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Fulfilling its commitment to make cross-laminated timber (CLT) available to the U.S. market, Hundegger is pleased to report it is on pace to deliver cutting-edge equipment to the new SmartLam manufacturing plant.
Announced in September 2022, SmartLam North America, the first U.S. manufacturer and largest North American manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, is building a $50-million glulam manufacturing facility in Dothan, Al., expected to be fully operational by October 2024. Forecasted to manufacture 84 million bd. ft. of large glulam beams and columns annually, Dothan is strategically located in Alabama to serve the fastest-growing mass timber market in the United States. SmartLam North America is also investing $24 million to fully automate its existing cross-laminated timber facilities in Dothan and in Columbia Falls, Mt. This investment will enable each facility to produce 2 million cu. ft. annually.
This growth is being made possible with manufacturing equipment supplied by Hundegger USA. SmartLam is adding a Hundegger ROBOT-Max and Hundegger UFA to both its Columbia Falls and Dothan facilities. The ROBOT-Max equipment supports production for glulam beams and the UFA for CLT production.
Steve Shrader, Business Development/Operations, Hundegger USA, notes that the Hundegger ROBOT-Max has been developed for the North American market, where mass timber can use larger cross sections than those that are standard in the EU. “The ROBOT-Max can process beams and columns as large as 24” x 48” and up to 40’ long. In the mass timber market, it is the only such saw.”
Cross-laminated timber is the next generation of engineered wood products. Extensively tested and already widely used in Europe, CLT has vast applications for construction, industrial matting, and bridging. Architects and builders choose wood for its aesthetic qualities, and it’s easy to work with. It also has numerous positive environmental characteristics, including renewability. In addition, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow, sequestering and storing carbon while producing oxygen, which reduces greenhouse gases and improves air quality.
