A major industry symposium, being held one day prior to the start of the International Woodworking Machinery & Furniture Supply Fair (IWF,) will focus on how to switch to more environmentally friendly finishes and technologies, while staying productive and profitable at the same time.
Industrial Wood Finishing 2008: From Lean to Green and in Between,” will be held Aug. 19th at the Georgia World Congress Center, home of IWF. The event is being organized by the Centre for Advanced Wood Processing (CAWP) at the University of British Columbia in collaboration with Wood & Wood Products magazine and IWF. Becker Acroma, a supplier of industrial water-based wood finishes based in Brantford, ON, is a major sponsor of the event.
The program will begin with a keynote presentation by Carl Smith, president of the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute, a non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program. GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments and buildings with the goal of improving public health and quality of life. Wood finishes, laminates, and office and institutional furniture are among the products that GEI certifies.
The program will also include case studies detailing best practices from a diverse range of North American wood products companies:
- Steelcase of Grand Rapids, MI, the world’s largest manufacturer of office furniture, will explain how they are creating a sustainable competitive advantage through a pioneering environmental strategy.
- Leda Furniture of Toronto, ON, a long-established manufacturer of residential and contract furniture, will discuss how lean manufacturing principles have recently been applied to the installation and integration of a modern finishing line within the factory.
- Rosati Specialties of Clinton, MI, an architectural woodwork finishing company, will outline the transition of their operations from manual spraying and the use of traditional solvent-based stains to automation and the adoption of an environmentally-friendly finishing system green coating technologies.
- M and J Woodcrafts of Delta, BC, a manufacturer of cabinet doors, will describe how it has attained and maintained its reputation as a pioneer in environmental compliance and workplace safety.
The symposium will also feature a technical presentation by UBC’s Dr. Philip Evans, who will share new research information on grain-raising, sanding and finish quality that has important implications for process improvements and finishing results.
For information on the event please contact CAWP (1-866-822-2297).
Online registration (through IWF web site): http://www.iwfatlanta.com/IWF2008TechnicalConference/
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