New Gear Equipment Sawmilling
Fornebu Lumber boosts log handling capacity

April 26, 2016 – The Fornebu Lumber Company, based in Bathurst, N.B., needed a reliable material handler to keep up with the seasonal peaks of their business. When Fornebu bought a second Sennebogen this year, they gained 50 per cent more material handling capacity without increasing the number of machines in their fleet.

On a busy day, 100 trucks can pull into the Fornebu Lumber yard with thousands of 9’ (2.7 m) logs to be unloaded. Truckers will pace around, checking their watches hoping to be unloaded as quickly as possible in order to get another load, while at the same time, the saw line was spitting out framing lumber at 700 to 800 feet (213.4 to 243.8 m) per minute, hungry for more logs. 

On the other side of these unrelenting demands, Fornebu originally had four wheel loaders and three material handlers. They were good machines, but even a small problem with them cost Fornebu a lot in terms of downtime and lost productivity. Everything required a service call, and replacement parts weren’t easy to come by. 

The question of how to keep up the pace caused Michael Godin, general manager of Fornebu Lumber, many sleepless nights.

Soon after joining Fornebu three years ago, Godin put a plan in place to replace the aging equipment in the fleet. When he began the RFP process, Sennebogen was an after-thought because he wasn’t familiar with the brand. 

But during the demo-phase, the Sennebogen 830 material handler went from last to first on Godin’s list. The more he learned from Strongco about the machine’s easy-maintenance design, its robust reliability and safety, the higher it rose in his estimation. Godin says his strong mechanical background helped him assess the structural integrity of the machines as well as the relative ease of maintenance. 

“The way they designed the machine, it’s very, very tough,” he says.

Godin purchased the Sennebogen 830 M-HD S in 2013, and couldn’t be happier with its performance so far.

“I recommend Sennebogen material handlers to everyone,” says Godin. “When we brought the Sennebogen on line, our costs went down. Our downtime was reduced. We save time. We save money, plus we are more efficient in the yard.”

Godin was so impressed with the quality and reliability of the 830 that he bought a second one. It is a purpose-built 830 M-T wheeled material handler equipped with a logging grapple. 

The new machine has all the advantages of the first one, including an attachment capacity that’s 50 per cent larger than the material handler it replaced. The 830 M-T can handle 1.5 cords of wood in one scoop, requiring more power and more stability. The 830 M-T has no trouble stacking 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) loads higher than the other machines he compared it to. By stacking the piles even a few feet higher, Fornebu can get the most use out of its 15 acre (6 hectare) lumber yard.

With its investment in a Sennebogen 830 M-T, Fornebu has 50 per cent more unloading capacity. That means 50 per cent faster unloading and 100 per cent happier truckers, says Godin.

Godin also noted that the 830 M-T material handler has “a lot more power,” partially due to its dual transmissions. Operators use the 830 M-T to haul a trailer filled with 22 cords of wood over muddy, uneven ground.

“It’s easier to haul wood with the new Sennebogen,” he says. “When we go up the hill, we can feel the difference. You can even speed up if you want as you go up hill.” 

About Sennebogen
Sennebogen has been a leading name in the global material handling industry for over 60 years. Based in Stanley, North Carolina, within the greater Charlotte region, Sennebogen LLC offers a complete range of purpose-built machines to suit virtually any material handling application. Established in America in the year 2000, Sennebogen LLC has quickly become a leading provider of specialized equipment solutions for recycling and scrap metal yards, demolition, barge and port operations, log-handling, transfer stations and waste facilities from coast to coast. A growing network of distributors supports Sennebogen LLC sales and service across the Americas, ensuring the highest standard of professional machine support and parts availability.
www.sennebogen-na.com

April 26, 2016  By Sennebogen

The reach on the Sennebogen 830 M-T allows the operator to set up and unload the truck without moving.