New Direction, New Layout for Xylexpo NEW

More than 830 exhibitors will display their wares at the biennial show.

More than a month out, and the 21st Xylexpo NEW woodworking fair already is predicted to be the biggest event in the biennial show’s history. The show takes place May 27-31 at the FieraMilano Rho Fairgrounds, Milan, Italy.

According to show management, more than 807,000 square feet of exhibit space already has been assigned to the more than 830 exhibitors. Xylexpo NEW is sponsored by Eumabois, the European Woodworking Federation, which encompasses 13 member associations, including Italian woodworking association Acimall, as well as 800 member companies.

Although this is the first time that the show will run separate from Sasmil, the break does not seem to have had any negative effects, said Acimall President Ambrogio Delachi at a recent press conference. In fact, he said, “[it] had a positive side: we could finally act in full freedom. With a strong brand like Xylexpo NEW, this has allowed us to undertake a number of initiatives, in terms of promotion and organization, to show that we have a very clear vision of what international operators are expecting of us...that we organize an exhibition that represents everything that makes innovation in an industry.”

For the first time, said Acimall Vice President Paolo Griggio, Xylexpo will include semi-finished products, furniture supplies, raw materials, hardware and all other wood-based products. “The early signs of what is going to be an ‘exhibition for industry operators’ will be visible this year, thanks to a layout where machinery and equipment will be exhibited in the same halls with materials, components and supplies. We want to provide visitors with an overall view of all they need,” he said.

Forest technology also will be presented, as part of a collaboration with Dimaf (International Demonstration of Forest Machinery and Equipment). Demonstrations will take place in woods around Como.

“In these mature markets, for primary as well as secondary operations, there is a strong development of factory automation,” said Grazia Finocchiaro, Acimall vice president. “We can say that the automation of processes — from conveyors to material loading/unloading, up to machining on more and more complex working centers — has taken giant steps in the past few years. This means that labor is getting less and less relevant, to the extent that, quite often, it is no longer worth moving production to countries with low labor costs. So the improvement of technology is supporting a new rise of manufacturing activities in Germany and Italy, which in the recent past had transferred a huge portion of their production operations to other countries.”

According to Finocchiaro, 2007 Italian production figures grew almost 6 percent over 2006, reaching 1.9 billion euros. Last year, Italian machinery accounted for 21 percent of the global market.

On Display at Xylexpo
The following are some of the product lines and services offered by our April advertisers, that may be seen at the show.

Crosscut Saw
From Michael Weinig, the Dimter Opticut 450 Quantum is an optimizing crosscut saw that features Variofeed, which closes gaps between boards on the infeed side, the quick servo saw stroke and the servo waste gate, according to the company. (704) 799-0100; www.weinigusa.com.

Thin Cutting Frame Saw
From Wintersteiger, the DSG Sonic thin cutting frame saw for cutting lamellas has servo-controlled precision feed and increased drive performance for higher capacity, the company says. A wet-cutting model to cut green wood or antique heart pine and other species with high resin content is available. (801) 924-5702; www.wintersteiger.com.

Aggregates
Benz offers the X-Line Series, utilizing a new gear design that includes two- and four-sided, and lock recess angle heads that are grease lubricated and offer 100% duty cycle, the company says. (866) 852-2369; www.benz-inc.com.

CNC Bandsaw
Richard T. Byrnes Co. offers a line of CNC bandsaws, workstations for template cuts and cutting/optimizing saws. The Byrnes/Veneta “Shuttle” is a CNC five-axis bandsaw that utilizes AlphaCAD, has an automatic loader and can be equipped with a return conveyor. (610) 692-2770; www.rtbyrnes.com.

Profile Finisher
DV-Systems says its MM150 with integrated denibbing, spraying and wiping units, features on-demand gun triggering with accurate positioning angles as well as overspray capturing. (704) 598-0020; www.dv-systems.com.

Sliding Table Saw
From Riebling Machinery, the Panhans 690B sliding carriage dimensioning saw features an LED readout on the rip fence. It also has a Super-Gehrfix miter fence with automatic length compensation set at 1° increments, and up to 45° in both directions. (914) 668-4800; www.riebling.com.

Reciprocating Spray Line
Superfici’s COMPACT finisher can spray up to 4-ft widths and can be used with solvents, UV or water-based coatings. The sprayer is equipped with dual spray arms, a pressurized spray cabin, a belt cleaning device with reclaim trolley, and a PLC to control the timing and overspray of the spray guns. (704) 875-8751; www.superficiamerica.com.

Miter Saw
Hoffmann Machine’s MS 35 SF Double Miter Saw is for the production of mitered cabinet doors, furniture, mirror frames, store fixtures, RTA components and more. The machine cuts two 45° miters and routs the keyways for Hoffmann fasteners in one operation. (866) 248-0100; www.hoffmann-usa.com.

Trade Show
With more than 1,200 exhibitors and 800,000 net square feet of exhibits, IWF ranks as one of the largest industry shows in the world. According to show management, buyers attend IWF from 85 countries, and from all 50 states. IWF 2008 takes place Aug. 20-23, at the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta. (404) 693-8333; www.iwfatlanta.com.

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