Forest Products Industry

A SUCCESSFULL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT HAS REACHED ITS GOALS

The Haslestad plant is more than just a sawmill. It also includes a planing mill and finger-jointing facility, making it one of the more comprehensive production plants in the Bergene Holm Group. The plant processes 230,000 m³ of spruce timber annually, turning timber into lumber for construction, panels, and biofuel products, with great care for the raw material and environmentally friendly processes.

To meet their increased need for higher production capacity while reducing its carbon footprint, Bergene Holm AS Haslestad decided to invest in new equipment at the plant’s largest bottlenecks. After comparing quotes and solutions from different suppliers, the choice fell on USNR, and a development project started. The goal was reached in early 2025 and celebrated by an inauguration attended by representatives from all participating parties, including USNR, who delivered their first full-electric Tilt Hoist and new stick handling.

For the future

The new equipment is an important step forward for Bergene Holm Haslestad. It ensures both increased production and reduced environmental impact, says a very excited Glenn Andre Jensen, CEO of Bergene Holm Haslestad, who held a speech at the inauguration: – We take our environmental impact very seriously. We are determined that our investments must follow our environmental objectives. Timber is our raw material, and in Norway demand is now outpacing supply, he says.

Bergene Holm compete with timber exports, which means that they are in a position where they want to increase their timber production. That is why they have made major investments in the plant’s production capacity in recent years.

Higher production capacity

The larger intake of the adjusting machinery means that we are now able to process much larger packages of sawn material than before. It is 2 meters deep, 5.5 meters wide and 1.5 meters high.

The new Tilt Hoist holds 40% more volume and has a longer buffer conveyor, ensuring a very good filling rate and good production flow. This has increased the production capacity significantly.

The project also includes a new stick handling system that collects all the sticks in a stick bin, which is then transported to the green sorting system, where sticks and dunnage are separated.

Many advantages

It was important for Bergene Holm to find a reliable supplier that would provide the best technical solution possible. They required the new Tilt Hoist to be entirely electric, replacing the old hydraulic motors.

This new technology offers many advantages, lower power consumption, reduced costs and reduced service needs for the hydraulics.

Lower service costs

A package of dried timber can weigh up to 10 tons, which requires a lot of power from the Tilt Hoist. A traditional hydraulic drive would require very large generators and produce more emission. The service and operating costs required by hydraulically powered machines are not incurred by the electric Tilt Hoist, while also reducing emissions and environmental impact.

Kristin Sofie Ruud Karlsson, Project Manager at Bergene Holm and the person in charge of liaising with the USNR project manager during the project, is impressed with the efforts:

“We have worked very well together! USNR has presented their idéas and concerns and prioritized them to find the most optimal solution. They have been available for questions throughout the whole project and particularly helpful during the software and controls training,” she says.

Glenn Andre Jensen, Bergene Holm CEO, also emphasizes USNR’s excellent cooperation:

“It is very clear that our employees are very happy. The communication with our project managers has been very good, and USNR have done a tremendous job. They are a great supplier to work with and relate to,” he adds.

Left: Glenn André Jensen, CEO, Bergene Holm AS department Haslestad. Center: Kristin Sofié Ruud Karlsson, Project Manager, Bergene Holms AS department Haslestad. Right: Sten Jarle Solheim, Account Manager, USNR

Sensational in Europe

Sten Jarle Solheim, Account Manager at USNR, was present at the inauguration and was surprised by the attention the project has attracted:

“The new technology has attracted great interest all over Europe. I’m want to visit Bergene Holm Haslestad to see the new electric Tilt Hoist. The project has been very smooth. USNR was responsible for the dismantling, demolition and assembly of the new equipment. Everything went according to our schedule and all tests succeeded on the first try. The project was very successful from start to finish,” he says.

The project clearly means a lot to Bergene Holm Haslestad. It has given the opportunity to continue their growth and become an even bigger manufacturer in the years to come, Glenn Andre Jensen explains: “The new intake at the adjusting plant allows us to produce at a much higher capacity, and we are able to utilize and sort the raw material in a better way. It has also made the every daylife at work much better for our employees,” he adds.

A recipe for success

The project and collaboration between Bergene Holm Haslestad and USNR can be described as a recipe for success, where some ingredients stand out a little extra – a strong intersest to technical solutions, lower environmental impact, innovation, and good communication skills. By investing in more environmentally friendly technology, Bergene Holm has demonstrated that high production capacity can be compatible with lower carbon emissions.

The new equipment, supplied by USNR, has already become a great asset yielding great results, increased production efficiency, and an improved work environment for the employees who spend their days at Bergene Holm Haslestad

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The post USNR – Powerful all-electric Tilt Hoist for Norway appeared first on International Forest Industries.