Local organiser of WoodMac China, International Exhibitions Ltd, says that demand in China for labour- and energy-saving technology and systems to reduce wastage of raw material has increased dramatically in the past year. A number of European-headquartered machinery manufacturers will be hoping to take advantage of those trends, alongside what is reported to be the largest number of Chinese machinery exhibitors ever.
Of course quite a number of those European companies have manufacturing operations in China these days, putting them closer to that all-important market.
The exhibition is supported by the China National Forestry Machinery Association and the European machinery makers?’ association Eumabois, while the German association, VDMA, and Italian association ACIMALL, will each have national pavilions.
For the panel making machinery sector of the show, major Chinese manufacturers Shanghai Wood Based Panel Machinery Co Ltd (SWPM, part of the German Dieffenbacher group) and China Foma Group in the form of its subsidiary Sufoma, will be exhibiting their wide range of machinery for complete panel production lines.
Of course SWPM has already entered the international market with its continuous press.
This year should see Sufoma’s first such press begin commercial panel production too, accompanied by the new (in 2010) 58in refiner made by the same manufacturer.
The emphasis in China seems to have been on MDF for some years, but the country has always had a large plywood industry too and Angelo Cremona (E7-C05) of Italy will be displaying its new peeling lathe Model SEC. This machine, when coupled in a high-tech line with the x-y electronic log charger, rotary clipper and the stacker allows a faster working speed with higher wood recovery, claims the company, adding that it has also upgraded its dryers and grading lines.
For decorative veneer, Vertical Slicer model VS will also be promoted.
The company says that by attending the exhibition it wants to consolidate its presence on the Chinese market, where it recently won an international tender to supply a complete dry peeled veneer plant to an important Chinese Group.
The Imal-Pal Group (E7-E01) will promote its supply of complete plants, equipment and systems for the production and processing of particleboard, MDF, OSB, insulation board and pellets, as well as a wide choice of high-tech proposals and flexibility to upgrade and modernise existing lines.
Special emphasis will be given to the new Imal post-dryer fibre resination system for MDF, as well as extensive on-the-line and laboratory quality control equipment.
Pal will be presenting its vertically extending Cleaning Tower for recycled wood and its chip air cleaning system.
Pal has opened a new site in Ningbo, backing up its existing Beijing office.
A third Italian exhibitor, Imeas, develops new technologies for calibrating and sanding MDF, particleboard, plywood and other materials. The company says it offers research and development to supply and installation of complete sanding lines, with working speed up to 200m/min, low maintenance, reduced start-up time and easy operation. Imeas has manufacturing facilities in Suzhou making its smaller machines and says it has always been particularly interested in WoodMac China and in the Chinese market.
Sandvik Process Systems (E7-C23) says it will use WoodMac to mark 110 years of steel belt production.
The main focus will be on the company’s steel belt ranges – now up to 3.5 mm thick – and the value of its technical support services.
The company’s QuickExpert service, through which customers’ belts and accessories can be inspected, tested and analysed to identify potential problems early, saving downtime and bottom line costs is, it says, key to its offerings.
Sandvik will also be showing its SteelArt collection of surface textures and finishes for the laminate and melamine coating industries.
Modul Systeme (E7-C56), supplier of new and secondhand equipment for particleboard and MDF manufacture and plant modernisation, will introduce brand new standard and custom-designed glue preparation and dosing systems for plants of all sizes. Modul says it offers fully modular glue preparation systems which easily fit into standard shipping containers.
Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau of Germany (E7-E21) will have experienced specialists in wood based product technology introducing the latest developments.
Its main focus will include: the successful 4ft ContiRoll concept for China; new front-end technology; and Siempelkamp technology for wood fibre insulation boards.
Siempelkamp also benefits from having its own factory in Wuxi, which carries out much engineering work for the company.
From Switzerland, Steinemann (E7-C28) says that over the last 10 Years China has developed into the largest wood panel producer and is still the fastest-growing market worldwide and that it is proud to be a major supplier of high quality sanding machines in this exciting market.
The company says it provides its customers with an overall service, offering a complete finishing package to all MDF, particleboard and OSB producers, with sanding machines, high quality abrasives, efficient spare parts supply and professional service, as well as process optimisation. It has a factory in Jiading, Shanghai.
Anthon of Germany (E7-C55) says the Chinese market has been key to the company for a long time, hence its presence at this fair. It will introduce its new saw LNB 180 with increased cutting height of 180mm and saw blade diameter of 600mm. This comes close to the capacity of the Anthon LNC line (210mm), while keeping the compact and proven design of the LNB, it says, adding that, because the saw is of symmetric design, it is possible to easily align it in a different layout, if relocation or redesign of the production facilities requires it.
The new LNB also offers an increased cycle capacity through a reduced amount of movable mass, while a higher throughput is possible by using the strip extraction tooling, enabling the positioning beam to feed the next book more quickly through the saw. Anthon claims reduced operating costs, too.
Dieffenbacher (E7-D30) describes WoodMac as one of the most important exhibitions in Asia and it will of course be represented by SWPM. It says it will introduce its new products and their sales references and promote customer-oriented service. The four-foot wide ContiPlus continuous press will be a major feature, together with regular products such as multi-opening press, short-cycle and HPL lines.
Andritz of Austria (E7-E31) reports that the end of 2010 saw its total number of pressurised refining systems sold in China rise to 108, with the latest being sold to Yichang Jintayuan Wood Industry Co Ltd in Hubei.
Other recent orders include Hebei Shenzhou Changcheng Wood Industry Development Co Ltd, Hebei; Hebei Kaiyue Wen An County Tianhua Density Board Co Ltd; and Yan Cheng Dong Nan Panelboard Co Ltd of Jiangsu.
Wemhöner (E7-C41), which has its headquarters in Germany, also has a factory in Changzhou, Jiangsu Province, opened in 2007.
At the show, which the company considers one of the most effective in China, Wemhöner will focus on its 3D Eagle press which is designed to run with or without a membrane, using mainly PVC and PET foils. Special grades such as high-gloss can be produced on these presses, as well as three-dimensional applications of veneer, linoleum or Kydex, says the company.
