Perfekt gekappt und gestapelt für Palettenfertigung EN Perfectly cut and stacked for pallet production

Holzwerke Rückerl invested in an automatic cutting and stacking system from Kallfass, Baiersbronn-Klosterreichenbach, Germany, in order to be able to supply the two pallet production lines with precisely cut sawn timber in sufficient quantities. The two owners, Marc and Roman Rückerl, are delighted with the investment - it has brought significant added value.

24 years ago, the two brothers Marc and Roman Rückerl decided to enter the pallet production business. In addition to EPAL pallets, which make up a large proportion of production, Holzwerke Rückerl in Pfullendorf, Germany also produces special packaging, some of which is delivered using its own lorries. Two automatic systems have now been available for EPAL pallets for a few months. 130,000 m³ of sawn softwood is needed annually. The capacity is 2 million EPAL pallets per year and shift.

Bottleneck eliminated

Until now, Rückerl has used two cross-cut saws to cut the wood for pallet production. "That was very time-consuming and no longer in keeping with the times. In addition, cutting to size became a bottleneck due to the increasing quantities. Furthermore, high dimensional accuracy was no longer guaranteed due to the automation of pallet production. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to buy fixed lengths on the market,” explains Marc Rückerl, who manages the company together with his brother Roman. Thus, a new cutting solution had to be found. "We looked at various providers. We liked the quality of the Kallfass solutions right from the start,” reports Roman Rückerl.

In addition, the proximity to Kallfass in Baiersbronn-Klosterreichenbach spoke in favour of the Baden-Württemberg supplier. Moreover, communication with Kallfass project manager Matthias Link was very good right from the start, as the two confirm. Kallfass supplied Holzwerke Rückerl with a cutting and stacking system, which has been in operation since March.

Flexible system for high performance

Rückerl's typical approach is to purchase sawn timber directly from local sawmills. The new Kallfass line is designed for lengths from 2.5 to 5.1 metres. The wood dimensions for pallet production range from 17 to 22 mm thick and 75 to 150 mm wide. "We usually use the system to cut the raw materials for the Euro pallets. However, its design is very flexible and allows us to process squared timber up to 80 x 80 mm as well," reports Roman Rückerl. The system's target output is around 400 m³ per shift. The sawn timber is separated in layers using a tilt destacking system for double wood packages with automatic stick removal. The boards are fed onto a chain conveyor and then to the operator station using an unscrambler and an alignment roller conveyor. "We deliberately decided against a step separator here because it slows down the system,” says Marc Rückerl. Kallfass installed a thickness monitoring system immediately after the operating station. "If two boards are lying on top of each other, the system stops automatically and the employee can separate the timbers manually," explains the Kallfass project manager.

After the layers are created, the boards are cut to the finished size using the Kallfass multiple cross-cut saw. "This saw is equipped with five saw aggregates; four of which can be positioned automatically," explains Link. The next step is the stacker, which is designed for an output of at least 13 layers per minute and is equipped with ten stick magazines. What makes it unique: To facilitate internal logistics, the boards, which are cut to the exact length required, are stacked directly onto pallets. To achieve this, Kallfass implemented an automatic pallet feed from a magazine. An employee uses a forklift truck to place the required pallets on a roller conveyor. The stacks are precisely aligned and fed to the empty pallet magazine. Subsequently, the magazine feeds the hoisting unit of the stacking system with the pallets and positions them so that the boards are stacked exactly in the centre depending on the length of the parts. To ensure adequate time for collecting the wood packages, there is a generously sized buffer roller aisle at the outlet. Apart from the forklift operator, only one employee is responsible for the entire cutting process.

With the new cutting and stacking system, Marc and Roman Rückerl are well equipped for the future. "More boards come out of the Kallfass system than the two pallet lines can process. This investment was absolutely the right decision," says Marc Rückerl, who is particularly impressed by the simple operating and well thought-out processes of the Kallfass line.