2019 International Forest Industries Magazine December / January IFI Dec Jan 2019 Digital | Page 17

LUMBER PROCESSING NEWS Holzwerke Weinzierl installs new chain-less step feeder Holzwerke Weinzierl installs a new chain-less step feeder at its mill in Germany. The commissioning of the system is planned for the beginning of January 2019 – at this time the existing log sorting plant will also be shut down, states Holtec. Holzwerke Weinzierl is developing very dynamically and has already expanded significantly in recent years. To keep satisfying the increased requirements of the internal timber logistics and the storage they bought a new site. This new area provides the possibility to renew the whole timber logistics – with a new, high- performance and innovative log sorting line. In 2017 Holtec already received the order to deliver a completely new sorting line for short logs. Holtec designed a system which corresponds exactly to the needs of Weinzierl including a special turning unit which transfer the short logs at a 90 degree angle to a second sorting line. Red Stag to showcase timber construction Rotorua-based timber products company Red Stag is about to embark on several building projects to showcase the potential of timber as a construction material in large-scale building projects. Red Stag is New Zealand’s largest saw miller, employing 300 people with annual turnover of NZ$220 million reports Stuff.co.nz. The building projects come ahead of plans to build a NZ$35 million Cross-Laminated-Timber plant near its Whakarewarewa plant at Rotorua to be operating in 2019 and producing laminated panels up to 16.5m in length and 4.9m wide. The first project will be five- level apartments at Clearwater Resort on the northern outskirts of Christchurch using cross laminated timber, and other panel products. The Ministry of Primary Industry through its Primary Growth Partnership is covering about 8 per cent of the NZ$20m Clearwater project. After completion of the Clearwater project there will be two in Auckland - a retail and office complex, and a hotel. The Government was already building three-story timber structures in Auckland as part of Housing New Zealand projects, managing director of Red Stag wood solutions, Jason Cordes, said. Red Stag is also planning to expand its truss and frame operation located in Hamilton Airport’s industrial park which produces frames and trusses, floor cassettes and wall panels - designs which bring floor and wall construction together in components to speed up construction. Cordes, said the New Zealand industry was on the verge of providing large scale laminated timber construction. The opportunities offered in large-scale timber construction had already been demonstrated overseas, he said. “In Christchurch we will showcase good architecture, good engineering and the best in acoustic properties and fire- resistance. We will make the whole process transparent so everyone can see how it is done and how economically viable timber can be.” SCREW TECHNOLOGY the new generation of log handling systems www.springer.eu Springer Maschinenfabrik GmbH | [email protected] | www.springer.eu | Hans-Springer-Strasse 2 | A-9360 Friesach | T [phone] | F [phone] Springer Microtec Inc. | offi[email protected] | www.springer-microtec.com | 201, 1847 West Broadway | Vancouver, V6J1Y6 | Canada | T 604.879.4628 TP_Springer_Fullpage_13122017_final.indd 1 KW: 50 | 13.12.17 09:58 International Forest Industries | DECEMBER 2018 / JANUARY 2019 15