News Detail EN

Sawmill modernization in Bavaria
2020-07-09
Sawmill modernization in BavariaThe automatic feeding system AB920 turns the workpieces into the optimal position and transports them to the circular edger.

Kraus sawmill, which is located in the Bavarian town Nittenau, plans to modernize its sawing line while preparing for the future. As early as in the 1990s, the Bavarian company invested in a BK1000 circular edger made by Paul Maschinenfabrik (Dürmentingen). The saw has performed reliably under tough sawmill conditions on a daily basis and has thus become past its prime. It shall be replaced by another PAUL saw, as the company has made positive experience with the BK1000 in the past. Kraus justifies its purchase decision as follows: “Besides several other aspects, it is particularly the services offered by PAUL that are excellent”. Despite the machine’s old age, the company was able to sell the saw with the assistance by PAUL, which clearly underlines the high level of quality featured by the machine.

Individual preferences and experience made by Kraus during the last few decades entered into the planning and designing process of the new system. As a result, PAUL designed an edging system that comprises a fully automatic feeding system AB920 and a circular edger of the KME3 series. The system referred to as POWER_RIP arrived in Nittenau in March 2020.

PAUL’s feeding system AB920 assists its operator in an optimized board grading, alignment and categorizing process, which allows for a less complicated, more efficient and safer work. Optimal yields will be achieved by the system due to an automatic measurement and alignment of the unedged and freshly sawn workpieces. The feeding system will not only center the individual workpieces, but it will also consider the bend of the workpieces by turning them lengthwise. The OPTI_RIP control will calculate the ideal orientation and arrangement.

The KME3 circular edger consists of a bouncing splitting wedge and three moving saw positioning devices, which is one more than the predecessor model featured and increases flexibility. The machine runs with a drive motor of 90 kW that allows it to process workpieces with a width of up to 950 mm and a height of up to 125 mm. An automatic offcut separator after the circular edger guarantees a secure transport of the wane away from the machine. In the following, the workpieces are sorted and stacked up.

Due to the fact that the formerly used machine is widely similar to the new one, it could be replaced without any problems, while the existing handling equipment can be still be used. The new system could be put into operation at Kraus sawmill in due time despite the challenging conditions resulting from the Corona crisis.