According to show management, the biennial Xylexpo show drew 51,480 visitors, a clear sign that companies are looking for new technology and ideas to improve the productivity and profitability in these tough economic times. The five-day Xylexpo was held May 4-8 at the FieraMilan-Rho exhibition center in Milan, Italy. The next show will take place May 8-12, 2012.

“It was a good exhibition,” said Xylexpo General Manger Paolo Zanibon of the 2010 show. “We knew we had to face a difficult period, with global woodworking technology trade down by 37.5 percent. However, Xylexpo is holding on, proving it still deserves the role it has been playing for 42 years in the global industry exhibition scenario.”

“These are not just words,” said Ambrogio Delachi, president of Acimall, the Italian Woodworking Machinery and Tools Manufacturers Assn., which organizes the show through Cepra SpA. “Many exhibitors have told me about their satisfaction and the quality of visitors coming to Milan, who were actually interested in the acquisition of solutions and technology within the next few months. These businessmen did not just walk around the stands; they had a real need to update their production equipment. There were orders signed during the exhibition, something we had not seen for a long time.”

Solid wood machinery draws interest


On the show floor, new technology for solid wood machining competed alongside panel processing equipment for attendee interest. With Balestrini’s new Power, they get the best of both worlds. With its large bridge structure for bigger capacities, the CNC machine features independent twin-tables for multiple machining operations plus a four-aggregate tool head and twin tool changer. As shown in the video, it can machine stair parts, chair backs, doors and composite panels in one setup. Solid Wood Systems will have this machine also on display at its booth at IWF.

See the video of the Balestrini Power in operation

Also on display, Hoffmann’s new PP2FR NC machine can route dovetails in the wood from any side, top or bottom in one step, plus can drill for dowels. The NC unit will store programs for thousands of keys and dowel positions.


From Martin, the T75 Prex sliding table saw features a 204mm cutting height and a 92-degree cutting angle. The machine can be used to cut solid wood, panel products or glued stock using square or angular cuts.


New at Leadermac was the Compact Series of moulders, including this 623 model. The unjointed moulders are available with four to nine heads, full cardan shaft drive with feed speeds up to 82 fpm and feature easy head adjustment by mechanical digital readouts, with dual digital readout available for radial settings.


Among the new machines at the Weinig stand, the Ultra TT is a high-performance, mid-range fingerjointer with an automatic turntable and the newly developed FlankenJet glue application system. A fast processor, the Ultra TT is designed to perform both horizontal and vertical fingerjointing.

See the video of the Weinig Ultra TT

Also for solid wood machining, the Omga T522 OPT is capable of performing both optimizing and defecting of boards in different grades. The reading of the board is by a laser beam, and the operator can easily inspect all four sides of the board. The graphic display enables constant viewing of the cutting list as well as the status of the cutting operation. The T522 OPT will also be on display at IWF in Atlanta.


For thin cutting, Wintersteiger’s DSG Notum frame saw features a controlled feed system and centrical saw tensioning plus a 266mm cutting height, an enhanced air jet system and an electrically adjustable down pressure system.

Additional information on the new technology for solid wood and panel processing will be featured in the June issues of Wood & Wood Products and CWB magazines.