Ufkes Greentec woodchippers for parks, countryside, and woodlands

Ufkes Greentec designs and builds professional wood processing machines for maintaining and uprooting trees. The John Deere 6068CI550 is the heart of some of these machines.

Ufkes initially imported the John Deere engines when it was established in 2008. However, the route via NPS Driven (then known as NPS Diesel) quickly proved to be a more effective method of determining the engines’ proper configuration. Ufkes was able to concentrate on the development of the woodchippers as a result.

Since then, Ufkes has expanded into a business with roughly 75 employees and a 4400 SM production facility. It has all the necessary components for a modern machine factory, including a cutting-edge welding robot for production, a fully equipped testing area, and an effective Kanban stock management system.

In the UK and Benelux, the corporation has solidified its position in the market. Ufkes is prepared for further expansion within Europe and beyond with a portfolio of 8 chipper types in 60 distinct variations.

Structure for success
During the pandemic, the company spent a lot of time developing a new generation of products. Operational manager Piet Yntema about this time: “It was not a pleasant period. Fortunately, we were able to seize the opportunity to develop our new generation of chippers. We have improved the harmonization between the types. We updated all documentation down to the last detail and in six languages. We are ready to get started right now. By the way, we now have a fantastic product configurator and have done a lot of organizational work internally. In this way, we took a time of disruption in the work process and made it work to our advantage.

Chipping in built-up areas
“Because our concept is quite unique, we see opportunities both within and outside Europe,” says Piet. “Our units are designed to chip, collect and prepare residual wood for disposal. Thanks to the design of our machines, fewer extra staff are needed to process residual wood. Furthermore, our machines are often used in built-up areas, and that is possible due to the compact design. In practice, this means that you do not have to close off any streets. In addition, the limited noise level is an advantage within built-up areas.”

Sustainable and green
Chipped residual wood is, among other things, a fuel source for biomass plants. They need local raw materials to work as sustainably as possible and to maintain a green image. The need for woodchippers is growing in the market interested in the energy transition. Ufkes sets a good example, heating its building using wood chips created from testing the machines.

Germany
Ufkes’ clientele comprises gardeners, contractors, contractors, municipalities, and forestry companies. The company uses heavy MAN engines for large-scale wood chipping, but according to Piet, John Deere now also has an interesting offer in this area. “The new JD18 is promising for us as a replacement for some of the products designed for MAN engines,” says Piet. “The support, service, and availability of parts by NPS are certainly reasons for us to bet on the JD18. The JD18 is a step forward on paper compared to what we offer now.”

The design of the machine is already finished. “The prototype Panthera was designed with the JD18 in mind. We hope and expect to be among the first companies to deploy this new John Deere engine. Especially with the German market in mind. It is nice to know that John Deere is now also represented by NPS in Germany through its local organization.”