High-performance log yard for 1.2 million solid cubic metres

Schwaiger Holzindustrie industry in Hengersberg is among the most high‑performance sawmills in Germany. Each year, around 1.2 million cubic metres of logs are processed here. Over the decades, the existing log yard had grown continually and increasingly reached the limits of its capacity.

With the decision to carry out a comprehensive modernisation, Schwaiger placed its trust in an experienced partner: HOLTEC. The two companies share a long-standing collaboration and the common goal of implementing a powerful system under demanding conditions.

Task

The existing log yard at the Hengersberg site was one of the oldest systems in the plant and could no longer meet the increasing requirements. The objective was therefore to implement a modern log sorting system that reliably supplies the sawmill with wood while enabling future increases in performance.

The framework conditions were particularly challenging: the conversion had to take place on a limited area and be carried out during ongoing operations. In addition, the downtime had to be reduced to an absolute minimum.

Before the actual conversion work began, the entire area underwent extensive preparation. In addition to clearing the log yard, even an adjacent state road had to be relocated. At the same time, noise‑reduction measures were taken into account, including enclosure of the system and noise‑optimised portal cranes.

Solution

HOLTEC developed a powerful yet compact plant concept featuring two separate log lines. Each line is equipped with its own infeed deck, a Baljer & Zembrod butt reducer and a Nicholson debarker. This enables the system to sort sufficient logs in two‑shift operation to continuously supply the sawmill, which runs on a three‑shift basis.

The log yard is designed for log lengths from 3 to 5.3 metres and diameters from 12 to 65 centimetres. The sorting lines achieve feed speeds of around 200 metres per minute. For optimal log assessment – particularly for timber from wet storage – one of the lines is additionally equipped with a milling disc.

Logrunners ensure rapid acceleration of the logs with minimal slippage at the transfer points between cross and longitudinal conveyors. In combination with the dynamic gap control system GapControl, optimum line utilisation is ensured.

After debarking, the logs from both lines are merged and pass through a metal detector and a 3D measurement system before sorting. The sorting process then takes place into a total of 98 boxes. Two portal cranes handle both log stacking and feeding of the sawline.

Special attention was also given to ergonomics: operators work at modern HOLTEC Ergo‑Control workstations, which allow flexible seated and standing positions while maintaining the same field of vision.

Implementation was completed with a maximum downtime of only four weeks. The result is a high‑performance log yard that combines compact design, high capacity and optimal working conditions.

Direkt zum Anlagenlayout

Direkt zum Video