In Krylbo, the company processes logs with diameters between 10 and 21 cm. The site’s annual lumber output is up to 250,000 m³, with spruce accounting for around two thirds and pine for one third. According to Karl Hedin, this makes it Sweden’s largest sawmill for small-diameter log wood. The sawmill division has officially been part of Vida Wood for a few weeks now.
“After reaching our capacity limits in further processing, we decided to modernize our planing mill, sorting line, and packaging plant. Since we have had positive experience at another production site, it was clear that we would once again rely on CGV’s expertise,” Johan Sundin, operations manager at Krylbo, tells us. Installation and assembly of the machines began in 2022, and the first boards rolled through them in February 2024. For about a year now, the plant has been in full operation.
Structured commissioning
“The collaboration with CGV was smooth from the start. Since we were able to continue operating the existing planing mill, the installation was done in a very structured manner. Controlled commissioning is a huge advantage, especially in a project of this size,” Sundin emphasizes. After it had gone into operation, the production site initially operated in a single shift. Planing and sorting were done in the morning, and troubleshooting in the afternoon. This also made it easier for Karl Hedin’s employees to familiarize themselves with the new technology. “The entire plant now boasts a significantly higher level of automation,” Robin Ahsberg, CGV automation technician, adds.
More output in less time
First, the packages of dried lumber are singulated and prepared for infeed via a 20-m-long cross conveyor. This length is necessary to achieve the plant’s speed. Next, the wood moisture content is measured. If necessary, the boards are turned over to their right side for planing and are then fed into a Gilbert planer. Alternatively, the rough-sawn lumber can be transported directly to the sorting line. Behind a RemaSawco strength class scanner, two trimmers and a marking station are installed. The boards are then transported to one of 14 levels via a paternoster lift. “We chose a multi-level sorting system because of the gentler handling of the planed timber,” Sundin explains.
The new sorting system enables a significant increase in capacity. In the past, 175,000 m³ a year were produced in four shifts. Now, output amounts to 235,000 m³ in two-shift operation. Cross-sections from 16 by 75 mm to 100 by 100 mm and lengths from 1.8 to 3.1 m are processed. The machine is designed for up to 200 cycles per minute – a remarkable speed for a model with multi-level sorting, as Sundin proudly emphasizes.
Automated packaging
The final step is packaging. CGV also installed a high-performance solution here. Up to 30 layers per minute can be processed. “As soon as a package is formed, it is strapped once to avoid disruptions in the further process,” Ahsberg says. In order to achieve cycle times of 35 seconds per package, Karl Hedin uses a CGV Wrapper. The foil is prepared by a robot in such a way that it simply needs to be pulled over the package. Another robot then applies labels to both sides of the package in a single step. “The exact location and position of each package can be traced via the system control. A camera system checks whether label and package match when they exit the plant,” Ahsberg explains.
High plant availability is key
After commissioning, the production facility quickly reached the agreed performance level. “Availability is even more important than mere speed – and we are already at a very high level here. CGV has done an excellent job. They know what matters to manufacturing companies,” Sundin summarizes. CGV is also satisfied: “The collaboration was smooth throughout the entire project. We incorporate the expertise from previous installations into every project, and our customers benefit greatly from this,” project manager Fredrik Eriksson emphasizes.
