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Author: Möbelfertigung

Aitor Zinkunegi is the new Managing Director

The German sharpening specialist Vollmer Group has appointed a new manager for Spain and Portugal. From 1st March 2023, Managing Director Aitor Zinkunegi will be responsible for the fortunes of Vollmer Iberica from its site in Barcelona. Aitor Zinkunegi has been working at Vollmer since 2015 and was previously Head of Sales on the Iberian peninsula.

“In Spain and Portugal, we aim to drive forward the tool grinding business in particular” says Aitor Zinkunegi, the new Managing Director of Vollmer Iberica in Barcelona. “With our tool-grinding machines in the VGrind series, we are able to provide tool manufacturers with a high-precision machine that is suitable for special production and large volume production.”

Aitor Zinkunegi’s engineering studies at Mondragon University in the Basque Country (Arrasate) provided him with a technological understanding of machines made by the German sharpening specialist Vollmer Group.

Heinrich Kuper GmbH Announced As New German Partner

Reconditioned woodworking machinery specialist, Ferwood Group is continuing to grow its global sales network by partnering with leading German woodworking machinery expert, Heinrich Kuper GmbH. The new collaboration, which will officially start on April 1st, will see the Rietberg-based manufacturer and supplier offer German manufacturers a wide range of used woodworking machinery from Ferwood and a comprehensive solution to selling surplus machinery.

With demand for used machinery at an all-time high, Kuper’s 1,500sqm showroom will house a growing used machinery inventory and will include a dedicated space for used machinery repairs. Spanning across 240sqm, Ferwood’s exclusive showroom area will offer customers a unique opportunity to explore readily-available used machinery and see them in action.

For those looking to fulfil a more specific production requirement, the German machinery specialist will also have access to hundreds of fully reconditioned machines and complete production lines from Ferwood’s global stock list. Each can be offered with varied levels of refurbishment and customisation to meet the customer’s technical specification, budget and time-frame.

What’s more, when purchasing a used machine from Kuper, customers will benefit from experienced technicians and a dedicated sales and support team who will be on hand to provide a comprehensive service from the initial enquiry though to installation and servicing.

“We pride ourselves on delivering on quality,” says Gerd Meurer, CEO of Heinrich Kuper GmbH. “We want to be the best in our industry and to do this, we need to work with companies that put the same value on excellence. Ferwood is a leader in its field and reconditions the world’s biggest machinery brands to the highest standard. The family-owned company shares our values and because of this, we are excited by this new partnership. Working closely with Ferwood’s existing German sales team, we will be able to combine decades of industry knowledge and product know-how to offer our customers a complete package from a single source and the very best range of used and fully reconditioned machinery.”

Riccardo Rossi, CEO of Ferwood Group adds: “As an international business, we are always looking at ways to strengthen our global operation and we are committed to growing our presence in Germany. This is why we have joined forces with Kuper. The company is a key-player in the German woodworking machinery market and has many years of experience selling and servicing used machinery. This, partnered with the company’s 50,000sqm premises situated in the centre of Germany’s industrial heartland, offers us the competencies and infrastructure needed to grow our market share in Germany. We believe the partnership between Ferwood and Kuper will allow us to unite our efforts and continue to service the German market at a high level.”

For your chance to see Ferwood’s dedicated showroom area for yourself and to watch live demonstrations on a variety of machines, join the team at Kuper’s next in-house exhibition this October. More information to be announced soon.

First board at Metro Ply Group in Surat Thani

On March 4th, the Metro Ply Group produced the first board on its new Siempelkamp particleboard plant at the Surat Thani site. The company now operates five Siempelkamp plants. “Very satisfied, great performance” is the customer’s conclusion for the current project as well as for the entire cooperation.

“We know each other, we trust each other” – this sums up the consistently positive cooperation between the Metro Ply Group and Siempelkamp. Metro Ply Group, one of the largest wood-based panel producers in Southeast Asia and the region’s largest particleboard producer, operates a total of four particleboard plants (three made by Siempelkamp) and five MDF plants (two made by Siempelkamp). They are located in Sai Noi/Nontaburi, Kanchanaburi and now Surat Thani, Thailand’s eighth largest city.

