Two technologies in one system: WINTERSTEIGER offers an overall concept for cleaning and repairing wood surfaces

Precleaning: Preserving natural contours

In the first step, the planks are cleaned with the automatic TRC Preclean that removes soft and loose damaged parts.

The special feature of the TRC Preclean is that the natural contours of the defects are preserved thanks to the defect scanner developed by WINTERSTEIGER. It precisely measures the defect and selects an appropriate milling tool based on its size and geometry. This then precisely follows the contour of the defect in several axes. Further advantages of automatic cleaning are the consistent quality of the results and the improved workplace safety, as employees no longer have to work with compressed air milling cutters or the like.

The fully automated TRC Preclean is designed to be modular and is available in several configurations.

Repair: Precise defect measurement

After cleaning, the planks are repaired in the fully automated TRC Panel timber repair system. The system processes several planks in layers and not as individual workpieces (i.e., the planks are connected to each other on one layer).

A key element of each TRC system is the 3D scanner developed by WINTERSTEIGER. Defects are not evaluated based on database comparisons of patterns, but instead all defects are recalculated for each board. The scanner detects defects from a size of 0.5 mm (knothole diameter, crack width, etc.) and the scanner works at a speed of approximately 72 m/minute. Thanks to the unique WINTERSTEIGER software, the injection heads quickly move to the identified defects and treat them precisely.

Automated repair: What are the advantages?

The main advantages include high savings in filling material and labor. In addition, the use of TRC systems leads to a sustainable improvement in quality, as manual surface repair is heavily dependent on the skill of the employee, differences are compensated for with automation. Air inclusions that can occur during manual repairs are avoided with the TRC system. The special injection process also means that the filling material holds better in the defect.

The unique feature of TRC: Two filling materials to choose from

• A key issue during processing is the drying time. WINTERSTEIGER systems offer flexibility here with two filling materials to choose from. The thermoplastic filling material (TH) hardens immediately after the filling process thanks to a cooling plate, permitting immediate further processing. Filling and cooling are carried out in one step.
• The organic filling material (OR) is added when cold and must be allowed to dry out. The duration depends on the size of the defect, i.e., the volume of the inserted material and the thickness of the top layer. It can take up to 12 hours.

Different colors of filling material are available, with customized colors possible in addition to the standard shades.

Systems for every requirement

The TRC systems are mainly used in the production of engineered wood flooring, but are also in demand in the furniture and panel industry, where several projects have already been realized. In terms of capacity, WINTERSTEIGER provides systems for a wide range of companies: for micro-enterprises with a volume of 50,000 m² of engineered wood flooring per year to industrial enterprises with more than one million m². Some of the systems are modular and can be expanded according to capacity requirements.

Different machine platforms and two technologies for the filling material: depending on the requirements, WINTERSTEIGER develops the right concept for each customer.