GERMANY – “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions” will be the keynote theme at next year’s LIGNA trade show, which will run from 27 to 31 May in Hannover, Germany. Accordingly, Industry 4.0 technologies will feature prominently among the woodworking and timber processing exhibits.

Visitors can expect to see turnkey digitization and automation solutions that offer the ultimate in production efficiency. At LIGNA 2019, companies of all sizes will find solutions that complement their individual business models.

Manufacturers and wood fabrication firms looking to meet rising market demand for a more diverse materials mix and custom products are increasingly turning to automation in order to remain competitive. Sophisticated electronic systems are the key in this regard. Digitized production is already a working reality in many industrial-scale companies. Small companies too – such as cabinetmaking and joinery firms – are beginning to see the main benefit of digitization: efficiency.

“Digitization is driving innovation in the wood industries today. Connectivity will be a unifying theme throughout the demonstrations and presentations at next year’s show, featuring in displays of everything from fully automated single-batch production systems to fully integrated, individually configurable power tools. Visitors can expect to see innovations across all display categories, from forestry technology, furniture and window manufacturing, through to tooling systems and surface technology”, commented Christian Pfeiffer, Deutsche Messe’s Global Director LIGNA & Woodworking Events.

The latest generation of wood industry plant and machines is characterized by an open architecture and, in many cases, universal interfaces. Process steps that have traditionally been discrete are now converging to produce integrated process flows spanning everything from production planning and product design to manufacturing, distribution and sales. More and more products by leading technology providers are “digital ready”. The data generated by such products are stored on cloud-based IoT platforms, where they can be accessed for further processing by a diverse range of industry-specific software. Apps allow users to monitor their operations from anywhere on their mobile end devices. Not surprisingly, the efficiency-boosting potential of these new integrated solutions is immense.