Perfected Symbiosis: HOLTEC Plant Engineering and SENNEBOGEN Material Handling Technology

• Groupe François integrates SENNEBOGEN 840 E material handler with HOLTEC's automated plant technology to optimize timber processing.

• The SENNEBOGEN 840 E offers high reach, precise handling, and enhanced operator visibility for seamless log placement.

• HOLTEC's system ensures continuous log flow with advanced singulation, metal detection, and real-time 3D measurement.

• The combined solution achieves high efficiency and safety with minimal staff and supports CO₂-neutral production goals.

In the modern timber industry, economic success is inextricably linked to the efficiency of the process chain. Groupe François, headquartered in Virton, Belgium, recognized this early on and developed its site into a prime example of circular value creation. In order to reliably process the massive volumes of roundwood required daily for the production of lumber, pallets, pellets, and bioenergy, the company invested in a world-class technological symbiosis: the combination of the SENNEBOGEN 840 E high-performance material handler and automated plant technology from HOLTEC.

The SENNEBOGEN 840 E: The Untiring Heart of Timber Handling

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The process begins long before the first saw cut. The challenge at Groupe François' log yard is to ensure that the material flow never breaks down, while simultaneously meeting the highest demands for sorting accuracy. This is where the SENNEBOGEN 840 E comes into play.

With an impressive reach and kinematics optimized for the heavy loads of timber handling, the 840 E maneuvers effortlessly between the massive log piles and the stationary feeding unit. It also significantly reduces the required personnel capacity. A decisive advantage in daily multishift operations is the cab. It provides the operator with an elevated viewing position, offering a perfect view not only of the grab and the log pile, but also of the interior of the HOLTEC plant. This visual control is essential for placing the logs so precisely that the subsequent automation can take over without manual corrections. The machine's responsive control system ensures that cycle times remain stable even under adverse weather conditions, while gentle deposition minimizes mechanical stress on the stationary plant.

HOLTEC Plant Engineering: Where Automation Meets Precision

As soon as the SENNEBOGEN 840 E has transferred the logs to the massive HOLTEC feeding deck, the specialized plant manufacturer demonstrates its strengths. HOLTEC has developed a system for Groupe François that bridges the gap between heavy handling and high-precision measurement technology. The robust conveyors and integrated singulation technology ensure that the logs delivered by Sennebogen are separated and converted into a continuous flow.

Following the initial truck measurement, the roundwood is loaded, with HOLTEC's Chainless technology ensuring particularly efficient handling. An integrated metal detection system reliably protects the downstream sawing line from metal-containing inclusions. In addition, a reducing bypass with twin-shaft butt-end reducers allows for a flexible response to varying shortwood dimensions. A continuous data flow supports the entire process. Using 3D measurement and a planned X-ray scanner, volumes, qualities, and wood characteristics are captured in real time, allowing the plant to be precisely controlled from log delivery to final processing at the sawing lines.

The Symbiosis: Efficiency Through Perfect Alignment

The plant at Groupe François sets new standards for the timber processing of the future and highlights the exceptional engineering expertise of the partners involved. A central aspect is the plant's maximum efficiency: thanks to heavy automation, the entire log yard is operated by just two people today. This automation also makes a crucial contribution to occupational safety by keeping personnel out of the immediate danger zone of the tons of logs, thereby creating a significantly safer working environment.

The concept is also compelling in terms of sustainability, as the use of the electric-drive SENNEBOGEN 840 E significantly reduces the ecological footprint. This directly aligns with Groupe François' philosophy of keeping production largely CO₂-neutral. The fact that the plant was completed in just twelve months, despite extremely cramped assembly conditions between a railway line and a high-voltage power line, is nothing short of an engineering masterpiece.

Florent Vanlaetem from Groupe François sums up the decision for the project perfectly: "We deliberately did not choose the cheapest solution, but the best." The seamless integration of the SENNEBOGEN 840 E impressively demonstrates how close coordination between strong partners creates a plant that not only meets current demands but is also ideally equipped for future challenges.