Planing unit – Kallfass

Das Multifunktionswerk EN The Multifunctional Plant

Extensive planning

Dold Holzwerke has been producing planed timber and slats for decades. “Until now, however, our mechanisation around the planing machine was kept relatively simple. We decided to invest in a new planing mill in order to increase performance and efficiency”, explains Faller. However, due to the limited space available at the site, those responsible initially decided to build a new office building, as the old one was literally bursting at the seams. Initial designs for the planing mill started in 2020, with the ground-breaking ceremony for the new hall following in November 2022. In order to make the best possible use of the space, it was designed as a two-storey building: The sawn timber warehouse is located downstairs and the new planing mill is on the upper level.

Kallfass was chosen as the supplier for the mechanisation. “We spoke to several providers, but were ultimately convinced that only Kallfass could realise our extensive wishes. We have also worked with Kallfass before”, says Faller, who also emphasises the great project management on the part of the supplier. “During planning, we took into account the requirements of the market as well as the necessary dimensions and quantities. Our portfolio is very customer-orientated - we deliver what the customer needs”.

One type of wood - many possibilities

Kallfass has planned a highly flexible system in cooperation with Dold Holzwerke. Faller and Huber also refer to it as a “multifunctional unit”, as it is by no means limited to planing. Various operating modes are possible:

planing with and without multi rip saw
planing with and without bundling
pure restacking operation
bandsaw rotation with and without planing

The Kallfass system is designed for board lengths from 2 to 8.1 metres. The cross-sections range from 18 x 80 mm to large KVH (structural solid timber) cross-sections. “Due to the diverse operating modes and the wide range of dimensions, this project was anything but ordinary for us”, says Kallfass programmer Holger Seidt. Huber puts the annual capacity in two-shift operation at up to 90,000 m³.

The Kallfass mechanisation starts with a package feeder, using a hoisting unit that moves the package to the second level—with a possible total load capacity of 16 t— and a separate tilt destacking system. The drying chamber sticks and the waste sticks fall off automatically and are transported to a collection station. After separation, the wood can take two paths: The path either continues straight on to the Tongloader®, or the boards are transported upwards via a bypass and on to the Weinig Raimann twin bandsaw. This can be used to cut the pieces either horizontally or vertically. The band saw feed operates at a feed speed of 100 m/min.

Planing or restacking

Using the Tongloader®, the boards are loaded into the carriers, one-by-one. After the moisture and warp measurement, defective parts can be ejected. However, if these parts can be processed further, the pieces are placed in a stanchion, otherwise in the chipper. The next step is the tried-and-tested Kallfass multiple circular cross-cut saw with a fixed saw and two variable units. Downstream of this system, there are again two options: downwards into the bypass for pure restacking or straight on into the Kallfass planing infeed. This feeder is designed for a maximum feed speed of 250 m/min.

Behind the planing machine is another special feature: a Weinig Raimann multi rip circular saw for even more flexibility in production. Kallfass mounted this on rails so that it can simply be pushed to one side when not in use. The workpieces are then pulled off to the left onto the chain conveyor with the assessment station. Here, parts can also be ejected downwards. These either go to the second stacker or into the chipper. At this point, an employee is still present to inspect the quality. However, when configuring the system, care was taken to ensure that a scanner could be integrated into the process relatively easily, if required.

One of the reasons why Dold Holzwerke invested in the planing mill was to produce slats more efficiently. For this reason, Kallfass installed a bundling system. “We compile the bundles in terms of quantity according to customer requirements. The advantage of the Kallfass solution: From assembling the bundles to strapping them, the wood is fixed at all times”, Faller points out during the tour. The bundles or sawn timber are then packaged on one of the two stacking systems, transported downwards and fed to the strapping station made by Fromm. Kallfass has also incorporated a feature here: To make work easier for the employees, there is a hoisting unit in the roller conveyor that raises the wood package by at least 50 cm.

Since the plant was built in a new hall, Dold Holzwerke was able to continue production with the existing system. “Kallfass first put the entire mechanisation into operation. At the very end, we then installed the refurbished planing machine in its current location”, explains Huber and Faller concluded: “Thanks to the high level of automation and the quick changeover of the systems, we have hardly any downtime.

Keine Kompromisse EN No compromises

Speed, flexibility, availability and quality need not be a contradiction in terms. This is demonstrated by the new Rettenmeier Baltic Timber planing plant. Kallfass had to realise the high expectations of the Rettenmeier team in steel–and in a given existing hall. Incukalns/LV now has a high-performance system that combines speed, state-of-the-art scanner and measurement technology as well as flexible sorting and packaging solutions.

The new planing line at Rettenmeier Baltic Timber delivers impressive performance data: The entire system can handle 100 parts per minute, planes at a feed speed of up to 500 m/min and can produce twelve batches per minute on the output side if necessary.

