PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/25/21 10:59 AM Page 1
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:53 AM Page 2
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 8:36 AM Page 3
TA K I N G
STOCK
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. Street Address: 225 Hanrick Street Montgomery, AL 36104-3317 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2268 Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 Telephone: 334-834-1170 Fax 334-834-4525
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Publisher David H. Ramsey Chief Operating Officer Dianne C. Sullivan
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Editor-In-Chief Rich Donnell Senior Editor Dan Shell Senior Associate Editor David Abbott Senior Associate Editor Jessica Johnson Associate Editor Patrick Dunning
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Publisher/Editor Emeritus David (DK) Knight
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Production Manager/Art Director Cindy Segrest Ad Production Coordinator Patti Campbell Circulation Director Rhonda Thomas Online Content & Marketing Manager Jacqlyn Kirkland
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ Advertising Sales Manager David H. Ramsey • (334) 834-1170
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ADVERTISING SALES REPRESENTATIVES SOUTHERN U.S. Kathy Sternenberg • (251) 928-4962 ksternenberg@bellsouth.net Classified Advertising Bridget DeVane • (334) 669-7837 • 1-800-669-5613 bdevane7@hotmail.com MIDWEST USA, EASTERN CANADA John Simmons Mar-Tech Communications 32 Foster Cres. Whitby, Ontario, Canada L1R 1W1 (905) 666-0258 Fax: (905) 666-0778 E-mail: jsimmons@idirect.com WESTERN USA, WESTERN CANADA Tim Shaddick 4056 West 10th Ave, Vancouver BC Canada V6L 1Z1 604-910-1826 Fax: (604) 264-1397 E-mail: tootall1@shaw.ca Kevin Cook (604) 619-1777 E-mail: lordkevincook@gmail.com INTERNATIONAL Murray Brett 58 Aldea de las Cuevas Buzon 60 03759 Benidoleig (Alicante), Spain Tel: +34 96 640 4165 +34 96 640 4048 E-mail: murray.brett@abasol.net
KATERRA’S VISION WAS LOST IN BIG MONEY e are saddened by the demise of Katerra, the company that stormed in like gangbusters to put a totally new spin on how building construction is managed and completed. We’re very aware that many people in our industry are chuckling and saying “I told you so,” because many people took offense at Katerra’s brashness and many people didn’t see any way in heck that Katerra could pull off what it said it was going to do. Katerra blew through $3 billion in a heartbeat, and we’re not feeling much sympathy for the massive Japanese holding company that kept feeding money to Katerra. They’ll be okay, considering they reported a net profit of nearly $46 billion for the recent fiscal year. And we’re not feeling too bad about the Katerra leadership who brought a Silicon Valley flavor to the endeavor. They’ve already landed on their feet just fine. But we do feel sorry for the Katerra public relations team of people who performed duties like keeping up the web site and sending out press releases and conducting plant tours. And we’re upset over all of the workers who have quickly lost their jobs at the new cross-laminated timber facility in Spokane, Wash. and the wood components plant in Tracy, Calif. Katerra’s problem was much bigger than those plants, but the workforce suffers the consequences. And what about all of those communities with Katerra construction projects now on hold? As this is written, the Spokane and Tracy plants and lots of other Katerra affiliate companies up and down the supply chain were planned to be put up for bid or auction toward the end of July. Maybe (and it could have already happened as you read this) somebody will step up and purchase those facilities and get them rolling again, with many of the same workers. Perhaps such a buyer will be a little more focused on the real world of the construc-
W
tion industry, instead of trying to defy it and reinvent it. After all, the plants themselves seem to have run okay. Our magazine visited the CLT plant in Spokane and came away impressed at the diverse technologies in there and with the supervisory team overseeing it. Unfortunately a major roadblock the Katerra CLT plant ran into has been the tremendous rise in lumber prices. Every other U.S. CLT plant is in the same boat, unless they had developed a remarkable prearrangement of their lumber procurement pipeline. Katerra could have had a better handle on their lumber raw material costs if it had also built a sawmill; you know, one of those $150 million, 300MMBF a year sawmills that seem to be popping up with some regularity in the U.S. It did put in dry kilns and a planer mill, which alleviated some of the lumber processing costs it would have encountered were those tasks also farmed out. But owning a sawmill to manufacture green lumber would have been nice. Then it would have been more about log procurements and log costs, and the circle would have been completed. Of course the almost ridiculous escalation in lumber prices, coming off the pandemic, took everybody by surprise. But for a company that touted itself as the new frontier of construction, perhaps there’s no excuse for not having ownerPW ship of your raw material.
