Turning dust into opportunity: How IWM is helping woodworking businesses take control of energy costs

In today’s unpredictable global landscape, few things are certain – except rising pressure on manufacturing businesses. Ongoing geopolitical instability, particularly in the Middle East, continues to disrupt energy markets, driving volatility in fuel prices and leaving businesses exposed to forces beyond their control.

For the woodworking sector, where tight margins and rising operational costs are already part of daily life, this instability is more than background noise; it’s a growing commercial risk. Yet, within every workshop lies an often-overlooked solution.

The Falach 70 is the UK’s leading hydraulic briquetting solution. It’s designed for continuous, reliable operation, converting your workshop offcuts into high-calorific fuel that burns hotter than logs and meets all UK environmental regulations. It’s quiet, compact and makes commercial sense for any busy joinery shop

By-product to bottom-line benefit

Sawdust, shavings and offcuts have long been treated as unavoidable waste – an expense to manage rather than an asset to harness – but this perception is rapidly changing. With the right technology, wood waste can be transformed into high-density briquettes: a clean, efficient and renewable fuel source, which is capable of heating workshops, fuelling biomass systems or generating additional income. This is where IWM (Industrial Woodworking Machinery) is helping to reshape the conversation.

The IWM Falach 50 is one of the UK’s leading hydraulic briquette machines available today. The briquettes produced by this machine have been certified to meet the ‘Clean Air Strategy’ as they produce the same heat as coal but with no air pollutants

Smarter waste, smarter business

Through its range of briquetting solutions, IWM enables woodworking businesses to convert extraction waste into a valuable energy resource – quickly, efficiently and without additives. By compressing loose material into dense, uniform briquettes, these systems unlock the latent energy stored in what was once discarded.

Immediate & long-term benefits:

• Reduced energy costs – Briquettes provide a consistent, high-calorific fuel source, helping to offset reliance on expensive traditional fuels

• Improved efficiency – Dense briquettes are easier to store, handle and burn, maximising output from existing waste streams

• Lower waste disposal costs – Minimise or eliminate the need for skips and waste collection

• New revenue opportunities – Surplus briquettes can be sold into growing biomass markets

• Stronger environmental credentials – Support sustainability goals with measurable reductions in waste and carbon impact

A strategic shift, not just a cost saving

What makes briquetting particularly relevant today isn’t just the financial return; it’s the strategic advantage. By producing their own renewable fuel on-site, woodworking businesses can reduce exposure to volatile energy markets and take greater control of operating costs. In an era where uncertainty is the norm, that level of control is invaluable.

This isn’t simply about managing waste more effectively; it’s about rethinking resources entirely – transforming a necessary by-product into a core part of a business’ energy strategy.

The New Falach 50XL has been developed to make fitting under an extraction system a lot easier, as the volume of the hopper has more that doubled in size to 0.80sq.m – equivalent to up to three extraction bags. It’s also fitted with a shaker unit to allow free movement of the sawdust into the hopper

Building resilience for the future

The woodworking industry has always been defined by its ability to adapt – balancing tradition with innovation. Today, that adaptability is being tested in new ways, from rising costs to increasing environmental expectations.

The Falach range of briquetting machines offer a practical, proven way forward: one that aligns operational efficiency with sustainability, while delivering tangible financial benefits.

Because in the modern workshop, success isn’t just about what you produce – it’s about how efficiently you use every part of the process – and sometimes, the biggest opportunity isn’t in new materials or markets, but in the dust already sitting on your workshop floor. There’s never been a better time to stop wasting and start saving. 

Stop skipping value: Smarter solutions for wood waste

Waste management costs are rising as providers face increasing challenges in handling certain types of waste. Materials such as MDF dust and offcuts are becoming more difficult to process due to associated health risks, leading to higher disposal charges.

With this in mind, the question businesses should be asking is this: Is it easiest to stick with the status quo – continuing to rely on skips and traditional waste disposal methods – or is it time to think differently?

By exploring alternative approaches, woodworking businesses can move towards more sustainable practices, make better use of generated waste materials and reduce their environmental impact at the same time.

Most workshops see shavings and dust as a disposal problem, but with the right technology, they can be transformed into a powerful energy source.

Falach briquetting machines compress loose wood waste into dense, high-energy briquettes that burn hotter and cleaner than traditional logs.

The result? Less storage space, lower moisture content and a reliable fuel source made entirely from material your workshop already produces. It’s a simple way to turn waste into heat, while reducing disposal costs and energy bills at the same time.

The IWM Falach 100 stands out as one of the UK’s most powerful hydraulic briquette solutions, capable of converting large volumes of wood waste and other materials into high-density renewable energy briquettes. Certified under the UK ‘Clean Air Strategy’, these briquettes provide the same heat output as coal while eliminating harmful air pollutants

Falach briquette machines

Falach briquette machines use high-pressure compaction to transform loose sawdust and shavings into dense, clean-burning briquettes, without the need for binders or additives. The result is a dramatic reduction in waste volume, improved workshop cleanliness and a renewable fuel source that can be used for heating or resale.

By reducing disposal costs and increasing energy efficiency, briquetting helps workshops keep more value on-site instead of sending it to landfill. It’s a practical, sustainable solution designed for continuous operation and real-world production demands. Less waste. More efficiency. Long-term savings.

Bagging wood waste might seem simple, but it’s not the most efficient solution. Briquetting reduces volume and raises energy density, so you save on storage, transport and disposal, while creating a product that can heat your workshop or be sold. 

The Falach range from IWM comprises of the following models:

• Falach 20

• Falach 20XL

• Falach 30

• Falach 35

• Falach 50

• Falach 50XL

• Falach 70

• Falach 100

• Falach five-bag carousel unit

• IWM six-bag carousel unit with top loading

Don't delay get in touch with IWM today

To book your Falach briquetting demonstration, contact International Woodworking Machinery Ltd today:

T: 01636 918 280

E: ibrown@iwmachines.co.uk; henry@iwmachines.co.uk

W: www.iwmachines.co.uk

Or why not visit the showroom: Unit 20 Newark Business Park, 3 Brunel Drive Newark, Nottinghamshire, NG24 2EG