Mühlböck builds new production site

With the construction of a new site in Eberschwang, Mühlböck Holztrocknungsanlagen is investing in increasing its production capacity and strengthening its R&D infrastructure. The topic of sustainability and resource conservation, which is at the centre of the entire product portfolio of the wood drying professionals, will also play a central role in the design of the new building.

Mühlböck Holztrocknungsanlagen started construction work on another site in Eberschwang (Upper Austria) in November. By the beginning of 2025, new production halls, logistics and storage areas as well as offices with an area of around 6,500 m² will be built in the district of Antiesen.
The new plant - in the immediate vicinity of the current company headquarters - will utilise state-of-the-art production technologies to ensure the sustainable growth of the innovative company. "The modernisation of our production and administration and the resulting increase in capacity will enable our company to increase its output," says Richard Mühlböck, Managing Director of Mühlböck Holztrocknungsanlagen. "We want to optimise our processes and material flows to the highest level of technology so that we can guarantee the necessary flexibility in our production and create new design options that our market requires."

Focus on efficiency and innovation
The centrepiece of the new plant will be a state-of-the-art sheet metal production line. In future, all sheet metal elements of every Mühlböck dryer in aluminium, stainless steel and steel will be processed here and automatically prefabricated for all systems. Innovative robotics applications will support heavy and load-intensive work. Mühlböck also wants to exploit the potential of digitalisation and Industry 4.0 and ensure the smooth and efficient manufacture of its products by linking the machines with each other, reducing distances and freeing up resources for more value-adding activities.
The topic of research and development is also a particular focus in the construction of the new site. A well-equipped R&D section is intended to further strengthen Mühlböck's high level of innovation. "In order to be able to expand our technological pioneering role and expertise, we want to continue to push the topic of R&D and thus guarantee the innovations for the future that have made us an important player in wood drying technology to date," emphasises Richard Mühlböck. The wood drying specialists from Eberschwang understood early on that the resources required for the energy-intensive process of wood drying must be minimised, and invested in the further development of their energy-efficient drying technology from the very beginning of the company's history. Today, Mühlböck technology is particularly in tune with the spirit of the times in terms of resource conservation, energy efficiency and climate protection.

Sustainable building concept and employee-orientation
These principles and core elements of the Mühlböck philosophy are now to be consistently implemented in the building concept of the new site. The majority of the new building will be constructed using timber; even the production hall will have glulam beams in the ceiling. A pellet heating system provides the majority of the heat supply and the waste heat from the production facilities is also utilised efficiently. A 400 kW photovoltaic system is planned for the roof and 20 charging stations for electric cars will be installed.
The design of the new plant was also tailored to the interests and needs of the Mühlböck workforce from the very beginning of the engineering process. Workplace ergonomics and accessibility are to be given broad consideration and various structural measures, such as a covered goods receiving area or spacious lounges and sanitary facilities, will be realised in this context. The office space will also be significantly increased compared to the main plant and more space will be created for training and technology transfer. In a first step, around 100 employees will work at the new Mühlböck plant. However, the engineering of the new site also allows for a rapid expansion of the production area if required, with a total area of around 6.5 hectares available for this purpose.
"Our new site in Eberschwang/Antiesen is intended to represent a sustainable investment in the future of our company, strengthen our innovative power and consolidate our national and international market position," says Mühlböck. "This growth step should also contribute to the further development of our region and secure sustainable jobs."