Wood industry equipment manufacturers offer up new technologies, which will be on display during North America’s largest woodworking show, the 2014 International Woodworking Fair, running August 20-23 in Atlanta at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Much of the anticipation centers on new developments expected at the show and are represented among entries in this year’s Challengers Award competition.

Following is a list of 20 selected finalists. Seven winners will be announced during the show on Aug. 20.

For a complete list of 2014 Challengers Award entrants, visit the 2014 Official Challengers Award publication from Woodworking Network. Follow Woodworking Network editors on social media for live winner updates during the show using the hashtag #IWF14.

2014 CHALLENGERS FINALISTS:

Friulmac Inc. Booth #6729
Entry: Randomax Evo
friulmacusa.com
The Randomax Evo end matcher can trim to a specific length, chop off marked sections of planks, score and endmatch pieces of any random length up to 27 times per minute.

Graco Inc. Booth #2029
Entry: ProMix PD2K, Model MC2000
graco.com
ProMix PD2K offers faster color changes, less material to flush and up to 80% reduction in flushing waste over traditional systems.

Aiken Development Booth #4661
Entry: Ndepth 3D Sensor
aikencontrols.com
Ndepth 3D Sensor provides advanced 3D color and depth measurement of lumber defects. It connects directly to most existing systems.

Leitz Tooling Booth #5553
Entry: Leitz DFC Dust Extraction Hoods
leitztooling.com
Leitz DFC dust extraction hoods are designed to extract 98% of chips and dust returning “clean” air back into the working environment.

Castle Inc. Booth #7713
Entry: CSI-1.5 Pocket Cutter/Screw Inserter,
castleusa.com
The CSI-1.5 Pocket Cutter/Screw Inserter cuts a screw pocket, drills a low angle pilot hole and inserts a screw below flush in 1.5 seconds. The screw placements allow for material stacking without marring adjacent material during transfer and the fit between the screw and the pilot hole assuring that the screw will not fall out while being transported from machining to assembly.

Colonial Saw Booth #5523
Entry: Lamello Tenso P-14 connector
csaw.com/lamello
The Tenso P-14 connector from Lamello allows users to quickly and easily create completely invisible connections. Made from rugged fiberglass reinforced plastic, Tenso P-14 pulls from the center of the joint so it ensures that the clamping force is at the correct angle and there is no raking.

SD Machinery Booth #4575
Entry: MagPi 120
sdmachinery.com
MagPi 120, an update of the push-button operated arc forming machine, is capable of making laminated or thermo-formed arcs of almost any radius, reducing the need for custom forms.

Martin Woodworking Machines Booth #6569
Entry: Hebrock Airtronic Edgebander
martin-usa.com
The Hebrock Airtronic has a hot air system, which replaces an adhesive unit and anchors the liquid polymer to the substrate.

Thermwood Corp. Booth #5513
Entry: Cut Center
cutready.com thermwood.com
The Cut Center CNC router takes a different approach to traditional nested-based machines. Instead of the programmer generating CNC programs that tell the machine how to move, it already knows how to move and how to make products like cabinets, closets and furniture.

Earth Anatomy Booth #5038
Entry: Thin Stone Veneer
earthanatomy.com
Thin Stone Veneers are flexible, durable, lightweight, and all natural with the same properties as thick stone at 80% less weight. The veneer is affixed to a fiberglass resin backing and is available in granite, marble, travertine, slate, sandstone and concrete.

Next Wave Automation Booth #7884
Entry: Ready2Rout
nextwaveautomation.com
Ready2Rout is an electronically controlled fence for hand-held routers. It comes with a controller box with a touch screen interface.

Timesavers Inc. Booth #6426
Entry: Yieldsaver 24
timesaversinc.com
The Timesavers Yieldsaver-24 is a combination top and bottom knife planer, which automatically centers each board as it is being processed, increasing yield.

Stiles Machinery Booth #5053, 5135
stilesmachinery.com
Entries:

A. airTec Edgebander, innovative and affordable zero-edge solution

B. Holzma dustEx, a system that automatically removes abrasive dust from panel saw tables

C. Homag Group powerTouch Controller, changes the interface between operators and production machines

D. Kentwood Random Scraping Machine, completely automates the production of authentic-looking, antiqued wood flooring

E. Microtec Scanner, a multi-sensor system that automatically determines the quality and strength of lumber

Weinig Group/Holz-Her Booth #5952, 5953
weinig.com holzher.com
Entries:

A. Evolution Vertical Maching Center, a small footprint vertical machining center that allows panel processing in a very compact area. It can machine all four sides of a part.

B. Glujet, provides an invisible, ultra-thin glue joint using thin film technology

C. Surface Structuring, Weinig’s 3D structuring profiles can be routed in a single pass as if worked by hand. The technology is employed on a Powermat 1200/2400 universal moulder and can also be used for conventional planing and profiling applications.