MANUFACTURING
OAK WOOD

European oaks are felled in winter to ensure optimal color. The selected logs are carefully sorted for the best yield and then produced into a variety of sawn timber.

State-of-the-art gang saws are used to produce high-quality oak sawn timber. Length, diameter, straightness, and purity are the criteria that determine the final use.

There are various approaches. The traditional block-sawn timber, which allows the processor to trace the sequence of the log. The log-turned cut, to achieve the highest and cleanest wide side material. The quarter-sawn cut, also called quarter or rift cut, produces a high proportion of vertical annual rings.

The partially planed A-grade provides the basis for the production of fully planed oak. 100% heartwood-free material is sorted here. Further criteria are the sharpness and purity of the individual boards.

DRYING OAK WOOD

Foto © by Hugo Kämpf

Here, the oak wood is already stabilized on the surface due to pre-drying. This has a positive effect on the stability during production. We protect each layer of oak boards from wind and sun. In addition, each package of wood is permanently under a roof. Now the gentle wood drying begins in a cool and humid climate. This occurs when large quantities of fresh wood are stacked closely together.

DRYING THROUGH MODERN VACUUM TECHNOLOGY

Even too slow pre-drying can affect the color. A wealth of experience provides the golden mean here. By constantly monitoring the climate, we control the careful drying process of the sensitive oak wood. This gives us the certainty of a consistent wood quality. Through modern vacuum drying chambers, we achieve a residual moisture content of 8-10%. With optimal storage, our oaks reliably maintain this optimal final moisture content.

Too low humidity (≤ 50% relative humidity) in the production hall can even lead to cracks in kiln-dried oak, even after the drying process. Please pay special attention to this. We guarantee careful wood drying for the processing of oak sawn timber that you need for your interior design. We speak of kiln-dried goods when the residual moisture content is 8-10% MC. We achieve this residual moisture content through modern vacuum drying technology.

Even with high sawing thicknesses of up to 65 or even 80 mm. The regulation of relative humidity in a drying room is controlled by the extended components of air flow, temperature, as well as evaporation of water through vacuum in the kettle vessel. This can reach 0.1 bar during vacuum drying. Under these pressure conditions, the bound water particles evaporate at 50° C, which are located in the interior of the board, in the cell nucleus. Vacuum drying of wood begins in the core of the board and proceeds from the inside out. The big advantage is the uniform moisture content over the entire board thickness of 8-10%. In addition, vacuum technology offers greater flexibility, as the drying process is significantly accelerated.

These are the big differences to air drying or fresh air drying. Here, the wood dries from the board surface inwards. With the help of vacuum technology, we dry our woods more gently and with better results. The surface of the board is wonderfully closed, as if the board were still sawn fresh. With optimal storage of kiln-dried oak, our product reliably maintains the final moisture content of 8-10%. Even after the drying process, cracks can occur in kiln-dried oak if there is too low humidity (≤ 50% relative humidity) in production halls. Please pay special attention to this.