In the first processing step, the logs enter the edging line, which includes an edge mill cutter and a double-shaft circular saw for the flexible cutting of up to five pieces out of each log © Günther Jauk
From Vonge in Denmark, sawmill specialist Brødbæk has expanded its reach over the past few decades. In the past, the company operated mainly in its core markets of Great Britain and Ireland. Today, Brødbæk lines can be found throughout Europe. The Scandinavian machine supplier focuses primarily on sawing short logs for the production of pallets. Sales manager Leif S. Dam emphasizes, however, that handling and sawing solutions for high-quality long logs have also been successfully implemented at several customers.
The Danish experts usually build medium-sized sawmills with an annual capacity of 50,000 to 300,000 m³, although projects involving an output of 500,000 m³ a year can also be found on the reference list. Brødbæk is a full-service provider and always makes the customer’s requirements and wishes a top priority. “We supply all the machines and the entire mechanization – from the acceptance of the log wood to the truck loading station for the finished lumber. We also offer our customers individual processing solutions, such as stacking machines,” Dam says, outlining the portfolio, and adds: “We take care of the assembly and commissioning so that the customer can concentrate on their business.”
Customized solution
The logs complete one round in the circular line before they are fed in again in front of the scanner © Günther Jauk
The newest Brødbæk sawmill is currently being put into operation in Novaledo, Italy. At Eurolegnami, the circular edging line with an annual per-shift output of around 100,000 m³ will replace the dated band sawmill. “We wanted a sawmill which allows us to easily produce pallet wood in all the sizes we need and which enables us to react flexibly to the market,” Eurolegnami’s managing director and owner Fabrizio Debortoli says, outlining the requirements. In the future, he also wants to produce timber construction products depending on the market situation. Debortoli puts the pallet output at around 2 million pieces a year. In addition, his company is currently in the process of installing an additional line for special pallets.
Debortoli decided to choose Brødbæk as the main supplier because of the company’s extensive experience in sawing pallet wood, the scope of delivery and the high level of flexibility. “We didn’t want a standard sawmill, but a saw line which is tailored to our ideas, and that’s exactly what Brødbæk planned and ultimately delivered.” The managing director also wanted to achieve the highest possible yield from the log wood. As in several previous projects, Brødbæk is working with South Tyrolean scanner specialist Alpiscan in this project, too. Alpiscan uses snapshot scanner technology to measure every log and create the optimal cutting pattern based on the scanner results.
Tried-and-tested sawmill technology
Brødbæk’s sawmill starts with the log infeed deck on the outside of the production hall, where the 2.4 to 5.2 m long logs with a diameter of 150 to 550 mm are fed in unsorted. From there, the logs are transported longitudinally inside the sawmill hall, where they pass through Alpiscan’s Owl snapshot scanner, which measures them. While the logs are transported to the edging unit, the best possible cutting pattern is determined based on the data collected by the scanner as well as the required grades and sizes.
Inside the edging line, which includes an edge mill cutter and a double-shaft circular saw for the flexible cutting of five pieces out of each log, the logs are rip-cut for the first time. After that, a separating device pulls the sideboards downwards and transports them towards the edge trimmer. Meanwhile, the logs complete the first round in the circular line and go back to the start. There is also the possibility to rip-cut the logs again before they are fed back into the scanner via a buffer space. Based on the results of the Alpiscan measurement, two 2.5 m long elements with a higher yield can be created from one 5 m long piece.
After the wood has passed through the chipper for the second time, the squared timbers head straight towards the circular saw for recutting (several elements with different dimensions are also possible). This height-adjustable multi-blade saw with a cutting height of up to 200 mm produces the finished main product, which Brødbæk’s downstream mechanization then passes on to the lumber sorting machine. The latter was installed by another supplier.
The sideboards first undergo a full-surface measurement by Alpiscan before they are fed into the two edge trimmers via an upward-leading separating device. As with the logs, it is also possible to rip-cut the sideboards with a cross-cut saw to achieve an even better yield. While the first edge trimmer saws off the splinters, the second machine rip-cuts the boards into one to five pieces before they are also handed over to the sorting machine.
Everything going according to plan
After the first test runs in June, Novaledo is currently in the optimization phase. “So far, everything has gone according to plan and I assume that we will also successfully complete the optimization phase in the planned six months,” Debortoli says with satisfaction, adding in conclusion: “In Brødbæk, we have found a partner who built the sawmill according to our ideas and wishes and who keeps their promises.”
