Impressions at the end of BIFE-SIM 2018

BIFE-SIM 2018 is over. It's been a busy 5 days, with meetings, discussions, visits, videos, presentations. We had our stand among the machines and we took advantage of this to inform ourselves and see as many of them as possible. But now I want to give you some impressions.

Pavilion B1 - Machinery and tools

It was the busiest pavilion, and the move to the new pavilion was beneficial for machinery dealers. The high, generously sized hall is a much more suitable space for showcasing machinery. Exhibitors were able to display more machines without the place being cramped, and visitors were able to watch them in operation without having to squeeze around them.

Most of the machine dealers presented machines ranging from basic carpentry machines - circular, vertical saw, abricht - to canting machines and CNCs for all kinds of processing. There is much greater interest in processing wood-based panels - chipboard, MDF - but wood is not forgotten either.

My opinion is that the offer was for all types of manufacturers - from workshops to large factories - even to large distributors. Here I must say that my opinion differs from Calin'sfrom Massive Oak. I think that the mere fact that they have Start Up Nation offers is a signal that they are also interested in smaller businesses or those that are just starting up.

We saw cant applicators with state-of-the-art laser technology (in the stands EET or MS), next to small machines that could be placed in a slightly larger workshop. Felder had two stands, one dedicated to large industrial and one to classic woodworking machinery. Hammer's solutions for small workshops are another argument in favor of a major player in the machinery sector's interest in small businesses with a desire to grow. At Accessory I saw a Vitap cant application machine, designed especially for small factories where lack of space is a big problem.

The CNCs were the main attraction and the demonstrations attracted many visitors who had come specifically for such machines. It was obvious that the exhibiting companies came with technicians and specialists who had answers to all questions. We saw them continuously surrounded by interested people at the stands Wood IQ, DanibrumAt the Accesoria stand we saw the Point K2 Top CNC Point K2, awarded this year for innovation at Xylexpo, which we presented in detail here, and at Danibrum a Lohmeyer CNC that simultaneously drills holes on 5 sides of the plate (during the demonstration I witnessed 70 holes were drilled in about a minute).

Another argument in favor of interest for all categories of buyers was the presence of hand tools on the stands. On the EET stand, in addition to heavy-duty machines for large factories, AEG and Mirka hand tools were demonstrated. Festool was present with its own stand, as well as on some of the machine distributors' stands.

A pleasant surprise was the presence of anthropomorphic robots in the stands Falk Consulting and Romservice. These robots fascinate me and I find the movement of those robotic arms hypnotic.

The outdoor platform seemed to have fewer exhibitors compared to previous years. As usual, Wood Mizer was present with primary processing machines. New this year was the inclusion in the offer of advanced processing machines - planing machines, 4-side profiling machines, CNCs - following the acquisition of the Swedish company MOReTENs AB.

Overall the fair looked good in the machinery area and I'd like to think that we had a contribution to the influx of visitors. The articles presenting the companies' offerings attracted interested entrepreneurs, even from outside the borders of the current timber market. We had confirmation from people who stopped by our booth to tell us that they had visited the dealers we wrote about to talk about CNCs or that, for lack of manpower, they had come from Vaslui to see the anthropomorphic robot mentioned in the magazine. These are facts that confirm that our work is useful, that the market is widening its borders, and we thank our partners who have trusted us and allowed us to bring a new breath of fresh air to the woodworking industry.

Pavilion B1 - Auxiliary

Unfortunately, there was a noticeable lack of varnish and paint brands and adhesive brands. Only one adhesives company was present offering contact adhesives. The abrasives side was represented by 3 companies and one wood putty company was also present.

Also in this area were companies with paneling or wood offerings, but we also encountered companies with such offerings in the B2 pavilion dedicated to furniture and furniture accessories. With solid panels and laminated beams were the firms Vascony and Glulam.

But the absolute novelty of the billboards caught my attention Accessory namely the Sensations for furniture fronts. The collection comprises 4 categories, but Print I particularly liked it - panels (of any type) veneered with resin veneer, printed and machined (some of them even by hand) to have a structured look. These patterns look amazing. They are ready printed wood panels that suggest either different species of wood or the passage of time.

Pavilion B2 - Furniture and furniture accessories

Accustomed in years past to a pavilion for each type of furniture - classics, kitchens, etc - and the lack of a much more visible demarcation made it difficult to find your way around in such a large hall. I was surprised by the mixture of furniture stands or wooden stairs and steps with cushion and textile stands.

The Romanian presence was weaker than in previous years. There were some of the big and established companies - Mobex, Simex, Sarmexim - but others that I was used to seeing at this event (MC Mobili) were missing. A notable presence was Mark Oliver, with a Western stand and tables somewhat bucking the trend. The tops of their tables are thin and you almost can't believe they won't flex when you put your hand on them.

Furniture manufacturers collaborating with young designers stand out - Bucin Mob, MOOD. The furniture is different, new, fresh, original. There used to be a Design Salon, but placing objects - many and diverse - together diminishes the appeal of each.

The kitchen showroom was mobbed at the weekend and there was something for everyone. Interest is mostly in open-close systems or other accessories that often make all the difference. In the kitchen area there was also Global Design which has chosen to present this year's novelties in MDF panels - highly resistant surfaces, with perfect gloss or with the possibility of antiquing.

In the furniture area, we came across two less usual presences in furniture salons: the Rubio Monocoat with wood oils (the only representation of wood finishing) and the representatives Annie Sloan, which had demonstrations of finishing techniques and furniture transformations.

The lack of Romanian manufacturers was compensated by the presence of companies from Moldova, Ukraine, Turkey and Poland. There was quite a lot of furniture from the Republic of Moldova, with the Association of Moldovan Furniture Producers present with a stand.

What did attending BIFE-SIM 2018 mean for us?

We had proof that we have a good product and that we are on the right track. The online information we provide reaches those who are interested, and the printed magazine is a valued combination of content and information about product and service providers. The growing number of people who choose to subscribe to the printed Wood Magazine, despite free access to online information, reinforces our belief that we have a quality product. And for this we once again thank our partners who contribute through us to informing the market and who have had the confidence to leave it in our hands to promote their services and products.