Lesbats Scieries d'Aquitaine, one of the leading companies in the French timber industry, has integrated automated storage and feeding systems for bulk materials at its sites in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. In 2024, the sawmill in Saint-Perdon commissioned a pellet production plant, focusing on reliable raw material conveying and a sustainable energy supply. A key element of the project is four Vecoplan Toploader VTL systems, serving as storage bays and handling material reception and automated feeding 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. These units provide even and reliable storage of chips, bark, and sawdust and, thanks to the way the bucket operates—skimming material from the stockpile surface and dosing it onto a belt conveyor—maintain a steady material flow without blockages.
The installation supplied by Vecoplan includes a belt conveyor, several enclosed drag chain conveyors for low-dust conveying, and a vibrating screen to prepare the material to the required size fraction. Fines pass directly through the screen, oversized pieces undergo size reduction, and then the material stream goes to the drum dryer, where it is prepared for further processing in the pellet line. The integrated layout of storage positions and conveyors enables stable operation, reduces the need for manual intervention, and simplifies operation and maintenance.
Vecoplan supplied, among other equipment, several enclosed drag chain conveyors.
Enclosed drag chain conveyors minimize dust emissions, which improves working conditions while reducing material losses and the risk of contamination of process units.
Drag chain conveyors move material without generating dust
Precise control of two material streams
At the Lesbats site, four Toploader systems manage two material streams essential for continuous plant operation. The first is bark directed to the combustion chamber, where hot air is generated to dry sawdust from about 50 percent moisture to 10 percent. The second stream comprises sawdust and wood chips. The material goes to a screen that lets the fines pass through, while larger pieces are size-reduced before being routed to the drum dryer. Precise dosing by the Toploader stabilizes feed to individual process units, facilitating energy optimization and maintaining uninterrupted production.
3-in-1 technology and integration with the existing plant
The Toploader functions as a 3-in-1 solution: receiving, storing, and feeding material with uniform, continuous dosing. Unlike typical systems based on deep hoppers or silos, it operates on flat surfaces, making it easy to integrate into existing layouts without extensive civil works, and maintenance tasks are simplified. "The Vecoplan Toploader system impressed us above all with its ease of operation and reliability. The control system is intuitive, operation is fully automatic, and we hardly need to intervene manually. This not only saves time but also ensures smooth execution of our production," explains Florence Zarfdjian, development manager at Lesbats Scieries d'Aquitaine.
Integration of the new system with the existing storage bins, hammer mill, and boiler proceeded without disruptions. "Integration with the existing system went smoothly," reports Florence Zarfdjian. "During commissioning, however, an additional challenge arose: in the Toploader system we wanted to produce a blend of sawdust and wood chips and operate this setup in parallel with another Toploader system. Together with Vecoplan we quickly found an appropriate solution." As Joel Talla, project manager at Vecoplan, adds, "Complex projects in particular show how important it is to have a solution that can be adapted accordingly. Thanks to the universal design of our equipment, we were able to quickly adapt to the changing conditions at Lesbats."
Lesbats Scieries d'Aquitaine expanded capacity at its Saint-Perdon sawmill and opted for Vecoplan's automated storage and in-plant conveying technology.
Implementation results
By investing in Toploader VTL systems and the accompanying Vecoplan conveying and screening line, Lesbats achieved stable material flow to the drum dryer and boiler, reduced dust, and simplified internal logistics. Wood residues are used efficiently, and energy generation and pellet production run without disruptions. This example shows that appropriately selected storage and in-plant conveying technology improves the continuity, economics, and sustainability of wood-processing operations.