They know each other

In Incukalns, the diverse experiences of Rettenmeier and the Cordes parent company with Kallfass were combined. The supplier knew what Rettenmeier wanted and helped to implement improvements from other factories. Despite the high demands, they acted fast: It took just one year from the first contact to the start of installation, and only a further six months until the first wood package was delivered. “55 lorry loads were needed for the installation. 232 drives with a total output of 750 kW were installed,” explains Kallfass design engineer Helge Widmann.

This was used, among other things, to design the package infeed with tilt destacking for 3 m high double packages. “With integrated auxiliary destacking for a quick package change, as well as an automatic disposal of the intermediate sticks and separation of squared timber,” Widmann adds.

Heavy duty was a must

A Tongloader is used to separate the workpieces, which are up to 120 mm thick and 320 mm wide. “With these dimensions, every conveyor is under extreme strain. We received a heavy-duty system from Kallfass that has no problem with this,” Paul Schmid, Head of Technology at Rettenmeier Holding, is convinced.

The first employee can visually assess the quality. It is supported by a Microtec strength scanner, a Brookhuis moisture measuring unit and a cupping control. Parts that do not fit or are too moist are sorted out.

500 mm for 500 m/min

The six servo-controlled, 500 mm acceleration rollers, which shoot the parts towards the Rex planing machine, are impressive. “If joint to joint planing is required, the speed increases to up to 750 m/min and the gap is closed in front of the planing machine in the 8 m high-speed channel,” Widmann points out.

The question: “Why exactly 500 m/min?” Uwe Lutz, Sales Manager at Rettenmeier Hirschberg answers this question as follows: “At a speed of more than 500 m/min, the system is effectively just levelling out. In addition to classic four-sided planing, we can also perform profiling at 500 m/min. The company produces sticks, decking and other products for the do-it-yourself industry sector.” The end product is correspondingly diverse: After the planing machine, the spectrum ranges from small roof battens to large squared timber measuring 120 x 320 mm. Everything is processed with high precision and quality.

Immediately after the planing machine, six rollers of the Kallfass scanner infeed capture the wood. This creates defined gaps - even with chipped timber. All parts enter the Microtec Goldeneye 820 scanner in a controlled manner.

Parts tracking included

Two slow-down belts decelerate the parts and transport them in transverse direction to the two stacking lines. Now, at the second operator station, split or broken planed wood can be sorted out manually. Once again, the Tongloader cycles the goods to the downstream sorting station at high system performance. If square parts or other critical dimensions are required, a carrier chain conveyor is used instead of the Tongloader. “Using Microtec's ID scan, each part is assigned the corresponding result from the Goldeneye scanner. This eliminates the need for time-consuming and risky parts tracking,” explains Widmann. This is followed by a labelling station with inkjet printing provided by REA. On the one hand, quality A, B and C and pieces of scrap wood are now separated at maximum speed. B-goods are placed on a parallel line, C-goods in a stanchion, pieces of scrap wood are disposed of centrally. The top quality goes straight into the cutting and stacking line. The parts pass through a bundling station before the Kallfass multiple cross-cut saw. Here, sticks and boards can be stacked into small bundles and strapped. Top performance: Twelve bundles per minute.

A central package station for everything, including mini packages

A real highlight is that the qualities A and B are brought together at a central package outlet. Finally, the packages can be film wrapped and strapped. If desired, even mini wood packages (“quarts”) can be formed. After strapping, the packages can be stacked on top of each other by a package stacker.

A quick word about the hall: The selected hall was used by the previous owner Swedwood as a warehouse. Usually, system suppliers find the width too narrow and length too short, but the hall's 7 m height was unique. “This gave us the freedom to integrate the entire scrap wood removal system below the planing line,” explains Schmid. Each cross-cut or scrap piece is transported to the nearby silo as a chip. The system is actually built in a U-shape. The space in between is used at Rettenmeier Baltic Timber for intermediate storage directly under the roof of sticks, finished and semi-finished products.

Although the hall appears generously dimensioned at first glance, according to Schmid, “every centimetre had to be used to meet our requirements.” They succeeded.

Flexibilität auf eine neue Ebene gehoben EN Flexibility raised to a new level

The distinctive feature of the planing line and quality sorting line starts with the package feed. In order to achieve this, Kallfass used a two-level design. “At the lower level, the packages are transported in a straight line, moving towards the laminated timber production system. A long roller conveyor moves the wood from the upper level to the tilt destacker”, explains Enrico Goldhahn, Kallfass’ Project Manager. The packages are separated in layers, and the stacking strips are automatically collected. During the transport, the boards are guided to a pre-separator which then passes the boards on to the unscrambler. A thickness measurement device is integrated into the latter. If two pieces of wood are placed on top of each other, both pieces are ejected and returned to the unscrambling trough. The aim is to keep all manual operations as low as possible. After alignment at the zero line, a TongLoader® unit separates the board film. Goldhahn puts the TongLoader’s® output at a maximum of 80 boards per minute.

