Log Handling at GELO Holzwerke with a SENNEBOGEN 835 E electric material handler

The sawmilling industry’s trend continues to rise despite the strained economic situation in many other industries. One of Germany’s largest wood processing companies, GELO Holzwerke, therefore decided last year to make a far-reaching investment in a new small-diameter wood sawmill. A SENNEBOGEN 835 E electric material handler now takes care of log handling at the state-of-the-art mill.

At the end of 2020, the 70,000 m² plant in the Wunsiedel Energy Park went into operation, punctually after 11 months of construction. Together with a partner, the successful traditional company invested almost 40 million euros in the new site, at which 1400 solid cubic meters per day will be processed in two-shift operation in the future. Accompanied by the sales and service partner IBS Industrie- und Baumaschinen Service GmbH, an electrically driven SENNEBOGEN 835 E in a unique rail gantry design with a track width of 32 m and a travel distance of 112 m now fits into the processes of the new plant. When unloading the incoming trucks and feeding the saw, the pick & carry machine 730 E with all-wheel drive and 168 kW exhaust stage V engine is also used.

In many respects, the company is committed to the major goal of sustainable management: the processing of the renewable raw material wood, regional value creation through the neighboring, densely wooded Fichtelgebirge, and low-emission systems and machines that allow the large demand on the market to be well served. The decision in favour of an electric machine was therefore a further step for the managing director Wolf-Christian Küspert towards building a sustainable business.

In addition to cost and emission savings, flexibility also played a major role in the purchase decision. The portal design in particular allows the driver maximum degrees of freedom: the machine can be rotated 360 degrees and at the same time both forward, backward and sideways movements are possible thanks to an integrated trolley, whereby the portal covers a generous work area. Thanks to the 8.9 m long and curved compact boom of the “Banana” type and a 7.9 m long grab arm, the 835 E electric excavator has a reach of 15 m. A SENNEBOGEN 2 m² hydraulic wood grapple is attached, which enables the loading of logs with a trunk length of up to 6 m.

A SENNEBOGEN material handler with a 200 kW electric motor is used to transfer the logs from the sorting boxes to the stackers and to feed the saw, which enables environmentally friendly timber handling by eliminating exhaust emissions. Another advantage of electric operation is obvious, because compared to diesel machines, enormous savings in operating and service costs can be achieved through longer service intervals.

Source Sennebogen