Homag puts emphasis on solid wood processing

In the league table of exhibitors most satisfied with Ligna this year, Homag must rank near the top. By the third day it had racked up e27m of sales. And it was bullish about maintaining the sales rate for the rest of the week.

“Last time we achieved e65m, so fingers crossed!” said Homag UK sales and marketing manager Simon Brooks.

The key focus of the huge “Homag City” complex of stands was, of course, latest technical breakthroughs. But there was also a new marketing emphasis.

“Our feeling is that in certain countries we’ve become known principally as a panel products machine specialist,” said Mr Brooks. “We’re now stressing that we are just as committed to solid wood processing.”

Among the solid wood launches was the BMG500 series of CNC machining centres, targeted at medium-sized joinery companies. One innovation on the machine is the 5-axis spindle system which allows processing at a very close angle to the workpiece and from underneath.

“A few years back the emphasis in CNC was volume output, now it’s much more on versatility, flexibility and short turnaround times,” said Mr Brooks.

Homag Group member Torwegge also provided some solid wood innovation in its new ZKT compact door frame machining unit, targeted at small to medium-sized producers. In one clamping position, this carries out milling and drilling for hinges and lock-plates and boasts an output of 100-200 frames per shift.

Another overarching theme across the Homag range was waste reduction and energy efficiency.

The company’s Resource Efficiency programme comprises more than 100 individual developments, ranging from extraction systems that react more precisely to machine activity, to motors that accelerate and stop more rapidly. Overall the aim is to cut operators’ energy costs by 25-30%.