The current project includes the forming and press line including a “Contiroll” in 8′ x 40.4 m format, a cooling and stacking line and a board intermediate storage. Siempelkamp subsidiary Büttner supplied the dryer and the energy plant. Pallmann, the size reduction specialist in the Siempelkamp Group, contributed the size reduction machines. Siempelkamp’s Belgian subsidiary Sicoplan took charge of planning the entire plant. True to the motto “We are Siempelkamp,” everyone worked side by side not only for the customer, but together with the customer: “During the assembly and commissioning, we and the team from Metro came together to grow into a single team. For all of us, the focus was on achieving the same goal, and we succeeded in that,” says Torsten Kengels, project manager at Siempelkamp.

The particleboard plant was built from May 2022 as a greenfield project including a completely new infrastructure. The region around Surat Thani has the greatest number of rubberwood plantations in Thailand, so the raw material for the new plant will be fed from this abundance. As in the three previous projects, the cooperation and communication between the partners was professional and harmonious.

“All of the systems that we have supplied to Metro over the past 20 years have yielded top performance to the full satisfaction of our customer. Our fourth project is also on the road to success and will be approved in the next few weeks. We congratulate the Metro team and sincerely hope that the new plant will further strengthen Metro’s first-class reputation as one of the ‘top leaders’ in the Thai woodbased materials industry,” says Marc Müller, Head of Commercial Sales at Siempelkamp.

Invites to the “VDays” 2023 industry event

“Back with a new edge” – this is the motto of this year’s Vollmer “VDays” event, which is returning after being on hold due to the coronavirus. Vollmer would like to invite its customers and partners to the industry days event, which will take place from 18th to 20th April 2023 in Biberach. Keynote speeches, specialist talks, product demonstrations, company tours and discussions with experts are on the agenda for the first two days in English and for the third day in German. In addition to its grinding, eroding and laser machines, Vollmer will also be providing information about automation and digitalisation during “VDays”.

“We would like to invite all industries that are machining wood, metal or composite materials to Biberach,” says Jürgen Hauger, CEO of the Vollmer Group. “With our machines, automation solutions and digital services, we have the ability to design customised solutions to ensure precise sharpening of rotary tools or carbide-tipped circular and band saws.”

At “VDays” 2023 from 18th to 20th April, tool manufacturers, sharpening services and end users will be able to see for themselves how VOLLMER grinding, eroding and laser machines are perfect for machining cutting edges – regardless of whether these are made from carbide, PCD (polycrystalline diamond) or other cutting materials. The Biberach Technology and Training Centre (TDZ) will not only host specialist talks and expert discussions, but also live product demonstrations. Visitors will also be able to see the machines in the TDZ for themselves.

As a full-line supplier, Vollmer offers its customers the entire scope of sharpening technologies, alongside supplementary automation solutions, service packages and digital services. VOLLMER subsidiaries Ultratec Innovation and Loroch will also be at the “VDays” event. Loroch will be on hand with information about its latest saw blade sharpening machines, while Ultratec will be showcasing its innovative ultrasonic deburring systems.

The “VDays” event will be held in English on 18th and 19th April 2023, and in German on 20th April 2023. Between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., participants will be free to choose between keynote speeches, specialist talks, factory tours and live demonstrations directly at the machines. Evening events are planned for Tuesday and Wednesday.

The number of participants is limited to 200 per day. For more information about Vollmer “VDays” and the link to register online, please visit: https://www.vollmer-vdays.com/en/

Countdown to Ligna 2023 – The world of woodworking meets in Hanover

Finally “Ligna” again. After four years, the global wood industry is finally meeting again at the world’s most important trade fair for woodworking and wood processing in Hanover. Stephanie Wagner, Head of Ligna, and Tino Eggert, editor-in-chief and managing editor of the B2B networks “möbelfertigung” and “arcade” at Vincentz Network, talk in the latest episode of möbelfertigung. The Podcast about the countdown to the world’s leading trade fair.

You can listen directly HERE and everywhere else where podcasts are available.

