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New standards in production: focus on efficiency and quality
‘One of the main reasons for the investment was to increase the efficiency per employee. Recruitment is one of our biggest challenges, so it was crucial to increase the throughput per employee while minimising production errors,’ explains CEO and owner Jeremy Manthei.
The new press line should not only increase productivity, but also enable a high degree of flexibility in production. ‘We wanted a line that could produce a wide range of products. From panel preparation to pressing, trimming and filling,’ Jeremy Manthei continues. Particular attention was paid to the self-cleaning of the presses in order to avoid production downtimes due to material residues. Manthei contacted several suppliers, but only BÜRKLE was able to present a well-founded technical solution.
But BÜRKLE was chosen for several reasons. In addition to the technical specifications and flexibility of the press line, the trust in the contact persons played a decisive role. ‘An important reason for our decision were the BÜRKLE employees around our contact person Axel Mayer. Of all the contacts we spoke to, we had the greatest confidence in his project team and him. They understood our requirements exactly and were able to present technical solutions convincingly,’ emphasises Manthei. Manthei was particularly impressed by the solution-oriented and pragmatic approach of the company. ’Other suppliers gave us little or no details. Axel Mayer asked us to send veneer and glue. His team then created a comprehensive presentation with various brush and belt solutions, tested them in the BÜRKLE technology centre, and presented the results to us. I knew then: they don't just talk, they also do it,’ says Manthei about the consulting of BÜRKLE. A reference visit to a producer in Europe with similar requirements finally convinced Manthei of the engineering performance of the internationally operating machine manufacturer.
Today, Manthei Wood Products employs over 100 people and relies on the most modern production technologies to further expand its market position. The product range includes veneers in numerous wood species as well as coated plywood, MDF, and particleboard. The company's innovative strength was particularly evident after the serious fire in 2017, when Manthei Wood Products not only pushed ahead with reconstruction, but also integrated the most modern technologies at the same time. Now the company is once again taking a major technological leap forward. With the latest investment in an cutting-edge through-feed press line, Manthei Wood Products, together with BÜRKLE, is setting standards in terms of efficiency, quality, and sustainability.
From the concept to the highly automated production process
The realisation of the project was characterised by an intensive technical exchange in the conception phase. Together with Manthei, the BÜRKLE project team defined all relevant line parameters and product dimensions. This close cooperation is reflected in the successful implementation.
The targeted project schedule of 20 months was met exactly to the day, so that Manthei can now produce its chipboard, MDF and plywood panels with single- or double-sided veneer coating at increased capacity, efficiency and quality. ‘The installation process was very well organised. Fast and pragmatic solutions were always found for any challenges that arose, so that the schedule could be adhered to exactly, which is not a matter of course in a project of this kind,’ explains Jeremy Manthei in retrospect.
Particularly noteworthy is the high level of complexity and integration of the overall system. At Manthei, the process steps of pressing, trimming and downstream manual filling stations were combined into a continuous line. Previously, these process steps were distributed across separate systems. Now they run in a single system with two presses, each with five layers, and an output of up to eight cycles per minute.
A special laying station for special products and multi-layer structures ensures maximum flexibility. The veneers are fed via manual laying stations and vacuum conveyor belts, enabling fully automatic, ergonomically optimised processing. The reaction speed during product changes has also been improved: the veneer stack feeding system enables particularly short stack change times, while the feeding and stacking systems ensure a stack change without losses.
Reliable partnership for the future as well
With the modernisation of its production, Manthei Wood Products has not only expanded its production capacities, but has also found a reliable partner for future projects. ‘My assessment of the project is very positive. The BÜRKLE project team has never shirked its responsibility to this day. It was always clear who was responsible for what and the cooperation was very fair and solution-oriented. Our company is growing and I see BÜRKLE as one of our key strategic partners for future projects. Would I make the same decision again today? Yes, definitely,’ Jeremy Manthei sums up in conclusion.
