Schopfloch 19/06/2011

LIGNA 2011: HOMAG proceeds against plagiarists

The HOMAG Group has taken decisive action against the company SCM/Morbidelli, obtaining an interim injunction by court order at the LIGNA 2011. The move was prompted by an imitation of the safety technology safeScan developed and patented by HOMAG Holzbearbeitungssysteme GmbH. The system was unveiled to the trade public a year ago by HOMAG on its BMG series at the Nuremberg Fair. The interim injunction issued by the Regional Court of Hamburg confirms an infringement of German patent 102006052017 B4.

From the afternoon of the second show day, only a part of the original machine concept was still in evidence at the SCM/Morbidelli stand. In the Morbidelli Author m800 processing centre, the light barrier deployed in the safety system had to be removed in order to comply with the injunction. The company’s Accord 30FX and 40FX machines were also affected by the court order.

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A patent registered in November 2006 protects the safeScan safety system developed by HOMAG Holzbearbeitungssysteme GmbH. This intelligent safety concept safeguards the machine operator and any other persons located in the vicinity, and is composed of two different sensors. The first is activated on a no-contact basis as soon as anyone penetrates a defined area around the machine. It acts to reduce the feed rate of moving parts such as the unit carrier with its safety enclosure. If the person continues to move closer to the machine and comes into contact with the machine part, the contact sensor is tripped and the machine comes to an immediate stop.

By taking this decisive action, the HOMAG Group with its over 800 registered industrial property rights is sending out an audible signal that it is prepared to protect its intellectual property. Product plagiarism is one of the reasons for the company’s decision to present its innovations to the trade fair public at key fairs such as the LIGNA behind closed doors in its InnovationCenter.