Distribution Conveyor Systems Success Story
"The Patz Distribution Conveyor System was exactly what we were looking for..."
Kretz Lumber Company, Inc., manufactures green and kiln dried hardwood lumber, wood components and veneer for the international markets they serve. Their state-of-the-art sawmill produces 15 million board feet of lumber per year. Thirteen kilns with a total capacity of 450,000 board feet dry in excess of 11 million board feet annually.
"We had been researching several manufacturers in order to purchase a material distribution system that would be a good fit with our debarker," said Mike Breitenfeldt, Superintendent of the Sawmill at Kretz Lumber. One manufacturer that stood out was Patz, which led Kretz Lumber to their local Patz dealer, Rew Motors.
Brian Burkhart of Rew Motors assisted Kretz Lumber in determining their needs and explained to them how the Patz Distribution Conveyor System worked. A trip to the showroom at Patz corporate headquarters in Pound, Wisconsin, allowed Kretz Lumber representatives to see the products up close so they could make a more informed choice.
"The Patz Distribution Conveyor System was exactly what we were looking for," said Breitenfeldt. "Installation was completed in the summer of 2004 and we've been very pleased with its performance."
At the mill, a Nicholson Debarker removes the bark from high quality logs. The bark is dropped into a Patz 400 Material Mover, which takes it up to our Material Distribution System. This system uses two Patz 2405 slider trough belt conveyors to fill an open top semi trailer with material, in this case valuable bark.
Kretz Lumber designed the building so that they can park the semi trailer inside. During each shift, a 48-foot open-top trailer is filled with bark. The Patz distribution conveyor system moves to allow the bark to fill the trailer more evenly rather than constantly having to move the trailer during the shift.
Inside the sawmill, Kretz Lumber has an additional use for a Patz conveyor. As high-grade logs are cut into lumber, sawdust is moved out of the building by several conveyors, including a Patz 2405 belt conveyor.
Kretz Lumber is very pleased with their Patz equipment and their local Patz dealer, Rew Motors. We look forward to working with them in the future on other projects.
