Tight curves wind up the steep road to the company headquarters with its beautiful view: in the Black Forest village of Beihingen near Haiterbach, the Stöhr family is now in its third generation of joinery. Achim and Jochen Stöhr now manage Stöhr Möbel und Innenausbau GmbH with around 25 skilled professionals. "We are very flexible and produce everything that the furniture and interior finishing sector has to offer," is how the managing directors define their versatile range of services.
A key focus is on contract furnishing for a large number of industrial clients, with whom Stöhr maintains long-term relationships through a complete service package. This includes partition walls, doors, office furnishings, and complete interior fit-outs. An exclusive portfolio documents their expertise in the high-end furnishings segment for private clients. In this area, the company works closely with architects, interior designers, and furniture stores.
Sawing Means Storing
About two years ago, the two entrepreneurs put their cutting process to the test. "Our Mayer Saws pressure beam saw, which was front-loaded by a forklift, had served its time after many years," explains Achim Stöhr, citing one of the triggers for the investment project to modernize their panel cutting operations. After reviewing the technical possibilities, it quickly became clear: sawing also means storing! Jochen Stöhr points to the unsatisfactory overall situation: "The cantilever racks were already overloaded with the constantly growing variety of panels and decors, and the entire panel handling process was very time- and labor-intensive." Against this backdrop, he says, there was ultimately no alternative to an automated panel storage system.
A Tailor-Made Solution
After reviewing the latest technology, Stöhr opted for a complete solution from a neighbor in the Black Forest. Achim Stöhr reports excellent experiences with solid, durable machine technology: "We were very satisfied with our old Mayer saw!"
But that's not all. "We were also convinced by the compact concept, which was specially tailored to our requirements and included solutions for our special requests. Among other things, this also saved us from a major reconstruction project," explains Jochen Stöhr.
The long-established Otto Mayer Maschinenfabrik from nearby Lombach is considered one of the leading panel dividing specialists and, with its very stable saws, focuses on high-quality machine engineering for long-lasting quality. Since 2019, "Mayer Saws" has been a member of the Tyrolean Felder Group: the two partners benefit from pooling their expertise in development, production, sales, and service. This applies not only to standardized pressure beam saws but also to the development of tailor-made, future-oriented solutions for trade and industry. The concept realized by Mayer combines modern panel dividing technology with practical software, intelligent storage logistics, and automated conveyor technology in a comparatively compact space.
The Heart of the Cutting System
The high-quality machine engineering of Mayer is evident in the PS 100 model used at Stöhr, with a cutting length of 5800 mm. The saw motor, with an output of 18 kW, enables fast and dimensionally accurate panel cutting. A saw carriage mounted on round shafts, driven by a rack and pinion system over the entire cutting length, ensures smooth operation and precision.
The cutting length is adjusted automatically via a laser sensor. The sturdy pressure beam is equipped with wear-free linear guides on both sides and ensures high cutting quality, even for book cuts. Automatically controlled, the opening height always corresponds to the panel thickness or stack height.
Quality is also evident in the material pusher, which is guided on both sides: the rack and pinion drive with servo motors and the separate, non-contact magnetic measuring system guarantee dimensional and repeat accuracy. At Stöhr, the Greenline package is valued as particularly energy-saving. This concept reduces energy consumption by up to 25% with controlled extraction gates, direct motor control, and by switching off in standby mode.
Intelligent and Robust Storage Technology
Automated storing, stacking, and feeding: the PL 250 automatic area storage system, which was precisely adapted to the spatial conditions, ensures a fast and reliable material supply. The chaotic storage principle solves Stöhr's problem of decor and material diversity within a relatively small footprint. Currently, up to 50 different panel types are stored.
What applies to the saw also applies to the construction of the area storage system. A solid gantry structure for guiding the traveling bridge and the extra-rigid double scissors of the vacuum crane ensure lasting precision and durability for panel weights of up to 350 kg. The storage system has nine stacking positions, one of which is designed for panel formats up to 5200 x 2100 mm. This allows Stöhr to cut even full-format panels, which are ideal for optimizing cuts, directly from storage. The vacuum crane adapts to the format of the panel stack, automatically corrects its position, and weighs the panel to ensure it securely moves only one panel at a time. The entire system is controlled by Mayer software and can be connected to common ERP systems. The computer also handles the complete management and inventory control of the main storage and the offcut storage, with corresponding feedback to the production planning department.
High Ease of Use
At Stöhr, cutting is done on an order-by-order basis according to parts lists from the OSD industry software. Cutting optimization is performed using the proven Ardis software, either in production planning or on the machine's PC.
The saw controls the storage system: Journeyman joiner Manuel Seepold calls up the job on the monitor, gets an overview of the panel offcuts to be used, and transfers the data to the storage system's computer. This allows the automatic panel transport to the saw to begin and the job to be processed.
Throughout the entire work process, Manuel Seepold is supported by the clear menu navigation with a graphical user interface of the control software on the 23'' widescreen monitor. Simulations and specific operating instructions throughout the entire work process enable intuitive and safe operation. Each finished cut part receives a label for part identification for the subsequent processing steps.
Stöhr has a practical solution for the storage of company-specific defined panel offcuts associated with the panel saw, which are no longer suitable or worthwhile for restacking into the automated storage system. For each panel offcut, a label with a QR code is printed at the saw and supplemented with the bin number of the offcut storage. This allows it to be identified with a handheld scanner and reintroduced for later orders. This means the external storage for offcuts isn't a separate entity, but is fully integrated into the data and logistics system. Every panel offcut is visible in production planning and at the machine.
Multifaceted Benefits
In addition to the rock-solid machine engineering and the intelligent control concept, Stöhr benefits from the numerous advantages of the automated cutting cell. Time-consuming searching, cumbersome storing and retrieving, tedious restacking, and loading are things of the past. In this context, Stöhr once again points to the ever-growing variety of materials. In addition to savings in personnel costs, there are a whole range of other positive effects. Achim Stöhr mentions the ergonomic advantages and the improvement in occupational safety: "The automatic handling of the panels reduces the physical strain on employees and also prevents damage and contamination of the panels and decors."
Jochen Stöhr sees the logistical benefit: "The automated inventory management and the integrated offcut management relieve the burden on organization and material procurement." And last but not least: The team in Beihingen also highlights the competent support from the experienced experts at Mayer. This applies to all phases of the project, from planning to commissioning and service.
