Seven exhibitors win Challengers Awards at IWF

The seven winners of the 2022 Challengers Distinguished Achievement Awards were announced during IWF. The awards recognize companies that have developed innovative technology in products, services or manufacturing techniques that will advance the industry.

Selected from 20 finalists and 86 total entries, the winning companies described their products as follows:

The T4MO CNC features four vertical spindles for machining a variety of solid wood elements including furniture, gunstocks, knives, musical instruments and more. The T4MO CNC can machine four parts during each working cycle and mill rounded items, flat surfaces and sharp edges. For more, visit bacci.com.

This patented system removes chips and dust during milling operations. Used with the C torque axis, it blows clean air to remove dust from grooves and other channels on work surfaces in a single pass as they are being machined. For more, visit biesse.com.

This saw safety technology is based on the electro-magnetic repulsion system (as in, when magnets push away from each other). It drops the blade in a few milliseconds and is immediately ready for use again. The feature is currently available as an option with the Format-4 Kappa 550 sliding table panel saw.

For more, visit felder-group.com.

This single-spindle CNC dovetailer features a 3-axis system that gives it additional capabilities. It has eight profile modes to produce standard, fixed pitch and mitered dovetails, plus mitered mortise and tenon joinery. It requires minimal steps by the operator and shows potential mistakes before they’re made. There are two models, the NT-iDovetail24 and the NT-iDovetail36, with working widths of 24” and 36”. The i-Dovetail also won a 2021 AWFS Visionary Award. For more, visit northtechmachine.com.

The hinge is recessed and hidden completely inside the cabinet. It maximizes internal space, allowing full access to the cabinet. It is suitable for tall, wide and heavy doors and features six-way adjustability by eccentric cam. It’s available with a nickel-plated or titanium finish. For more, visit salice.com.

Designed to nest and bundle flooring strips up to 5” wide and 7.5” long, it can handle an average of 30 boards per minute. Graders feed random lengths of material into one end of the machine and finished bundles exit. It will accurately measure each board, sort, nest and build bundles based on a customer’s needs. For more, visit jamesltaylor.com.

The Blind Stapler offers fast assembly while eliminating the need for pocket screws, biscuits or nails when attaching a face frame to a cabinet box. It incorporates a pneumatic clamp and installs hidden 1” staples. The Blind Stapler was designed by company owner and professional cabinetmaker Stuart Topp. For more, visit blindstapler.com.

This article was originally published in the November 2022 issue.