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Customization requires flexibility

2023-07-14

n Scandinavia and Northern Europe wood has been used to build houses for a very long time. In other parts of Europe it is not necessarily as common. However, things might be changing. Wood is quickly becoming an attractive resource in more and more geographical areas due to its circular economy, recyclability and [thinking green". In addition, as people and companies are continuing to adopt flexible and remote work solutions, demand for houses is growing rapidly. In an attempt to meet market demand Eksjöhus has updated their picking station with a new lift table in order to improve safety for workers, increase productivity and ensure the best possible quality of their products.

Eksjöhus started production in 1944 and specialize in producing single-family detached houses. They procure, saw, and prepare pieces of wood in many shapes and sizes and deliver the material to local builders who then finalize construction. Every house is unique and presents its own challenges. The picking station therefore needs to be flexible and easy to use, as each order will require its own unique pieces. Due to this it can be logistically and practically difficult to pack orders in a way that is easy to understand when it reaches the customer.

Daniel Sparre, production manager, Eksjöhus.

Wood picking station installation, Eksjöhus

Increasing output

With the new and improved picking station the many pieces of wood are positioned on each side of the lift table, in roughly 200 compartments at different heights. The table then lifts the workers up and down enabling them to pick correct pieces for the specific house and pack them in manner that makes sense when unpacked. With the new lift table solution Eksjöhus has managed to vastly improve their output.

[Why go up more times than necessary? It can be quite time consuming to pick all the pieces in an efficient way. With the new lift table and compartments on both sides we can pick twice as many pieces in the same amount of time and reduce the risk of errors, essentially doubling productivity," says Daniel Sparre, production manager at Eksjöhus.

Safety always comes first

Whenever production lines are changed or updated, safety for workers is always the first concern. With fewer actions required and always working at the correct height, the new lift table is a huge benefit to workers` safety as well. The new solution includes safety gates and automatic sensors which shut down operations if someone or something is positioned inappropriately or even dangerously.

[With the improved safety measures and doubled output I`m more than satisfied with the project. The new lift table solution was a very good investment. With it we are much better equipped to meet the ever increasing demand," Daniel concludes.

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