Mixed feelings

It has been a vexed question among the panel machinery manufacturers for several of these events now and a number expressed their desire not to be at Xylexpo New in May 2010. But then the same was said in 2006…and some were thrilled with the business they had done and/or contacts they had made at the show this year.
One such company was Argos Control of Norway, which reported a lot of interest in both its surface inspection system for raw and surfaced panels and its automatic patching lines, together with an almost definite order from an Italian company as a result of the show.
Carrier Europe from Belgium specialises in vibrating conveyors/feeders for chipping lines and supplied all the recent projects in Turkey in cooperation with size reduction machinery maker Pallmann, said managing director Jan Van De Pol. Carrier also offers drying for chips for pellet production, with fluid bed dryers, as well as coolers. Shanghai Wood Based Panel Machinery Co Ltd (SWPM) reported a quiet year for its domestic press sales, due to the import of European-made continuous presses to China, but is concentrating on short-cycle press line sales, including exports to Africa, Russia, Pakistan, Ethiopia and Tunisia.
Fezer from Brazil reported widespread global sales of its plywood and decorative veneer production lines, with ceo Fernando Fezer saying that the veneer based industries had grown 35% in the last 20 years. Raute of Finland was concentrating on its decorative veneer business at the show, emphasising its horizontal slicer with automatic feeding device employing clamping dogs and an integrated vacuum table to produce backing boards as thin as 10mm. Omeco of Brazil was at Xylexpo to promote its range of veneer preparation and processing machinery for the plywood and decorative veneer sectors.
Size reduction machinery maker
B Maier of Germany reported enquiries for smaller projects and pellet and briquetting plants at the show. General manager Robert Loth also reported a recent sale to China of the company’s OSB flaker for small roundwood. Pilana Tools from the Czech Republic offered its carbide-tipped and chrome vanadium circular saw blades, band saw blades and veneer knives, saying that it had achieved sales in more than 70 countries.
Biele from Spain promoted its conveying and handling systems, particularly for short-cycle press lines and throughfeed HPL lines. Export director Jésus Tellería also reported good sales of multi-opening press infeed and outfeed systems to plywood manufacturers in Europe.
Austrian panel saw maker Schelling reported a very successful show, with many good contacts and several deals finalised there. From Switzerland, Steinemann presented its well-known range of sanders, together with its spare parts, abrasives, service and process optimisation. The company currently has a very healthy order book as do many other suppliers to the global panel industry. Siempelkamp appeared at Xylexpo together with associate company CMC Texpan and subsidiary Büttner. One area of concentration for Siempelkamp concerned the Contipress which it acquired from Metso. It suggested potential for refurbishment and to effectively make a new press, replacing the chain system with Siempelkamp’s roller system, providing a new infeed and other components, ideally combined with a press extension, explained sales director Andreas Krott. The new high-precision Generation 8 ContiRoll also featured strongly.
Vits Systems emphasised the fact that it has delivered nearly 900 paper impregnation lines – about 95% of them for the panel industry. It has also sold its 70th ARP Coater to apply aluminium oxide wear layers to paper. Direct print lines represent growing competition for impregnation lines in some markets. Pallmann displayed a refiner segment and a knife ring on its stand and sales manager Andre Krahl said that market activity in OSB is increasing in Russia. Wemhöner Surface Technologies signed an order at the show for upgrading of a short-cycle press. In general, its promotional message was twofold: Master Line surface coating and lacquering lines; and the lightweight sandwich panel line as installed at Starwood’s mill in Turkey.
GreCon promoted its on-the-line quality control/measuring systems and its surface inspection system for laminated panels. Holzma had its stand in Hall 5 and offered information on its panel sawing systems as well as its saws designed for smaller-scale operations. Bruks Klöckner was represented by its Italian agent PriBo and exhibited a chipper on PriBo’s stand.
Dieffenbacher shared its stand with Italian company Instalmec, in which it has a 30% share. Instalmec reported selling its first plant for cleaning recycled wood to Xilopan in Italy and has another large contract in Poland. It also announced a new cooperation with Mist Air of the UK in dust abatement systems. Dieffenbacher concentrated on its complete panel production line competence, together with service, modernisations and upgrades.
Schenkmann & Piel was also on the Dieffenbacher stand with its drying systems.
New subsidiaries Sunds MDF Techonologies AB and Dieffenbacher Panelboard Oy were also present on the stand. From Austria, K-Service promoted its reconditioned and partly new plants for particleboard, MDF, impregnation, short-cycle lamination, plywood and energy plants. It also offers engineering of complete lines for the green area, drying, finishing and for veneer processing. Which brings us to the Italian exhibitors for the panel industry.
Giben International exhibited its sawing systems in Hall 7 (the main panel machinery hall was number 14), emphasising its XY-Cut moving gripper system in which each gripper is individually positioned, automatically. Pal and Imal had a joint stand opposite associate company Siempelkamp. Pal’s managing director, Antonio Dal Ben, said he had received order confirmations at the show for two big installations for cleaning recycled wood for a company in South America and that the business was growing “fast and strong”. The stand also featured a revised logo for the company. Sister company Imal had a thickness gauge on display and was also promoting its gluing and quality control systems. “I am very happy with increased sales for both Pal and Imal,said ceo of both companies, Loris Zanasi.
Sander manufacturer Imeas reported good business for its lines, in China, Russia (three lines for delivery this year), South America and Europe, particularly Spain. Globus of Galliate had a video and wall display of its Cam Classifier and had a knife ring flaker on display on its stand. Its message was “We don’t only cut your wood – we also cut your costs”. Tocchio, maker of decor paper impregnation lines, reported a good order book through to 2009, with Russia, Germany and South America being strong
markets for the company, according to Mr Emiliano Tocchio.
Trasmec specialises in transport systems for chips and fibre and reported orders on its books through to May 2009, although it also has capacity to deliver before the end of this year. The biomass industry has added diversification to the company’s order book.
By any measure, this was a quiet show, with many bored exhibitors waiting for customers to talk to. However, many were satisfied with the quality of visitor, or were happy just to meet and greet existing customers. With the cost of exhibiting generally, there were still many exhibitors uncertain about whether this year’s event justified their return on May 25-29, 2010.