What are the main topics in May, how international will the trade fair be, what does the “Ligna” have to offer digitally, what will happen on the “Ligna Stage”? And: How great is the personal anticipation of Stephanie Wagner and exhibitors for the world’s leading trade fair after the past years of uncertainty?

Pietro Gheller, Director of Products & Markets for the Wood Division at SCM Group, Nicole Mihlan, Head of Marketing at Venjakob Maschinenbau, Wolfgang Rohner, CEO and Managing Partner of Ima Schelling Group, and Raphael Prati, responsible for Marketing and Communication at Biesse Group, will be giving their views.

Presents the new end-to-end solutions portfolio at “Ligna

Cyncly, the new brand that helps make spaces amazing, announced today it will showcase the market’s first true end-to-end portfolio of manufacturing capabilities to “Ligna”, the world’s premiere event for woodworking manufacturers. Cyncly’s portfolio of software for manufacturers, including from 2020, 3CAD, Go2B, Mozaik, and many more, helps businesses maximize their hardware investment by improving operating efficiency and responsiveness to fast-changing customer demands. The company’s range of integrated solutions, including VCPQ, ERP, MES, WMS and CAD/CAM, enable companies to streamline and accelerate the entire manufacturing process from start to finish.

“I can’t think of a better venue for our first customer-facing appearance as Cyncly than ‘Ligna’,” said Karl Fuchs, Prokurist, Senior Director Sales, Factory EMEA at Cyncly. “Our end-to-end solutions are a new development for the market. These solutions will make a real difference for manufacturers looking to optimize their processes and improve their flexibility. Leveraging the capabilities of our leading products including Insight, 3CAD and Mozaik, furniture manufacturers can make the most of their hardware investment to achieve greater efficiency and profitability.”

With its end-to-end software solutions, Cyncly helps manufacturers — as well as consumers, retail partners, and installers — make spaces amazing. Manufacturers gain a complete set of tools that are seamlessly integrated and easy to use, enabling them to optimize their production processes, streamline workflows, scale production efficiently, and reduce costs.

“The limiting factor to maximizing machine output is usually not your machines, but your ability to respond to the changing needs of the market, which highly is dependent on the flexibility of your processes,” said Andrea Gnoato, General Manager of Kitchen, Bathroom and Furniture (KBF) Manufacturing at Cyncly. “This is especially true for the era of customization, when lot size one is becoming the new normal. For manufacturers at every scale—small, medium, and large alike—if your processes do not supply your high-performance machines with information and material as it is needed, you lose productivity. That is why we’re confident that our end-to-end offerings will be a game-changer for manufacturers looking to manage their production more efficiently and profitably.”

At the “Ligna” booth F33 in hall 15, Cyncly will showcase how manufacturers can get the most value from their production investments by using the capabilities of modern, comprehensive industry specific software. Cyncly solutions provide productivity-enhancing capabilities for woodworking manufacturers including graphical order entry, production planning, shop floor execution, panel optimization, asset management, production control points, and other advanced MES capabilities. Cyncly is providing free event registration for everyone interested; register here to secure your passes.

People interested in optimizing production processes should also join Cyncly MES expert Jan Brockmann for his speech on the official “Ligna” stage, “Factory of the Future: Excellent Production Processes in the Furniture and Woodworking Industry” on Thursday, May 18, 2023 at 2:00 pm.

In addition to on-site activities at “Ligna”, Cyncly will offer virtual sessions where visitors learn how to optimize processes in production and gain experience with best practices to enhance productivity. These English-language sessions are ideal for manufacturers that cannot attend “Ligna” in person,or want to take a closer look at solutions for specific use cases. Free registration is available here.

Arauco orders two plants

The South American Arauco Group, a long-time Siempelkamp customer, continues the cooperation with its German partner: The company placed an order for a complete plant for the production of MDF as well as a short-cycle press line. Intensive cooperation, a modern concept, and proven Siempelkamp quality convinced and secured this important order in Mexico.

Arauco decided in favor of a complete plant which covers the entire competence of the Siempelkamp Group from the delivery of the raw material to the finished laminated board. The plant will be built in Zitácuaro in the state of Michoacán, where Arauco already produces particleboard.

