PANEL MANUFACTURING
would end up being reformatted by the furniture companies anyway — which is true,” he said. And because of the less stringent quality checks, IMA Schelling’s solutions are not as popular in Asia- Pacific. Most of IMA Schelling’s cutting and handling solutions, especially when combined, can be “imposing”, as described by Rusev, because they are all fully automated and entirely suited for industrial-sized factories. Could this be another reason why IMA Schelling’s handling solutions do not do well in Asia-Pacific? Rusev explained that is not the case at all. Even though Asia-Pacific might be slower than Europe in terms of adopting automated technology, most factories in Asia for the wood panel industry “are there already”. Some of IMA Schelling’s Asian customers have bought the automatic handling solutions from them as well. In fact, the aforementioned Malaysian fibre cement manufacturer boasts one of the most highly automated cutting cells in the fibre cement market. Of course, this does mean IMA Schelling’s products are premium-priced. And in a region which is price-sensitive, more so than their European counterparts, this can deter customers from buying. But Rusev pointed out that their price tag is justifiable: “Reliability wise, we are at the top of the pyramid. It is what individualises us and why we would recommend our solutions. There is nothing to hide.” Even so, IMA Schelling is aware of their competition with Chinese manufacturers, who are popular in Asia-Pacific for their price point. To reach a little closer to their competitors in terms of budget, IMA Schelling has collaborated with partners in China on cheaper technology components that they will integrate in their lines. “We will offer that to our Asian customers when it comes to it,” he said. P
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belts, the storage systems, and the packaging of finished panels.
When asked about why IMA Schelling’s solutions are more in demand in Europe than in Asia, Rusev explained that panels produced in Europe need to have a certain dimensional precision and quality requirements to the finished and sanded boards, whereas in Asia, panel producers are not as stringent in terms of the precision. “Even for huge panel manufacturers in Thailand, they are okay with some dimensional issues in the panels they produce because the boards
LEGEND 1 IMA Schelling can
automate panel storage systems
Rusev explained what their handling solutions include: “Pressed and formed panels will be transported with our automatic conveyor systems — for instance, roller, multi-chain or belt conveyors — and stored inside a storage room. We do not build the storage itself, but we specialise in installing intelligent systems that automate the storage process, using vacuum lifters and lifting tables, making the process more seamless.”
2 IMA Schelling helped to
automate panel storage systems
Images: IMA Schelling
34 PANELS & FURNITURE ASIA | SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2024
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