All measurements are taken during the transverse run-through

While the lumber follows the transverse run-through, it also passes the Mesutronic metal detector and a face cutter, which prepares the lumber for the subsequent strength measurement process. Microtec also supplied the M3 Scan moisture meter, the Optiside cup scanner and annual ring detection system, the Curvescan 3D board shape scanner, and the Viscan strength grader. All measurements take place during the run-through process. The Optiside scanner transmits a signal to the downstream Kallfass turning device, prompting it to rotate the lumber. Workpieces that do not meet the specified criteria are rejected.

Planing or quality sorting

At this point, the paths diverge: If a pure quality sorting operation is selected, a bypass is used to convey the good lumber past and beyond the REX planing machine at a speed of up to 400 m/min.
Variant 2: The good parts requiring planing are fed into the Kallfass planing machine, where an acceleration conveyor optimises the infeed of the timber. Goldhahn indicates that the intake system can reach up to 80 cycles per minute. The feed speed of the planing system can reach up to 350 m/min. Behind the planer, a conveyor belt advances the boards to the Microtec Goldeneye. The entire intake, scanning, and outfeed areas can be shifted to the left out of the planing line or to the right into the bypass line. If scanning is not selected, a motor pushes a bypass belt into the line instead of the scanner. After scanning, the parts move into the marking station, which can also be pushed into the line. Slowdown belts transfer the parts to the roof-top chain conveyor. “Here, the parts can come either from the bypass or the planing line – never from both lines at the same time”, Goldhahn explains.

At the sorting station, an operator arranges the boards according to three quality levels. He advances the pieces manually—one piece at a time—onto the assessment chain conveyor. A ram infeed unit transfers the goods (80 pieces per minute) to the infeed conveyor of the level sorting unit. In this area, the widths and thickness are measured. In addition, three Lumi scanners read the applied marking and the control system compares the marking with the scan result. After that, they part ways again.

Bundling systems at a height of 6 m above the level sorter

Only workpieces that have been split in the planing machine and are narrower than 70 mm, as well as profiled boards, enter the Kallfass bundling system. The latter is installed 6 m above the level sorting unit. The sticks are labelled on an ascending belt conveyor before an aligning roller conveyor adjusts the sticks at the zero line. A motor-driven, height-adjustable gantry for applying labels is fitted with two labelling devices. Kallfass automatically assembles the sticks into bundles and straps them together. “We delivered six bundling units—so there is less adjusting required”, explains Goldhahn. Another labelling unit for the finished bundles is installed in the outfeed area.

All other boards enter one of Kallfass' six sorting levels. “Depending on the dimension, a package may have to be separated and placed on two levels. Because of the existing structural constraints, we had to proceed with this option”, Goldhahn explains. A pivoting conveyor is used to empty the individual levels. These boards are labelled as they pass through the production line.

Once the filling level has been reached, the levels are emptied, and the layers are formed. The boards pass through the Kallfass multiple cross-cut saw with five sawing units. The shortest cutting length is 800 mm. “The pivoting saws are equipped with tandem cylinders. This allows us to vary the cutting height up to 160 mm. In addition, the zero saw can be adjusted by 500 mm”, explains Kallfass’ project manager.

Subsequently, the stacking takes place. The machine is equipped with eight stick magazines. In order to achieve greater stability for the ongoing transport, the Kallfass system can also stack the boards diagonally. For lower packages, an auxiliary hoisting unit with swivel forks increases the capacity.

The wood packages intended for the subsequent production of glue-laminated timber are fed directly into this production area using a roller conveyor. A forklift truck can be used to remove packages halfway along the line. At the end of the roller conveyor, an automatic crane made by Voith automatically removes the packages. Shipping packages are moved to the right-hand side and below the stacker. Here, a height-adjustable film dispenser automatically places the film on the stack first. The Kallfass mechanical system transfers the stack to the strapping unit, which includes a packaging press and applies four edge protectors to the stack. Squared timbers are then placed on the package. The roller conveyor is partitioned into three sections so that strapping and placing the squared timber can take place simultaneously. Finally, the wood packages can be stacked by the downstream stacker. “As an alternative to foil wrapping or strapping, there is a bypass that is integrated inside a foiling tunnel. In order to use this option, the packages are deflected to the left-hand side downstream of the stacker”, explains Goldhahn.

This is the third installation

Kallfass already delivered a smaller planing line for Cordes in 2018, which was completely rebuilt in 2020 and upgraded in order to include a bundling system. The assembly of the large-scale project described here started in 2021. Since 2022, the processes have been gradually improved and optimised. “We delivered approximately 65 lorries containing system components to Bremerhaven in order to construct the new quality-sorting and planing facility”, says Goldhahn, describing the overall scale of the project. The system can process lengths ranging from 2 to 6.2 m, widths of 75 to 310 mm and 16 to 125 mm thicknesses.

