From the open-house event to Xylexpo 2026: SCM Group bets on innovation

“Together exploring the new era of woodworking innovation”. This is not just the title chosen by SCM for its Open House 2026, but a declaration of intent that accurately captures the moment the industry is going through. A new era, in which the world has changed profoundly, in its geopolitical balances, in its economic models and above all in the speed with which technology is transforming processes and expectations.

Innovation has accelerated significantly in recent years: digitalization has made every phase more connected, smarter, and increasingly “click-proof”. In this scenario, SCM has reopened the doors of its Technology Center in Rimini with a clear message: the market, despite the uncertainties of the geopolitical and macroeconomic context, continues to respond with interest and participation.

The Open House, organized from 12 to 14 March at the group’s headquarters, attracted over 3,000 visitors from around 60 countries, with more than 1,000 companies in the sector attending. The most represented markets were Italy, Poland, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom, confirming the international scope of the event. The participation of the distribution network was also noteworthy: over 300 dealers from all over the world took part in the Sales & Dealer Meeting on 10 and 11 March, an opportunity to discover in advance the new developments by the Group.

Three days that were not just a technological showcase, but a practical opportunity for confrontation and vision. While it is true that “power is nothing without control” – the famous slogan made iconic by Pirelli – it is equally true that technology risks remaining an end in itself if it doesn’t fit into a precise, coherent and long-term strategy, capable of bringing together technological development and customer needs, translating innovation into real value, productivity and return on investment.

This balance is the foundation onto which SCM is building its path, starting from the open house and already looking to the next trade fair event: the twenty-ninth edition of Xylexpo, scheduled from 9 to 12 June at Fiera Milano Rho. Together with Plast and Composites Future, this exhibition puts into action a concept that is increasingly central to the industry: multi-materiality. It’s no longer just a perspective, but a tangible direction that requires vision, integration and the ability to innovate in a systemic way.

A clear direction which – as the group’s “figures” testify – is proving to be correct. “In 2025 – explained Pietro Gheller, director of the wood division at SCM – the group stood at around 900 million euros, substantially in line with the previous year, while the Wood Division exceeded 500 million. In 2025 SCM increased its international market share despite the critical global context with a slightly shrinking market. This is a particularly significant figure, as it confirms the strength of our positioning and our ability to react to a complex context. Today our customers are in a different phase than in the past: in recent years, they have invested heavily in production capacity and are now looking at new investments with a specific objective, that is, improving productivity, efficiency and return on investment.. These are the needs we must focus on. This is why our strategy is based on three pillars: strengthening engineering and integrated solutions, and developing key segments. But most of all, we are accelerating strongly on servitization. We no longer want to limit ourselves to selling machines, but to accompany the customer throughout the entire life cycle, offering services, software, spare parts and training in an integrated way. The goal is to be a long-term partner, capable of concretely improving production performance and guaranteeing a return on investment. The numbers also confirm this trend: the share of after-sales services on turnover has grown from 20 to 21 percent in the last year, a step that is part of continuous growth and that will continue in the coming years”.

Supporting this evolution is also an increasingly strong digital transformation. “We have now over 5,000 connected machines in the world – Gheller added – which continuously send data and operating information. As a result, we can not only act proactively to minimize downtime and improve customers’ production efficiency, but also to better understand their real needs. The insights we collect thus become a strategic tool for developing new solutions that are increasingly in line with market needs.
This approach fits directly into the servitization process that we have started and which aims to transform the relationship with the customer into an ongoing partnership, built on support, assistance and optimization of production performance”.

Alongside digitalization, SCM also continues to strengthen its position through significant industrial development activities and strategic acquisitions. “In 2024 we acquired Tecno Logica, an Italian company specializing in integrated automation and advanced robotics systems designed to support extremely high production capacities even in highly variable and complex contexts. This is a big step as it allows us to further expand our offering in the segment of integrated solutions and highly complex systems.

This operation – he continued – was complemented by the entries of Tecnest, specializing in advanced software solutions for planning, production management and the supply chain, and Mecal Machinery, active in the extrusion of aluminum for the windows and doors sector”.

