Exhibition Review: LIGNA 2025 | 35
businesses, covering the whole range of equipment for wood-based panels production and wood recycling. Executives from UK-based MDF Recovery were also on the stand, highlighting the partnership with PAL which has an MDF waste recycling solution on the market. A large screen demonstrated how the
system works in a simplified way and was a big draw at LIGNA. Luca Ballerin of PAL told WBPI that the partners were working with IKEA on the project in terms of formulation of data.
The first industrial application of the MDF
Recovery process is taking place at UK MDF mouldings manufacturer W Howard, with an early 2026 start date. One company that might be unfamiliar with the board industry is Into Chemicals which presented its in-line fire-retardant solutions for the wood-based panels industry. The company was founded in 2013 and is already established in several industries, such as the paper sector. It is also now present in the solid timber sector. Several wood energy systems were also present in Hall 26, including Turboden, Vyncke and INTEC Engineering. Turboden had a large wall with recent project references, including significant projects for Turkish board producer Kastamonu Entegre. VMG Group company
implemented a Turboden Organic Rankine
Cycle (ORC) unit – the first in the country. It provides heating, generates electricity and reduced CO2
emissions.
Turboden business development manager Alessandro Guercio said 20-30% of the company’s work was biomass, with the rest being geothermal. “We decided to stay in Hall 26 this year because we wanted to explain to panel manufacturers that they need to produce their own electricity, not just heat.” (For a separate update on Turboden see pp38-39.) Hexion, a global leader in adhesives and performance materials, showcased how it is positioning itself to redefine performance, efficiency, and sustainability in the wood- based panels manufacturing industry by integrating next-gen chemistry, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing technologies. The company’s presence, alongside its
Smartech division, showcases Hexion’s continuing evolution from materials supplier to full-service innovation partner, now delivering AI-enabled solutions across the manufacturing value chain. A new launch – SmartQuality was a big talking point. (For more on this see p45.) Fusoni, the Spain-based manufacturer and distributor of release agents and chemical additives, expressed satisfaction with LIGNA.
Above: Sunds Fibertech announced two new acquisitions
Its eye-catching stand attracted a steady stream of visitors, who expressed interest in the company’s current developments. A better stand position and a schedule of planned meetings contributed to Fusoni declaring LIGNA 2025 being a better performance than two years ago. Fire-retardants were one of the most popular topics of discussion for Fusoni. Its liquid form FR products are designed to be stable and efficient, and can be used with all types of UF, MUF, PF, and pMDI glues. Conversations also focused on its release agent for pMDI resins used in board production. The product helps prevent sticking and keeping steel press belts clean.
Biele, the engineering and automation specialist, expressed great satisfaction with the outcome of LIGNA 2025. It said its technologies drew strong interest from global visitors. Among its technical highlights include the
latest generation of EVO automatic handling systems, incorporating integrated computer vision from Biele Digital, with real-time quality control capabilities, detecting colour, dimension, and surface defects Biele also presented a prototype press designed for board production from recycled materials. It is equipped with advanced thickness control, energy recovery systems, and continuous mat feeding. In the realm of measuring and fire
prevention systems, Electronic Wood Systems (EWS) unveiled its latest innovation in fire safety technology – the ALF 9000 spark detection and extinguishing system. The new generation system is designed to further increases ease of use, customisability and reliability.
ALF 9000 is its software-driven
configuration, unlike the previous generation, which relied on hardware-based wiring. This simplifies the integration, scalability of the system and a more
customisable approach to meet specific client needs. EWS CEO Hauke Kleinschmidt said it was a “must” to exhibit at LIGNA. “We would participate here even if there were not as many people in attendance,” he said. Fagus-GreCon product highlights included Mission Control, its next-generation of intelligent spark detection control panels, combining predictive maintenance, plug and play integration and remote access. Its Segmented Maintenance System ensures maintenance can be carried out on individual components or segments of the production line without shutting down the whole system. Fagus-GreCon managing director Mario Haas was also showing off the prestigious iF Gold Award – won by the GreCon PROTECTOR (comprising spark/ flame detection, a control centre, and an extinguishing module). There were about 11,000 applications to the awards, with entrants such as Apple and Sony. Other Fagus-GreCon technologies on stand included the Gasanalyser IL, featuring inline formaldehyde detection. Pika ReTech pitched itself to LIGNA visitors as an expert in reimagining traditional methodologies, with its ReJIT nano paraffin emulsion system designed to save paraffin volume and boost efficiency by transforming wax or emulsion into nano-scale paraffin. ReJIT significantly reduces the required paraffin volume.
Siempelkamp formed a strategic partnership with Pika ReTech in 2023. As part of this collaboration, Pika’s ReFogger glue-saving systems are now integrated into Siempelkamp projects worldwide. Pika ReTech reported it has agreed in principle with Panel Plus that its two patented machines will now be operating in Thailand. It’s also growing with a new ReFogger machine contract to Dexco in Brazil.
Lastly, in the exterior exhibition areas, Irish materials handling specialist Combilift demonstrated it was focused on solving customer problems in the timber and panel product sectors. Two new Combilift innovations included
the Combi Load Xtender – its patented double-reach solution for loading and unloading trailers from one side. Quoted benefits include increased efficiency, improved safety, and optimised space usage.
It also unveiled the all-new Combi-FSE 8000 – an 8-tonne electric sideloader combining powerful performance with zero emissions. Live demonstrations are a popular feature of the materials handling exhibitors, and Combilift’s bar featuring pints of Guinness always proves a strong draw. ●
www.wbpionline.com | June/July 2025 | WBPI
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53
