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Kurekss first in the Baltic region with TC continuous kiln
The Latvian sawmill Kurekss has invested in a TC continuous kiln from Valutec. This will be the first continuous kiln of this model to be built in the Baltic countries.
“Kurekss has clear ideas for how they want to develop their business. At the same time, they are open to innovative thinking, and when we presented the TC continuous kiln, they quickly realised that it was ideally suited to meet their specific needs,” comments Stefan Sundqvist, Export Sales Manager at Valutec.
Kurrekss is a privately-owned sawmill in western Latvia that was founded in 1995. A large part of the company’s production is customer-specific and in various dimensions, which means flexible drying options are an obvious requirement.
“A classic continuous kiln was not the optimal choice, as they are most efficient for sawmills that dry large volumes in similar dimensions. The TC continuous kiln is an option that gives sawmills a high capacity while also allowing the running of packets of different dimensions,” says Stefan.
TC is the abbreviation of the Swedish for “cross circulation”. The principle is based on the lumber package being fed lengthways through zones in which the air circulates laterally across the drying channel. This enables the separate regulation of the climate in different zones according to a schedule that comes very close to the ideal schedule of a batch kiln. The kiln model is part of the latest generation of continuous kilns from Valutec. They have rapidly become popular in both Sweden and Central Europe.
Kurekss will mainly use the kiln to dry planks of between 19 millimetres and 25 millimetres. The kiln, which is made from stainless steel, will have six zones and a capacity of over 50,000 cubic metres for mixed dimensions. The delivery also includes a heat recovery system, pressure frames and the Valmatics control system. The equipment will be delivered over the course of the autumn and will be operational towards the end of the year.