VK9000 series debarker for greenfield sawmill – Junnikkala needed more speed
Oulu, Finland
A Finnish company Junnikkala Oy has built the latest and the most modern greenfield sawmill in Oulu. To expand their production, the company decided to build a completely new sawmill to process about 700,000 cubic meters of pine and spruce logs yearly. The investment of over 90 million euros will further strengthen Junnikkala’s export activities in over 40 countries worldwide. In addition to Oulu, the company has sawmills in Oulainen and Kalajoki.
Finnish sawmill technology was purchased for the new sawmill, tells the project manager Timo Mäkelä. The Finnish company Veisto (HewSaw) supplied to the project a sawing line and Jartek, among other things, green timber sorting with sticking.
- When purchasing the debarker, Junnikkala decided to acquire a new generation VK9000HD-Combi model from Valon Kone. The machine is equipped with a butt reducing rotor and two debarking rotors. The purchase decision was based on the speed level required for the new sawmill, which can be achieved with this debarker model, says Mäkelä.
- VK is a well-known player in this business, and we have had previous experience with them as a good and reliable supplier at two other sawmills, he points out.
- And even though Valon Kone did not yet have any references to show us of the new 9000 series when purchasing the debarker, we were willing to invest in it, tells Mäkelä. The debarker’s component suppliers were already mostly familiar to Junnikkala and had proven to be good. This also affects the final decision, he adds.
Mäkelä says that the project with Valon Kone went smoothly and quickly. Junnikkala defined a delivery schedule for the debarker and VK committed to it.
- The mechanical installation and start-up of the debarker went well, Mäkelä says. Of course, there are always little things that happen in this kind of project. But we have received sufficient support from VK throughout the project, he points out. Now the debarker is in normal operation and we do not have to deal much with VK – apart from small software adjustments. Valon Kone is a reliable supplier, Mäkelä says in the end.
VK’s sales director Teemu Tynkkynen says that the sales and delivery process with Junnikkala went smoothly and straightforwardly.
- We are happy that Junnikkala gave us the opportunity to bring a new generation VK debarker to Oulu. Even though we did not yet have any new VK9000 series machine in operation at the sales stage. As a result, we now have a top-class reference site in Northern Finland also, Tynkkynen adds.
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