As 2026 gets underway, few in the woodworking and joinery sector would describe the trading landscape as straightforward. Businesses are operating against a backdrop of subdued demand, tightening regulation, rising costs and sustained pressure on margins, as Helen Hewitt, British Woodworking Federation (BWF) Chief Executive discusses Within this, housebuilding remains sluggish, as do domestic repair, maintenance and improvement opportunities. However, within this cautious cli

TKC is one of the UK’s leading specialist suppliers of components and complete kitchens to the kitchen industry. Founded in 1989, the business employs over 150 staff and operates from two purpose-built premises in Denton, Manchester. The company is focused on ensuring the TKC name is synonymous with quality products, first-class service and excellent value for money. In response to growing demand for textured finishes, TKC recently invested in a new manufacturing cell dedicat

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is inviting furniture and furnishings professionals to attend Making Commercial Sense of Sustainability – a one-day industry event focused on turning environmental responsibility into commercial opportunity. Taking place on Thursday 19 March – from 11am-4pm – at Furniture Makers’ Hall in London, the event will bring together business leaders, sustainability experts, manuf

In narrow-aisle warehouses, multidirectional forklifts often operate with minimal safety clearances. Collisions with protruding loads therefore pose a constant safety risk. To effectively minimise this risk, HUBTEX has developed the patented Clear Aisle Assist – a laser-based sensor system that detects protruding loads at an early stage, alerts the driver and automatically reduces vehicle speed when required. Lines of sight in narrow aisles: The sensors monitor the rack syste

' Together, exploring a new era of woodworking innovation’ – this is t he concept behind the SCM Open House, which takes place at SCM Headquarters in Rimini from 12–14 March 2026 A wide range of world premieres will highlight the shift towards connected, flexible and sustainable production models. Driving the future of woodworking through the integration of advanced technologies, proactive services and digital innovation: this is the goal of the upcoming SCM Open House, which

Wes Kangurs, who joined estate cabinetry specialist Guild Anderson in January 2025, has been appointed as the company’s new Managing Director.  Guild Anderson’s  founder and outgoing MD, Nick Anderson, will now focus on creative output, becoming its first dedicated Creative Director. Wes Kangurs, Managing Director, Guild Anderson Wes joined Guild Anderson from David Salisbury, where he served as Managing Director for six years. Initially tasked with bringing stability to the

Knees take a constant battering on site, but Carhartt’s Steel Work Trousers are designed to protect them. Made from durable stretch ripstop fabric with Carhartt’s Rugged Flex™ technology, the Steel Work Trousers are built to be both tough and flexible, meeting the demands of daily trade work. Articulated knees make it easy to bend, squat and kneel, while reinforced high-wear areas ensure the trousers stand up to repeated use on tough surfaces. Each pair of Steel Work Trousers

Mirka UK is expanding its accessories range with the introduction of the new Mirka® Edge Guide for its DEROS® II 125mm and 150mm sanders. This new accessory has been developed to deliver consistent and repeatable edge sanding results across a wide range of applications, including furniture manufacturing and joinery, edge detailing, painting and varnishing preparation in addition to precision sanding on large panels. As one of the most demanding surface preparation tasks, edge

The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, is accepting nominations for its 2026 Young Professional Industry Experience. The 2025 YPIE group visiting Designer Contracts The programme provides aspiring young people working in the industry with a unique opportunity to visit sector-leading companies and gain insight into all areas of the wider trade. These include materials, design, manufacturing, pricing, marketing,

MEDITE SMARTPLY, a leading engineered wood panel manufacturer, has announced its full transition to the revised EU Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) formaldehyde restriction, known as E05. The updated requirement, introduced under Annex XVII of EU REACH, halves the existing formaldehyde emission threshold for wood-based panels and will come into force for affected products on 6 August 2026. The revised limit reduces allowable formald

MILWAUKEE® continues to drive productivity and safety on the job site with the introduction of the next-generation M18 FUEL™ SURGE™ ¼in Hex hydraulic impact driver. Designed for a wide range of residential, commercial and maintenance trades, this new driver delivers a quieter, smoother and more ergonomic user experience. Fully redesigned, this solution features increased speed and performance while maintaining industry-leading sound and vibration reduction when compared to a

Exploring how CNC-made templates improve consistency, efficiency and accuracy in modern moulding production Q: Why do we make templates? A:  Sometimes we lose sight of the simple things in life – and one of those is templates. They may be small, typically made of plastic, but they’re the essential starting point for all profiles made on a moulder. Templates provide the following: Consistency:  Templates ensure each moulded part is produced with the same dimensions and specifi

When customers transition from a conventional spindle-type moulder to a Weinig HSK Powermat-type machine, the emotive subject of tooling always comes up. With some exceptions, most conventional blocks will no longer be needed. In reality, however, it’s the profile knife that’s the valuable asset – not the cutterblock itself Q: Can I use my existing serrated knives in new Weinig PowerLock cutterblocks? A:  Yes, it’s possible to use existing profile knives in new PowerLock cutt

The WEINIG Rondamat 980 offers: Fully automatic grinding Wide range of applications High precision grinding Coordination of machine technology to customer requirements High level of user-friendliness Featuring answers to common questions from Weinig UK and Oertli UK users, this guide to the Excellent tool system describes how it works in conjunction with Powermat moulders Q: What’s the link between Weinig UK & Oertli UK? A:  In a nutshell – nothing formal. However, there’s a

Higher feed speeds through the moulder are always desirable, provided the surface finish doesn’t deteriorate and the setup process doesn’t outweigh the extra productivity achieved Q: Can I run at higher feed speeds on a Powermat moulder? A:  Yes. The Powermat 1500 can operate at feed speeds of up to 40m/min, but this would typically result in a single-knife finish, meaning the surface quality would be lower than the standard finish achieved at around 20m/min. However, with th