There is huge demand across the board, resulting in full order books. The challenge now is to shorten delivery lead times as much as possible.”

Catering to the wide range and skill levels of the attendees, exhibits ranged from high-tech, sophisticated machinery to entry-level systems for use by those in the furniture, cabinet, architectural woodworking, casegoods and closets industries. Solutions shown included: service apps for machine monitoring, to the first professional table saw using SawStop technology, dual glue technology on a contour edgebander, sanding and finishing innovations, a moulder that produces lineal shapes and designs in a single step, robots, a “three-click” process for producing a complete item of furniture, and of course, Batch 1 systems incorporating CNC technology.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/events-contests/event-coverage/woodworking-innovations-highlight-ligna-2017?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news

Hatton-Brown Partners With Wood Industry Summit At Ligna

Hall 26 will once again be home to the Wood Industry Summit during Ligna 2017 in Hannover, Germany and Hatton-Brown Publishers is once again an official partner of the event. Hatton-Brown Publishers is affiliated with Panel World, Timber Processing and Wood Bioenergy magazines.

The Summit made a very successful debut in 2015, with international customers achieving an investment volume of some €30 million. As an international meeting place for the primary industry cluster, the Wood Industry Summit features innovative solutions for harvesting and processing and for integrating the various stages of processing.

The Summit is divided into three areas: an exhibition, a forum and a matchmaking hub. Every day from Tuesday, May 23, to Friday, May 26, the forum of the Wood Industry Summit will highlight a topic of current international interest in the industry, with experts from Germany, Austria, Canada, Russia, Sweden and Spain giving presentations and fielding questions from the audience.

The main themes at the Wood Industry Summit 2017 include:
Tuesday, May 23: Forestry 4.0: Vision or Future?
Wednesday, May 24: Development and Infrastructure to Ensure Sustainable Forestry
Thursday, May 25: Forest Fires – Prevention, Detection and Firefighting
Friday, May 26: Fleet Management to Optimize the Logistics Chain from the Forest to the Factory

Exhibition stands located next to the forum will provide an ideal networking environment for exhibitors and visitors. Panel discussions, keynote speeches and the accompanying exhibition will ensure that the 2017 edition of the Wood Industry Summit is once again a major highlight in the primary processing industry’s annual calendar.

Forum participation is free of charge for visitors and delegations, and advance registration is not required.

Ligna will be held May 22-26 at the Hannover Exhibition Grounds. It’s organized by Deutsche Messe AG and German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association.

Contact Anja Brokjans, anja@brokjans.com.

Sneak Peek At Woodworking Innovations: Ligna 2017 Preview

A sneak peek at some of the new woodworking technology and innovations on display at LIGNA 2017 was given to more than 70 journalists from 28 countries at a special event hosted by show organizer Deutsche Messe. The world’s largest woodworking event, LIGNA will be held May 22-26 in Hannover, Germany.

This year’s LIGNA fair will play host to more than 1,500 exhibitors from 45 nations, with displays spread across more than 1.313 million square feet of display space. The number of visitors to the show is projected to reach 93,000, said Dr. Andreas Gruchow, member of Deutsche Messe’s Management Board.

“LIGNA 2017 is where key solutions and applications will be showcased. It’s where business relationships and networks will be built that will benefit the entire wood industry for years to come,” Gruchow added.

The themes for this year’s event include: Integrated Manufacturing – on the Way to Industry 4.0; Processing of Plastics and Composites; and “Access to Resources and Technology” at the Wood Industry Summit.  “This year, the exhibitors are presenting a wide array of innovations for intelligent networked manufacturing systems, not to mention new ideas and strategies for the many value-creation networks at play in the wood processing and woodworking industries,” he said.

The LIGNA 2017 Preview, held Feb. 14 at the show fairgrounds, also included a presentation from Wolfgang Poschl, chairman of the VDMA Woodworking Machinery division and chairman of the management board of Michael Weinig AG. The VDMA is also an organizer of the LIGNA fair.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/events-contests/event-coverage/sneak-peek-woodworking-innovations-ligna-2017-preview?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_new

RedBuilt Engineered Lumber Facility Doubles Capacity

In a move which will double its capacity, RedBuilt LLC is adding a laminated veneer lumber line at its Stayton, OR, facility, one of four manufacturing plants by the Boise, ID-based company. RedBuilt manufactures engineered structural wood products for commercial and multi-family applications.

“This press will nearly double our existing RedLam LVL capacity,” RedBuilt President and CEO Kurt Liebich said. “Our new line will help us meet demand for our engineered wood products. We’re committed to investing in the future of the business and providing the innovative solutions our customers have depended on for decades.”

The new four-foot LVL press is being supplied by Tahei Machinery, a manufacturer of plywood and woodworking machinery in Komaki City, Japan.

“LVL is at the heart of virtually all our products, from RedLam headers and beams and flanges in Red-I I-joists and open-web trusses, to RedPlank scaffold plank and our concrete forming and shoring solutions,” Liebich said. “With this new line, RedBuilt is better positioned to control the supply and quality of products we manufacture and serve our customers’ growing needs.”

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/panel-supply/redbuilt-engineered-lumber-facility-doubles-capacity?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news

AWFS Names 8 Award Winners At Woodworking Fair

Eight woodworking machinery and supply manufacturers received Visionary Awards this morning at the 2015 AWFS Fair. The Visionary Award recognizes creativity and innovation, as well as leadership in green/environmental product development.

The eight winning products were selected from a group of 25 products, by 22 companies. “We had a great selection of products this year, more so than we’ve had in the past,” said Angelo Gangone, executive vice president, AWFS Fair.

The winners are:

Product Innovation in Components: Schenk Ltd for the Kitsilano- Smoked Larch textured real wood panel.
Product Innovation & Productivity in Sanding: SurfPrep Sanding by Dixon Enterprises for the SurfPrep 3” x 4” Sanding System Kit.
Product Innovation in Software: RSA Solutions for the Wood CAD/CAM  3D/2D AutoCAD and SQL software.
Innovation & Productivity in Hardware: Striplox for its Striplox Rapid Assembly Connectors fastening solution for cabinetry.
Product Innovation in Cutting Tools: Vortex Tools Co., Inc. for its Tool Selection APP which simplifies tool selection based on cutting needs.
Product Innovation in Power Tools: SawStop, LLC for the SawStop Jobsite Saw which detects contact with skin on the blade and stops the blade in less than five milliseconds.
Product Innovation in Machinery Under $50,000: Next Wave Automation for the Piranha FX CNC routing system that can also 3D Print and Laser Engrave.
Product Innovation in Machinery Over $50,000: Holz-Her US for the Evolution Vertical Machining Center which features a vacuum-based clamping system (patent pending), and fully automatic suction cup positioning with hole recognition, allowing workpieces to be machined on all four sides without re-clamping.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/awfs-names-8-visionary-award-winners-woodworking-fair?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news