Springer Maschinenfabrik AG

Friesach/Austria, April 27, 2015. With the purchase of the Swedish lumber-scanner producer WoodEye, the SPRINGER Group is expanding their product portfolio by camera-based image-processing systems for the wood industry. A purchase price of an undisclosed sum has been agreed. “In WoodEye we will gain a very well established, innovative team,” asserts a very upbeat CEO Timo Springer regarding the expansion of the SPRINGER Group’s portfolio. “WoodEye is a specialist in measuring and detecting all kinds of defects in lumber. This means we can keep the share of waste lumber of the valuable raw material down to a minimum while raising profitability in wood processing.” The automatic detection of various defects in the wood facilitates valuation and the further processing steps. In other words, it is the perfect complement to classical plant construction. “We’re looking forward to this future cooperation, which will enable us to bring about growth in our core markets,” says Jonas Eklind, who will remain CEO of WoodEye, adding, “The Springer Group was always our ideal partner since WoodEye and Microtec supplement each other optimally. WoodEye customers will now be able to take advantage of a broad range of technologies.” Synergies and dynamics The Swedish company WoodEye with its head office in Linköping is a leader in the field of software and optical image recognition—in particular in the “rough-mill” area in the production of furniture, windows, doors and parquet flooring. SPRINGER has been very successful on the market in the field of lumber measuring with the South Tyrolean subsidiary MiCROTEC since 1990. Its multisensor system checks wood quality and hardness. MiCROTEC specializes in X-ray, laser and color scanning, which are used particularly in sawmills. The high-tech company which exports worldwide has 130 employees. Timo Springer adds, “With MiCROTEC and WoodEye we now have available the complete range of optimization systems in wood processing—from hardware and X-ray technology to software and camera systems. Thanks to the newly emerging synergies in research and development, we are continuing to expand our technology and innovation leadership.” Further information about WoodEye and MiCROTEC can be found on www.woodEye.se and www.microtec.eu Made-to-measure production The SPRINGER Group builds sorting systems for round and lumber as well as planing mills and plants for further wood processing. It develops plant concepts and system solutions, produces custom-built plants and is a supplier of complete plants. Optimization of existing plants is also in the portfolio. Founded in Friesach, Carinthia, in 1952, the company is has been managed by Timo Springer and Gero Springer since 2012 in the third generation. More information can be found on www.springer.eu