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Quality in focus when Swedish sawmill Hilmer Andersson invests wood dryers
To further increase the quality yield, the family-owned sawmill Hilmer Andersson has invested in a FB continuous kiln and three batch kilns from Valutec. The total investment cost amounts to approximately € 4 million.
“Over the years, we have developed more and more from a traditional sawmill to a further processing industry. This has meant increased quality requirements and with this investment we will increase the quality output on every piece”, says Nils Andersson, production manager Hilmer Andersson.
Hilmer Andersson, which today saws approx. 220,000 cubic meters (94 MMBF) annually, will after investment have a drying capacity of almost 300,000 cubic meters (128 MMBF). An excess capacity of the dryers means that Hilmer Andersson becomes more flexible and can saw what the market demands.
"The current market situation has meant that less went to the construction trade and more towards dried timber exports. Thanks to excess capacity in the dryers, we can now quickly adjust and cut exactly what the sales department wants to sell", says Nils.
This is the fourth investment in wood dryers from Valutec that Hilmer Andersson has carried out since 2015. When the new dryers are in place, Hilmer Andersson will have one of Europe's most modern drying parks consisting of a TC continuous kiln, an FB continuous kiln and 11 stainless batch kilns
"We only have positive experiences from previous projects with Valutec. They drive the development in wood drying and have good service and support, which is important", says Nils.
"When a customer chooses to return, it is proof that they are satisfied with our product and project implementation. Hilmer Andersson is a sawmill with a long history that has done a good job over time. It feels fantastic that we are trusted to deliver to them again and be part of their continued journey", says Joakim Berglund, sales manager Valutec.
Hilmer Andersson, located in Lässerud in western Värmland, Sweden, is a family-owned sawmill in the fourth generation. In addition to Nils, sister Kari, who is CEO of the sawmill, and brother Karl, who runs the part-owned builders' shop XL Bygg Hilmer, are also active within the company.
The delivery also includes the control system Valmatics 4.0 and the integrated simulator Valusim. The patented systems are the only ones on the market that give the user the opportunity to optimize the drying process based on the central parameters of quality, capacity and energy consumption.
Assembly of the wood dryers will begin in the fall of 2024 and they are planned to be put into operation in the spring of 2025.
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