Hannover. This May, over 1,500 companies will be gathering in Hannover, Germany, to showcase the future of the woodworking and timber processing industries. Whether it’s about digitization, automation, IoT platforms or collaborative systems, LIGNA is where innovations are shown for the first time – and on an unrivalled scale. 130,000 square meters (nearly 1.4 million square feet) is the total net display area that will be occupied by exhibition stands featuring the latest woodworking and timber processing plant, machinery and tools.
“From 27 to 31 May 2019, exhibitors from over 50 countries will gather here at the Hannover Exhibition Center to showcase state-of-the-art processing solutions, applications and concepts for the entire forestry & wood industry. The presence of all the world’s leading technology providers will make Hannover the global hotspot for the wood-based industries during those five days. No other fair compares in terms of international appeal”, asserted Alexander Wurst, Senior Vice President International Trade Fairs at Deutsche Messe, during the LIGNA press conference on 19th February in Istanbul, adding: “Once again in 2019, LIGNA will serve as the industry’s showcase of choice for unveiling their innovations, with a great many exhibitors even timing their development cycles to coincide with the show’s staging every two years.”
Visitors can expect to see innovations across all display categories, from forestry technology, furniture and window manufacturing, through to tooling systems and surface technology. They will also see live demonstrations of fully functional furniture production plants, learn about IoT platforms for Industry 4.0 plants and the latest R&D projects, and be able to participate at networking events throughout the show. Alexander Wurst: “One of the big challenges is the ever greater trend to product individualization – a trend that is putting pressure on manufacturers to deliver customized products at least as quickly, profitably and efficiently as with series production. It’s these sorts of challenges for which LIGNA exhibitors will be presenting solutions.”
LIGNA 2019 has three focus themes: “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions”, “Smart Surface Technology” and “Access to Resources and Technology”. The latter is also the keynote theme of the Wood Industry Summit.
“Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions”
In the wood industry, there is keen interest in IoT application scenarios, such as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, as a means of further boosting production plant efficiency. In such scenarios, humans remain an integral part of the production process but are supported by cyber-physical assistance systems, such as collaborative robots, automated guided vehicles and smart worker support technologies. The trend is thus towards hybrid human-machine production systems in which the product is inextricably linked to the production plant and the humans who operate it. “Visitors to the next LIGNA will gain captivating insights into what the future has in store for the furniture and woodworking industries”, explained Wurst.
Smart Surface Technology
Themed “Smart Surface Technology”, the surface finishing exhibits at LIGNA 2019 will span all the intelligent processing solutions needed to cater for today’s surging demand for haptic, matt and reflective surfaces. That’s digital printing and decorative gravure printing systems, inspection systems, the latest generation of spray coating machines, robotics systems, and much more besides. Here, too, digitization and automation are the key to achieving greater flexibility while keeping costs to a minimum. The full range of the latest surface technologies, applications, innovations and solutions will be on display in halls 16 and 17.
“Access to Resources and Technology” at the Wood Industry Summit
Providers of technology for the forestry and/or primary wood processing industry, in particular, will have an unrivalled opportunity to tap into new growth markets at next year’s Wood Industry Summit, which is themed “Access to Resources and Technology”. Complete with forum, lounge and exhibition area, the summit is all about international communication and technology transfer. Among much else, its focus will be on ways of optimizing the entire forest-wood-logistics value chain – from standing trees through to final processing in the factory – as well as on protecting forests from biotic and abiotic damage, and on climate and environmentally friendly harvesting processes and the future of the forest and wood industry. Digital technologies, such as drone-based data capture systems, mobile applications, laser scanners and highly sophisticated IT programs, now span the entire forestry value chain, from forest information and integrated harvesting systems right through to modern forest management systems. And in each case, the focus is squarely on efficiency and productivity. Digitization will therefore be a prominent theme at the discussion forms and throughout the exhibits at LIGNA 2019.
Main display categories
The last LIGNA featured a restructured site layout featuring seven main display categories – a layout well received by exhibitors and visitors, alike, and thus to be continued in 2019:
- Tools and Machinery for Custom and Mass Production in halls 11 to 15 and 27
- Surface Technology in halls 16 and 17
- Wood Based Panel Production in Hall 26
- Sawmill Technology in Hall 25
- Energy from Wood in halls 25 and 26, and in Pavilions 32, 33 and 35 on the open-air site
- Machine Components and Automation Technology in halls 15 and 16
- Forestry Technology on the open-air site and in Pavilions 32, 33 and 35
Guided Tours
In order to help visitors get the most out of next year’s show, the organizer is offering Guided Tours on “Smart Surface Technology”, “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions” and “Sawmill Technology – Innovations and Trends”.
For further news and information about LIGNA, the show’s supporting program, Guided Tours, special displays and important product launches, visit www.ligna.de.
Deutsche Messe AG
As one of the world’s foremost organizers of capital goods trade fairs, Deutsche Messe (Hannover, Germany) stages a rich array of events at venues in Germany and around the globe. With 2017 revenue of 356 million euros, Deutsche Messe ranks among Germany’s top five tradeshow producers. The company’s portfolio features such world-class events as (in alphabetical order) CeMAT (intralogistics and supply chain management), didacta (education), DOMOTEX (carpets and other floor coverings), HANNOVER MESSE (industrial technology), INTERSCHUTZ (fire and rescue services, civil protection, safety and security), LABVOLUTION (lab technology) and LIGNA (woodworking, wood processing, forestry). Deutsche Messe also stages trade fairs at other German venues, for example parts2clean (industrial parts cleaning) and SurfaceTechnology (surface treatment). The company also regularly hosts a number of internationally renowned events by third parties, among which are AGRITECHNICA (agricultural machinery) and EuroTier (animal production), both of which are staged by the German Agricultural Society (DLG), EMO (machine tools; staged by the German Machine Tool Builders’ Association, VDW), EuroBLECH (sheet metal working; staged by MackBrooks) and IAA Commercial Vehicles (transport, logistics and mobility; staged by the German Association of the Automotive Industry, VDA). Deutsche Messe’s portfolio also comprises events in Australia, Canada, China, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and the USA. These include shows in the following fields: Automotive, ICT & Digital Business, Manufacturing & Processing Industries, Energy & Logistics and Metal Processing. With more than 1,200 employees and a network of 58 sales partners, Deutsche Messe is present in more than 100 countries.