Ergonomics and technology instead of workbench cliché

Alexander Bohnet makes it clear in the interview: "Modern carpentry no longer has anything to do with Master Eder and his Pumuckl. Today, high-tech rules here." Bohnet has been working at the Rothfuß carpentry in Schopfloch near Freudenstadt since 1992. After his apprenticeship, he went to master school. In the meantime, he is also an authorized representative in the family business, which is owned by his brother-in-law Thomas Rothfuß. On a production area of around 2,000 square meters, the 17-person company manufactures house, object protection and fire doors, home furnishings and kitchens, as well as object furniture and special parts for industry. These include machine cladding made of solid wood, CNC-milled molded parts as well as exhibition furniture - including for Schmalz, the specialist for automated and manual handling and clamping systems with vacuum.

Instead of sanding blocks and workbenches, CNC milling and drilling machines, a horizontal panel saw and an edge banding machine with workpiece feedback are used here. "With this modern machinery, precision work is of course no problem. What is difficult, however, is the lack of skilled workers and the resulting lack of time," admits Bohnet. It is the lack of role models and social media that make young people unwilling to get into work trousers. At the same time, he says, carpentry is a fascinating profession. "We create something great out of nothing," comments Bohnet. And they do it with modern technology: At Rothfuß, a panel saw separates a wooden board into strips. These pass through the four-sided planer and come out as exact square timbers. Thus, they are ready for further processing on the CNC machine.

Thanks to ergonomically designed lifting aids, the physical strain on employees has decreased. More than 20 years ago, things were different, as Bohnet recalls: "Back then, we always had to get a second person to lift the heavy house and soundproof doors or large plywood onto the CNC machine. With short processing times, it was then hardly worthwhile for them to do their actual work." This is how the carpenter's workshop came to purchase the JumboErgo, the first lifting aid from Schmalz. "One person could effortlessly load and unload the machine alone. That was really worth its weight in gold," Bohnet emphasizes. After the horizontal panel saw moved in in 2011/2012, the operation exchanged the Ergo version for the swivel VacuMaster. The sheets delivered usually measure 2.80 x 2.00 meters. However, five meters in length is not unusual either, he says. With a thickness of up to 60 millimeters, a sheet weighs well over 200 kilograms. "They are unwieldy and heavy," says Bohnet, summing up the challenges. The long operator handle of the lifting aid allows one person to comfortably place the sheets, which are delivered lying down, on the processing table. The person then lifts and swivels the remnant piece and places it on a transport cart to take it to the remnant store. "With the VacuMaster hanging from a rail, we can also carry it directly to the rack," Bohnet supplements.

The lifting aids are not the only Schmalz products to be found in the carpentry: Drying carts in the paint room are just as much a part of it as vacuum blocks on the CNC machines. "Even the senior boss worked with Schmalz," reports Bohnet. This is due to the quality, but also to the proximity: Both companies are barely four kilometers apart. "We make a point of having good machines from the neighborhood, including HOMAG or Schmalz," Bohnet supplements, describing the collaboration as always very pleasant. There are one or two personal contacts, and Rothfuß is not only a customer, but also a supplier of Schmalz.

In 2022, Schmalz approached Rothfuß: The vacuum experts selected the carpentry for a field test of the new VacuMaster Wood. The exchange took less than a day, and the employees were already able to try out the new variant extensively. Bohnet quickly noticed: The VacuMaster Wood is much more pleasant to handle. "Before, I had three different operating areas. First, I switched on the vacuum generator via the main switch. At a distance of 80 centimeters were the buttons for picking up, swiveling and releasing the load, and another 40 centimeters away hung the hand bulb to operate the chain hoist. Today, I have everything within easy reach on the Comfort operator handle. I can hold the vacuum lifter safely with both hands and operate the switches with my thumbs at the same time without having to reach around," explains Bohnet. Likewise, the carpenter notes that the new lifting aid is much lighter and more compact. "Of course, the runners carry the load, however, I have to pull along not only the weight of the sheet, but also the weight of the lifting device. It was already good before, but the new VacuMaster Wood is another significant step towards easier and more ergonomically correct working," sums up the master carpenter.