RICH DONNELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ph: 334-834-1170 Fax: 334-834-4525 e-mail: rich@hattonbrown.com
PanelWorld • JULY 2021 • 3
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 8:36 AM Page 4
(Founded as P l y w o o d & P a n e l in 1960—Our 509th consecutive issue) VOLUME 62 NO. 4
24
JULY 2021
Visit our web site: www.panelworldmag.com
28
MASS TIMBER TECHNOLOGY Several Suppliers Take The Lead
COMPOSITE PANEL ASSN. Q&A With CPA President
TAKING STOCK Katerra Saga
BRUCE LYONS APA Stalwart
CLIPPINGS New FPS Officers
UPDATE The Rise And Fall
PROJECTS Wood Insulation
GEO DIRECTORY Veneer/Panel Suppliers
VENEER DRYING Raute’s Approach
SUPPLY LINES Dealing In Wax
EVENTS Back In Business
3
34
6
40
32
42
COVER:
With its new MDF plant in Barnwell, SC, Swiss Krono completes a plan that began in 2000. Story begins on PAGE 14. (Jessica Johnson photo of wood yard; inset board cooler photo courtesy of Swiss Krono)
50 51 54
Panel World (ISSN 1048-826X) is published bimonthly by Plywood & Panel World, Inc., P.O. Box 2268, Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 (334) 834-1170, Fax (334) 834-4525. Subscription Information— PW is sent free to owners, operators, managers, purchasing agents, supervisors and foremen at veneer operations, plywood plants, composite products plants, structural and decorative panel mills, engineered wood products plants and allied exportimport businesses throughout the world. All non-qualified U.S. subscriptions are $50 annually; $60 in Canada; $95 (Airmail) in all other countries (U.S. funds). Single copies, $5 each; special issues, $20 (U.S. funds). Subscription Inquiries—TOLL-FREE 800-6695613; Fax 888-611-4525. Go to www.panelworldmag.com and click on the subscribe button to subscribe or renew via the web. All advertisements for Panel World magazine are accepted and published by Plywood & Panel World, Inc. with the understanding that the advertiser and/or advertising agency are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser and/or advertising agency will defend, indemnify and hold Plywood & Panel World, Inc. harmless from and against any loss, expenses, or other liability resulting from any claims or lawsuits for libel violations or right of privacy or publicity, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or lawsuits that may arise out of publication of such advertisement. Plywood & Panel World, Inc. neither endorses nor makes any representation or guarantee as to the quality of goods and services advertised in Panel World. Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. reserves the right to reject any advertisement which it deems inappropriate. Copyright ® 2021. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Printed in USA. Member, Verified Audit Circulation Managed By Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc.
4 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:53 AM Page 5
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 6/14/21 7:30 AM Page 6
UPDATE SIX YEARS AFTER STARTUP KATERRA DIGS TOO DEEP OF A HOLE “Silicon Valley” startup company that intended to redefine the methods of operation of the conventional housing and building construction industry has gone bankrupt and appears to be headed for bidding. Katerra, which sought to become the ultimate turnkey provider—including
A
Katerra’s CLT plant might have been the least of the company’s problems.
