SCM focuses on AI: nominated for the Smau Innovation Award 2026

Artificial intelligence is also making its way into mechanical finishing processes in woodworking, with the aim of simplifying machine configuration and improving processing efficiency. This is the direction taken by a new project developed by SCM, which addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing the manufacturing industry: the growing shortage of personnel with specialized technical skills. The solution, nominated for the Smau Innovation Award 2026, to be held in Milan on November 3 and 4, focuses specifically on the “dmc” range, dedicated to sanding, calibrating and deburring operations.

At the heart of the project is an AI-based process configurator, developed to transform the wealth of data, laboratory tests and technical expertise accumulated by the company over the years into a digital support tool. The system is designed to assist both sales personnel in configuring equipment and machine operators in defining processing parameters.

“We have transformed decades of laboratory testing and empirical knowledge into a proprietary algorithm, providing operators with a virtual configurator capable of guiding them in real time“, explained Alessandro Caramia, Product Manager & Business Developer at SCM.

One of the most interesting aspects is the ability to make complex technical expertise accessible even to less experienced operators, reducing the time required to set up machines correctly and identify the most suitable processing conditions.

According to company estimates, the configurator could deliver time savings of at least 20 percent in processing operations, while also significantly reducing the time needed to train personnel.

The project also offers applications in the sales process. The configurator makes it possible to identify the most suitable machine configurations as early as the quotation stage, providing information on processing times, costs and expected productivity. According to SCM, this technological platform could also serve as the basis for developing new digital services and software updates.