If further proof were needed that the timber industry recovery is well under way, then W14 surely provided it.
According to organiser Huddlestone, the pre-audited visitor numbers were up 21% at 9,667 on the previous show in 2012 and exhibitors increased by 28%. The show covered 20% more floor space and filled three halls at the Birmingham NEC.
Certainly the majority of companies visited by TTJ reported a solid improvement in business over the past 12 months and were pleased with the level of visitors’ interest at the show.
One such company was Homag which is enjoying a record year in which sales have surpassed pre-recession levels. This positive development was reflected in the number of visitors to the stand – the largest at W14. "Overall the industry is coming into the show with a much higher level of activity," Homag UK sales and marketing director Simon Brooks told TTJ.
The strapline on the stand was "Grow with Homag", a message aimed at correcting the misconception that Homag’s customers were only large manufacturers, said Mr Brooks.
And the message was reinforced by some of the machinery on display, including Homag’s best-seller, the Weeke BHX055 CNC processing centre with a footprint of only 5m².
The message was echoed in children’s measurement charts which were cut on the stand and sold to raise money for CLIC Sargent, a children’s cancer charity. The first day alone raised £300 and Homag was going to double the amount raised over the four-day show.
Homag displayed a range of CNC processing centres, sanders, routers and edgebanders, all aimed at making processes faster and more efficient. For example, the Weeke ABD 260 Optimat can drill, dowel and glue in less than 1.5 seconds, while the Venture 316M 5-axis CNC router includes the latest 3D-CAD woodWOP software, which can "take control of the whole factory from order to despatch", said Mr Brooks.
Homag also promoted its finance package for customers – Homag Flexible Finance. The cost per hour posted on each machine demonstrated their affordability, said Mr Brooks.
JJ Smith must have set a W14 record with the sale of its Centauro Beta NC Chisel Mortiser. The ground had been prepared with the customer, but they agreed the deal in the first few minutes of the show.
"It was another indication of an improving market – and we also sold a Stromab C600 automatic cross-cut quite quickly," said managing director Martin Smith. "We’ve been increasingly busy and are seeing customers who have been deliberating buying since the last show in 2012, now going ahead."
Reflecting the company’s upbeat outlook, particularly in the timber frame and SIPs sectors, it also had a new stand layout. This gave a more independent and higher profile to Modular Building Automation, its construction panel equipment arm and joint venture with Netherlands timber frame panel equipment specialist H&M.
show launches
The company also lined up launches for the show. The Matrix V is the latest in the Stromab range of automatic cross-cutting machines for programmable repetitive cutting from standard and random lengths. The Proset MW fully programmable tenoner from Duin, a subsidiary of H&M, also made its debut.
"The V in Matrix V stands for velocity and it runs up to 50% faster than the standard model," said Mr Smith. "The Proset breaks new ground in terms of control, via a graphic touch screen monitor, and speed of set-up, with its memory capable of storing up to 99 programs."
JMJ Woodworking Machinery also declared W14 a success, selling 13 machines by 11am on the second day. "It’s excellent," said the company’s Andrew Jenkinson. "It’s 10 times better than W12."
The sales included Omec dovetailers, a Volpato profile sander, Kregg Pocket hole drilling machines and two of the refurbished Wadkin machines displayed on the stand.
Mr Jenkinson said the second-hand machinery market had been strong but a shortage of used machines now meant sales of new machinery were rising.
SCM also secured business during the show and its four adjoining stands were always busy. "We had an excellent exhibition, with many orders and enquiries," said SCM Group UK Gabriele De Col. "It certainly confirms that the UK economy is picking up and customers are investing in the latest technology."
SCM sold four Accord 20FX CNC machining centres for joinery production; a Stefani single-sided edgebander to Brown’s 2000 of Cramlington; and orders were also taken for SCM’s Profiset 60 planer moulder and its K560 TER2 edgebander.
Sales satisfaction
There were plenty of ‘sold’ stickers on AMS’s stand too. In fact, by early on the third day the company had already sold more machines than during the whole of W12.
These included a Wadkin Bursgreen cutterhead cleaning machine to International Timber and a Wadkin six-headed high-speed moulder to Harlow Bros. Co-director Steve McGloin said AMS had also secured service contracts.