the self-manufacture of cross-laminated timber and building components such as windows and cabinets, architectural design and engineering services, in-house supply chain, off-site assembly of struc-
tural sections, and on-site modular assembly with company construction crews, filed for relief under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the
6 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:53 AM Page 7
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 6/14/21 7:30 AM Page 8
UPDATE
Southern District of Texas on June 6. A day later the court released a bidding and possible auction schedule commencing in late July for the U.S. assets of Katerra and its affiliates, including the new cross-laminated timber facility in Spokane, Wash. The company had stated upon the bankruptcy filing it was taking steps to
conduct a “marketing and sale process,” while having secured $35 million in Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financing to fund operations during the Chapter 11 process. The company’s international operations are reportedly not part of the filing. The amount is a far cry from the $3 billion Katerra raised in equity invest-
ments, much of it through Tokyo-based holdings company Softbank and its venture capital fund. In the bankruptcy filing Katerra estimated liabilities of $1 billion to $10 billion and assets of $500 million to $1 billion. Katerra said that many of its U.S. projects will be demobilizing. It directly employed 500 at the time of the filing. “The rapid deterioration of the company’s financial position is the result of the macroeconomic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the construction industry, inability to procure bonding for construction projects following the unexpected insolvency proceedings of Katerra’s former lender, and unsuccessful attempts to secure additional capital and business,” the company states. Two casualties appear to be Katerra’s new CLT manufacturing facility in Spokane and new components manufacturing facility in Tracy, Calif. The $150 million, 270,000 square foot CLT facility commissioned in May 2019 and includes the latest CLT manufacturing technology. The 577,000 square foot, robotics-driven components facility in Tracy was just starting up. It had prompted Katerra to shut down its older components plant in Phoenix, Ariz. A source close to the situation says Katerra was too diverse for a startup. “They tried to self-perform too many specialties from the get-go—not only multi-unit construction and CLT, but also architecture, bathroom fixture design, HVAC design, window manufacturing, global projects such as Saudi Arabia and India, etc. As for CLT, the rapid escalation in lumber prices made the system cost-prohibitive for all but a few projects.” Indeed the unprecedented launching of lumber prices (CLT is composed of 2 in. lumber) was a scenario few could have predicted to such degree; however, another industry participant asked the simple question: Why didn’t Katerra build a sawmill to have better control over their raw material intake and pricing? After all, they bought about everything else The Spokane plant operated a dry kiln and planer line, but the mill procured and bought its green lumber from sawmills in Canada. Another observer says the topic of building a sawmill did come up, but he wasn’t sure if Katerra ever asked for or received a quote on the construction of a sawmill. The CLT
8 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 9
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 6/14/21 7:30 AM Page 10
UPDATE
plant itself appeared to be operating satisfactorily when it had to shut down. The Katerra startup in 2015 was led by a capital funding specialist named Michael Marks who had success leading electronics technology company Flextronics International, and Fritz Wolff, a third-generation executive chairman of a multi-billion dollar real estate and apart-
ments development and investment business, The Wolff Company, which was founded and operated in Spokane until moving headquarters to Scottsdale, Ariz. (Katerra apparently built the plant in Spokane to create jobs for the community where Wolff was from.) The new venture wasn’t shy about wanting to shake up—and speed up—the
conventional construction industry. In addition to starting up manufacturing plants, it bought everything from architectural firms, to construction firms to dirt contractors. But many of the projects it entered into appeared to experience the same hiccups and cost overruns that conventional on-site construction projects sometimes encounter, and perhaps with less quality, as Katerra tacked on substantial costs related to re-work issues. “They were arrogant people from Silicon Valley that thought everyone in the lumber business and construction industries were idiots,” another observer comments. “They thought all they had to do was show up and they would dominate. They told everyone they were a tech company and because of that their valuation was many times greater. But when people looked under the hood they saw no technology, just a bloated company with ideas that weren’t based in reality.” Katerra experienced nearly $2.8 billion in financial losses in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Unprofitable projects continued to mount right up until the bankruptcy. Katerra replaced Marks as CEO in spring 2020, only a year after Marks hosted the first Katerra TAKE OFF product launch event, which included building platforms, Apollo software, CLT product line, energy and electrical platforms, HVAC, interior fixtures and even a bath kit. In May three senior members of the Katerra management team resigned and the company formed a committee to seek alternative financing, market certain assets and basically restructure the company. But no investor was willing to provide the financing and the company faced a critical liquidity shortfall and negative cash balance. On June 1 Katerra ceased a majority of its operations in the U.S., which resulted in winding down more than 80 projects representing 77% of its active project revenue. It terminated 730 of its 1,300 employees in the U.S. A stalking-horse bid could begin July 22, from which Katerra will choose a bid from a pool of bidders as the initial bid that sets the low-end bid. In the ensuing days other bidders may submit higher bids with the highest bidder winning the assets. If the bidding process doesn’t work out, the process could involve an auction format. The current schedule is PW for the sale to close in mid-August.
