Soknabruket sawmill is currently undergoing a general modernisation in which streamlining the drying process is an important element. Moelven has asked Valutec to deliver two progressive kilns with a total capacity of 70,000 cubic metres. The kilns are made from stainless steel and are equipped with both control and heat recovery systems. The kilns are expected to be in full production by January 2015.
“We were in negotiations with all our existing kiln suppliers, but Valutec offered the best solutions with regard to price,” says Eivind Skaug, Operations Manager at Soknabruket.
Valutec will also provide a new control system for the eight existing batch kilns at Soknabruket. According to Eivind Skaug, having Valutec as the supplier of both the kilns and control system is both reassuring and practical:
“It's good having everything in one place. Valutec also has significant experience in the field, which is important. The fact that we know many people at Valutec and know how they work and think is also a factor,” says Eivind.
Soknabruket sawmill currently has annual production of 155,000 cubic metres, of which a third consists of spruce and two-thirds consists of pine. The customers are in Scandinavia, but around 30 % of the production is exported to other countries.
