Van Wijk | Upstream Coffin Panel Line FAT

 

 

 

 

  • Van Wijk Uitvaartkisten has been making wooden coffins in the Netherlands since 1925. Today, the fifth-generation family business uses FSC- or PEFC-certified timber, has three trees planted for every tree it uses, and turns poplar offcuts into its own Ecoboard. For HC WoodTech, the biggest contribution our upstream line can make to Van Wijk’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions is to help more of that wood reach the finished product. By the time a 16 mm poplar panel reaches the loading robot, it has already been kiln-dried and sanded on both faces. Separating it cleanly from the stack and protecting its edges between machines helps avoid the timber and energy needed to make a replacement. Read about Van Wijk’s approach to sustainability.

 

  • At the start of the line, a FANUC R-2000iC/165F robot picks up each panel with a custom vacuum gripper. A short pneumatic shake separates boards that cling together, and an adjustable height gate prevents two panels from entering the first machine at once. The QCM QMX6025M double-end tenoner cuts the panel to length and machines both ends. A transverse shuttle then carries it to the custom QMXK1225JS double-end milling and sanding machine, which shapes and sands the long edges. Both machines use a full set of custom polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tooling made to Van Wijk’s approved drawings, including saw blades, scoring blades and matched left- and right-hand profile cutters. For the three reference panel lengths of 2,020, 2,170 and 2,320 mm, the specified tolerance on machined length and width is ±0.25 mm.

 

  • In just over four months, HC WoodTech sourced the robot, designed the layout, built and connected the roller conveyors and transfer units, and programmed the machines to work together. Each station signals when it is ready to receive the next panel. The two machining stations use Siemens PLCs, and Festo pneumatics operate the robot gripper. For the European installation, our engineers also designed and documented the connections for emergency stops, interlocked gates and safety light curtains. On 2 November 2026, Van Wijk joined us at our factory in Qingshen, China, to see the upstream line run. The customer signed off on the Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) and was very pleased with the result. As for the HC WoodTech crew, perhaps we’ve earned a discount on a poplar coffin of our own. We’re happy to wait a few decades to find out.
HC WoodTech white logoPure white HC WoodTech logo with transparent background.
Contact us

No. 233, Jinhong West Road, Jihongtan Subdistrict, Chengyang District, Qingdao, China

 +86 13853229221

 global@hcwoodtech.com

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