Seven technologies take top honours in IWF 2026 Challengers Awards

Seven technologies have received the 2026 IWF Challengers Distinguished Achievement Award, selected from 84 entries submitted by 65 exhibiting companies at the International Woodworking Fair in Atlanta.

The winners were selected following live demonstrations before the judging panel and were recognized for their potential to advance woodworking technology, manufacturing and industry performance. IWF announced the seven winners during the opening day of the Aug. 25 to 28 event at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Con-Vey: Edge-Damming System for Plywood Repair Lines. Con-Vey’s system automates the repair of defects in cut-to-size plywood panels while maintaining continuous production flow. A Teflon-coated steel belt seals the edges of routed repair areas so filling material remains in place, while inductive heating accelerates curing before the panel moves to subsequent processing. The system was developed to reduce manual repair labour and material waste.

Felder Group: Format4 creator 1250. The compact CNC machining centre provides four-sided formatting along with drilling and routing capabilities. It features a main spindle rated up to 12 kW, versatile drilling heads, an automatic tool changer and Felder’s F4Integrate control system with 3D visualization. It can process workpieces up to 1,250 mm wide and 80 mm thick, with lengths up to six metres depending on configuration.

Kouros Tools: Sand-R-Light PRO. The Sand-R-Light PRO is a low-profile raking light designed to mount directly on compatible sanders. By directing light across the work surface at a low angle near the sanding pad, it makes scratches, swirl marks, dents and other surface defects easier to see during sanding. The PRO model adds a larger LED array, full dimming control and adjustable colour temperature from 2700K to 6500K.

Kundig USA: KÜNDIG Regent. The Regent is an industrial wide-belt sanding, planing and texturing machine developed for large mass-timber and engineered-wood components, including glulam. The machine can accommodate cross-sections up to 47 by 47 inches, workpieces weighing up to 15 tons and variable feed speeds up to 33 feet per minute. Industry product information lists no specified workpiece length limit.

Northtech Machine: iGlueSRCD. Designed for stile-and-rail cabinet door manufacturing, the iGlueSRCD automates adhesive application to rails, stiles or both. Operators scan a component, then the machine applies glue according to programmed paths and volumes. A touchscreen allows programs and glue settings to be adjusted and saved, while two work zones allow glued components to be prepared for assembly as production continues.

SCM North America: Accord 500 Edge. SCM’s CNC machining centre combines routing, drilling and edgebanding within one machine. Its H80C Compact edgebanding unit can process panels up to 80 mm thick and supports automatic changes in edge-application technology. The system can work with different edges and glues and is designed to support flexible, just-in-time furniture and component production.

Stiles Machinery: Venjakob VEN AIR VORTEX. The VEN AIR VORTEX is a dry-cyclone exhaust-air purification and overspray separation system for industrial spray finishing. It separates coating overspray from exhaust air without conventional disposable primary exhaust filters. Stiles says the design reduces filter consumption, maintenance and waste while helping maintain stable airflow and consistent coating conditions.

The seven winners were selected from a group of 20 finalists drawn from the original 84 Challengers Award entries.