System partnerships between industrial robot manufacturers, programming specialists and mechanical engineers play a decisive role in the implementation of robotics solutions. Interested businesses will find representatives of all these sectors at LIGNA. In its Factory Automation showcase, Siemens demonstrates with its open, modular Sinumerik architecture how easily controls can be adapted to an existing machine’s operational philosophy. Beckhoff Automation promotes its unified automation platform for all robot types. B&R Industrie Elektronik is presenting the Power Panel 500, computer-based controls that cover even the most complex robot applications whilst ensuring the highest security standards. On the end-user side, Homag is exhibiting as one of the leading specialists for robot-supported construction of production cells. Our robotic colleagues are also increasingly found in woodworking. The world's first building with a robot-manufactured hardwood beech frame was erected in Gmünd, Germany in 2015. Minda sorting robots are working successfully in glued laminated timber manufacturing. With its cleverly designed, modular PUR laminate building set, Bürkle shows how widespread robot applications have become. Möhringer uses vacuum robots for automatic stacking in sawmill engineering.

Robots have also gained permanent footholds in painting, grinding, polishing and assembling. LIGNA exhibitor MAKA, in collaboration with Siemens, demonstrates how easily robots can be integrated into manufacturing: The "Run my Robot" option enables complete programming and operation of the robot using the CNC interface.

A host of innovations like these await visitors at LIGNA 2017, both in the new "Machine components and automation technology" display and in the many other sections of the show. Everyone – whether from industry or the skilled trades – gets the full picture at LIGNA.