GERMANY - One of the big focus themes of LIGNA 2019, which runs from 27 to 31 May in Hannover, Germany, is “Integrated Woodworking Technologies – Customized Solutions”.
Visitors to this year’s show will see first-hand how the furniture industry, the woodworking trades and the primary wood industry, in particular, can leverage the benefits of the latest digital solutions to gear up for the challenges of the future. The lineup of solutions on show is extensive, including everything from 360-degree production control systems, smart CNC aggregates and digital embossing printers through to the latest CNC milling and Sawmill 4.0 technologies.
At the Weinig stand in Hall 27, visitors will be able to see a complex production line comprising eight integrated components in action. The stand will run daily demonstrations that showcase the entire production process, from raw material to finished product. The production line incorporates both robotics technology and Weinig scanners. All of the line’s components are controlled centrally via Weinig’s new single-operator Control Suite system. Under the careful watch of this system, semi-finished goods will be manufactured then further processed into various products at downstream stations at the Weinig stand. One of the stations involves making window parts using a Conturex CNC center.
With its B_CABINET Four software, Biesse (Hall 11, Stand B32) has developed a solution that can manage all stages of furniture production, from 3D design to monitoring the entire production flow. The software has a special interface where users can define and manage all processing stations and work steps required for each order. That includes everything, from cutting, milling, drilling and edge banding through to assembly and packaging. Each processing station receives a work order comprising the production sequence, additional information on aspects such as the parts to be processed or the entire project, as well as parts programs, work lists, cutting lists and PDF assembly instructions. The software features a dedicated interface for monitoring and controlling each processing phase right through to order dispatch. B_CABINET gives users complete control over each step of their processing operations and provides them with a real-time graphical overview of order status and fulfillment.
From its over 4,000 square meters’ booth (Hall 13 booth C 56), SCM will present its "Smart&Human Factory": a cutting-edge production model based on innovative, modular and easily configurable cells integrated with digital and automation systems and allowing for advanced man-machine interaction and 360-degree control over the entire production flow. This "user-friendly" wood panel processing automation system is designed to respond to the challenges of mass customization and Industry 4.0. The process aims at optimizing as much as possible panel cutting, edgebanding and drilling operations, so as to reduce waste, rejects and retooling requirements during product changeovers, to then reassemble orders back together at the end of the process and delaying customization until this stage.
Homag's showcase in Hall 14 at this year’s LIGNA is all about bringing digital production concepts to life. On over 5,000 square meters of display space, Homag will present a range of integrated, networked solutions comprising woodworking machines, cells, systems and software that can help operations of all sizes take the next steps towards a digitized future. The company will run live demonstrations of its new “networked cell” systems – from “Digital Entry” and the “Networked, Digital Workshop” through to “Networked, Individual Cells”. All of these systems are available in a range of output classes tailored to operations of all sizes, from small woodworking firms to industrial-scale furniture manufacturers. Each solution is fully modular, allowing users to configure their own tailor-made solutions. Homag’s “High Performance Furniture Processing” showcase is aimed at industrial-scale furniture manufacturers interested in new technologies and concepts for high-speed dimensioning and edge banding.
Technically demanding production processes require state-of-the-art software support. The F4®Solutions suite of programs developed by the Felder Group (Hall 13, Stand C68) offers solutions for furniture production and interior design, nesting optimization, window and door production, 3D free forms and stairs and staircase construction as well as smart post processors. Felder’s software can be seamlessly integrated into existing production lines and connects all the individual processing steps into a smart, fully integrated end-to-end process chain. Deployed individually or as a package, F4®Solutions requires no further investment in new, networkable machines or other high-tech plant. The software modules are easy to use, fully functional the moment they are installed and can be added to at any point in time. F4®Solutions opens the way to integrated production for smaller woodworking firms using standard machines.
For further information about the exhibitors and products at this year’s LIGNA, visit https://www.ligna.de/en/expo-program/exhibitors-products/.
