Next year’s LIGNA in Hannover, Germany May 27-31, will showcase the latest innovations from all the leading suppliers of woodworking and wood processing technologies.
The leading industry show will also offer comprehensive coverage of the latest surface finishing trends and technologies, including haptic, matt and glossy surfaces, digital and decorative gravure printing solutions, print inspection systems, spray coating systems and robotics applications. Themed “Smart Surface Technologies”, the surface finishing exhibits at LIGNA 2019 will span the full range of smart processing solutions for stunning surfaces.
“The R&D agenda in the surface technology arena is increasingly being set by a growing range of materials, new material mixes and the trend towards individualization,” said Christian Pfeiffer, Deutsche Messe’s global director LIGNA & Woodworking Events.
“It’s all about achieving greater flexibility while keeping costs to a minimum. Automation and digitization are the most important factors in this context. At the upcoming LIGNA, the exhibitors in Halls 16 and 17 and in parts of Hall 15 will present all the latest surface finishing technologies, applications, innovations and solutions.”
In the industrial sector, the trend is towards digital printing and variable systems. When it comes to lacquers and glues, environmental friendliness and resource efficiency are primary considerations. The lines between manufacturers and the skilled trades are becoming increasingly blurred as cabinetmaking and carpentry firms gain access to technologies that have previously been the exclusive preserve of much bigger companies.
Another key factor driving this development is increasing market demand for highly authentic haptic surfaces, on both reconstituted and solid wood products, right across the furniture manufacturing and cabinetmaking sectors. Examples here include bronzed surfaces and rough-sawn finishes – challenges that call for highly specialized machines if they are to be mastered cost-effectively.
As such, in the industrial sector, digital printing solutions are gaining ground on their decorative gravure printing counterparts. In fact, thanks to recent advances, digital printing is now emerging as the more cost-effective alternative.
“We believe that digital printing will generally cut production costs by more than 10 percent,” said Dr. René Pankoke, CEO of Hymmen Maschinen und Anlagenbau GmbH.
In laminate flooring production, recent advances in digital printing technology have also enabled the production of highly authentic continuous decorative.
“With digital printing, pattern length is not limited by printing cylinder diameter. We can now print patterns up to 6,000 mm long,” said Holger Dzeia, head of marketing and sales at Interprint.
In addition to “Smart Surface Technologies”, the focus themes at LIGNA 2019 are “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions” and “Access to Resources and Technology”, the latter being the keynote theme of the Wood Industry Summit.
