The LIGNA.Forum includes the following clusters: Processing of Plastics and Composites, Smart Surface Technology, Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions, Processing of Additively Manufactured Work-Pieces, and Wood Construction (Building with Beech).

The LIGNA.Forum will be held in Hall 11 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m. daily over the first four days of LIGNA ­ that is, from Monday, 27 May, to Thursday, 30 May. Each day's program consists of a series of 20-minute presentations on the above theme areas by top-notch speakers and subject experts. There will also be a number of presentations from the research community. Each presentation will be given either in English or German.

The Monday morning session is headlined "Processing of Plastics and Composites" and examines the challenges of machining plastics and composites and looks at the similarities and differences between wood and composites in terms of process design and process requirements. The thematic focus encompasses tool design and work-piece quality requirements. Other presentation topics include machining solutions for composites (lightweight materials), clamping technologies for thin-wall CFRP components, and system solutions comprising CNC aggregates and tools. The "Processing of Plastics and Composites" theme is continued on the Wednesday morning. Attendees at this session will gain a wealth of valuable information on such matters as selecting the right machining aggregates, clamping systems and software for the desired outcomes; using predictive maintenance with individually controllable drilling drives, and machining CFRP materials using diamond tools. The session will also feature a presentation on effective and safe extraction solutions for plastics and fiber-reinforced composites.

The Monday afternoon session is themed "Smart Surface Technology" and includes a presentation on high-definition direct industrial digital printing solutions for the panel products, flooring and furniture industries. Attendees at this session will learn about the applications and benefits of these technologies, and how digital direct printing is driving the transformation of the wood industry and opening up completely new possibilities for applying decorative designs to wood.

The session also includes a presentation on new tactile finishes for 3D wood surfaces; industrial processes and technologies for sanding and finishing 3D surfaces; and painting systems equipped with robots and membrane presses. Whether hand-planed, embossed or sawn, 3D finishing effects such as wave patterns result in products that create authentic tactile and visual user experiences. Another of the afternoon presentations deals with hot coating, focusing on a number of exciting new applications that can give products valuable new characteristics. The "Smart Surface Technology" theme area is picked up again on the Thursday, with coverage of high-gloss finishing and spray-coating technologies. This main theme area also includes a presentation by Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences titled "From Product Specification and Verification to Process Qualification – VDI Guidelines Can Help".

Another of the forum's presentation series is inspired by the LIGNA focus theme of "Integrated Woodworking – Customized Solutions". It covers a broad array of topics, including solutions for improved risk management in planning and construction processes, new ideas for load securing in the wood industry, and pioneering visions and solutions for networked woodworking. The series includes eagerly anticipated presentations on digitization in the woodworking trades and industry, viewed from the perspective of professionals and practitioners in woodworking, industry and research. Among the highlights of this series is a presentation by Siempelkamp on digitization from the viewpoint of an integrated systems supplier. The main thing that the Big Data, Industry 4.0 and Digital Factory trends all have in common is that they involve the intelligent use of data that are collected in industrial plants. Against this background, the Siempelkamp presentation will focus on the current state of the art in intelligent process control technology and process modeling and outline a range of new trends, including the development of self-optimizing panel products plants.

Thanks to its superior strength and rigidity, structural beech timber supports large span widths and can be used to create slim-line structures with high load-bearing capacities. Not surprisingly, it is a hot topic at the LIGNA.Forum. The Tuesday afternoon session will explore new possibilities in engineered beech timber; smart hybrid construction with beech laminated veneer lumber (LVL); machines for joining beech LVL; and the opportunities and risks associated with coating beech LVL.

Trade schools, polytechnics, technical colleges and universities will use the LIGNA.Forum to present their latest R&D findings and projects and to provide information on their education and training programs. This part of the program is themed "Campus" and forms the afternoon session on Thursday, 30 May. It covers a broad array of topics, including "Textile Tectonics for Timber Construction", the use of oil palm timber for industrial products; and the role of dust testing in ensuring the safe operation of woodworking machines. The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA) will give a lecture which, among other things, will outline new developments in industrial health and safety and new approaches to dust and chip collection. The lecture will also present solutions for the energy-efficient and effective collection of chip waste produced during 3 and 5-axis machining of engineered wood products and fiber-reinforced plastics.

With its in-depth and broad content offering, the presentation program at the LIGNA.Forum in Hall 11 is an absolute must for anyone seeking to gain an understanding of the latest products, applications, solutions and challenges in the wood industry and pick up a wealth of technical knowledge from leading industry experts.

Among the companies sponsoring the LIGNA.Forum are Dietrich's Datenverarbeitungsgesellschaft für Handel und Produktion AG (Neubiberg), H.B. Fuller Europe GmbH (Zurich), the Homag Group AG (Schopfloch) and the SCM Group S.p.A. (Rimini).