Photos: Woodworking
WTD will run for four days, Oct. 20-23, at members’ showrooms.
Woodworking Technology Days (WTD), presented by the Canadian Woodworking Machinery Distributors Association (CWMDA), is the annual machinery event you don’t want to miss.
Their 7th edition will run for four days, Oct. 20-23, at members’ showrooms, located in Mississauga, Brampton, and Vaughan.
The event has expanded over the years, now counting eight impressive showrooms, offering 30 per cent more square footage in terms of showroom and demo space.
For the Canadian woodworking industry in general, and especially for those who do not attend international fairs, WTD is the opportunity to get up-to-date with the latest technology available from leading manufacturers worldwide.
CWMDA brings it all together for you with the participation of our valued partners/sponsors: Leitz, FS Tools, Leuco and Royce AYR, for tooling; Jowat, Kleiberit, for adhesives; Planit, with the recent addition of Innergy and Mozaik for software. All are leaders in their respective field and bring their expertise and extensive application knowledge.
And WTD’s formula provides a very personalized and professional approach, giving visitors the opportunity to discuss their applications with our specialists. Whether you want to increase your productivity and competitiveness or understand better how AI will impact our industry, WTD is the right place to be
Woodworking spoke with Ryan Akhurst, president of the Canadian Woodworking Machinery Distributors Association to get his take on this year’s event.
Ryan Akhurst
“As we prepare for the seventh edition of Woodworking Technology Days, I think this year's event comes at a particularly important time for the Canadian woodworking industry,” Akhurst says.
“There is no question that manufacturers are facing significant challenges both domestically and abroad. Labour remains difficult to find, operating costs continue to increase, and our customers are being asked to produce more customized products, in smaller batch sizes and with increasingly shorter lead times. At the same time, the current political and economic environment is creating uncertainty and putting even greater pressure on businesses to remain competitive.
”That's really where I see the importance of Woodworking Technology Days. Our members aren't simply focused on selling machines. Our role is increasingly about helping manufacturers find production solutions that make their businesses more efficient, productive and ultimately more competitive.
“That may mean automating a process that has traditionally required significant labour. It could mean improving material handling, reducing setup times, increasing throughput, improving yield or quality, or connecting machinery and software to create a more efficient production flow. In many cases, relatively small changes to a production process can have a significant impact on the overall operation.
WTD gives manufacturers a unique opportunity to explore those possibilities.”
Akhurst adds that rather than walking through a traditional trade show and seeing equipment primarily in a booth environment, visitors have access to eight fully equipped showrooms across the Greater Toronto Area. They can see machinery running real production, bring parts or applications they are struggling with, and have meaningful conversations with machinery, tooling, software and production specialists.
“I believe that interaction is one of the things that makes WTD so valuable.
“And automation will certainly be an important theme again this year,” he says.
“We are seeing technology that allows fewer people to manage increasingly sophisticated production processes, from automated material storage and handling through CNC processing, edgebanding, sanding, finishing and downstream production. Robotics, integrated production cells, smarter software and increasingly connected machinery are becoming accessible to a much broader range of manufacturers.
Automation for everyone
“And automation isn't only for large factories anymore,” Akhurst says.
“Some of the most interesting developments we're seeing are solutions designed for small and mid-sized manufacturers that allow them to automate individual processes and then build upon those investments as their businesses grow.
“Another area I think we will increasingly be discussing is artificial intelligence and how AI may ultimately fit into manufacturing. We're still early in that evolution, but software, machine intelligence and data are going to play a much larger role in how woodworking businesses operate in the years ahead.”
Akhurst says one of the strengths of the CWMDA is the depth of knowledge represented by its members. “Collectively, our nine member companies represent many of the world's leading woodworking technology manufacturers, but equally important are the people behind those products, the application specialists, technicians and industry professionals who understand production.
“Woodworking Technology Days brings all of that expertise together over four days and for someone visiting WTD, my recommendation would be to come with questions,” he says. “Think about the areas of your business that are limiting growth. Where are you struggling to find people? Where are the bottlenecks? Where is material being handled multiple times? Where are setup times affecting production? Where could better software, machinery or automation improve the process?
“Then use WTD as an opportunity to explore what is possible.
Ultimately, our industry's ability to compete isn't going to come simply from working harder. It is going to come from working smarter, investing in our people, improving our processes and adopting technology where it makes sense.
“That's what we believe Woodworking Technology Days is really about.”
