Hermann & Müller, Bruck / Austria: Rotor debarker ZE 905 with Variopress system

No more seizing in large tree logs
Blade adjustment during operation saves time and nerves

The Hermann & Müller sawmill has been using a ZE 905 debarker from Baljer & Zembrod for several months now. In particular, the Variopress system for adjusting the rotor knives, which was implemented as part of the installation, has made daily operations at this Salzburg company considerably easier.

Founded over 120 years ago, the Hermann & Müller company in Bruck (Austria) is effectively diversified. Still, the sawmill and the timber trade continue to play central roles at the company. Pinzgauers obtain 90% of the annual cut of around 40,000 m³ – mainly larch – by rail and process it into traditional, dried cut and planed assortments for both domestic and export markets. The company also operates a sawn timber trade from "maple to plum", a panel trade including a cutting and edging plant as well as a timber market which, according to the managing director, Dieter Unterfrauner, "functions similarly to a DIY market, but with a clear focus on wood and accessories". As a special service, Hermann & Müller also has a pool of carpenters and joiners, from the Lower Inn Valley to Schladming, and a delivery service that supplies the companies with the necessary products the day after orders are placed. The company's portfolio is rounded off with two hydroelectric power plants, a large photovoltaic plant and a combined heat and power plant for recovering energy from residual wood.

The right decision
One of the company's most recent investments is at the timber yard. The debarking system there was replaced last year because, according to Unterfrauner, it was getting on in years. Specifically, Hermann & Müller ordered a ZE 905 rotor debarker from Baljer & Zembrod, including the patented Variopress system. "Baljer & Zembrod has made a good name for itself in recent years, which is why we opted for their solution. Especially when it comes to larch cutting, the Variopress system brings us considerable advantages," reports Unterfrauner, who is extremely satisfied with this decision even several months after commissioning.

Significant reduction in workload
The Variopress adjustment system can adjust blade pressure while the rotor is running, with five adjustable levels available. "This means that the knives can be opened at any time during operation, for model transport or in the event of a malfunction. In addition, our customers achieve better debarking results thanks to the pressure adjustment options of the blades," explains Baljer & Zembrod project manager Karl Heinz Würtele. Unterfrauner adds that thanks to Variopress, the blades no longer work their way into the trunk in the event of an unplanned standstill, meaning that it no longer has to be freed using a chainsaw. This brings massive advantages. This is made possible by an autonomous hydraulic unit in the rotor for blade adjustment. "Here, a hydraulic pump driven by an electric motor produces the necessary pressure to adjust the blades," explains Baljer & Zembrod managing director Peter Schaeidt.

Source: Holzkurier
Text & Photo: Günther Jauk