Hobellinie Van Roje, planing line, ligne de rabotage

Flexibles Hobeln kleiner Chargen bis 8 m Länge EN Flexible planing of small batches up to 8 m in length

Holzwerke van Roje GmbH & Co. KG operates a sawmill at its Oberhonnefeld-Gierend location (Rhineland-Palatinate) with an annual timber output of around 450,000 solid cubic metres. 90 % spruce and 10 % Douglas fir are currently processed, but Managing Director Gerhard Hauschulte estimates that pine will be added to this again to ensure the availability of timber logs in future. A planing mill and pellet production facility producing 80 000 t per annum are attached to the saw mill, and a cross-laminated timber production facility is currently under construction. Holzwerke van Roje currently has a workforce numbering 160 employees.

The planing mill was completed last year as a completely new installation at the plant and adapted to meet the special needs of sawmill production. The objective is to clearly strengthen processing of sawn timber. Up to 70,000 m³ of planed workpieces will be produced per annum from the main product, which is equivalent to about 50 % of the main product produced in the sawmill.

Kallfass GmbH in Baiersbronn delivered the complete fully automated mechanisation technology for the new Rex “Big Master” planing machine from Georg Schwarzbeck GmbH & Co KG in Pinneberg, including a wrapping station. A cupping and moisture meter, a “Golden Eye” quality scanner from Microtec, a marking station from REA JET and the strapping unit from Fromm are integrated in this facility.

During conversion planning in April 2020, the two existing planing lines were dismantled in June of last year. Kallfass began at this time to install parts of the mechanisation technology in cleared areas of the facility while production was still underway. Commissioning of the complete plant then followed at the beginning of September. The plant was producing around 400 m³ of planed workpieces a day in 2 shifts by the end of the year.

Production at the van Roje sawmill is very customer-oriented, serving buyers all over Europe. There is a focus on markets in the Netherlands and United Kingdom with the majority of orders for lengths exceeding 6 m. Van Roje has also concentrated on the European market in recent years, exploiting domestic sales opportunities freed through the booming US sawn timber market. Stock dimensions up to 620 mm and log lengths of 3 to 14 m are cut. The maximum length in the timber sorting system is 8 m. Frequent product changes of up to four times an hour are part of everyday production at van Roje. This means that, when it comes to the cross section and length, a broad variety of dimensions is encountered in the planing mill, and it is necessary to work with relatively small batches. The smallest batches frequently involve only two packages per dimension. The planing mill therefore needs to be very flexible and produce everything from roofing battens with numerous special dimensions to raw solid structural timber. The maximum dimensions of completely planed products at van Roje are 150 x 320 mm. In particular, the maximum possible length of up to 8 m means the plant differs from the majority of industrial planing mills.

Minimum adjustment times and “profile management” on the planing machine

The flexibility required at van Roje is reflected in the configuration of the Rex “Big Master” planing machine: With ten planing cutterheads (four horizontal and two vertical tools and four individual chamfering tools for an all-round workpiece chamfer) finished product widths of 60 to 400 mm and heights of 15 to 200 mm can be created with continuously adjustable feeds of 30 to 150 m/min. In addition to planing and profiling, single and multiple cutting to length of the workpiece is also possible, and van Roje uses up to five saws.

Different board widths can be processed in layers simultaneously on the machine with only narrow gaps between them. Width adjustment is servo controlled at an adjusting speed of 20 mm/s. The Rex profile management control system enables storing of working shaft positions which have been configured. If a particular profile needs to be repeated, the operator, after deploying the required tools, can select the profile using the assigned workpiece name. The machine then automatically moves each spindle into the correct position. Shafts not required for a procedure go into idle mode, leading to a palpable reduction in the electric power input.

Schematic depiction of the van Roje planing mill. The material moves from charging and tilt destacking via a sorting conveyor to the Kallfass planing machine feeder. A triple cross-cut saw is installed upstream. A Microtec quality scanner (1) is installed behind the Rex planing machine. Options then available are a bundling station (2) and marking station (3), after which the product is transferred to the wrapping and strapping station (6) by one of the two stackers (4 and 5). The packages are output to the right onto the acceptance point in front of the plant (7). Ejection of material from the sorting conveyor is possible (8).

Compact mechanisation for workpiece lengths up to 8 m

Kallfass installed a fully automated mechanisation solution here with an interface connection to the van Roje ERP system (Timbertec). With regard to operation of the planing mill, aside from the plant operator and a stand-in, only two other employees are required for wrapping.

Following tilt destacking of the raw material packages (presorted in the sawmill in the case of freshly cut material) and separating, unsuitable material can still be ejected from the sorting conveyor prior to planing machine charging. The plant can therefore also be used for stacking of drying packages. A growth ring detector (cupping detector) integrated on the unscrambler and a moisture meter from Microtec combined with a board turner contribute to the improvement of planing quality. Timber that is too moist can be ejected and raw material turned, depending on the growth ring position.

