Since January 2024, the joinery has been planning and producing in a new company building in Heiligkreuzsteinach, located about 25 km northeast of Heidelberg in the Odenwald region, on a total area of around 850 m². The bright, light-flooded workshop offers the team of joiners a very attractive environment for both creative and motivated work. And that is precisely what owner Dieter Hornung (64) places the utmost importance on.
The master joiner and parquet layer's team has grown significantly over the past seven years from three to eleven employees – including two other master joiners and three apprentices. Dieter Hornung's partner, Vera Karthaus, takes care of the many administrative tasks.
The joinery's portfolio is highly diverse. On one hand, the company acts as a high-performance and extremely versatile supplier. Its client list includes manufacturers of equipment for people with disabilities, volumes for bouldering walls, and even pepper mills. Hornung and his team see themselves as specialists in both computer-controlled series production and the design and creation of high-quality, one-of-a-kind furniture and interior fittings. One focus is on the hospitality sector. Here, the joinery impresses its clients with unique custom-made counters or its own stylish and high-quality "beer tables," developed in-house from a mix of wood and metal. Dieter Hornung states, “Our approach is to combine traditional craftsmanship with the latest woodworking technologies. This enables us to produce sustainably and scalably.” He continues, “For our projects, we primarily select local solid woods such as European oak. Our regional focus is also reflected in our supply chain: based in the Odenwald, we source our wood exclusively from sawmills in our region.”
Craftsmanship Meets Modern Technology
In Heiligkreuzsteinach, passionate joinery craftsmanship meets modern software and machine technology. Of particular note is the technological approach of nesting. This allows for a particularly high material yield and supports the high standards Hornung and his team set for themselves regarding the sustainability of their products. Dieter Hornung explains, “Through nesting, we achieve optimal material utilization and reduced raw material consumption, which is not only sustainable but also saves significant costs.”
With the move to the new company premises, Dieter Hornung also invested heavily in new machinery and modern workshop equipment. He opted for an extensive technology partnership with the Felder Group. In addition to the machinery supplied – a nesting CNC, an edge banding machine, and a wide-belt sander – the Austrian company also planned and implemented the complete dust extraction system for the joinery, including ducting and briquetting.
Powerful and Flexible Nesting CNC
The heart of the production is the Format4 Profit H150 CNC machining center. In addition to sizing, the 5-axis nesting machine enables efficient complete machining, including all holes, grooves, and joints, usually in a single operation. Of course, individual parts can also be freely positioned on vacuum cups or templates for CNC machining.
The Profit H150 operates with the integrated Smart Zoning vacuum management system. A recessed row of stops is available for unrestricted use of the 5-axis spindle. A large Z-clearance height of 200 mm allows for the flexible machining of tall workpieces. With the standard tool changer, a traveling tool changer, and a pick-up station for a large saw blade, a total of 36 tool positions are available.
The CNC is controlled either directly from the Pytha 3D CAD software or via the Alphacam CAD/CAM software. The two programs are closely integrated via an interface.
Sustainable and Subsidized Energy Concept
Dieter Hornung highlights sustainability as a key aspect of the new production facility: “The entire roof of our new hall is equipped with a photovoltaic system that generates around 70,000 kWh of electricity annually. This covers almost the entire energy needs of our joinery. In addition, we press our wood waste into briquettes, which we use not only to heat our building but also to supply heat to our neighboring company's new building in the future via a district heating pipe. The necessary empty conduit has already been laid.”
The dust extraction system consists of two Felder RL 350 clean-air dust extractors. The extracted shavings are immediately and automatically fed to a briquetting press, and the briquettes are then transported to the storage room via a conveyor pipe. This also offers fire safety advantages compared to storing loose shavings. The material is ultimately burned in a 100 kW boiler from Heizomat. This supplies heat to the underfloor heating system and a large hot water tank.
This high level of energy efficiency and self-sufficiency is not only sensible from an ecological perspective but is also heavily subsidized. Dieter Hornung is pleased: “The Felder specialists took care of the necessary paperwork. That was a huge help for us and resulted in significant savings.”
The Joinery Team: More Collaborators Than Employees
For the dedicated master joiner, his team members are "more collaborators than employees." Every morning, everyone has breakfast together in the break room. Thursdays are pasta day, when one person always whips up a delicious pasta dish for everyone. Hornung also offers his team of joiners a great deal of freedom and opportunities for further training and development. In addition, there are team events with partners and children. And, something he places special value on: “We always decide everything together as a team.”
A LEADER Project in the Neckartal-Odenwald District
Dieter Hornung is particularly proud that his joinery, Holz360°, is part of the European Union's LEADER funding program, which is dedicated to the development of rural areas. “A well-thought-out plan for the new construction and the expansion of our production area to 700 m², closely aligned with the economic needs of the region, secured us the funding approval. Thanks to the new space, we have already been able to hire two new employees from the region. Our involvement in the program is supported by the association LEADER-Regionalentwicklung Neckartal-Odenwald aktiv e. V.”
