New alliance formed

On the first day of the Ligna trade fair, news spread that Holtec, Hellenthal/DE, had decided to cooperate with wood-based panel equipment manufacturer Dieffenbacher, Eppingen/DE, in the area of log yard machinery. The strategic cooperation will be communicated on the market under the name of "Logyard Alliance". A loose collaboration between the two companies had been in existence for some years now, the firm cooperation was signed in early May. Holtec had already delivered over 20 systems to key players in the European wood-based panel industry.

Win-win situation

"The Logyard Alliance confirms the longstanding association between the companies and is equally beneficial for both", affirmed Holtec Managing Director Alexander Gebele at the Ligna. This step will help Dieffenbacher expand their product portfolio, enabling them to offer complete system solutions for engineered wood – from the log to the panel. Holtec brings many years of expertise in log handling into the alliance. From complete log yards to log conditioning, debarking as well as stranders and chippers, customers now get the complete solution from a single source. The strength lies in individual and comprehensive planning, exactly tailored to the customer's needs – from the chipper line to the complete OSB log yard, from the entire foundation plan to the safety concept, company sources say.

First projects of the new cooperation have already been started: One is the delivery of the complete front-end for the new Swedspan plant in Malacky, Slovakia. Dieffenbacher will deliver their complete package, Holtec will contribute the log handling with debarking and reloading unit for the strander infeed. Another major project is the installation of an OSB plant for the Kronospan operation in Mogilev, Belarus. Dieffenbacher will provide the entire plant for OSB production, Holtec will outfit the wood yard. In addition, Holtec will install a newly developed conditioning system for roundwood there.

Debarker for the wood-based panel industry

At the Ligna, Holtec presented a new debarker for the wood based material industry: Several of the Rotory-Debarker have already been sold (to Swedspan in Slovakia and to Homanit in Poland). Additional debarkers are to be delivered to the Kronospan Group. "The Vario-Debarker scores with a flexible height adjustment. Thus, the debarking is versatile in terms of throughput and debarking quality", a Holtec company speaker says. Recently Holtec completed the commissioning at Norbord in Genk, Belgium. There the Germans had installed a newly developed bunker for wet chips with the appropriate filling and discharge systems in February. The bunker is used in the OSB production as a buffer between the strander and drying unit. Also last year, a trough chain conveyor behind the sifting for the top layer was modified.

Novelties for the sawmill industry

At the Ligna in Hanover two years ago, Holtec had presented a concept for an X-ray based view into the insides of stems. Some scanning units of cooperation partner Bintec have already been in use in Scandinavia for several years. Meanwhile Holtec was able to sell the first scanner in Germany – to the Egger sawmill in Brilon. The plant is currently in the commissioning phase.
Yet innovations were also achieved for package crosscut saws – the "original product" of Holtec. At the Ligna, they presented the package crosscut saw Quattro which allows for a package to be cut in three short packages within one minute.