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Above left: The irrepressible Christian Salvador of Salvamac Above right: SCM’s surface treatments focus EXHIBITOR HIGHLIGHTS


On the wood-based panels front, IMAL-PAL GROUP was the only manufacturer present which supplies whole lines for the primary wood panel production sector. Siempelkamp had initially been listed as an exhibitor in the months leading up to the show but did not exhibit in Milan. Staff from IMAL PAL Group’s various group activities attended to talk to visitors about the Group’s expertise: IMAL in dosing and blending systems, online quality controls and laboratory testing equipment, plus forming and press technology; PAL in screening, selection and cleaning of raw materials; and GLOBUS in debarking and chipping systems, along with all the machinery and equipment required for log yard management and preparation of the work process material. Clearly, the IMAL PAL GROUP sees great potential in its new partnership with MDF Recovery, bringing MDF waste fibre recycling into commercial reality, opening up a potential new raw material stream for MDF producers.


Group CEO Loris Zanasi told TTJ that a number of new contracts with wood-based panels producers were at the stage of being ready to sign, including in Asia, while in Germany screening and gluing equipment is being supplied to German particleboard producer Elka. Panel finishing technology was again a popular sector at Xylexpo, with the likes of Giardina Finishing and Barberan attracting a noticeably high number of visitors. Giardina performed live demos in co-operation with a number of paint manufacturers.


The Rolltech Flexi was in the spotlight, a roller coater machine designed and built to apply UV and conventional primers on 3D surfaces, but which has also proved to be an excellent solution for the application of special coating cycles on flat surfaces. Business area manager Mark Robinson explained how a series of processes to apply paint, wipe off excess, touch up and cure had the ability to achieve a superior finish and save on materials. Effective finishing of


grooves in MDF substrate was particularly noteworthy.


Other Giardina technology promoted at Xylexpo included Dualtech 400, an automatic spraying machine, the Destefani Mvt 3000 edge sander, the Uvtech GST oven - a new UV LED oven.


Visitors were also able to visit Giardina’s nearby facility to see specific spray coating trials with the “Zerogloss” excimer technology.


At Barberan’s stand, DeepBlue EIR technology was a strong draw. Launched last year with Unilin, Deep Blue is aimed at bringing new benefits to single-pass digital printing, including endless design possibilities (at a lower cost), quicker speed to market, increased flexibility and the ability to produce small, medium and large production runs. The roll-to-roll digital printing line is designed to print and apply a topcoat, transforming raw roll materials into finished products. The Barberan Jetmaster digital printer is the centrepiece of the line, with an impressive 600dpi resolution and the ability to print up to six colours and accommodate widths from 630mm up to 1300mm. A series of finishing modules enables limited finished designs in multiple materials, giving the flexibility to create a wide range of products with finished effects, both haptic and optical textures. Unlike existing EIR technologies, Barberan DeepBlue brings design sharpness and texture depth via a different method – modifying the properties of the wet coat only in selected areas of the pattern and at different depths and then the texture is generated. Other technology sees the texture generated directly by printing on the board.


SCM FOCUS ON MULTI-MEDIA PRESENTATION


Italian machinery giant SCM took a radical approach to its stand by deciding not to display any machines but using multi-media technology instead to communicate its range of products, which includes machining centres, edgebanders, finishing systems and timber construction technology.


SCM came into Xylexpo on the back of a record 2023, which saw turnover up to €900m, with good margins. However, SCM general manager Luigi De Vito, told assembled journalists at a press conference that 2024 was a “challenging” year. He said “multi-materiality” was a big focus for SCM, with the group aiming for success with technology for a range of materials, as material use was changing very quickly. This involves the integration of CMS solutions, another of the group’s brands specialising in technologies for machining other materials such as glass, marble, metal, plastic and composite materials. Pietro Gheller, the new director of SCM’s


Wood Division, said the division posted a record €630m turnover in 2023 – accounting for 70% of Group turnover. Current order intake was a much bigger problem due to the geo-political and economic situation. “We are quite optimistic about the second half of 2024 and 2025,” he said. “We are seeing some signs of recovery, and some markets are seeing signs of stability, such as eastern Europe. There are also positive signs in North America and South America,” he added.


In the home market of Italy, Mr Gheller reported Q1 had performed significantly better.


SCM centred its Xylexpo presentations around new market demands in terms of digitalisation and sustainability, and on new Industry 5.0 scenarios. Focus has shifted away from the client’s product and towards their needs in terms of support, control advice and productivity.


Innovations included the new WIN MES software to deal with factory IT flow, while visitors could explore the SCM fully operational Digital Control Room including the proactive service enabled by the Maestro Connect IoT system and sustainability. Xylexpo was also an opportunity to inaugurate the new SCM-Superfici Technology Centre in nearby Villasanta, in the heart of Brianza.


Machinery innovations included a new version of Windorflex, an automatic cell to ►


www.ttjonline.com | July/August 2024 | TTJ


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