LIGNA – strongest ever international appeal HELD BIENNIALLY IN MID-MAY THE 2015 edition of the five-day marathon wood processing trade show turned out to be an upbeat event. According to figures from the organisers Deutsche Messe AG, over 96 000 visitors made their way to Hannover, Germany to check out what 1 567 exhibitors had to showcase on 120 000 m² of display space. – Exhibitors here presented their latest innovations to a global audience, clearly demonstrating the new, high standards of communication between people, machinery and smart workpieces in the furniture and wood industry, stated Dr Jochen Köckler, the Deutsche Messe Managing Board member in charge of LIGNA. Around 40 000 of these visitors came from outside Germany, an increase of almost 8 000 compared to 2013 and with long-distance attendance from North America, Asia, Middle East, and South and Central America all up considerably. – This year’s LIGNA struck a chord among exhibitors and visitors – a chord embodying three resounding notes: outstanding international participation, impressive innovation and a 36 Bioenergy International No 80, 4-2015 further increase in top-executive attendance, remarked Köckler. Forest demo shows draw The event is a must attend for anyone involved in the primary and secondary mechanical wood processing industries and this edition was no exception. Most of the major wood handling and pre-processing equipment manufacturers such as chippers, shredders, dryers, industrial wood waste boilers and pelletisers were on show. Also present were many companies who supply ancillary services, equipment and products such as spark detection and suppression systems, log harvesting, and log-yard storage and handling systems, all of which are readily used in the wood processing and bioenergy sectors. Those familiar with LIGNA will know that these exhibitor and space figures actually reflect a decrease on 2013 and 2011 figures, about 200 less exhibitors and 10 000 m² or 1 ha less space than 2011. It appears that this decrease can almost entirely be attributed to forest machinery and firewood processing exhibitors opting not to come to Hannover. Instead several forest demo shows that take place in Europe, hot on the heels of LIGNA, have drawn the longer straw. That said, Hall 13 housed the “Energy from Wood” exhibitors such as pellet presses, biomass boilers and burners along with the premier edition of “Wood Industry Summit”. Organised in cooperation with Kuratorium für Waldarbeit und Forsttechnik e.V. (KWF), this international event for information and networking was a mix of open forum discussion and presentations from forestry equipment majors like John Deere, Ponsse and HSM to delegations from Brazil, China, Russia and Ukraine. The delegations consisted of key players in forestry and the timber trade, forest owners, timber suppliers, timber processing companies, as well as pulp and paper industries from these regions. – The Summit enabled us to enhance and expand our network of international leads across the board. The high ratio of international visitors at LIGNA is the event’s unique selling point from our point of view, said Tuomo Moilanen, Ponsse Plc, based in Vieremä, Finland. Digital Integration “Industry 4.0” According to the German Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers’ Association (VDMA) demand for German wood processing and woodworking machines has been declining since 2012 despite the “Made in Germany” reputation for quality and technological leadership. A versatile material, wood can be used for a variety of purposes and both the solid wood processing industry and its technology suppliers are facing a number of new challenges and demands not least brought about by the “Internet of Things”. Some of these are being addressed by greater efficiency such as increasing yield and boosting precision, to increasing throughput and lowering energy consumption. As elsewhere in society digital integration is transforming the forest and If the solid wood processing industry sector is an indicator of how the economy is doing then this year’s edition of LIGNA, the global wood processing trade show, would suggest that there is good reason for cautious optimism. EVENT One of few grinders and chippers brands exhibiting at this year’s Ligna, CBI at its first major showing in Europe, under new owners Terex Environmental Equipment.
Bioenergy no 4 july 2015
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