10 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 11
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 12
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 13
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/23/21 12:44 PM Page 14
A PLANT DECADES IN THE MAKING: SWISS KRONO BRINGS MDF TO SOUTH CAROLINA The global pandemic wasn’t necessarily the biggest challenge for the startup team. BY JESSICA JOHNSON
BARNWELL, SC or German-born Wedig Graf Grote, COO of Swiss Krono USA, who cut his teeth after university studies on the Swiss Krono plants in Eastern Europe, working
F
to build a $230 million, 280,000 m3 production capacity MDF plant in South Carolina was supposed to be a fun challenge. Educated in wood science technology, Graf Grote understands not only what needs to be inside the board, but also how to produce it thanks to his years at the other plants and in a centralized function at the Swiss Krono Group’s headquarters. And while all of that experience serves him well in his daily functions, none of that experience could prepare him for startup and commissioning during a global pandemic while navigating a fairly wide cultural gap. A lot had already happened at the 350 acre Barnwell site, dating back to 2005 when under the guidance of former CEO Norm Voss, Kronotex (as the Switzerlandbased company and one of the world’s leading engineered wood production companies was then called) went from a distribution facility to a laminate and flooring plank producer. By 2014 the Barnwell operation had grown to include three flooring profiling lines and three short cycle press laminating lines along with two impregnation/paper treating lines.
After Graf Grote arrived in South Carolina in 2014, what was called “the small project on the other side of the building” was made bigger. Graf Grote recalls, “We had applied for a smaller version MDF plant, and then decided if we are already investing, let’s go ahead and do it bigger” And the plan called for a fourth laminate flooring line as well. Since the operation had opted to run value-added production lines before building a primary production plant, it was purchasing and consuming MDF— all of it from out of state. The new plant would source southern yellow pine raw material from within a 75-mile radius in an area abundant in plantation forests. The reduction in carbon dioxide emission from that transition alone can’t be understated. Along with the U.S. team, Graf Grote began working with the Group’s in-house engineering firm, Swiss Krono Tec, setting out to work on the Group’s first greenfield facility in more than 10 years. “This was interesting,” Graf Grote says with a wry laugh—the Americans were joined by German/Swiss/Austrian engineers.
14 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/23/21 12:44 PM Page 15
Graf Grote says for a lot of Europeans, especially Germans who grew up on the west side, they have knowledge of America and the American way of life, but not a lot of hands-on experience. So a large part of Graf Grote’s job became trying to navigate technical discussions where two (and sometimes three) cultural divides were in play, bridging those divides and making sure everyone was talking about the same thing. He says of the engineers, “They believe they are having a conversation and I know they are totally missing each other’s points but it’s still nice and friendly. A room full of 10 engineers, with two Americans and everyone is trying to speak English to accommodate that—it ends up in a fun exercise for those not very fluent in English trying to do their engineering exercises in English and then the Germans don’t understand themselves anymore and you flip it to German and the poor Americans are totally left out of the conversation.” He qualifies, “But, if handled right, it can be a very enriching and productive experience. You have to be aware that there is no normal. There’s no ‘we normally do it this way.’ There’s no standard because you make the standard.” Graf Grote encouraged the team to go into the conversations with an open mind; and nearly forbid them from using the word “normally.” He adds, “We don’t start sentences with ‘Where I come from, we do…’ You get away from hours of unproductive conversations where you just didn’t understand each other.” The human element of the process was perhaps the most challenging, Graf Grote says, because everyone has a unique way of looking at things and being a European company operating in the U.S. made that human element even more important. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in July 2016 and Swiss Krono announced
shortly after it had given the turnkey order for the equipment and technology installation to German-based Siempelkamp. It is also important to note, because of the breadth of experience the
Group (and Graf Grote himself) had in plants, Swiss Krono didn’t simply sign a contract with Siempelkamp and then back away until pre-acceptance runs on the factory floor. ➤ 16
The facility finds its thickness sweet spot to be 2.5 to 40 mm.
Boards are scanned multiple times to ensure quality.
The timeline was frustrating with COVID-19 related delays, but the team battled through and made first board in August 2020 four years after groundbreaking.
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/23/21 12:54 PM Page 16
People make the plant run, and Swiss Krono USA appreciates that significantly.
The total investment in the MDF plant was $230 million.
