Monday, October 22, 2018
During Stiles annual European Benchmarking Technology Tour, manufacturing professionals and leaders from across North America had the unique opportunity to experience behind-the-scenes tours of some of the most innovative, efficient, and productive manufacturing facilities in the world.
The event, which took place September 22 to 29, 2018, gave participants the opportunity to benchmark their own operations against global leaders in Germany and the Czech Republic, giving them a competitive advantage in the marketplace and equipping them with valuable knowledge and tools that will affect the overall success of their companies for years to come.
The tour kicked off in the Czech Republic, where attendees were welcomed into a variety of facilities ranging from highly advanced, automated production, to smaller family-owned shops who depend on world-class technology to meet the standards of quality and craftsmanship that have been a hallmark of the area for generations. Regardless of the size of the company, the common thread evident in each facility was a focus on technology and automation to meet rising consumer and customization demands. Participants experienced intelligent networked production systems that showcased innovative storage and retrieval technologies, batch size one capabilities, edge processing techniques, and finishing and packaging systems for a fully optimised production process from start to finish.
One of the tour highlights included a stop at HOMAG production facilities in Schopfloch, Germany, where Mr. Andreas Denker, VP of Sales and Marketing for HOMAG shared the latest technology trends including software solutions, newly designed machines with intelligent features, and digital breakthroughs made possible with tapio, the world’s first IoT platform designed to support the entire value chain of the woodworking industry from the palm of your hand.
In addition to gaining a behind-the-scenes look at how global leaders are addressing challenges and opportunities within the industry, attendees also enjoyed cultural experiences throughout the weeklong event including medieval cities, historic market squares and the ever popular Volksfest fall celebration in Stuttgart, Germany.
