The International Woodworking Fair (IWF) is North America’s largest woodworking technology and design trade show and is a top destination for the global woodworking sector.
IWF delivers the latest solutions in architectural woodwork, wood-based panels, cabinetry, flooring, furniture manufacturing, engineered products, doors, windows, machinery, tools, metals, plastics and more.
Basically, IWF is where the woodworking business does business in North America.
For over three decades, IWF has been a magnet for the woodworking industries in North America, attracting a wide range of companies manufacturing timber and panel products.
More than 1,000 exhibitors are expected at the Georgia World Congress Centre (GWCC) in Atlanta on August 6-9. IWF will feature exhibits on the show floor of all three buildings at the conference centre and Hall BC.
Two years ago, IWF housed more than 900 exhibitors, covering more than 540 product categories. Total registered attendance was 25,524 from the US and across the world. IWF 2022 set an all-time record of first-time attendee registrants with more than 48% new.
Mass Timber Conference Sessions have been added to reflect the growing interest in mass timber construction.
The event will also feature more than 50 educational seminars, the Challenger Awards to recognise the latest in innovation and technology, and, of course, live demonstrations of machinery.
Seminars will include presentations from adhesives producer HB Fuller and Daubond Chemical Company Inc. SCM will talk about robot applications; Fagus GreCon will cover emerging technologies in spark detection and extinguishing; Hymmen will present on digital lacquer embossing for SPC floorings; and the powder coating of wood-based substrates will be covered by the Powder Coating Institute.
An all-new digital show mobile app will be a useful guide for show visitors. And an AI chatbot called Taylor has been created to get people quick answers to their show questions.
August 7 will feature the IWF Night at the Tabernacle, a show party with live entertainment, a popular event, which is also good for networking.
EXHIBITORS
The North American wood products market is massive, of course. In the wood-based panels field alone you have the largest concentration of OSB production in the world and significant particleboard, plywood and MDF operations.
Panel producers exhibiting include not only North American producers, but also overseas manufacturers from the likes of Europe, Turkey, India, Africa and South America hoping to win market share.
Arauco North America, Masisa, Egger, Decospan, Gabon Veneer, Kronospan, Georgia Pacific Wood Products, Merino Industries, North American Plywood, Paged, Roseburg Forest Products, Samrat Plywood Ltd, States Industries, Tafisa Canada, Teverpan MDF Levha San. Ve Tic A.S, AGT, Gizir Wood Products, Greenline Industries and Flora MDF are among the panel producers exhibiting.
Machinery/technology companies exhibiting that are relevant to the panel products industry include Anthon, Biele Group, Burkle, Fagus-GreCon, IFS Coatings, Italpresse, Kleiberit, Smartech International, IMA Schelling, USNR, Unilin, Dieffenbacher, Siempelkamp and many others.
Here is just a sample of news from some of the technology exhibitors taking part.
Biele Group will show in IWF the last innovations related to the pressing operations for plywood, HPL and EIR technology. In plywood, Biele’s main expertise starts after the drying operation up to the final packaging of the line, including lay-up lines, pre-press and multiopening hydraulic presses, trimming and packaging processes. However, also before the dryer, the dewatering presses that have been proved as a way of making big savings in energy consumption.
The company will also demonstrate solutions for furniture manufacturers and the door industry.
SCM Group has a 29,500ft2 exhibition space, with digital innovations taking centre stage.
SCM will present a wide range of products and services the company says are capable of meeting every specific production process in the sector: furniture, windows and doors machining, solid wood machining, surface treatment and bespoke joinery.
The Cabsort Lean Cell featuring the SCM morbidelli x200 CNC machining centre, developed specifically for high-speed nesting, robotic sorting and stacking and dowelling will be on display. The cell groups end panels and cabinet parts in a way to keep similar cabinet parts together and aligned on the same axis for edgebanding.
SCM will present the robot on a linear 7thaxis rail system to allow for maximum sorting capabilities while keeping the cell footprint minimal. The cell has been redesigned so that the material carts placed within the cell will be used for sorting all nested panels into defined stacks and integrated into the cell using safety interlocks. The cell can do the work of three people with only one operator tending 25% of the time.
Hymmen will present its industrial digital printing line for the first time. Its modern colour and shape particularly underline the innovative and at the same time reliable process of the production line, the company said. A second important focus this year is its technology for engineered wood, primarily single and multi-layer boards and plywood/LVL.
IFS Coatings will introduce new, smoother formulations.
“Newer, smoother, better.” That’s how the company describes its new line-up of powder coatings for HDF, MDF, hardwoods and other engineered wood products.
“Our team of powder coating experts will be available to discuss powder for heat sensitive substrates, talk about the manufacturing efficiencies that can be reaped by adding powder to your process, and the improvements in your sustainability footprint that are possible with the new PureClad product line,” it said.
The new formulations will be shown in multiple colours, all of which are achieved in only one coat of powder.
CHALLENGERS AWARD
The IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award has become known throughout the world for recognising outstanding companies who have distinguished themselves by developing innovative technology in products, services, or manufacturing techniques that will advance the industry.
Companies that have developed new and innovative technologies in products, services, or manufacturing techniques should all take part in this internationally recognised competition.
Entry is free to all IWF 2024 exhibitors and will put them in the spotlight as one of the forward-thinking companies making advancements to move the industry forward.
A total of 92 submissions from 75 IWF 2024 exhibiting companies comprise the field of contestants in the IWF 2024 Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award competition.
The winner will be announced during the show.
