Wood processing - USA

Chipper expertise underpins state-of-the-art mill in Chopin

Seasoned US company, Roy O. Martin, started its journey in Alexandria, Louisiana, with the Roy O. Martin Lumber Company in 1923; wood and wood processing have been at the heart of its operations ever since. Underpinning much of its advances is reliable technology including cutting-edge drum chippers.

Customer need

Headquartered in Alexandria, Louisiana, Roy O. Martin, subsidiary of US investment company, Martin Sustainable Resources, operates three state-of-the art facilities that focus on one main material, wood.

Processed wood products are a Roy O. Martin speciality, and serving one of its facilities, a wood-processing plant in Chopin, Louisiana, for over a decade was a Bruks re-chipper. 

The Chopin mill, which manufactures plywood, timbers, and boards was completed in 1996, and over the years it has undergone a series of expansions to become one of the largest single-site plywood producers in North America. Complementing the plywood plant, is a timbers mill, which was added in 2014.

During one of its upgrade projects, Roy O. Martin decided to retire its long-serving 1212CS drum chipper and it needed a reliable replacement.

Our solution

Bruks Siwertell had the ideal solution and was contracted to supply a new Bruks gravity-fed drum chipper. It was ordered for its renowned safety, reliability and longevity credentials.

Offering improved processing power, but at a similar footprint of 540mm by 680mm, the new re-chipper also has a number of safety enhancements including a hood-locking safety switch and an external safety box for additional security measures. 

The drop-fed drum chipper is used as a re-chipper at the mill, reducing oversized chips after screening and processing wood chips to approximately 24mm in length.

The wood chips from our machines can be used for high-quality applications in pulp mills as well as by the veneer industry, particle board producers and as microchips for direct drying in pellet mills. In Chopin’s case, they feed the supply lines for the manufacture of plywood, timbers, and wood-based boards.

Bruks drum chippers offer reliable performance over many years of operation. Their high-quality construction and robust wear parts also add to a minimal maintenance profile.