These three acquisitions clearly outline the direction taken by the group: integrating skills, technologies and digital systems within an increasingly connected production ecosystem. A strategy that goes beyond woodworking and whose impact is confirmed by the market response and the growth recorded by SCM at an international level.
“Despite ongoing geopolitical and macroeconomic challenges, the woodworking sector showed sustained interest in new technologies and production models”, said Gabriele Patti, commercial director of the Wood Division at SCM Group. “We clearly perceived this during the open house, which confirmed SCM’s ability to attract operators from all over the world and to maintain a very strong position on international markets. Europe recorded particularly positive performances, especially in countries such as Italy, Spain and France, where we achieved double-digit growth, while the DACH region posted extremely solid results, with growth exceeding 22 percent. In these regions, engineered solutions and excellent work on key accounts had a significant impact. Even in more complex and fluctuating markets, such as North America, we have managed to maintain significant results thanks to a balanced presence between mid-range, core business and integrated solutions. What we are seeing now is a more selective market than in the past: large investments tend to slow down, but at the same time more distributed and targeted opportunities are increasing, linked above all to production efficiency and flexibility. In this scenario, the international network continues to represent one of the key elements of SCM’s strength. The widespread presence of dealers and branches allows us to be close to customers in different markets and to quickly understand their needs”.

From the Rimini Open House to Xylexpo, SCM’s 2026 continues under the banner of innovation and technological development. The integrated approach that was under the spotlight in the Technology Center of the Rimini headquarters will also be at the center of the international biennial exhibition dedicated to wood and furniture technologies. At the group’s stand in Hall 14, SCM will showcase a proposal that goes far beyond the single machine: an ecosystem that combines advanced technologies, software and digital services designed to support companies in the sector across the entire production process.

“ACCORD 500 EDGE”
Technological innovation “made in SCM” will be represented at the exhibition by a brand new solution: “accord 500 edge” is the latest addition to the “accord” range. The new CNC machining center stands out as a complete and multifunctional solution, integrating edge banding technology and confirming SCM’s ability to meet increasingly advanced production requirements, both for solid wood processing and for the furniture industry.

Designed for medium- to large-sized companies, “accord 500 edge” ensures high performance and maximum flexibility, according to the company. Thanks to these features, it is particularly suited to applications such as contract furniture, bedroom furniture, marine and caravan sectors.

The machining center is also designed for “just-in-time” production, integrating all the functionalities of an advanced factory into a single solution.
“Among its key strengths is the “H80C Compact” edge banding unit, equipped with multiple tool, glue, edge and pressure element magazines, enabling fast and reliable automatic changeovers between different machining operations”, they told us at SCM.
The independent operating units ensure high productivity even in limited spaces, while the extraction systems guarantee maximum cleanliness and efficiency in all operating conditions.

The new model on display is equipped with the SCM “Maestro” software suite, featuring the “Maestro active” interface, along with the “Maestro lab” CAD/CAM programming software, designed to simplify and further enhance the efficiency of production process management.

In addition, the new “accord 500 edge” is enhanced with “Maestro lab edge” software, a dedicated CAD/CAM solution for the entire panel edge banding process, enabling full management of all edges and their related application strategies.

SOFTWARE, MES-MOM AND DIGITAL SERVICES
In the software, mes-mom and digital services domain, at Xylexpo 2026, SCM will present a new development model in which competitive advantage is no longer tied to a single machine or system, but to the ability to integrate them into connected, flexible and sustainable production systems. In this context, great emphasis will be placed on the SCM integrated service ecosystem, designed to deliver greater efficiency, more stable operational control and continuous production uptime, thanks to technologies that translate the insights from machinery into actionable support.
At the core of this modular architecture is “WinMES”, SCM’s Manufacturing Execution System developed in partnership with Tecnest.
“WinMES is the true “digital brain” of the factory, which by integrating and interpreting real-time data optimizes production flows, accelerates operational decisions and increases the overall reliability of the system”, they explained.

Factory intelligence is further enhanced by “Smart Spindle”, the advanced spindle sensor system that enables predictive analysis and helps prevent unplanned machine downtime.
Significant focus will also be placed on IoT Solution, SCM’s renewed digital platform that enables smarter, more sustainable and data-driven processes, providing access to next-generation proactive services with tangible benefits: +20% efficiency, +30% product quality and -30% operating costs.

To protect the entire ecosystem, SCM will also present its cybersecurity solution, ensuring the security of data, processes and infrastructures.

As for product software, Xylexpo will showcase new features of the “Maestro 3D” module for nesting machining centers, enabling users to recognize and generate all machining operations with a single click, saving time during the programming phase. “This development fully expresses its potential when combined with the enhanced “Maestro nesting” optimization algorithm, which allows the import of 3D cabinet files without the need to pre-program all machining operations, optimizing processes and reducing waste thanks to more compact cutting patterns”.

scmwood.com