Lost in the woods? Hardly!
P.H.L., a Canadian maker of machinery for forest products, uses the complete Rexroth range of technologies. This has paved the way to worldwide success.
The Canter Quad produces cants from logs from which the Bull Edger produces rectangular pieces.
This French Canadian firm, a specialist in sawmill and planing machinery, was only looking for new hydraulic components to install in its equipment. What it discovered, however, was that with the performance of the complete Rexroth product spectrum, the company could easily find a way to compensate for the shrinking North American market.
Three years ago, P.H.L. ordered new hydraulic components from Rexroth. The company was persuaded by a program developed in Canada that perfectly matches valve and cylinder sizes and harmonizes with the Rexroth Hyvos simulation tool. The company was also won over by how perfectly it could employ the valves and positioning cylinders and by the excellent service support it would receive from Rexroth, particularly in areas such as commissioning new machinery, for instance. It was only logical that — step by step — P.H.L eventually installed Rexroth pneumatic and linear technologies in addition to the hydraulics.
The Canter Quad system that produces cants from logs uses position cylinders with an accuracy of one thousandth of an inch as well as ball rail systems. In the Bull Edger, which can be positioned after the Quad and produces rectangular pieces, pneumatic cylinders control the pressure of the feed rolls. The hydraulic positioning cylinders have been supplied with valves, filtration and feedback devices. The ball rails provide accurate, low-friction movements of the machine.
One of the Rexroth representatives in Canada, Michaël Beaudry, also sees excellent opportunities for electrical drive and control technologies. “P.H.L. might well be using electrical cylinders for certain machines in the near future.” Beaudry points out that in Canada it is rare for a customer to draw an entire range of products from a single source. “By contrast, P.H.L. has developed complete confidence in our work all down the line and we are very glad of that.”
In addition to quality, reliability and the breadth of the range that covers every possible field of technology, worldwide Rexroth service is also central to this strategy. The wood handling professionals at P.H.L. have set their sights on new markets in South America, Russia and Europe. Having service capacities available all around the globe is critical when entering international markets. “The cooperative partnership between P.H.L. and Rexroth represents a decisive advantage for export business”, Beaudry stresses, “and in international markets Rexroth enjoys a standing something like a seal of quality.”
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