Maka attracted visitors to its stand with its flagship panel processing machine – the PE90 5-axis CNC. "It’s unashamedly well-made and high precision," said Iain Young, joint managing director of Maka Machinery UK.
Maka offers different PE solutions for different applications and Mr Young said the company was at W14 to talk to customers and "find them the right solution".
"We’re not here just to sell a machine and wave the customers good-bye," he said.
He shared the view that the timber products industries were experiencing an upturn, but added that more could be done in what were still rather traditional sectors. "We could do things so much better," said Mr Young. "The timber industry needs to invest; it could be a world beater again." Newcastle-based Raille spark detection systems has also noted an upturn in timber industry business.
"Over the past four or five years the woodworking industry has been pretty slow but in the last six months we’ve seen an upturn and we’ve been a lot busier," said managing director Simon Helliar.
However, fellow spark detection company BS&B found W14 less successful than W12. "Companies have the money but getting that money is difficult," said sales manager Mark Shannon. "The trouble is our product doesn’t make people money; it’s an insurance product."
The timber industry accounts for 80% of the company’s UK business, and it’s an important customer base for GreCon too. GreCon managing director Robert Kuhfuss said its customers ranged from joiners to large panel manufacturers. The woodworking industry was aware of fire risks but often companies did not install spark detection until they had suffered a fire, which could be devastating to a business, he said.
"There’s not only the destruction but also the potential loss of business for several weeks or months," said Mr Kuhfuss. The past 12 months have also been a bumper period for Daltons Wadkin. "Demand has exploded," said director Alex Dalton.
"We’ve had huge enquiry levels and sales into the UK are 100% above the last few years." The company’s stand was the biggest it had taken at a W show. A Salvador Superpush 200 optimising cross-cut saw stretched the length of one side, while other machines included a Stenner band resaw, Kuper planer moulder and Kimla StreamCut waterjet CNC machine.
Show launches included the latest Elcon Quadra, billed as "the most advanced vertical panel saw", with the option of optimising software.
Mr Dalton said the Salvador cross-cut had proved popular, even during the slower years of the recession. "It saves money by reducing labour, increasing throughput, and increasing yield by optimising timber so even in the depths of the recession there was a lot of interest," he said.
There was star billing too for machines from Kimla Industrial, the Polish materials processing equipment and control software manufacturer. "They’ve never been represented in the UK before, but we’re getting increasing interest thanks to the combination of proven performance and value for money," said director Francis Dalton. Emphasising his point, at the show Daltons Wadkin signed the contract to supply T Brewer & Co with a Kimla BPF 1371 CNC router.
Handling equipment
For Austrian sideloader manufacturer Bulmor, the market picked up around the middle of last year and this year’s sales in the UK are on a par with 2008, said UK managing director Russell George. "This year we’ve seen signs that timber companies are happy to invest again," he said.
Sales have included seven LQ50 sideloaders for James Donaldson & Sons’ Chorley site. The QR50, brought out two years ago, was proving popular with the timber industry. "It’s well priced, simple to maintain and it’s a proven truck," said Mr Russell. Nearby, Combilift’s stand was tightly packed with a Combi electric CB, the C4000 and a sideloader which is the first in the company’s range with a Deutz engine, which meets the new EU stage 111B diesel emissions regulation which comes into force next year. Combilift’s Paul Hopkinson told TTJ that this year the company was targeting sales of 4,000 machines, compared with 3,200 last year.
"Our strapline is now ‘Customised handling solutions’ and Combilift is gaining a reputation as the go-to business if a customer can’t get a fork lift to do a job," he said. "We are proud that whatever the application is, we have something that will do the job." German racking manufacturer Ohra was one of a few companies with stands at both W14 and neighbouring Timber Expo.
The timber industry is the company’s largest customer sector and when TTJ spoke to export sales manager Raymond Wolsey on Ohra’s W14 stand he expected to take some orders at the shows.
Biesse returns
W14 marked Biesse’s first appearance at a W show since 2008. It decided to attend after securing €10m worth of orders at this year’s Xylexpo and it was enthusiastic about prospects at W14.
