Continued successes for Valutec in Central Europe
Valutec has been chosen to deliver another two continuous kilns to central Europe. Austria's Hasslacher Norica Timber and Germany's Robeta Holzindustrie each chose to invest in a lumber kiln. This means that Valutec – the world leader in kiln technology – sold 21 progressive kilns to Europe in 2017 with a total drying capacity of around 1,500,000 cubic meters (640 000 MBF).
Continuous kiln technology is still relatively unknown in Central Europe, but in recent years the technology has made a breakthrough. The increased demand for Valutec’s continuous kilns is the result of a combination of a focused effort on Valutec’s part and in increased demand for high-quality drying processes from sawmills in Central Europe.
"The increased use of glue-laminated and cross-laminated lumber has led the sawmills of today to have a completely different quality approach and to see a value in drying side-sawn boards. It creates additional opportunities for our continuous kiln technology, which meets sawmill requirements for high capacity and quality,” says Robert Larsson, CEO Valutec.
Hasslacher is a family-owned sawmill group with seven plants in three countries. In 2016, the Hasslacher plant in Sachsenburg, Carinthia, which is one of Europe's most modern glue-lamination facilities, invested in two OTC kilns from Valutec. Hasslacher has now chosen to invest in an additional Valutec kiln to the same plant.
"When a customer chooses to invest in an identical installation, it’s a great confirmation that they're very satisfied with our product and our previous delivery," says Robert Larsson.
Robeta Holzindustrie is a privately owned German sawmill which processes around 300,000 cubic meters (130 000 MBF) per year. The OTC kiln will be the sawmill's first continuous kiln. It has a capacity of around 50,000 cubic meters (21 000 MBF) per year and will be used to dry pine in thinner dimensions down to a moisture content of 18 percent.
"Robeta seas great value in the continuance kiln's low energy consumption and its logistical advantages compared to a traditional batch kiln," says Robert Larsson.
The progressive kilns, which are made of stainless steel, will be equipped with pressure frames for minimal deformation of the top lumber layers. The kiln is equipped with Valutec’s heat recovery system and delivery also includes the Valmatic control system. The installations will be delivered and assembled during the winter for commissioning during the spring of 2018.
For further information, please contact:
Robert Larsson, CEO Valutec
Cell: +46 70 336 40 58
robert.larsson@valutec.se
Stephan Lohmeyer, Scantec
Cell: +49 160 7039490
sl@scantec.org
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The desire to increase the use of wood is the ultimate reason for Valutec's existence. We have been combining Scandinavian expertise in the field of timber drying with insights into the challenges facing our customers for almost 100 years. This has all been done with the aim of pushing the boundaries of what is possible, both as regards value-creating timber kilns as well as intelligent control systems. The Valutec Group has companies in Sweden, Finland, Russia and Canada, and with more than 4,000 timber kilns delivered, we are the leading supplier in Europe. Read more about our “Good for Wood” outlook at www.valutec.se.
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