For decades, the biomass sector has evolved in step with the world’s changing energy priorities. Today, demand for reliable, efficient and sustainable biomass technologies has never been greater. At the same time, producers—whether utility-scale pellet manufacturers, combined-heat-and-power facilities, industrial bioenergy users, or emerging fuels developers—face growing pressure to increase throughput, reduce operational complexity and meet stringent quality standards.

As facilities scale and diversify, the performance of upstream wood processing and material handling systems has become a determining factor in overall plant reliability. Equipment selection, system integration and layout decisions made early in project development often define long-term operating costs, uptime and safety outcomes.

Against this backdrop, Bruks Siwertell and West Salem Machinery have aligned their engineering and manufacturing resources within a unified Biomass Technology Division serving the Americas. The objective of this alignment is to better coordinate system design, project execution and lifecycle support for biomass processing operations across a wide range of applications.

Expanding System-Level Capabilities
Bruks Siwertell brings long-standing experience in bulk material handling, including receiving systems, conveyors, storage solutions, and screening technologies. These systems are commonly deployed in large-scale pellet plants and export terminals, where consistent flow, dust control and automation are critical.

West Salem Machinery contributes decades of expertise in size reduction and fiber preparation, including chipping, grinding, shredding and milling equipment. These machines are typically designed for high-duty cycles and challenging feedstocks, supporting biomass operations where durability and maintainability are essential.

Combined, the division supports integrated wood processing systems that may include:
• Truck and rail receiving systems

• In-feed and metering equipment

• Debarking, chipping and fiber preparation

• Hammermills, grinders and hogs

• Screening and classification technologies

• Belt, drag-chain and screw conveying systems

• Stacker reclaimers, storage domes and automated storage systems

• Dust collection, spark detection and fire mitigation systems

This combination allows us to design, integrate and support every major facet of a biomass processing line—from raw material intake to finished fuel or feedstock. It also allows system designers to evaluate interactions between equipment stages rather than treating each machine as a standalone component.

Best Practices in Wood Processing System Design
As the scale and complexity of biomass facilities grow, properly designed wood processing systems have an outsized impact on overall plant performance. Based on lessons learned from hundreds of installations, both in North America and globally, several principles consistently differentiate high-performing systems from those that fall short.

Engineer for Feedstock Variability—Not Ideal Conditions. Biomass feedstocks vary widely in moisture content, density, particle size and contamination. Systems designed around idealized material conditions often struggle in real-world operation. Allowing for surge capacity, flexible size reduction and adaptable screening improves resilience and reduces unplanned downtime.

Prioritize Effective Screening and Classification. Screening is one of the most underestimated, yet most impactful elements of system design. Screening is the quiet hero of plant performance. When it’s done right, everything else becomes more efficient. A high-performance screening stage upstream of size reduction improves grinder life, reduces energy consumption, and ensures downstream consistency.

Design Dust Management and Fire Protection into the System. Dust control is essential for safety and reliability. Spark detection, deluge suppression and negative-pressure conveying significantly reduce fire risk and operational disruptions.

Build Maintainability into the Layout. High-capacity biomass operations depend on maintainability as much as mechanical strength. Maintainability should be built into the design, not added later. It’s the foundation of uptime, safety and long-term reliability. Thoughtful layout, accessibility and modular components can increase uptime dramatically.

Integrate Technologies for System-Level Performance. Our unified engineering team now designs systems where each machine is optimized within the broader process flow, not just at the equipment level. This systems integration significantly enhances throughput, energy efficiency and product quality.

Lessons Learned From Global Installations
Across hundreds of projects, from fiber preparation units to million-ton-per-year pellet export plants, several lessons consistently emerge:

• Reliable receiving systems set the foundation for stable operations.

• Feedstock consistency equals output consistency.

• Redundancy in critical paths pays for itself.

• Early alignment between OEMs prevents costly redesign.

• Automated controls reduce operator burden and improve quality.

These observations continue to inform system design choices with every new project.

Driving Innovation for the Next Generation of Biomass Facilities
The future of biomass will demand smarter, more automated, energy-efficient systems. Our unified division is accelerating several innovation initiatives, including:

• Low-energy, high-throughput grinders

• IoT-enabled condition monitoring and predictive maintenance

• Higher-capacity, higher-accuracy screens

• Modular receiving systems for faster installation

• Automated storage and reclaim designs for export-scale facilities

As biomass applications expand beyond traditional energy markets into fuels, materials and carbon-related products, wood processing systems will need to adapt to new feedstock requirements and performance targets. We’re shifting from product-level innovation to system-level innovation, and that’s where producers will see the biggest gains.

Supporting the Next Phase of Industry Growth
The alignment of Bruks Siwertell and West Salem Machinery reflects a broader industry shift toward integrated, system-level thinking in biomass facility design. By consolidating engineering expertise and operational experience, the Biomass Technology Division aims to support producers as they navigate increasingly complex technical and market conditions.

As biomass continues to play a role in renewable energy and sustainable manufacturing strategies, well-designed processing systems will remain central to reliable, safe and cost-effective operations. Our unified Biomass Technology Division stands ready to deliver the systems, expertise and performance needed for the industry’s next chapter. The future of biomass is incredibly versatile. We’re only beginning to tap the potential of what sustainable feedstocks can support.

Author: Mike Curci
Vice President of Sales and Marketing
Americas Division, Biomass Technology
Bruks Siwertell Group

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