This is the target the French sawmill Blanc has committed itself to. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the south-east of the country, the family-run company is relying almost exclusively on German engineering technology for its ambitious project. Kallfass accounts for an elementary component of the extensive investment. The machine builders from Baden-Württemberg were commissioned to construct a flexible and versatile sorting system that is specially tailored to the needs of the French market and ensures Blanc's long-term competitiveness.
“The demand is there and will continue to increase in the future,” explains Quentin Blanc. The young entrepreneur is the fourth generation in the almost 100-year-old family business and has big plans for the traditional company: “The way we were set up in the past, we already had to turn down orders and turn away potential customers because delivery times were too long. We finally wanted to put an end to this.”
Strengthen market presence
In 2023, the sawmill was still cutting approx. 45,000 cubic metres per year. The aim is to break the 100,000 cubic metre mark as early as next year, more than doubling the output. The wood, mainly spruce, fir and Douglas fir, is sourced from the mountainous region of the Rhônes Alps and bordering with France, Switzerland and Italy. According to Blanc, the company has no supply problems to contend with and is also confident about the future in terms of sales: “We have already acquired a number of new customers who previously sourced their products from Scandinavian producers. We can deliver products of equal quality. We compensate for any price disadvantages with short delivery times and the possibility of local value adding,” explains Blanc.
The family-run company has always produced building products that are sold to value added wood manufacturing industries and, above all, timber construction companies. “We sell exclusively in France. In addition to our high quality, our customers particularly appreciate our versatility,” reports the company successor.
Board dimensions of 75 to 250 mm in width and 18 to 100 mm in thickness can be processed on the Kallfass system. “Almost everything that the French timber construction industry needs,” summarises Blanc. “The focus here is on building with wood. We are also noticing this in the increasing demand for our products. However, in order to further promote timber construction, producers must also be able to deliver.”

Happy about the collaboration: Jonathan Bleesz, Kallfass’ French representative, together with Quentin, Frédéric and Brigitte Blanc (from left) in front of the new sorting line
Successful general remodelling
To meet our objectives, construction of a new long-wood plant at the logyard started in 2022. Updates to the sawing line, edging system and scrap wood removal. As with the other machines, Blanc relies on an established German supplier, Kallfass, for the sorting system. “Only Kallfass could supply us with a system that combines flexibility and performance so efficiently. This offers the perfect balance of price and performance.,” says senior partner Frédéric Blanc, impressed by the Baden-Württemberg mechanical engineering company.
In November 2023, Kallfass finally began delivering the first components. Despite the comparatively large amount of conversion work required, the new sorting plant was able to go into operation in September of this year. “The existing hall had to be extended in both width and height for the new sorting system. With 79 boxes, our system at the Blanc sawmill is now the largest of its kind in France. However, it would not have been possible to manage the varied Blancs ranges otherwise,” says Jonathan Bleesz, Kallfass’ sales partner in France, giving an insight into the project.

Hall extension: The existing hall had to be extended for the new Kallfass system
Focus on versatility
The new system is 130 metres long and has two levels in order to be able to meet the customer's request for 79 vertical boxes. “The variety of dimensions is typical for French sawmills of this size. The market is looking for producers who can offer everything,” reports Bleesz, who has been working with Kallfass for over 15 years and is therefore very familiar with the special features of the French market.
Kallfass receives the sawn softwood from the sawmill via a double unscrambler, which transports the material to the higher assessment level in a first step. A curved chain conveyor moves the building products via the Tongloader to an assessment station for separation. Here, the trained eye of the operator determines the quality of the cut product. Up to six different qualities can be added to the wood at the touch of a button. “The system currently runs at approx. 80 cycles per minute - more would not be possible with a visual assessment. If a scanner is retrofitted, we can increase this to up to 120 cycles per minute - in terms of mechanical engineering, all precautions have been taken,” reports Bleesz.

Thick, thin, wide and narrow: At the Blanc sawmill, the sawn timber assortments are colourfully mixed on the Kallfass sorting system. A task that the specialists knew how to master
After the quality assessment, the boards are transported one level further down via a level changer. The trimmer installed there has ten saw aggregates and can therefore react precisely to the quality assessment specifications. Once the filling volume of a box has been reached, it is emptied onto a chain conveyor and the timber is aligned and separated using a step separator. An operator monitors the layer creation before the sawn timber is sawn to the desired lengths on the multiple cross-cut saw and stacked into finished wood packages on the stacking system. The stacking system was equipped with automatically positionable double strip magazines in order to be able to flexibly place drying or transport sticks. With up to 14 layers per minute, the stacking system has also already been designed for Blanc's future increased production. “The aim was to build a sorting plant that would secure the company's long-term future. This also includes a significant increase in the current cutting performance,” confirms Bleesz.

Decides on the quality: An operator assesses the wood quality with a trained eye. A scanner could also be installed here in the future
It's not over by a long shot
Blanc is convinced that the right decision in choosing Kallfass as its supplier was made. In the future, however, the wood will not be loaded directly from the stacking system onto customers’ lorries, but the wood will be processed internally. “First, we need to get the sawmill operating at full capacity and make a few minor adjustments. In the future, however, we also want to refine our products ourselves and are therefore planning the possible construction of a glulam production facility. The first step has already been taken with the expansion of the sawmill’s capacity,” says Quentin Blanc confidently.

Thick, thin, wide and narrow: At the Blanc sawmill, the sawn timber assortments are colourfully mixed on the Kallfass sorting system. A task that the specialists knew how to master

Decides on the quality: An operator assesses the wood quality with a trained eye. A scanner could also be installed here in the future
