Homag connects to machines from other manufacturers
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Shown live at Ligna 2017, Homag's Tapio platform can link together all of the machines in a factory.

"Four billion people worldwide require furniture, doors, kitchens," says Homag CEO Pekka Paasivaara, describing the global market for his firm's technology. For wood manufacturers, says Paasivaara, "Considerations such as future-proof investment and investment security are of fundamental importance. And of course they want to be able to use their machines efficiently - not seldom, but 24/7, 365 days."

Paasivaara describes Tapio, an interactive machine platform that launched at Ligna 2017. It runs through the factory linking old and new machines using the Internet of Things (IoT), and is accessible on smart watches, tablets, and phones.

"Transparency is very important to our customers," says Paasivaara. "We deliberately designed our digital platform to be open. We want to be able to connect to machines from other manufacturers."

Companies in wood manufacturing are now taking steps into Industry 4.0. Tapio combines digital products for the entire wood industry with production machines as well as a wide range of materials and tools in an IoT platform.

Tapio "completely covers the whole wood industry value chain," Homag says, and it combines digital products for the entire wood industry with thousands of production machines as well as a wide range of materials and tools in an IoT platform.
 
The Tapio technology combines mechanical engineering know-how, service, software and consulting for companies of all sizes worldwide in order to simplify work and increase productivity and quality, yielding an extended range of applications that can make individual business processes more efficient, faster and more reliable.
 
Homag created Tapio as a separate company, which is now headquartered in Munich to operate the cloud-based platform with digital products and data-based services ("smart services").

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About the author
Bill Esler | ConfSenior Editor

Bill wrote for WoodworkingNetwork.com, FDMC and Closets & Organized Storage magazines. 

Bill's background includes more than 10 years in print manufacturing management, followed by more than 30 years in business reporting on industrial manufacturing in the forest products industries, including printing and packaging at American Printer (Features Editor) and Graphic Arts Monthly (Editor in Chief) magazines; and in secondary wood manufacturing for WoodworkingNetwork.com.

Bill was deeply involved with the launches of the Woodworking Network Leadership Forum, and the 40 Under 40 Awards programs. He currently reports on technology and business trends and develops conference programs.

In addition to his work as a journalist, Bill supports efforts to expand and improve educational opportunities in the manufacturing sectors, including 10 years on the Print & Graphics Scholarship Foundation; six years with the U.S. WoodLinks; and currently on the Woodwork Career Alliance Education Committee. He is also supports the Greater West Town Training Partnership Woodworking Program, which has trained more than 950 adults for industrial wood manufacturing careers. 

Bill volunteers for Foinse Research Station, a biological field station staddling the border of Ireland and Northern Ireland, one of more than 200 members of the Organization of Biological Field Stations.