Automation in the sawmill: Partnership of SENNEBOGEN and HOLTEC

On the other hand, automation is also highly interesting from a purely economic point of view. Gantry solutions can cover a wide range of applications in timber handling without compromising on flexibility. The operator can slew the machine 360 degrees, and can also move forwards, backwards and sideways with built-in trolleys. Thanks to its modular machine concept, SENNEBOGEN offers a wide range of equipment options depending on the machine size and the material handler equipment, with ranges of up to 20 m possible. There is also the length of the gantry’s individually definable travel path. This saves both time and personnel, as a single operator can cover a very large working area in a very short time.

In addition, material handlers with gantries can be implemented as purely electric solutions. The electric engines are particularly environmentally friendly due to the elimination of fossil fuels and exhaust gases, and also offer enormous savings in daily operation. From the outset, they are more economical and require less maintenance than diesel engines and thus reduce operating and service costs. They also work with reduced noise and generate fewer vibrations, which relieves the strain on nature and people around the machine over the long term.     

A brand-new example of the cooperation between HOLTEC and SENNEBOGEN is at the company Dold Holzwerke GmbH in Buchenbach. Here, a new SENNEBOGEN 840 E electric machine with rail gantry recently replaced an old cable gantry crane after a project phase of only 9 months. With its 20 m reach and gantry design with 36 m track width and 45 m travel distance, the machine takes care of the box emptying and supplying two cutting lines with logs. An expansion involving the extension of the track system is already being planned. The new, all-electric drive concept with 200 kW electric engine fits perfectly into the processes of the sawmill, which has stood for sustainable, economical and ecological action for more than 130 years. For similar reasons, the SENNEBOGEN 735 GED Pick and Carry material handler (Green Efficiency Drive) with electric travel drive has been used for unloading incoming trucks on site for quite a while.

For Dold Holzwerke GmbH, the decision to use the all-electric gantry solution from HOLTEC and SENNEBOGEN was a further step towards achieving the company’s goals: "With our sustainably managed timber as a competitive alternative to hard building materials, we make an effective contribution to climate protection and CO 2 reduction through our product portfolio alone. The fact that we are now implementing this even more consistently in our processes, thanks to the new log handling concept, definitely sets standards for modern, sustainable management in our industry."