“We use world-class technologies and processes throughout the value chain,” is one of Arauco’s key statements. Without question, the awarding of a contract for such an ambitious project has to be measured against this standard. The preliminary phase was characterized by intensive and cooperative coordination between Arauco and Siempelkamp; the first elaborations were followed by carefully developed fine-tuning of the specifications up to the precise timeline. An on-site meeting at the Zitácuaro location served to perfectly integrate the new plants into the existing infrastructure. Installation is scheduled for 2024/2025.

“We are happy to be able to provide the complete Siempelkamp competence in this region of Mexico. The quality of existing Siempelkamp plants within the Arauco Group is decisive for the customer’s decision to commission us with this project – and we are pleased to have once again set a quality benchmark ,” says Daniel Hasemann, Sales Director Siempelkamp South America.

Appoints Manfred Bracher as CEO

Manfred Bracher is appointed CEO of Munksjö, effective May 1st, 2023. With the company entering its next growth phase as the first manufacturer solely dedicated to decor paper, Manfred will succeed current CEO Tomas Wulkan, who has led Munksjö since 2018, first as a division of Ahlstrom-Munksjo and most recently as an independent company. Tomas will support Manfred during 2023 to ensure a smooth CEO transition and retire at the end of the year.

Manfred Bracher has a long experience in specialty materials and coating business, having most recently served as COO of Surteco and, before that, as Executive Vice President of Hygiene & Industrial of RKW and Managing Director of Clopay Europe. The Austrian executive is an Engineer and holds a Ph.D. degree in Economics and Business Management from the University of Leoben.

Tomas Wulkan has been instrumental in leading the spinoff process where Munksjö Paper AB became an independent company majority owned by Ahlström Capital. Based on his deep industrial and commercial understanding, he provided Munksjö with a strategic direction and strengthened the company as a global leader in our industry. Tomas’ career spans over 30 years in fiber-based materials, including long tenures at SCA, Essity and Ahlstrom-Munksjö.

Jukka Moisio, Chairman of the Board of Directors, says: “The Board is confident with the appointment of Manfred. Munksjö’s long experience in the sector and the advances resulting from Tomas’ contribution in recent years, combined with Manfred’s expertise and leadership qualities, will allow the company to continue to strengthen and stand out as the customers’ preferred supplier and keep advancing toward its strategic goals of innovation and sustainability.”

“I am pleased to join Munksjö, a leader in decor paper, which has a strong reputation in the industry for its high-quality products and superior paper solutions. With the long history in paper manufacturing, a highly experienced team, and a strong operational footprint, Munksjö is well positioned to expand the business with its customers further and strengthen the global leadership position in our industry”, comments Manfred Bracher.

Tomas Wulkan: “I first got acquainted with Manfred when he was the CEO of Clopay Europe, where he was an important business partner to my previous employer SCA. More recently I have met him as an appreciated customer contact at Surteco, one of our top customers at Munksjö. Knowing Manfred from the past, I’m confident that Munksjö will continue to develop and reach new performance levels under his leadership. I wish him all the best in his new appointment”.

Joint distribution of pigments in Europe

BTC Europe, BASF’s European sales organization, and Sudarshan Chemical Industries, a manufacturer of high-quality pigments based in Pune, India, have signed an agreement on the distribution of organic and inorganic pigments as well as effect pigments in Europe. Both companies aim to leverage their expertise and industrial know-how to offer customers access to a broad portfolio of high-quality pigments for various industries.

“We are delighted to have found a strong partner in Sudarshan, who can supply us with high-quality pigments that cover the entire colour wheel,” said Jose Corral Montilla, managing director of BTC Europe. “Our customers will benefit from access to a wide range of premium pigments for different applications and industries. In addition, the collaboration between our two companies will allow us to expand our product portfolio to fit their needs, strengthening our competitive advantage in the pigments market.”

“By combining the advantages of our products with BTC Europe’s strong position in the chemical distribution market in Europe, we can jointly tap into new market potential for high-quality pigments,” said Milan Krumbe, General Manager Sudarshan Europe. “I am very much looking forward to working together and opening up new distribution channels for our products that serve a wide variety of industries and applications.”