Wood Drying Technology
Valutec gaining new ground
Prestigious TC-kiln order from Maine sawmill group represents milestone for technology group
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alutec is supplying another TC continuous kiln into the North America market. The customer is the sawmill group Pleasant River, which has previously invested in TC continuous kilns for two sawmills. The group is now purchasing a similar installation for their third sawmill in Enfield, Maine. “This proves that our kiln technology is very competitive for North American sawmills,” Robert Larsson, CEO of Valutec, said. “The fact that Pleasant River is choosing Valutec again is a particular honour. They are making this choice based on what they have seen our installations deliver for them, which of course represents a positive signal to the markets in the US and Canada.” The TC continuous kiln that Pleasant River is investing in will have an annual capacity of 46,000 MBF and will be delivered to the sawmill in Enfield, which began construction a few years ago. The lumber sawn in Enfield has previously been dried at Pleasant River’s unit in Dover, Maine, but as demand for the company’s products has increased, it is now choosing to invest in a kiln facility for the sawmill that is targeted at smaller dimensions. “We received quotes from other suppliers but, in the end, it wasn’t a difficult decision,” says Jason Brochu, co-owner of Pleasant River. “We are really happy with the TC continuous kilns at our sawmills in Dover and Jackman, and wanted to continue working with Valutec.”
26 International Forest Industries | AUGUST / SEPTEMBER 2021
Valutec holds itself out as a world leader when it comes to continuous kilns, and the TC model has been a success on markets all around the world. It is characterized by high capacity and quality combined with the flexibility to mix dimensions, which provides the conditions for a high utilization rate. “This is a faster and better way to dry lumber, particularly when
We are receiving many requests from the US and Canada at the moment, and the future is looking very bright Robert Larsson, Valutec it comes to quality and energy consumption. The consistent load on the boiler represents a huge advantage,” says Brochu. The TC continuous kiln that is to be built in Enfield will be used to dry Balsam fir to a 15% final moisture content, and is divided into five double zones. It will be equipped with Valutec’s Valmatics
Jason Brochu, Co-owner of Pleasant River 4.0 control system, and the start of assembly is scheduled for the second quarter of 2022. “We will also be investing in a new boiler, which will produce enough power to run two continuous kilns of this type. We might have another Valutec kiln here in a few years,” says Brochu. Valutec built the first modern TC continuous kiln in Sweden more than 10 years ago. “We are receiving many requests from the US and Canada at the moment, and the future is looking very bright,” says Robert Larsson. “A large part of our success is based on the fact that we have developed alongside the sawmills, and have seen the challenges they have to deal with on a dayto-day basis. This has driven the development of our kiln models and control systems. “It’s a wonderful feeling to see the difference we can make for customers who want to take advantage of and develop the use of wood products all over the world.”