A freely positionable triple cross-cut saw is installed upstream of the planing feeder and frequently used at van Roje. Cutting upstream of the planing machine achieves absolutely fringe-free cuttings. The feeding of the planing machine achieves 50 cycles/min. Directly downstream of the planing machine, the workpieces pass through a “Golden Eye” scanner from Microtec that organises the product into strength classes C16 and C24. They can then be separated from each other in the passage and either sent directly to one of the two stackers or, previously, to a bundling unit. Adaptation of CE certification for mechanical sorting is currently underway at van Roje. The customer can therefore be offered a combination of mechanically and visually sorted planed workpieces.

Four strapping stations are available at the bundling unit. Up to ten stick bundles can be created there every minute. Packages can be produced on stackers equipped with stick magazines at a rate of 10 layers/min.

Flexibility and rapid dimension changes are core requirements of mechanisation at van Roje, given the frequent product changes involved. A dimension change upstream of the planing machine takes around 1 minute under practical conditions and 20 seconds downstream of the planing machine, meaning each dimension change takes a total of 1 to 2 minutes. The entire mechanisation is designed to provide a feed of 200 m/min. The compact mechanisation layout can accommodate timber lengths of 8 m with ease, while the minimum length for raw material is 2.00 m and 1.80 m for planed products. Package lengths up to 8 m can also be wrapped on the package wrapping unit.

CLT marketing from May

The planing mill is not only designed for finishing the main product, but also represents an important downstream production section for the cross-laminated timber production facility under construction. B sorters for lamellas originally created in the sawmill for other products are calibrated and quality sorted here for use as top layer lamellas in cross-laminated timber (CLT). Lamellas cut especially for the top layer in the sawmill are planed directly in the cross-laminated timber plant. Raw lamellas created from side products are planed and quality sorted for use as (non-dovetailed) transverse layers in the CLT. The option to create different board widths in a layer on the planing machine really pays off here. Exploitation of side products can therefore be considerably increased.

When compared to the usual contemporary production process in CLT manufacturing, the entire production process is to be optimised for resource efficiency, from production of raw lamellas in the sawmill to the completed CLT construction element. Particular attention is also paid to the conservation of raw materials in the cross-laminated timber plant (which bears the project name “Cross Works”). Window and door cutouts are returned to the raw materials cycle again through a treatment process. The cutouts created are separated and recycled in the cross layer. These efforts to achieve resource efficiency have also encouraged support of the overall project through funding of EUR 5,993,815 from the environmental innovation programme of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment. 75,000 m³ CLT should be manufactured annually as of April in 2-shift operation. van Roje wants to begin marketing its cross-laminated timber in May.

Visuelle Qualitätskontrolle von Schnittholz, visual quality control of sawn wood

Für alle Dimensionen gerüstet EN Equipped for every dimension

The goal of Rettenmeier Holzindustrie is to increase added value in the company. “That’s why we invested in a further planing line in Ramstein”, explained Rettenmeier CEO Dr. Stephan Lang. He indicated that timber production in Ramstein is 600,000 solid cubic metres per annum in two shifts. The capacity of the planing units is about 200,000 m³ per annum. The sawmill group distributes around 35 % of the products it produces in the DIY sector. 35 % goes to the specialist German and international trade, 20 % to the industry and packaging sector and 10 % involves sawmill by-products.

Rapid output achievement

Those responsible primarily focused on flexibility and, simultaneously, a high level of availability with regard to the new planing line. For this reason, mechanisation was entrusted to Kallfass in Baiersbronn-Klosterreichenbach, Germany. “We knew Kallfass would supply the solution we wanted”, Lang emphasised. The mechanisation specialist had already converted an existing planing line in Ramstein, and this worked out perfectly. In retrospect, Lang is more than satisfied with handling of the project. “I’ve rarely experienced such a perfect commissioning. We achieved almost 100 % output after four weeks, and 6000 m³ of battens had already been bundled in this period. If we had to, we’d construct the plant in the same manner again”.
Kallfass adapted the new planing line to fit an existing facility exactly. The plant can process lengths ranging from 2 to 5 m, widths of 60 to 300 mm and thicknesses of 14 to 120 mm. Issues relating to available space mean the vacuum lifting device destacks the dried timber packages in layers. A stick stripper brushes the stacking strips down and conveyor systems collect these. An operator initially assesses the workpieces visually in the transverse transport. Following this, they are checked with a Brookhuis moisture measuring. “Unsuitable timbers can still be ejected here”, explained Kallfass Managing Director Hans Haist. Kallfass subsequently installed the longitudinal feed in the direction of the WJS planing machine. Depending on the timber length, this can achieve up to a maximum of 80 cycles a minute.

Resorting for higher quality

There are two options downstream of the planing unit. Timbers that can be classified as a higher quality through cutting are sorted out to the left onto a conveyor in film layers. These can be fed into the process again if, for example, a dimension change occurs in the planing machine. “This resorting dispenses with the need for a further stacking system and complex trimmer station”, said Haist. The majority of planed workpieces are pulled onto a cross conveyor behind the conveyor with the temporarily stored film layers. An operator examines the workpieces here, ejects timber pieces of unsuitable quality and, by drawing on the timbers, can determine the chop cuts. In addition, Rettenmeier opted for a bundling system. In the case of single pieces, this simply involves “running over” these with transport chains. Kallfass also integrated a labelling system in this section. Kallfass was already involved in the development of this solution at Cordes, and it is also employed in Ramstein. “Both the bundles and wooden strips can be labelled”, explained Haist.

