A journey into hi-speed automation, smart production & order customization
Correspondents from three international woodworking media probed, picked and pondered the tech secrets of Taiwan's woodworking machinery factories during an exclusive press insider tour. From March 3rd to 7th they investigated how Taiwan has become one of the four largest woodworking machinery exporting countries in the world.
The factory visits came just before Wood Taiwan 2015 which is organized by TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council) and TWMA (Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association).
Joining the expedition through woodworking machinery country were Michael Hobohm from Germany (HOB DIE HOLZBEARBEITUNG), Bernie Bottens from the U.S. (WOODWORKING NETWORK), and Seiji Furugohri from Japan (MACHINING CORE). Their three-day visits probed the cluster across Taichung City that brought them to such big name makers as Kuang Yung, Leadermac, Anderson Group, Innovator Machinery, Hipoint, Boarke and Cheng Kuang.
The main attraction of the tour was Taiwan's high speed automation, smart production and its agility in customizing client orders.
The reporters first witness Kuang Yung in Fengyuan District demonstrating its rip saw machines that comes with hydraulic and glide lock spindle conversion and a laser scanning system. Its scanner has been highly praised for cutting production waste. Next came Leadermac who demonstrated its 4-side moulder that uses a programmable console for easy cut setting in thickness and width and individual motor driven spindle that features powerful moulding, easy control and variable feed speeds.
Later the press were treated to a demonstration in the upgrading of Taiwan woodworking machinery with the Anderson Group 4-in-1 functionality panel furniture production line, Innovator Machinery's single knife veneer guillotines with a unique safety locker at the front end of the knife beam, Hipoint's edge banding machine capable of banding materials as thin as 0.4mm, Boarke's 5 axis CNC machine center that runs on a 12 blades automatic tool changing system (ATC), and Cheng Kuang's auto polishing machine with automatic round-trip movements.
The woodworking machinery industry in Taiwan has developed for almost six decades with the beginning as a re-sell agent for European, American and Japanese models. Now over 80% content in average of its woodworking machinery is locally made.
MIT woodworking machinery last year saw annual export value surge to a six year high, with a 15.4% increase on the previous year with record high sales of USD $585 million. The industry range covers from sawing, planing, boring, finger-jointing, tenoning, veneering, sanding, polishing machinery to portable tools, blades and CNC machines.
Wood Taiwan 2015 will serve as the industry's leading woodworking machinery procurement platform when it unfolds July 2nd to 5th at NANGANG Exhibition Hall to join 200 leading domestic and foreign exhibitors who are using 1,200 booths. Top 10 exhibit highlights are CNC routers, woodworking tools, rip saws, double-sided thickness planers, CNC boring machines, panel saws, sander machines, tenoning machines, edge banding machines, and polishing & buffing machines.
For pre-registration and other details on Wood Taiwan 2015, click: www.woodtaiwan.com
