Europe's largest sawmill is continually renewing its fleet of Hyundai forklifts

The Ziegler Group headquartered in Plössberg, Germany has about 2,000 employees and operates Europe's largest sawmill on 42 hectares of land at its Plössberg location, annually processing 2.2 million solid cubic metres of wood. The company exports lumber products all around the world. Their hundred-strong forklift fleet includes 25 Hyundai 7- and 8-ton units, each clocking up to 7,000 hours of operation every year. In 2021, around 25 of these Hyundai vehicles were replaced with new Hyundai forklifts. Ziegler's partner is the dealer Hyundai Gabelstapler Süd based in the town of Eberstadt, near Heilbronn.

Advertisement

Around 100 forklifts ranging from 3.0 to 12 tons are currently in operation on six sites. In Plössberg there are 46 trucks of which 25 are Hyundai machines. Forklift mission profile: loading of sawn timber, disposal of production lines and filling the drying kilns on the huge plant site in Plössberg near Weiden.

The Hyundai 70D-9-series (7 t/600 mm load centre distance (LCD)) and 80D-9-series (8 t/600 mm LCD) forklifts are run by changing teams of operators, and see heavy duty in three-shift operations. The combination of 75-kW Cummins QSF 3.8 diesel engine with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to meet emissions regulations, and ZF transmission with three forward and three reverse gears. These front forklifts reach a speed of 25 km/h when loaded, easily handle the long ramps, and have proven extremely rugged under heavy-duty three-shift operations. All Hyundai 70D-9- and 80D-9-series forklifts are equipped with a duplex mast for 4,500-mm fork height. The side shift/fork adjuster is standard on Hyundai forklifts, and Ziegler mounts a load backrest on the mast for safety, to protect against falling wood. Hyundai's 8-tonner with larger 9.00 R20 tyres instead of 8.25-15 tyres is praised for its smoother ride and higher ground clearance.

Ziegler's workshop manager commends Hyundai's for its excellent spare parts service: "Parts ordered by 3:30 p.m. actually arrive the very next morning on site in Plössberg. I can attest in general to the truly minimal maintenance needs and costs of our yellow forklifts from South Korea. Even installing spare parts takes very little time. And even if any issues arise, there are no problems dealing with Hyundai. Our sales manager at Hyundai, André Germeck, generates what's called a "service bulletin", and the manufacturer takes charge of whatever remedial action is needed. Everything is processed in such a straightforward, uncomplicated way."

The standard features of these modern diesel forklifts include:

• Cummins QSF 3.8 engine with 75 kW of engine power

• Compact dimensions (length to face of forks only 3,666 mm, with 2,300-mm wheelbase)

• Tiltable cab with air conditioning system and high-quality Grammer seat

• Indicator for automatic alert of clogged air filter

• LED headlight, rear-view camera

• Easy access to service points (diesel, oil, brake fluid, engine coolant) from the ground

• Tilt lock, drive lock and lift lock (prevent any accidental movement of the mast, fork and truck when the operator is not in the cab seat)

• Underbody protection (optional)

• Standard lubrication points (connect to a central lubrication system at Ziegler)