“The cross-cutting line we used before has become too slow due to the increase in production. That’s why we decided to invest in a scanner cross-cutting line”, Mirco Häfliger, operations manager at Olwo Stalden, tells us and adds: “We already carried out several projects together with Finnish machine supplier Pinomatic, which is why we decided to work with the company this time as well.”
Mechanization including cross-cutting saw
The new scanner cross-cutting line had to be installed exactly where the old line used to be. “We were happy to accept that challenge,” Max Riegg, Pinomatic’s sales representative in German-speaking countries, comments. The Finnish machine supplier delivered the entire mechanization: from the vacuum portal with its singulation, the infeed and outfeed around the Microtec scanner (see article Better yield and higher efficiency) and the intermediate transport to the cross-cutting saw itself to the wood waste disposal system and sorting station that follows it. “We wanted to work with a single machine supplier. Having the cross-cutting saw installed by Pinomatic as well is a big advantage for us,” Häfliger says. “It is the first line with a cross-cutting saw that we put into operation in Central Europe,” Riegg proudly adds.
The line is designed for wood with initial lengths of 2 to 6 meters, thicknesses of 18 to 80 mm and widths of 45 to 260 mm. The raw wood comes from Olwo’s own sawmills.
First, the vacuum portal de-stacks the lumber package layer by layer and lifts the lumber onto a cross conveyor. Then, the pieces are positioned longitudinally before they enter the scanner. Behind it, the mechanization installed by Pinomatic again takes over the lumber and transports it to the CC-760 S cross-cutting saw. “Between the scanner and the cross-cutting saw, we also included a marking station, which is used for very small batches,” Riegg explains during the visit. The cross-cutting saw cuts out wood defects and undesired properties from the pieces with maximum precision and based on the specifications set by the scanner. Residual wood is automatically removed from the line and conveyed to the existing chipper.
At the outfeed, Pinomatic also installed a sorting station. “Shorter lengths from 160 to 900 mm, which then enter the finger-jointing line, are sorted into three qualities. There is also a separate station for fixed lengths. At the moment, the stacking is still done manually. However, we are planning to expand the line to include automation in the medium term,” Riegg tells us, emphasizing the collaboration at eye level with everyone involved.
Olwo currently produces around 35 m³ per shift on this line. “This is a doubling of the production output,” Häfliger comments. He particularly praises the communication with the Finns: “Whenever we have questions or problems, they are quick to help us. For me, there is absolutely no reason to be afraid of relying on suppliers from abroad.” It only took three weeks to make the necessary changes. “We always start up the machines in advance at the factory in Finland. This way, we can reach the desired performance very quickly,” Riegg explains.
