Woodworking machinery giants Homag and SCM Group are embroiled in a patent dispute after Homag took action over an alleged patent infringement of its safeScan technology.
Homag obtained an interim court injunction during the recent Ligna show against similar safety technology on SCM machines being displayed.
The German company, the world’s largest woodworking machinery manufacturer, said that from the afternoon of the second day of Ligna only a part of the disputed SCM original machine concept was still on display.
Homag said its court order affected the Morbidelli Author m800 processing centre, Accord 30FXand 40FX machines on display.
Homag said the interim injunction issued by the regional court of Hamburg relates to an infringement of German patent 102006052017 B4. The patent was registered in 2006,
safeScan safeguards an operator and other workers in the vicinity of a machine. A sensor is activated when anyone enters the proximity of the machine, with the feed rate of moving parts reducing automatically.
If a person continues to move closer and touches the machine, a contact sensor is tripped and the machine stops automatically.
“By taking out this decisive action, the Homag Group is sending out an audible signal that it is prepared to protect its intellectual property,” a Homag satement said.
Homag said product imitation was an issue which had led it to present innovations to the trade behind closed doors.
SCM Group was formulating a statement in response as TTJ went to press.