Following this, the timbers pass through the tried and trusted multiple cross-cut saw from Kallfass. The saw is equipped with four variable saw aggregates. The layers are then transferred to the stacking system which is equipped with magazines with automated stick placement. The stacker is also suitable for DIY packages (i.e. quarter packages). Finally, the finished packages are foil-wrapped and prepared for shipping. When it comes to foil wrapping, Kallfass provided yet another machine that mills the grooves in squared timbers. “This has proven its worth on numerous occasions”, said Haist.
“The new planing line allows us to achieve classic four-sided planing and, also, separation, or simply tongue and groove sections. That makes us extremely versatile. Kallfass provided us with a simple, but extremely efficient solution that allowed us to cover all requirements”, Lang confirmed.

Alle 50 Sekunden:
ein 4m-Paket EN A 4 m package every 50 seconds

Kallfass had started the planing unit at Cordes Holz at the turn of the year 2018/2019. At that time, the line was, in essence, explicitly designed for DIY store products all over Europe. “The plant was extremely robust and very quick. In fact, it went so well that, despite our complete satisfaction, we were obliged to order an upgrade of the machine from Kallfass two years later”, explains Andreas Cordes, the owner. His primary wish was to enhance the level of flexibility with regard to dimensioning. And, while they were at it, they could also expand the marking options and, once again, increase the performance of the planing machine.

Takes on everything up to 290 mm and 6 m in length

What emerged was a universal plant that can do everything “from an S10 batten to raw solid structural timber, and from rhombic sections to square planing”, as Cordes describes it. That is considerably more products than could previously be manufactured. The maximum cross section is 290 mm by 165 mm and length of 6 m. Output was increased, despite comprehensive marking, labelling, foil wrapping, bundling and stacking options. The mechanisation is so powerful that the Rex Bigmaster could be enhanced from 100 to 200 m/min. The planing unit was designed for smaller solid structural timber cross sections, but it can now reach twice the speed and handle a much broader dimensional spectrum.

22 fitters for “open-heart surgery”

Kallfass realised the conversion during continuing operation. Up to 22 fitters were required to ensure that the general reconstruction could be achieved within ten weeks with only a single brief shutdown. “Actually, everything was changed, with the plant being expanded in three directions, and a lot of scanners, sensors and marking units were added”, explains Kallfass Project Manager Enrico Goldhahn. “It was open-heart surgery, and we performed it by working in two shifts, including over the weekend. We’re proud that, in spite of all the changes, hardly any stoppage occurred”.

Joint concept

“The plant, as it now exists, was a joint development undertaken by REA Jet, Cordes and us”, says Goldhahn. Among other things, he recommended that a buffer conveyor be installed upstream of the destacking device. The plant picks up an uninterrupted stream of packages for vacuum destacking. “We suggested here that a vacuum destacker with a hoisting unit, stick stripper and ATB stick scanner be selected, and that’s exactly how it was constructed”, relates Goldhahn.
At Cordes, timbers that are too short or unsuitable can be separated upstream of the planing unit. “It’s not unusual for a short piece to be delivered with a package, but I can do without that in the planing mill”, explains Cordes, which is also why a warping meter from ATB in Roggenburg, Germany and a turning device were installed here.

Powerful, despite many processing options and cutting

The first REA Jet labelling run then followed, printing all the required information on the DIY products. The downstream multiple cross-cut saw is from Kallfass. “We can now trim with millimetre accuracy. From 800 mm short timbers to 6 m excess lengths – that means we’re extremely flexible”, says Cordes with delight during the tour of the new planing mill.
He can also call up the plant performance data live on his mobile phone. During the on-site visit of the Holzkurier, a 4m DIY package was completed every 50 seconds.

Six strapping units for small and large pieces

“We delivered the first plant to Cordes with six strapping machines for bundling small and large pieces”, continues Goldhahn. Finally, the packages can also be wrapped in foil. Kallfass also provided an offsetting station for quart packages. The stacking system can handle both small and large packages up to a package height of 2.4 m. “The automatic squared timber stacking is accelerated further, making everything perfect”, says Goldhahn, explaining the success.

Only two operators for the plant

Only two employees work in the plant on each shift. The team monitors the process and ensures that material such as labelling rolls is filled. Just how well the two work together became apparent during the visit. One of them focuses on feeding timber pieces up to the rear of the planing machine. A fault must be remedied here in the case of broken raw timber, or labelling rolls inserted. The second man stands beside the package assembly system. Bearers (squared timbers) or sticks are refilled there.

