This May, over 1,500 companies will be gathering in Hannover, Germany, to showcase the future of the woodworking and timber processing industries. Whether it’s about digitization, automation, IoT platforms or collaborative systems, LIGNA is where innovations are shown for the first time – and on an unrivalled scale. 130,000 square meters (nearly 1.4 million square feet) is the total net display area that will be occupied by exhibition stands featuring the latest woodworking and timber processing plant, machinery and tools. 

“From 27 to 31 May 2019, exhibitors from over 50 countries will gather here at the Hannover Exhibition Center to showcase state-of-the-art processing solutions, applications and concepts for the entire forestry & wood industry. The presence of all the world’s leading technology providers will make Hannover the global hotspot for the wood-based industries during those five days. No other fair compares in terms of international appeal”, asserted Dr. Andreas Gruchow, Managing Board member at Deutsche Messe, during the LIGNA Preview press conference on 5 February in Hannover, adding: “Once again in 2019, LIGNA will serve as the industry’s showcase of choice for unveiling their innovations, with a great many exhibitors even timing their development cycles to coincide with the show’s staging every two years.”

Visitors can expect to see innovations across all display categories, from forestry technology, furniture and window manufacturing, through to tooling systems and surface technology. They will also see live demonstrations of fully functional furniture production plants, learn about IoT platforms for Industry 4.0 plants and the latest R&D projects, and be able to participate at networking events throughout the show. Dr. Andreas Gruchow: “One of the big challenges is the ever greater trend to product individualization – a trend that is putting pressure on manufacturers to deliver customized products at least as quickly, profitably and efficiently as with series production. It’s these sorts of challenges for which LIGNA exhibitors will be presenting solutions.”

LIGNA 2019 has three focus themes: “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions”, “Smart Surface Technology” and “Access to Resources and Technology”. The latter is also the keynote theme of the Wood Industry Summit.

In the wood industry, there is keen interest in IoT application scenarios, such as condition monitoring and predictive maintenance, as a means of further boosting production plant efficiency. In such scenarios, humans remain an integral part of the production process but are supported by cyber-physical assistance systems, such as collaborative robots, automated guided vehicles and smart worker support technologies. The trend is thus towards hybrid human-machine production systems in which the product is inextricably linked to the production plant and the humans who operate it. “Visitors to the next LIGNA will gain captivating insights into what the future has in store for the furniture and woodworking industries”, explained Gruchow.

Themed “Smart Surface Technology”, the surface finishing exhibits at LIGNA 2019 will span all the intelligent processing solutions needed to cater for today’s surging demand for haptic, matt and reflective surfaces. That’s digital printing and decorative gravure printing systems, inspection systems, the latest generation of spray coating machines, robotics systems, and much more besides. Here, too, digitization and automation are the key to achieving greater flexibility while keeping costs to a minimum. The full range of the latest surface technologies, applications, innovations and solutions will be on display in halls 16 and 17.

“Access to Resources and Technology” at the Wood Industry Summit

Providers of technology for the forestry and/or primary wood processing industry, in particular, will have an unrivalled opportunity to tap into new growth markets at next year’s Wood Industry Summit, which is themed “Access to Resources and Technology”. Complete with forum, lounge and exhibition area, the summit is all about international communication and technology transfer. Among much else, its focus will be on ways of optimizing the entire forest-wood-logistics value chain – from standing trees through to final processing in the factory – as well as on protecting forests from biotic and abiotic damage, and on climate and environmentally friendly harvesting processes and the future of the forest and wood industry. Digital technologies, such as drone-based data capture systems, mobile applications, laser scanners and highly sophisticated IT programs, now span the entire forestry value chain, from forest information and integrated harvesting systems right through to modern forest management systems. And in each case, the focus is squarely on efficiency and productivity. Digitization will therefore be a prominent theme at the discussion forms and throughout the exhibits at LIGNA 2019. 

Main display categories

In order to help visitors get the most out of next year’s show, the organizer is offering Guided Tours on “Smart Surface Technology”, “Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions” and “Sawmill Technology – Innovations and Trends”.

For further news and information about LIGNA, the show’s supporting program, Guided Tours, special displays and important product launches, contact Deutsche Messe AG via the link below: