1990s' trends lead to... 21st century predictions.

Woodworking industry executives name their top choices for the most significant trends and developments to impact their businesses this decade.

Future events are often predicated on past occurrences. So to determine where the woodworking industry is headed in the next millennium, Wood & Wood Products asked executives to take a moment to reflect on the significant trends and developments impacting the woodworking industry in the 1990s.

Responses to the questionnaire ran the gamut, with comments covering such topics as CNC technology, tooling trends and just-in-time production, as well as software developments, adhesive developments and labor and education needs. Executives also discussed additional trends affecting laminating, veneering and solid and composite wood usage.

Machine & Tooling Technology Tops the List

Overwhelmingly, manufacturers cited CNC technology as the number one factor influencing woodworking production in the 1990s, followed by improvements in cutting tool technology and other machine advances.

"(I would have to say) the most significant trend in the woodworking industry in the 1990s has been the development of computer numeric control (CNC)," said Rudi Stockinger, Adwood Corp. "CNC-based machinery offers greatly reduced set-up times. The technology is now becoming affordable for small- to medium-size shops," he added.

"With the introduction and use of computers came efficient control and operation of woodworking machines, ease of operation and efficiency that had been virtually unknown before," said Werner Deuring, Schelling Inc.

"Today, computers and optimization have been refined and certainly have become a standard in the industry. The trend for today's woodworking companies is to integrate individual pieces of equipment, not only into the manufacturing process, but also the planning and scheduling process," Deuring added.

John Gangone of SCMI Corp./Tekna Advanced Technologies agreed. "The 1990s have been characterized by the search and need to bring in flexibility which has been requested by both large and small companies. Responding to this stimulus, woodworking equipment manufacturers are now providing solutions for equipment and processes, which enable them to reduce downtime and facilitate faster equipment setup. Further, these advancements reduce the work in process and aim for just-in-time production.

"CNC working centers, once a very expensive commodity limited to only a few companies, have lately become available to small shops. By the nature of their business, (the small shops) need flexible equipment even more than the larger companies since their production runs are based upon small lots or a single component," Gangone added.

"To me, the most significant trend has been the introduction and refinement of machine computerization," said Kurt Waldthausen, Holz-Her. "This trend has provided the woodworking industry with new opportunities for exponential productivity gains. The opportunity to design products on CAD-CAM software in the office and to be able to communicate and translate the designs of these point-to-point boring machines and routers, as well as edge-banders, represents a quantum leap. It is also providing new and exciting job opportunities in the woodworking industry and upgrading the profile and perception of job opportunities in our industry."

"The CNC router and CNC tooling have changed the flow, the process and productivity in home and office furniture, KD products, cabinets, store fixtures and practically every production woodworking facility," said Steve O'Brien, Onsrud Cutter Inc, "One CNC router has replaced many manual and semi-automatic operations in both a batch and cellular manufacturing environment. It has become the workhorse of woodworking."

"CNC has allowed manufacturers more flexibility to produce products more quickly," said Dave Freund, Saber Diamond Tools. "In conjunction, that type of equipment has led into using longer-life, higher-quality tools."

Terry Pennell of Gladu Inc. concurred with O'Brien's and Freund's assessments. "(I believe) the most significant trend in the 1990s has been the increased use of CNC equipment - routers, panel saws, optimizers and double-end machines - to increase the rate of production while minimizing labor requirements. Tooling that is able to match the precision of CNC machinery and hold up over time, such as insert and diamond, continues to be sought out."

Steve Hirsch, also of Gladu, added, "The most significant trend in the residential furniture market has been the conversion of tipped tooling to insert tooling. The economic benefits have been numerous. By design, cutting circles never vary, profiles remain the same and chip removal is engineered, reducing cutting forces. The cut is so slick, sanding is rarely required."

"Speed of cutting a product, fewer cutting operations to produce the end product and demanding close tolerances are being addressed with investments in better machinery and tooling, which was unthinkable 10 years ago," added Robert Henkey, Lach Diamond Inc.

In addition to citing CNC and tooling developments, manufacturers also commented on the influence of technological advancements as they pertain to specific types of machinery, i.e., point-to-point boring machines, sanders and scanning equipment.

"The adaptation of the point-to-point drill or work center has been the most significant trend of the 1990s," said Steve Waltman, Stiles Machinery Inc. "I believe that this machine has done more to leverage plant capacity than any other machine. The simple fact of being computer-driven eliminates most production pitfalls of a manual solution; providing accuracy, flexibility, safety and repeatability."

Software's Impact on Production

According to many manufacturers, software also has had a dramatic impact on the woodworking industry, particularly in the field of design and optimization.

"Impacting the woodworking industry in the 1990s has been the advancement of software and computers for manufacturing, primarily the introduction of solid modeling technology for woodworking," said Roger Taylor, Cabinet Vision Inc. "This now allows manufacturers to create models of projects with enough flexibility and accuracy to drive CNC machinery directly with total automation."

"The integration of PCs into the manufacturing process is transforming the office and production floor into one - from a manufacturing information sharing point of view; not inventory control, which had been with us for some time and is a well-developed technology," said Ruth Tutterow, Delmac Machinery Group (DMG).

"Product design, testing, machining and assembly can now be performed concurrently. High-speed Pentium processors handle voluminous amounts of data, plus the machines have now been put into the information loop. Today, the small- to medium-size shop can network, use bar coding for program recall as well as inventory control, and reap the benefits of automated manufacturing without spending a lot of money," she added.

"From our standpoint, computers have enabled us to develop products much quicker," said Gianni Cavassa, Salice. "Our research and development utilizes full CAD programming for hardware, and consequently we have been able to design hinges and connecting fittings which are much more user-friendly," he added.

"From a software perspective, the world is entering a new era, one which will greatly impact the furniture industry," added Kevin Bidner, 20-20 Computer Design. "Over the last five years, the software industry has gone 'object oriented,' meaning that the information set about the products you build can be loaded with intelligence and a level of detail never before available. A richer information set about the furniture object gives software using this object much more to work with, allowing whole new levels of functionality to be developed in the program."

"In addition, and perhaps even more important, software companies around the world are starting to come together and agree on standards for the development of this intelligent information," said Bidner. "This is very important news, because it would allow a single source of data to be used for many different software programs in the enterprise."

"Dramatic developments in computer software and the addition of PC-based computer control of machine tools has opened truly incredible options for woodworkers," added Jim Eckberg, Komo Machine.

"Where CNC machine programming was once an isolated production activity, it can now be an integrated process with product design, inventory control and many other aspects of the whole manufacturing process. Nested-based technologies and other optimization software may also now be applied right at the machine tool to decrease material waste, increase throughput and report back results. It is now possible to link customer orders to finished machine code for part production without any separate, manual programming steps," Eckberg added.

Streamlining Production for JIT 

Along with improvements in technology and software, the 1990s has also heralded increased pressure on many manufacturers to reduce their inventory levels and produce products on a just-in-time basis.

"(Many) companies could no longer maintain large inventories of manufactured goods and still keep their heads above water. Just-in-time has forced woodworkers to react to orders in a faster turnaround than they were accustomed to," said Gary Metzgar, North American Products.

"JIT has shifted the burden and cost of maintaining inventory from manufacturers to their suppliers. It also requires manufacturers and suppliers to work together more closely, and both must streamline their operations to meet the demands of JIT," said David Thomsson, Brookside Veneers Ltd.

"The combination of short-run quantities and short lead times, as dictated by the JIT order and production environment, has made wood products manufacturers reduce their turnaround times to periods previously unheard of. Further, it has forced them to review their production methods and eliminate every non-value added step in the process to save not only time, but also cost," said Bill Pitt, Holzma=U.S.

"This production environment has emphasized the importance of CNC machines with off-line setup and software, to both ready a job into a manufacturing plant, and also to run the machines in that plant," Pitt added.

Labor and Education

Despite all the advances in technology, many of those interviewed noted that the greatest challenge continuing to face U.S. woodworking companies is a shortage of skilled labor.

"In the 1990s, there has been a trend by machinery manufacturers to focus on building machinery for the small- to medium-size shop that simplifies setups and makes it efficient to do short runs without losing quality and efficiency. But even with downsizing and large layoffs, there still is a real shortage of skilled labor, and having the right machinery and the right people is the only way to maintain efficiency and still be competitive in a global market," said Sam Stoltzfus, Keystone Wood Specialties.

Jean Simkins, Black Bros., concurred. "I believe the trend with the most impact in the 1990s has been the computerization and automation of equipment to reduce the number and the skill level of workers required to run a system or process. The industry cannot find enough good skilled workers who want to work in factories. Also, machines don't call in sick or take vacation days; they don't need workmen's compensation, etc."

"Industry finally realized that it had to become competitive with all other major manufacturing industries. This spurred investment in new technology, particularly in CNC-controlled production equipment," said Peter Kleinschmidt, Stiles Machinery Inc. "Industrial production methods are used to reduce unit cost and compensate for a diminishing pool of traditional woodworking skills. While significant increases in productivity are achieved, especially by smaller- and medium-size woodworking shops, larger companies are still hampered by the lack of skilled workers," he added.

"During the '80s, there was a push by education to provide hands-on experience in woodworking," said Linda Wyant, Safranek Enterprises Inc. "This has changed. In the past eight to nine years, education has taken the easy way and now presents woodworking from a computer standpoint...or has eliminated the choice altogether.... We have had to broaden the base of our instructions. There are six states currently trying to get the hands-on experience back into high schools. The surprise is that these states are all low-population areas," she added.

Additional Trends in the '90s

"Certainly from the solid wood side of the industry, the higher prices and lower availability of quality lumber has caused most woodworking companies to invest in optimizing their wood usage and developing new products or materials. Just some examples are the increased purchases of optimizing cross-cut and length-cutting systems, more fingerjointing, MDF and 3-layered wood flooring," said Jeff Davidson, Michael Weinig Inc.

Deanne Beckwith, Sorbilite, also noted the expanded use of composites in the wood products industry, particularly in furniture and laminate flooring. "The reasons for this are: structural integrity and flexibility that can be engineered into composite boards; superior machinability; quality control and less by-product loss; and economic savings."

The laminate flooring market has also brought many U.S. manufacturers into global competition. "Companies that were operating in a country or continent are now expanding their operations worldwide. This is bringing about new challenges for most of the players in the marketplace. As long as corporations respect the regional differences, the future looks quite promising, since product development should progress to the benefit of the industry," said Yves Normand, NRA Inc.

"The improvements that have been made in the printing of wood grains by the Japanese and Americans have considerably reduced the use of wood in furniture, fixtures, etc. This trend should continue for years to come as technology allows printers to more closely duplicate the look of wood," said Teresa Mansfield, International Paper.

"Paper laminating is also an important issue," said Al Thilo, Northway. "But in order for paper laminating to be successful, the board people are going to have to be able to produce a finer face panel. With the thin papers today, any board imperfections just telegraph right through," he added.

"Linking manufacturers and fabricators more closely to achieve higher levels of customer satisfaction and efficiency will make a strong impact in the future. The use of veneers in high-pressure laminate has created a stir in the industry; this may become the new trend setter in the future," Mansfield added.

Mike DiGiuro, Flexible Materials, also addressed veneer's growing popularity, in particular its impact on profile wrapping.

"In the wood veneer business, the 1990s has been a period where the concept of profile wrapping has come into its own. While profile wrapping has been around for 50 years, the proliferation of new equipment, better adhesive systems and more acceptance in the market has allowed veneer-wrapped profiles to mushroom into a very significant market segment. These wrapped profiles have become an integral part of much of the residential furniture, office furniture and kitchen cabinets not only in North America but all over the world.

"The development of the membrane press to produce wood veneer cabinet door inserts has promoted the use of wrapped profiles for the stiles and rails of these same doors. Wrapping very large profiles has led to the development of furniture designs not previously possible or cost effective, particularly in the residential furniture market. Wrapping profiles with wood veneer is also a significant step in conservation of dwindling timber resources. Not only is the wrapping of veneer on engineered substrates cost effective and design oriented, it allows production of parts that were previously structurally unrealistic. In addition, it solves many of the problems of warping, twisting, splitting or other problems typical to solid lumber," DiGiuro said.

"The improvements in equipment and adhesives has also allowed the wrapping of nonwood-based substrates such as aluminum, PVC, fiberglass, etc. This has allowed production of parts that carry mechanical mechanisms, electrical power or other electronic cabling systems," DiGiuro added.

"Clearly for us, the largest impact in the 1990s has been in the veneer sanding industry," said Tim Mueller, Timesavers. "More companies are being forced to use veneers where solids have been used in the past. This has brought to the marketplace new technologies in segmented platens."

John Peele, Barr-Mullin, offered another viewpoint. "The most significant trend or development to impact the woodworking industry in the 1990s is the development and implementation of lumber-scanning technology, particularly in the areas of lumber optimization. Wood product manufacturers benefit from this technology not only from the aspect of reduced labor costs, but also in improved quality, higher yield and increased production."

"The modern woodworking industry is more willing to embrace change than in previous eras," noted Chris Likly, National Starch and Chemical. "The elimination of solvents and the subsequent transition to waterborne or 100 percent solids adhesive systems have created new process demands. These new demands are a direct result of the new adhesive systems' operating characteristics and interactions with substrates and the operating environments.

"As a result of implementing the changes required to bring these new adhesive systems on line, the process operator has seen higher rates of productivity than before," Likly added.

Donn Wilber, Valendrawers, offered another viewpoint on manufacturing trends for the 1990s. "The most important trend in the 1990s has been the development of specialized manufacturing. Specialization has impacted a great number of industrial activities around the globe, playing a vital role as manufacturers search for leaner and more economical production techniques," he said.

"Generally speaking, furniture production today is far leaner than it was 10 years ago. Many component parts which were once produced in-house are now supplied by outside vendors and this increases the flexibility and productivity of the manufacturer. In addition, vendor-supplied components provide improved quality while costs are reduced substantially. The increase in productivity that lean manufacturing techniques provide has only just begun to impact the furniture industry as a whole," Wilber added.

With regards to hardware components, Marte Yerkins at Julius Blum Inc. said, "I feel the most significant trend for the cabinet industry in the 1990s is the use of concealed hinges in frame cabinets. In the early '90s, only a handful of stock cabinet companies were using concealed hinges and only the high-end custom makers opted for this style of hardware. Now we see the majority of all frame cabinet producers using concealed hinges. This has moved companies to produce new lines of frame cabinet concealed hinges that are closer in cost to the old barrel-type hinges that they replaced."

Jutta Bott, Mepla, also commented on hardware trends in the '90s. "The growing demands of the consumer (for) more sophisticated products has impacted the woodworking industry in the 1990s. Door hardware, for example, has followed a trend to toolless installation, allowing the installer to decide at the job site about such important issues as opening angle and function. Opening angles have also become greater to allow for easier access to the cabinet's interior," she said.

Kevin Bastian contributed to this article.