Based in Plössberg and employing 1,400 staff, the Ziegler group is operating Europe’s largest sawmill at its 42 hectare Plössberg site with an output of FIM 2 million timber. The construction timber is exported throughout the whole world. Included among their fleet of one hundred machines are 25 Hyundai 7 and 8 tonne forklifts with annual operating times of up to 7,000 hrs.
In just a few years, Stefan Ziegler has made his father’s company one of the most efficient wood suppliers in the timber-processing sector. Along with timber, the Ziegler Group also includes house construction, mechanical engineering, haulage (with its own station in Wiesau) and the gift article manufacturer Eurosand.
The workshop foreman manages the enormous fleet of machines, consisting of 100 forklifts ranging from 3 to 12 tonnes, on six sites. There are 46 machines in Plössberg, including the 25 from Hyundai. They are used for loading lumber, for disposal from production lines and for feeding drying ovens on the enormous site in Plössberg bei Weiden.
“You can see that Hyundai comes from shipbuilding", says the experienced workshop manager, “because we don't have any problems with frames and lift masts. The HCE forklifts 70D-9 (7 t/600 mm LSP) and 80D-9 (8 t/600 mm LSP) are operated without a break by drivers alternating in the three-shift pattern. They are all powered by 75kW QSF 3.8 Cummins Diesel engines with Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) and Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) exhaust gas cleaning systems and use ZF transmissions with three forward and reverse gears in each case. The front forklifts achieve 25 km/h while loaded and can easily master the long ramps; they have proved to be thoroughly robust during their demanding three-shift operation. All the Hyundai 70D-9/80D-9s are fitted with a duplex mast for a 4,500 mm vertical lift. The side shift/tine adjuster is fitted by Hyundai as standard. Ziegler has installed a safety grill on the lift masts for protection from falling timber. The Hyundais 8-tonner with its larger 9.00 R20 tyres instead of the 8.25-15 is praised for its excellent smoothness and higher ground clearance.
The workshop foreman commends Hyundai for its excellent spare part service. “Parts ordered any time before 15:30 are literally with us at Plössberg the next morning. I can also confirm that the maintenance costs of the yellow stackers from South Korea are only minimal. Even changing the parts only takes a very short time. If there are any problems, the problems are not with Hyundai. Our sales manager from Hyundai, André Germeck, creates a "service bulletin" and the manufacturers look after the repair. Everything is very straightforward“.
Standard features of the modern Diesel stackers include:
• Cummins engine QSF 3.8 at 75 KW
• Compact size (overall length to fork carrier only 3.666 mm, 2.300 mm wheel base)
• Tiltable cab with air conditioning system and high-quality deluxe seat
• Automatic indicator for contaminated air filter
• LED headlight, rear driving camera
• Easy access to service points (Diesel, oil, brake fluid, engine coolant) from the ground
• Tilt lock, drive lock and lift lock (prevents accidental movement of the lift mast,
fork and forklift when the driver is out of his seat)
• Underbody protection (optional)
• Standard lubrication points (connected to a Bekamax central lubrication system at Ziegler)