Kallfass restacking system optimises production for Weiss Holzwerk

Weiss Holzwerk MD Jürgen Martlmüller and Kallfass sales manager Matthias Link

The fourth generation of the Martlmüller family is at the helm of Weiss Holzwerk, one of the largest, modern and sustainably managed sawn timber and pallet manufacturers in Bavarian, Germany. The factory is among the top 25% of EcoVadis-rated companies and boasts a silver medal for its community social responsibility (CSR) performance.

Discussing the success of the company, the managing director, Jürgen Martlmüller, attributes its growth to satisfying customer demand by delivering superior quality sawn wood and pallets.

The company sources its raw material from its own sawmill, processing approximately 36,000 cubic meters of softwood annually. While a significant portion is used for their own production, the high-quality wood is also sold to carpenters, joiners, timber construction companies, and individuals.

Regional marketing and sustainable wood utilisation are of particular importance to the company. They demonstrate this commitment by taking back old pallets for repair.

"Only when a repair is impossible are the pallets dismantled and their components reused. The remaining material is shredded and recycled in our biomass heating plant", says Martlmüller.

"The machines and equipment receive the same level of care. They are carefully maintained and, if necessary, repaired, upgraded and overhauled by our staff so that we can get the most out of the equipment's useful life".

THE NEED
However, when the restacking line reached the end of its service life, Martlmüller decided to invest in a new system. The company wanted to guarantee a 24-hour delivery window for their customers by replacing their old cross-cut saw, introducing a system that accurately stacks and crosscuts the sawn goods for pallet production, and automating the loading of wood packages into the kilns.

The Kallfass longitudinal sorting system

THE KALLFASS SOLUTION
After carefully evaluating multiple suppliers, Kallfass' system stood out in terms of technology, economy, reputation and price.

The new restacking system was commissioned in March 2022. “After the first few months, it became apparent that the bundle feeding operations were not efficient. We were asked to upgrade the system further and added a buffer chain conveyor and a step feeder to optimise the process", explains Matthias Link, the Kallfass sales manager.

NEW RESTACKING SYSTEM
The Kallfass restacking system starts with a package chain conveyor or the downstream tilt destacking of wood packages and bundles. The stacking sticks fall onto a conveyor belt. At the same time, the 5m long boards move through a buffer chain conveyor and then onto the step feeder.

“In this systems, both steps move to divide the load. This reduces energy consumption”, explains Link. The boards from the step feeder fall onto the unscrambler’s trough, are right-aligned and transported to the accumulation chain conveyor for visual grading.

After the quality check, the boards are fed layer-by-layer into the Kallfass cross-cut saw with seven sawing units. Six of the units move and are automatically positioned to optimise the boards. The shortest cutting length is 760mm. A waste conveyor removes the scrap wood.

The cut-to-size timber layers are then transferred to the stacker using placement forks. Link says the stacker has a unique feature to facilitate further internal package manipulation. The operator stacks the pallets onto a roller conveyor accommodating three packages.

“First, the stacks are precisely aligned and then fed into the empty pallet magazine that feeds the hoisting unit”, Link explains. Only when all the pallets are positioned on the magazine does the hoisting unit move upward and begin stacking the boards.

Weiss Holzwerk installed the Kallfass cross-cut saw with one stationery and six automatic moveable saw units

“Currently, Weiss Holzwerk uses boards as intermediate stickers. In the future, 40x18mm or 48x18mm sticks will be used, " Link says.

Martlmüller is enthusiastic about the positive relationship between the company and Kallfass. “It was always a cooperation built on fairness”, comments Martlmüller. “The employees, whom we involved in the project from the beginning, are pleased with the new system”.

Source: WoodBiz Africa Magazine
(Page 24 - 26)