Praise from the biggest name in Germany

If Andreas Cordes accepts the plant by saying “We’re very satisfied”, his words carry weight. This is the judgement of a man whose corporate group includes German planing specialists such as Osmo Holz in Warendorf, Holz-Henkel in Göttingen and Krages Holzindustrie in Hamburg. In addition, Rettenmeier, a subsidiary, also creates planed workpieces at several locations. This means that the Cordes Group probably has the greatest planing capacity in Germany.

Cordes still has major plans for Bremerhaven. Solid structural timber will be increased to 200,000 m³ per annum, along with an additional 50,000 m³ a year of glued laminated timber. Kallfass is a significant partner for deliveries of these systems. A test run should commence this year.

Kontinuierlicher Zufluss
mit Leistenroboter EN Continuous inflow with stick robot

Several thousand stacking sticks need to be handled daily at the Sägewerk Egger sawmill in Brilon. “Previously, the continuous filling of stacking plant magazines during main and side board sorting was an enormously laborious task”, relates Jens-Michael von Werder who is responsible for production technology at the sawmill. Up to nine workers were involved in each shift, which meant a considerable number of personnel were working during three-shift operation. For this reason, it was decided to invest in an automated stick handling system with robot charging of magazines at Egger.

Flexible solution

“We found the standard variants available too rigid. We wanted a flexible solution which we could use to handle both drying chamber and stabilisation battens and squared timbers”, continues von Werder. Kallfass, Baiersbronn/DE, offered Egger the perfect solution. “We’d already gain a positive impression of Kallfass during a project in the planing mill. Aside from this, Kallfass has always proved to be a good partner when it came to tackling challenging tasks”, says von Werder. The mechanisation specialist presented those responsible at Egger with a flexible solution that appeared to offer them cutting-edge technology. “We had already installed other automated stick systems in the past, but the project at Egger in Brilon was the most comprehensive to date”, explains Kallfass Managing Director Hans Haist.

Two lines, three robots

The “open-heart surgery”, as von Werder describes it, was performed from April to September, with Kallfass realising the entire automated stick line installation while plant operation continued. The actual installation took two months. “The project went very well and, most importantly, free of accidents. We had practically no downtimes”, confirms von Werder. Egger in Brilon cuts around 1 million m² per annum. The timber is sorted in main and side board plants which are installed in parallel. The new Kallfass line charges both plants with drying chamber and stabilisation battens and squared timbers. Stacking sticks from the dry sorting station are fed together with the squared timbers in uprights to the new Kallfass line. The uprights are discharged onto a buffer conveyor. The system automatically separates the squared timbers from the sticks. The squared timbers are then fed to a stacking system via a separate chain buffer line. The Kallfass control system assigns the squared timbers to both stacking plants based on package data. The sticks take another route, with the Kallfass mechanism separating these and feeding them through a scanner. This determines the dimensions and curvature. Unsuitable sticks are discharged through a flap. The system handles eleven sticks together in each case on an inclined conveyor.

Andrea, Hubertus and Paul

Andrea, the first robot on the line, grabs these eleven stacking sticks and cycles them into the buffer conveyor. “This is designed for around 3000 sticks”, explains Haist. Hubertus and Paul, the two other robots with swivel arms, pick up the stacking sticks if necessary and deposit them in the new Kallfass packet assembly magazines. “The system is designed for an output of 100 sticks per minute”, estimates Haist. “We hold the property rights to this robot charger”, he adds. There is only one stick length for all package widths in the case of stabilisation battens. These are adapted to the package through positioning and shifting of stick placement. “This solution means we are considerably more flexible than with different lengths, but the cost of materials is higher”, says von Werder. Kallfass also upgraded the stacker and delivered the entire control system over the course of this investment. This means that it is now possible to control the placement of more sticks in the lower five to six layers to prevent timber breakage. From Egger’s point of view, operation of the new stick handling system has been both smooth and absolutely satisfactory. “The goal in the area of stick handling is to now manage with four employees per shift. This means the investment will pay off within a very short space of time”, concludes von Werder.

Extensive planning

Good co-operation: Kallfass programmer Holger Seidt with the two Dold Holzwerke managing directors Nikolaus Faller and Matthias Huber (from left)

“Kallfass has literally given us the perfect solution in the new planing mill”.

