Automation in timber construction
Building sustainably with robots
BECK takes the next step with the LIGNOLOC® wooden nail system and starts a cooperation with KEHRATEC to develop a flexible, digital robot platform for the automatic production of ecological wall and ceiling elements.
THE LIGNOLOC® Pilot Project
Together with our partner KEHRATEC, a leading specialist in the field of camera-guided robot automation, we are working on the development of a robot-assisted system. The system is intended to enable the fully or partially automated realization of timber construction projects - especially, by the option of pre-assembling completely glue- and metal-free wall and ceiling elements.
BECK contributes its versatile competences in the field of fastening technology, in particular the sustainable LIGNOLOC® wooden nail technology and the associated stationary and/or manual driving technology. KEHRATEC contributes its comprehensive specific technological know-how regarding robotics and automation.
The declared joint goal: to enable small and medium-sized timber construction companies and carpentries throughout Europe (and beyond) to easily and quickly manufacture metal- and glue-free mass timber wall and ceiling elements themselves.
With the expansion of the LIGNOLOC® ecosystem in terms of compatibility with common processing solutions from companies such as Weinmann/HOMAG, Randek or Techno-Wood, as well as the co-engineering of the flexible, digital robot platform with KEHRATEC, the use of mass timber elements will become more flexible and transport distances shorter. As a final consequence, it will become cheaper for many companies to manufacture mass timber elements themselves.
der erste prototyp
The first machine prototype will be completed by July 2022. BECK will develop the complete front end including individual nail feeding, while KEHRATEC will take care of the concept of the wall mounting periphery, robotics, control, programming, CAD software and final assembly. After completion of the prototype, the partners will put together an attractive package for potential customers by the end of July 2022.
My team and I are very much looking forward to the cooperation with the BECK team. The technological capabilities and customer-focused business philosophies of both companies complement each other unparalleled.
FAQs
A robot-assisted system is very flexible and has almost no limits in terms of application.
A robot-assisted system can be designed to build LCLT, NLT ceiling panels and timber stud walls in the same machine.
The robot is programmed and optimized according to the desired specification. Changes and adjustments can be made remotely, and faults can be rectified according to the documentation. The machine operator therefore does not need any knowledge of robotics.