HOMAG and Grenzebach enter into strategic partnership
Nuremberg, March 22, 2018. The HOMAG Group, the world's leading supplier of integrated solutions for production in the woodworking industry and woodworking shops, has joined forces with the Grenzebach Group, leading specialist for the automation of industrial processes. They announced their strategic partnership at the HOLZ-HANDWERK trade fair in Nuremberg. The companies have agreed intensive cooperation in the field of automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
Their aim is to offer the woodworking industry smart solutions for the flexible transport of workpieces between processing machines and cells. The HOMAG Group has extensive industry expertise and knows customers' processes and requirements inside out, while Grenzebach adds experience in closing automation gaps in production logistics using AGVs.
Pekka Paasivaara, CEO of the HOMAG Group, says: "Together with Grenzebach, we can develop smart material flow solutions and even better fulfill our customers' requirements for increased flexibility in their production." Renato Luck, CEO of the Grenzebach Group, adds: "For Grenzebach, the strategic partnership with HOMAG as the key player in the woodworking industry is an important milestone in growing our Intralogistics Business Unit."
The two partners already presented their first successfully completed project at HOLZ-HANDWERK. At its stand, the HOMAG Group showcased the first cell that works completely autonomously. The fully automated processing machines are linked via an automated guided vehicle (AGV) made by Grenzebach, which takes care of parts transport and interim buffering. Cristian Reiter, responsible for the Automation Technology Business Unit at the HOMAG Group, explains: "The autonomous cell is a key element on our path toward the smart factory." The plan is to implement further application scenarios over the course of the year. Uwe Dopf, Senior Vice President Intralogistics at Grenzebach is also pleased: "We are happy to have found an innovative partner in HOMAG who wants to join us in our quest for the systematic automation of industrial processes."