Exhibitor News

Professional Woodworking Expo has changed a lot over the years. From organisers and format through to branding and identity, it has sometimes been hard to keep up — and for many in the industry it barely resembles the exhibition they remember from years ago.

But a great deal has changed across the woodworking sector too. Lockdown, material prices, energy costs and ongoing labour pressures have all reshaped the way many businesses operate. A lot has changed in a relatively short period of time and, in many ways, the show has evolved much like the industry itself has needed to. One thing the woodworking sector has always been good at, however, is adapting. Pressure tends to create ingenuity.

For large-scale manufacturers focused on major automation investment, today’s version of PWE may feel very different to the big machinery exhibitions of the past. TM Machinery’s own range reflects that breadth too. At one end of the scale sits the Striebig 4D — designed for higher-output automated production environments — but focusing solely on top-end automation at this year’s PWE would probably miss where much of the industry conversation currently sits.

For many workshops today, investment decisions have had to become far more considered. The priority is not simply bigger machinery, but improving workflow, handling, repeatability and production efficiency in commercially sustainable ways. For many small and medium-sized joinery businesses, the realities of day-to-day production remain — while the pressures surrounding them have increased significantly.

For many joinery businesses manufacturing kitchens, fitted furniture, interior projects or shopfitting, production, installation and finishing are often closely connected parts of the same process — sometimes handled by the same company from start to finish. Even where they are not, many UK workshops still operate within relatively local markets, where reputation — whether B2B or customer-facing — is often what a business ultimately stands or falls on.

Accuracy, consistency and finish in the workshop therefore have a direct impact on installation time, snagging, customer experience and reputation.

That is why TM Machinery will be at this year’s show with a Striebig Compact vertical panel saw and an AL-KO Power Unit 160 extraction system.

To learn more about Striebig Vertical Panel Saws, see our post Striebig Panel Saws: When Automation Outperforms Skill in Woodworking.

Big operational improvements do not always require huge investment. With the right machinery and workflow improvements in place, the impact is often felt throughout the wider production process — improving handling, consistency, finished quality and the working environment itself.

For many workshops, the priority is practical production improvements that can realistically be applied day to day — whether that is improving handling, increasing repeatability, reducing wasted movement or making better use of available workshop space.