"The show has been brilliant," said marketing spokesperson Chris Ebbage. "On the first day we saw 317 people from 240 companies and on Monday 180 people from 150 companies."
Biesse had a range of machinery working on the stand, including the Skipper V3 CNC machining centre, Sektor 470 beam saw with twin pusher, Akron 1440 hot-melt edgebander, and the Rover A 5-axis machine, which was producing intricately cut ‘crowns’ of timber that were displayed on the stand. However, above all this the company was promoting its Total Care five-year warranty and service plan.
Under Biesse’s Total Finance, machines can be purchased interest free, and once the machine is ordered, under Total Care Biesse takes charge of everything from the site survey through to customer staff training. "It makes it easier for customers to buy a machine and once they’ve bought it, they don’t have to think about anything but operating the machine," said Mr Ebbage.
Biesse was another company enjoying a pick-up in business. "In the first half of this year we achieved our annual sales budget," said Mr Ebbage. "In the first quarter we achieved more than for all of last year and for the past nine years we have grown every year." Leitz unveiled several technical developments but sales manager Brian Maddox acknowledged the key attraction was its integrated ThermoTech Window System, and the fact that it is now backed by British Fenestration Registration Council (BFRC) licences.
The tooling specialist, which advises on and helps with the technical set-up manufacturers need to make ThermoTech high energyefficiency products, as well as supplying the appropriate tools, earlier this year announced the BFRC approvals for 18 window types.
"This makes ThermoTech an even bigger attraction for producers, giving them the facility to make ready-licensed thermallyrated, weather-tested windows," said Mr Maddox. "That takes away a lot of pain and makes the package that much more complete."
New in the tooling department was the latest upgrade to its Edge Expert router cutter, with a blade configuration claimed to enable it to perform 15 times longer than conventional PCD tools. Also on show was the recently developed Jetstream drill head, which has air blowing through it to clear dust and maximise cutting efficiency.
According to John Penny of John Penny Woodworking Machinery, there was "no comparison" between W14 and the 2012 event. "The first two days in particular were excellent, footfall was much greater and visitors were making serious enquiries," he said.
Weinig UK managing director Malcolm Cuthbertson, who was on the stand, agreed. "For us it’s a key event for targeting SMEs and the interest hasn’t stopped," he said, adding that the Weinig exhibits were selected for the SME sector, with nothing over £50,000.
A central exhibit was the new Cube HD, the latest version of the compact planer moulder. "The Cube was developed as an ultra flexible jobbing machine for the small workshop, or to complement bigger planer moulders in a larger facility," said Mr Cuthbertson. "But customers requested added capacity to take on longer runs too, so we’ve developed the more robust HD version. It is specifically designed to go the full eight hours non-stop if required."
Star attraction
For panel processors there was the new compact Evolution 7403/7405 milling and profiling centre from Weinig group member Holz-Her. "This is perfect for the SME, with a very compact footprint, but a clamp system enabling it to process all four edges and the face, and handle workpieces up to 920mm in height and unlimited length, with a degree of control equal to the biggest 5-axis CNC," said Mr Cuthbertson. "It’s attracting so much interest we’ve developed a micro website for it." Air Plants Dustraction also thought W14 was much busier than the 2012 show.
"There’s a dramatic difference," said managing director Chris Smith. "The market has picked up in the last six to nine months. If you aren’t busy now you aren’t going to be." Air Plants had its own stand but the company name was on display around the show as it had provided extraction for many of the stands that had operating machinery.
TM Machinery Sales chose W14 to launch the Striebig 4D panel saw. The machine’s optimising function took it "several leaps forward" from other panel saws, said sales director Matt Pearce.
It cuts to a tolerance of 0.1mm, requires no panel handling, and prints a label for each piece cut, including the optimising information. "The operator can’t make a mistake and the panel can’t be damaged as it doesn’t need handling," Mr Pearce said. TM had already sold two of the saws – one to Lawcris Panel Products – and, judging by interest at W14, Mr Pearce expected more sales to follow.
Another new machine on TM’s stand was the Viet Opera 5 sander which sands so finely it can remove the ink from printed paper.
