Hannover, Germany. As the trade show with the world's widest range of processing machinery for wood construction, LIGNA 2023 will examine the focus topic "Prefab Building Processes" from all angles. After all, timber house construction has gained massive market share over conventional construction methods in recent years. As a natural and renewable raw material, wood ensures a lower CO2 impact during the production and construction of timber houses than other building materials. In addition, timber houses are becoming increasingly cost-efficient - a trend that can be further enhanced by optimizing prefabrication processes. This is because the prefabrication of wall and ceiling elements including doors and windows, complete roof trusses, stairs and much more, which can be preassembled under controlled conditions, helps achieve higher quality as well as faster construction times in timber construction. For example, CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) has become increasingly popular in recent years. Demand for CLT is expected to continue to increase in the future, which could result in growth of more than 30 percent for CLT lines in the coming years.

Sustainable housing and building production requires rethinking

Darko Zimbakov, who as Executive Vice President at WEINMANN Holzbausystemtechnik GmbH is responsible for the Construction Elements Solutions division, explains the solutions his company will be proposing at LIGNA 2023 to help users around the world get started in sustainable housing and building production: "Only industrial prefabrication and the intelligent combination of sustainable materials such as wood will make it possible to meet climate targets and sustainability at the same time as demand increases. In addition, standardized processes provide the basis for quality assurance, inspection and approval time reductions, and shorter construction times. Weinmann covers the entire process chain and, through the consulting services of SCHULER Consulting, also enables customers and investors in regions where timber house construction still plays a subordinate role to enter the sustainable housing and building production."

Wide range of prefabrication products at LIGNA 2023

At LIGNA 2023, visitors will be able to experience the entire prefabrication process, from planning to machining and processing to logistics in the plant, as well as to and on the construction site. For example, in Hannover, Sweden's Randek - a major player in prefabrication in wood construction with its combination of technological advances and decades of experience - will be showcasing everything from simple machines for use on construction sites to complex systems with robotic elements for large production plants. The German company Reichenbacher Hamuel GmbH will also be demonstrating at LIGNA 2023 why it plays an important role in timber construction. With its wide range of products and expertise, the specialist in CNC machining of complete wall and ceiling elements helps construction companies save time and thus costs, while improving the quality of their work.

LIGNA 2023 puts the spotlight on prefabrication processes with customized formats

The special formats at LIGNA 2023 on the focus topic of "Prefab Building Processes" will address how the individual process steps in prefabrication can be harmonized with current trends in wood construction - for example, elementization and standardization, multi-storey wood construction, hybrid buildings, modular buildings and serial construction. For example, the Hybrid Guided Tours in German and English will provide special interest groups with the right contacts at the world's leading trade show in Hannover. And the expert presentations on the LIGNA.Stage, with current lighthouse projects, best-practice examples from exhibitors, IT topics and the latest research findings, pick up visitors from all over the world who have a need for implementable solutions. The presentation of the German Timber Construction Award, which is organized by Holzbau Deutschland and held under the patronage of the German Federal Minister of Construction, also pays tribute to the focus topic of "Prefab Building Processes”. The well-established "Zimmerertag" on May 16, 2023, will also take up the topic.

The world's leading trade fair with a global range of tools, machinery and equipment for woodworking and wood processing will be held in Hanover from May 26 to 30, 2025.