“We are simply satisfied with the machines and services provided by Hundegger.” Tino Bühler, managing director of Abbund-Zentrum Ulm © Günther Jauk
Four years ago, Holzkurier visited the joinery company Abbund-Zentrum Ulm for the first time. At the time, the company was just putting a PBA panel processing machine into operation which marked the start of the joining of big-format cross-laminated timber. Since 1991, carpentry companies from the region have been doing their joinery work at Abbund-Zentrum Ulm, and these 28 partners still account for almost half of the overall order volume.
Currently, the company joins around 8,000 m³ of panels and an equal volume of beams. The CLT industry in particular has become an important customer in recent years. “Joining is often the bottleneck in production, and manufacturers like working with us, especially when it comes to more challenging projects,” managing director Tino Bühler tells us. In 2021, his company joined around 6,000 m³ of cross-laminated timber for the glued timber industry.
His PBA machine has two 16-meter-long processing zones which are separated by a movable wall. While the portal does all the milling, drilling and cut-outs at one station, the wall is positioned in the middle. This mechanism ensures that the employee at the second station can safely place down and secure the next CLT element. For the processing of even bigger elements, such as glulam girders for halls, the two zones can be combined to form one 42-meter-long zone.
“We are simply satisfied with the machines and services provided by Hundegger.”
Automated storage unit
In 2019, the company invested in a K2-Industry 1300 complete with a pick & feed system. The latter was also supplied by Hundegger and consists of a storage unit which is managed fully automatically using a vacuum lifter. Packages are lifted into one of the 25 available storage spaces and are fed into the joinery machine when necessary. “In combination with the high-performance K2-Industry, we were able to replace two existing Hundegger machines in addition to saving valuable manpower,” Bühler comments. It was one of the first pick & feed systems which Hundegger delivered.
Hundegger replaced the tried-and-tested K2i model with the K2-Industry as a reaction to increasingly demanding market requirements, especially in the high-performance segment. For example, the company implemented the electronic positioning of the units, using racks and spindles, for the first time. This makes the positioning of the units even faster and more precise. The open circular saw unit, where the wood waste falls down automatically and is removed by a conveyor belt below, also saves a lot of time.
Service for packaging manufacturers
In just a few months, Abbund-Zentrum Ulm is going to receive another Hundegger machine. In the future, the company wants to use the Turbo-Drive cutting machine to process smaller cross-sections and to serve packaging manufacturers in the region. The machine is equipped with a five-axis saw unit which can be swiveled by 360° and tilted by 90° at the same time for fast and precise cutting. The machine is suitable for dimensions from 2 x 4 cm to 16 x 45 cm.
Furthermore, the Turbo-Drive also carries out the drilling and milling as well as the marking of the pieces. The saw blade can move under the support height of the workpiece and cut horizontal slots of various angles and thicknesses.
Big plans
The next big project is to be launched in 2023. In another hall at the same site, Abbund-Zentrum Ulm wants to build a processing center for CLT and timber frame elements.
In the future, construction elements will not only be cut to size, but also be covered with panels and insulation. “There is a clear trend towards prefabrication. Even CLT surfaces are increasingly provided with special panels for fire safety in the factory,” Bühler says with regard to the decision.
Hundegger is to supply another PBA panel processing machine for this new hall. Cutting on a Hundegger SPM has also been part of Abbund-Zentrum Ulm’s range of services for years. Hundegger developed this machine specifically for the production of walls for timber frame constructions and facades. In addition to cutting, the machine can also mill, drill, groove and label the wall elements.
“Of course, we also look at the products and services of other manufacturers before making any investment, but we always end up opting for Hundegger. In addition to the good machines, we greatly appreciate the excellent service and the long-standing relationship of trust”, Bühler says, not holding back in his praise, and adds: “We are simply satisfied with Hundegger”.
