INNOVATION TAKES POLE POSITION

With the development of cutting-edge technologies and the big inroads made by digital in the sector, timber & woodworking is innovating all along the value chain. Nowhere was this impetus more evident than among the winners of the Eurobois 2020 Awards.

“Timber must freshen up its image to attract more talent. Woodworking needs to entice career seekers by showcasing the sweeping changes in working methods brought about by innovation. That was a major criterion in our choice of winners,” explains Arnaud Godevin, head judge in the Eurobois 2020 Awards and principal of Ecole Superieure du Bois, the higher college of timber. Picking three winners out of nearly 40 entries and 13 finalists was a matter for long debate, with so many products offering innovative solutions to issues like safety, work strain, and of course production optimization. The judges, spoilt for choice, eventually decided to add three special mentions.

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Innovation in the construction industry

On the construction front, a trophy went by ROTHO BLAAS France for its “Spider” system. Timber construction has the wind in its sails, especially with the new environmental regulations looming and the public favour enjoyed by this material. The Spider taps into this momentum, offering a connection and reinforcement system for floor-and-post assemblies in multi-storey buildings. Certified, calculated, and optimized for CLT, LVL, and steel posts, it opens up new structural and architectural horizons.

Technological innovations

The judges also rewarded tools that place technology at the service of efficiency, practicality, accuracy, and safety.

Shaper Tools GMBH

One such example that united the judges was the Shaper Origin tool from SHAPER TOOLS GMBH, which revolutionizes routing operations. This highly compact CNC machine interprets hand movements as they follow a digital model on a screen. Precision servomotors automatically correct these movements to ensure perfect results on a broad variety of materials, all with an extremely short learning curve.

Spit Paslode

The proud recipient of the third trophy was fastening and drilling expert SPIT PASLODE for the first cordless 36V driller-plugger on the market to perform complete installation of a fastening. This innovation combines the functions of hammer, wrench, screwer, and drill in a single, battery-powered tool, thereby simplifying fastening operations and saving time while providing outstanding ergonomics.

Judges special mention

Felder

PCS - Preventive Contact System from FELDER earned itself a “special mention” from the judges for its safety performance. This system dedicated to stationary saws allays the risk of injury thanks to a revolutionary system that eliminates the possibility of skin contact with the blade.

Epur SAS

Also receiving a special mention was EPUR SAS with its OAKBOT, the first numerically controlled, portable carpentry robot. Innovative and accurate, it combines digital with mobility thanks to its trolley mounting. OAKBOT can machine carpentry items all on its own and its high productivity puts added value in the hands of companies.

Digibois

The judges’ final special mention went to Logistock, a mobile app from DIGIBOIS that lets forest exploitation and first-stage timber conversion professionals manage their activities and stocks from their telephones and tablets.

The 2020 edition of the Eurobois Awards was therefore one in which the sector’s industrial companies and manufacturers excelled in showing their ability to innovate and put the sector on the path to technological excellence. We leave the final word to the Judges’ chairman: “Innovation is an endless path. We can only encourage the sector’s stakeholders to keep up the good work and head back to Eurobois in 2022!”