Fisker’s experience with turnkey deliveries and high level of business activity across the Nordic countries have been decisive factors in the company taking on full responsibility for Skutskärs Trä’s new fully automated packaging line.
Over the past years, the Swedish company Skutskärs Trä has set up several factories with fully automated lines to pack bedding intended primarily for horses. They make arrangements with local sawmills to take their saw dust and shavings, and build a factory with a packaging line close to the sawmill, where the bedding is processed and packed for onward sale.
Full responsibility
Fisker has collaborated with Skutskärs Trä to set up a new factory in Charlottenberg close to the border to Norway. “The customer wanted a partner who could take full responsibility for the machinery, setting up the fully automated packaging line and all the running-in,” General Manager of Fisker, Peter M. Henningsen, tells us. “That’s something we here at Fisker are well equipped to do. Our extensive experience with turnkey projects was of major benefit throughout the process. It’s normal to have to overcome challenges during machine integration. Dealing with these requires a certain width of knowledge.”
Pressed bales ready for transportation
Producing 4.5 bales per minute, the fully automated line in Charlottenberg has been operating since March 2021. The bales of bedding are pressed together to streamline the transportation process. Stacking is taken care of by a palletizing robot. The individual pallets subsequently pass through a wrapping machine, get grouped lined up and are then ready to be loaded directly on to lorries.
Close to the customer
Creating a big new system, in which new machines and new staff are required to interlink as effectively as possible, posed some challenges. “We did everything we could to resolve the running-in issues as quickly as possible,” Peter M. Henningsen says. “It was crucial for us to have service technicians already doing work for other customers in the region. This meant that they could drop by at short notice whenever they were needed. We also prepared online and telephone support, as a back-up.”
Ready for new projects
The system in Charlottenberg is one of several plants Fisker has created for wood shavings this year.” We are seeing an increase in activity from the sawmill industry at the moment. Our typical customers have the materials and client base, but no supplier who can take responsibility for constructing every part of the system,” says Peter M. Henningsen. “We lead the way in the Nordic countries when it comes to supplying fully automated solutions with bale presses and have the expertise needed to guide and accompany the customer all the way, from initial conversations about the line’s design, to installation, service and telephone support. Our employees have the skills that are required. From our many years of experience, we know that this adds a lot of value for our customers.”