Highly efficient surface layer lamella production for solid wood boards
Tilly Holzindustrie is one of the world's leading manufacturers of one and three-layer natural wood panels. Surface layer lamellae are produced with highest levels of automation in a system featuring five high-performance fine-cutting SPEEDLINER 920/350 bandsaws from Fill. The total solution offered from a single source and created in close consultation with the customer ensures extremely productive lamella production with maximum cost-effectiveness and flexibility.
Gurten, September 7, 2023 – With production capacity of 10 million m2, Tilly Holzindustrie Gesellschaft m.b.H. in Althofen (Austria) is the world's largest manufacturer of one and three-layer softwood and hardwood panels. The application areas for these panels extend from furniture making through to load-bearing and stiffening planks for timber frame and timber construction. Solid wood composite panels are produced with very high levels of automation in complex large systems working in three shifts. To expand and optimize production capacity at their Althofen plant, Tilly Holzindustrie issued a tender for an additional surface layer lamella production facility. Fill presented the most innovative concept with the most efficient production process featuring a special arrangement of the subsystems to ensure optimum utilization of the facilities in the existing hall.
Highly efficient production
Fill planned and delivered a complex system providing fully automated production of the three-layer lamellae from the stack of sawn timber through to the finished lamella packs. The first step in the production process involves unstacking the boards and collecting the stacking strips. This is followed by curvature and moisture measurement, metal detection, ejection of unsuitable boards,and optimized alignment for further processing. Then a planing machine planes the timbers to the set dimensions. "Five high-performance thin-cutting SPEEDLINER 920/350 bandsaws cut the boards into individual lamellae at speeds of up to 40 m/min, leaving a kerf of only 1.1 to 1.6 mm. This guarantees maximum material utilization with minimal waste. After passing through a quality scanner, the lamellae are sorted by quality and stacked into transportable packs," explains Andreas Kopfberger, project manager at Fill. The lightweight lamellae must not be damaged when transporting them at speeds approaching the physical limits of up to 350 m/min.
Comprehensive control and information technology
The separately controlled system parts upstream from the bandsaws, the bandsaws with joining module, and the sorting unit all communicate with each other. Together with additional facilities for measurement and quality inspection, they supply their data to CYBERNETICS PRODUCE. The applications of this Fill solution for linking multiple machines or systems enable seamless recording and storage of relevant process parameters for efficient operation and reliable component traceability. Thanks to the bidirectional connection to the customer’s ERP system, the entire system can adapt fully automatically to the circumstances and carry out a complete product changeover within ten minutes. Tilly-Production Manager Ing. Philipp Wallgram appreciates the clear, carefully considered operating concept of the machines from Gurten, which ensures straightforward and reliable operation, also with few personnel.
Corporate data
Fill is a leading international machine engineering company based in Gurten, Upper Austria. With sophisticated high-tech systems and custom manufacturing solutions for metal, plastics and wood, Fill makes its customers the best in their fields. The automotive, aviation, sports, and building industries all benefit from Fill’s expertise. Since it was founded in 1966, the company has distinguished itself through enormous innovative strength, strong values and the best jobs. “If you are seeking the best solution, shape your future with Fill” is the guiding principle of the company’s more than 975 employees. “Wir sind 1! We are one!” is their vision and stands for togetherness not only with the team, but also with customers, suppliers and partners. The company is 100 percent family-owned and managed by Andreas Fill (CEO), Martin Reiter (CFO), Alois Wiesinger (CTO), and Günter Redhammer (COO). In 2022, Fill recorded sales of around 187 million euros.
Legend:
Figure 1 – SPEEDLINER:
At the heart of the new system for producing surface layer lamellae for three-layer solid wood panels at Tilly Holzindustrie, five high-performance thin-cutting SPEEDLINER 920/350 bandsaws from Fill ensure maximum material yield.
Figure 2 – inclined elevator:
After sawing and planing, the lamellae are separated before passing through a quality scanner, then sorted by quality and stacked. Linking of all subsystems with the CYBERNETICS applications from Fill enables seamless recording, storage, and tracking of all relevant process parameters to increase the system availability.
Figure 3 – Philipp Wallgram:
Ing. Philipp Wallgram, Production Manager at Tilly Holzindustrie Gesellschaft m.b.H.: "The surface layer lamella system is not only extremely productive, but also very robust and low-maintenance.
Photos:
© P. Kemptner