One type of wood - many possibilities

Separation after tilt destacking: the planing machine continues to the left at the bottom, the bypass for the twin band saw at the top

Planing or restacking

Tried and tested in practice many times over: Kallfass installed the multiple cross-cut saw for the clean and separating cut

Bundling system provided by Kallfass: On the right, the flexible “mini-packaging” of the slats, on the left, the strapping station

View of the two packaging systems: Dold decided in favour of a separate system for B-goods (left in the picture)

Customised solution: Kallfass lifts the stacks of sawn timber so that the employees can attach the film and parcel labels more easily

Planing plant combines high performance with reliability, flexibility and precision

They know each other

Heavy duty was a must

Separation via Tongloader: There is a lot to do with 3 m double wood packages

500 mm for 500 m/min

Fire at will: The acceleration rollers for 500 m/min

Parts tracking included

View back to the assessment deck after planing (I), cutting for A quality (II), cutting for B quality (III) and layer creation for B (IV); arrows show flow direction

A central package station for everything, including mini packages

What can go in? Strength, quality and wood moisture measurement centrally in front of the planer

Automatic bundling machine at Rettenmeier for up to twelve bundles per minute - two systems are installed

Multiple cross-cut saw: There is one sawing unit each for A goods and B/C goods

Automatic stick placing via stick magazines is also available in two versions, for qualities A and B

Final wood package formation: centralised for both systems - DIY mini wood packages are also available

In May 2022, Cordes Holz of Bremerhaven, Germany, started a new planing line. The company relies on the expertise of Kallfass, Baiersbronn, Germany, for the line’s automation. In fact, skill was in high demand: The planing line is highly flexible, increasing its complexity simultaneously.

All measurements are taken during the transverse run-through

Mesutronic metal detector

Planing or quality sorting

Kallfass level sorter

Bundling systems at a height of 6 m above the level sorter

The Kallfass bundling station, 6 m above the level sorter

This is the third installation

Starting the Kallfass system: Package infeed and subsequent tilt destacking

Downstream of the TongLoader®, an employee assesses the product...

…before it passes through the Mesutronic metal detector

Kallfass intake into the planing machine; capacity: up to 80 cycles a minute

View of the Microtec Goldeneye and the Rex planing machine

The Kallfass bundling station, 6 m above the level sorter

Tried and tested: The multiple cross-cut saw made by Kallfass

In order to achieve greater stability, the boards can also be stacked diagonally

Holzwerke van Roje installs a new planing mill in its existing facility at the Oberhonnefeld-Gierend location (Rhineland-Palatinate).

Satisfied with the cooperation and results of the project (from left): Planing Mill Manager Eduard Dück, the Managing Director of Holzwerke van Roje, Gerhard Hauschulte and Kallfass Director Hans Haist.

Kallfass planing machine feeder

Infeed side of the REX “Big Master” planing machine

Kallfass planing machine feeder

Infeed side of the REX “Big Master” planing machine

Schematic depiction of the van Roje planing mill.

Charging and tilt destacking from Kallfass.

The rear part of the facility, with the bundling unit in the foreground again and the line with the second stacker behind.

Planing unit no. 5 has been in operation at Rettenmeier Holzindustrie in Ramstein, Germany since April. During the design phase, those responsible placed enormous importance on achieving a high level of flexibility, as Rettenmeier specialises in particular in supplying DIY stores.

Rettenmeier CEO Dr. Stephan Lang and Kallfass Managing Director Hans Haist (from l.) in front of the planing machine feeder.

„Kallfass handled the entire project impeccably. We achieved almost 100 % output within four weeks.“

Unsuitable dimensions can be stored temporarily onto a conveyor in film layers and then fed into the production process again.

Rettenmeier processes four types of timber in Ramstein (including Douglas fir) to create products for the construction industry and specialist trade.

Following destacking in layers with a vacuum lifter, a stick stripper brushes the stacking strips down.

A worker examines the workpieces and can realise chop cuts by drawing on the timbers.

Kallfass also provided Rettenmeier with a bundling system complete with marking station…

… and the tried and trusted multiple cross-cut saw with four saw aggregates.

Hans Haist and Stephan Lang observe stick placement and the stacking of packages.

From S10 to KVH structural timber – planing, marking, labelling, bundling, foil wrapping, stacking of everything at up to 200 m/min

“The success of the machine forced us to upgrade after only two years”

There is a lot going on at the planing facility entrance: layer by layer separation, stick discharge, stick scanner, dimension check and feeding into the Bigmaster

Foil wrapping, strapping, packet note – everything compact

Three stacks wait in front of the facility, with timber fed in automatically

Enrico Goldhahn and Andreas Cordes (from left): The Kallfass project manager and the Cordes Group owner

Enhanced planing unit: the Rex Bigmaster now runs at up to 200 m/min

Marking at full speed: units supplied by REA Jet

Trimming with millimetre accuracy, whether 80 cm short timbers or 290 mm solid structural timbers

Automatic package squared timber stacking

In front of the sticks being fed in: Ernst Kallfass, Jens-Michael von Werder and Hans Haist (l. to r.)

“We anticipate the new stick handling system paying off within a very short space of time”.

Feeding the stacking sticks towards the scanner that determines the dimensions and curvature.

… while "Hubertus" is responsible for the main board plant.

The Kallfass system picks up eleven sticks in each case which are cycled onto the buffer conveyor by Andrea.

Kallfass also upgraded the stacker during the course of the new system installation.

"Paul" grabs these sticks and fills the side board plant magazines with them …

More stacking sticks can be placed in the lower five to six layers to prevent timber breakage.

Automation solutions

Cross-cut saws

Sorter