#WeKnowWood: Meet us at the LIGNA 2023!

Hanover, Germany / May 15, 2023 - May 19, 2023

LIGNA 2023

Hall 26, booth B 78

The LIGNA is considered as the world's leading trade fair for machinery, plant and tools for woodworking and wood processing. The organizers are once again expecting around 1,500 exhibitors.

The Fraunhofer WKI presents innovative products and processes for the use of wood and other renewable resources in materials.

Impressions from the Fraunhofer WKI stand

“Multi-material model Wall I Ceiling I Roof”

The 3D computer graphic shows a corner of a room with a cross-section of wall, ceiling and floor. The different building materials are marked with numbers from 1 to 8. — © Fraunhofer WKI | Manuela Lingnau
Graphical visualization of the multi-material model.

The highlight this year is the “Multi-material model Wall I Ceiling I Roof”.

From the floor, through the walls, and on to the roof, the exhibit combines eight innovations for the future of construction.

Additional information regarding the innovations:

Ceiling system modules made from modular, prefabricated small panels comprised of wooden or wood-concrete elements for a mosaic-style coffered ceiling
Wall made from thermal-insulation bricks filled with novel insulating materials on the basis of beech-wood fibers
Interior-wall cladding consisting of a selection of OSB, plywood and particle board made from various types of wood, manufactured in part with formaldehyde-free bio-adhesives
Ceiling beams made from laminated veneer lumber as a demonstrator for the utilization of the climate-resilient wood species Scots pine
Glued laminated timber beams for the ceiling construction made from the “future-wood” pine
Flax-wood hybrid system as ceiling beams
Wooden cladding which has been treated with extremely UV- and weather-resistant transparent varnish for outdoor use
Wall made from robinia veneer - the species of wood with the highest durability class of European wood species: Usable in exterior applications without further wood-protection measures

Innovation

The photo shows a metal frame in the open air, equipped with a large number of pieces of plywood, inclined at an angle towards the sky. — © Fraunhofer WKI
Outdoor weathering tests (see photo) take several years. A new rapid-aging procedure for structural wood-based materials is intended to shorten the test period and at the same time be as realistic as possible.

The Fraunhofer WKI develops application possibilities for the raw material wood for various industrial sectors. Examples for the mobility industry include a multicopter with veneered laminated materials, and a wooden crash barrier for use in road traffic. For the watersports industry, researchers will be presenting a stand-up paddleboard made from a lightweight-construction sandwich element which incorporates renewable raw materials. For the construction sector, the Fraunhofer WKI is presenting a bicycle and pedestrian bridge made from sustainable laminated materials. Also on display is a mechanical-climatic rapid-aging process for structural wood-based materials.

Additional information regarding the innovations:

Highly efficient modular multicopter on the basis of renewable raw materials
Sustainable crash-barrier system made from highly stress-resistant wood-composite elements
Stand-up paddleboard made from natural-fiber-reinforced bioplastic and recycled balsa wood
Bicycle and pedestrian bridge made from freely formable hardwood laminated material
Mechanical-climatic rapid-aging process for structural wood-based materials

Application

The photo shows several quadratic samples of a thin plywood board. On the upper surface of each of the samples of wood-based material is a mound of black-brown, foam-like material with a porous structure. The size and shape of the mound is different for each sample. — © Fraunhofer WKI | Manuela Lingnau
At the Fraunhofer WKI, among other things, an intumescent flame-retardant coating is being developed for wood in exterior applications (here: samples after flaming in the laboratory fire test rig). The coating should be free of halogens, chlorine and bromine – for natural wooden façades.

The Fraunhofer WKI will be presenting industry-oriented fire-protection solutions for wood and wood-based materials as well as novel bio-composites. Furthermore, the researchers will be demonstrating their expertise in the field of the testing of adhesives and bonded components for load-bearing and non-load-bearing timber-construction applications.

Additional information regarding application:

Fire protection for wood and wood-based materials
Bonding in wooden construction

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