Steinemann sanding line
From left, Bryan Traylor, VP of Business Development; Travis Bass, EVP Sales & Marketing; Wedig Graf Grote, Chief Operating Officer
15 ➤ Instead, Swiss Krono was involved in every detailed part of the process, including the detailed engineering—where the team was able to figure out if perhaps something got missed at the outset. Graf Grote admits that can be a cumbersome way of doing things, but worthwhile in the end. The human element is where it is the most exciting in a good way, and otherwise very challenging, he says. The old idea that as people get older the toys just get bigger: “We’re all fascinated by the sound of the metal, the challenge of running a plant and optimization, and that’s all great, but the most difficult, and, actually, the fun part is in the people,” he says. “We’re happy we have some competitive advantages because we put something in that is state-of-the-art. It is set and I can work it over time and get more throughput. The everyday challenge is still working to develop the new team.” The European team handled the machinery, technology and equipment design and selection; the American team handled the infrastructure and prepping the site. For Executive Vice President Travis Bass, who’d been with Voss and others in Barnwell since the beginning, from talking about it to seeing it actually happen was incredibly rewarding. The plant is designed with the European understanding of pressing board, with slight differences in the wood yard. Barnwell has a chip side with stackers/ reclaimers to act as an insurance policy. For Graf Grote, the wood yard is something different, as the Group had no experience with its specific design, so to see that coming to fruition was certainly a highlight. ➤ 18
16 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 17
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/23/21 12:44 PM Page 18
MILL DESIGN One of the best things Graf Grote says the Group did was bring all of the MDF technologists, plant managers and other technical people from the Group in Europe together and ask for their design input. “We said, ‘if you could choose a new factory from the chipper to the packaging line, what is the pro/con of the different versions of the equipment? What’s the right size of things? What did we learn in the other factories? What did we improve in the other factories that we want to order here from the start?’ It was a very big help.” Since initial plans were actually done with a different supplier and on a smaller scale, Graf Grote notes, the pre-engineering had to be adapted. Ultimately, Siempelkamp, with more in-house capabilities such as Büttner and Pallmann, won the order. In spring 2017 the project began moving dirt in earnest. Toward the end of 2017 1,054 metric tons of freight packaged in 60 sea containers and 16 breakbulks were enroute to the port of Charleston, SC. First board was produced on August 24, 2019. For Graf Grote, while it was a milestone to help the intercultural team speak the same language and to get things done, he understood too well that “first board” and actually being in production are very much not the same. They focused on working with the people on the ground to not just get to first board but get to production.
then you have to get into hustle mode trying to get everything done. “There’s an understanding over here, in a country filled with resources that we can do it, we have the resources to do it twice if necessary. A Dutch person would never say that. A German would plan way more ahead, because not being successful is considered failure and is not a chance to do it better,” Graf Grote says. “On a 30,000 feet view of this project, I can tell you about 15 things—if that was undersized or this was oversized. A lot of it was learning to operate this mill, with that wood. And we’re still learning it.”
MILL FLOW
Erik Christensen, Swiss Krono USA President
“You always have a lot of pressure to get first board,” Graf Grote says. “It becomes first board and then a six week pause and then production.” Graf Grote’s idea was to be at a position where it was first board and then second board and third board all on the same week. It was among the many interesting learning opportunities Graf Grote says the project brought him. Startup is probably more of an art than a science, Graf Grote admits, because it calls for a lot of figuring out what you don’t know; it means recognizing that something is going to happen that throws off production and
Laminate flooring capacity continues to expand.
The mill purchases logs and chips for the wood yard with logs unloaded by a 32 ton, one-bite Kone radial log crane. Logs move through a Pallmann 13 ft. diameter drum debarker. Pallmann also supplied a 12 ft. diameter 2800 HP disc chipper with 15 knives. Trucks loaded with chips are moved onto a Phelps truck dumper. Swiss Krono selected FMW for the supply of two blended-bed stackers/reclaimers. Each stacker/reclaimer stores 800,000 cubic feet of chips. The machines were supplied complete and include screw dischargers that meter the reclaim flow based on process demand while reducing variability in furnish flow to plus or minus 5% over 60 minutes. Among the benefits of this technology are true “first in-first out” operation, the homogenization of reclaimed chips prior to the process, a fully active pile volume, gentle treatment of chips, and low maintenance. Graf Grote notes that the wood yard, where much of the intercultural conversations happened, was initially laid out quite differently, but the end result gives Swiss Krono the ability to expand it if necessary and prevent any future bottlenecks. The 53 MW energy plant from Büttner includes a vertical dust (or gas) combi-burner and reciprocating step grate burner, so it can use everything from side product to bark to sanding dust. Büttner also supplied a 35 metric ton/hour flash tube dryer, as well as a dry ESP. Dürr Megtec provided a four module “CleanSwitch” RTO off the dryer. ➤ 20
18 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 19
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/23/21 12:44 PM Page 20
One of the benefits to the Barn18 ➤ well site, the team says, was the wisdom to select 350 acres not near anything. “We’re tucked back here, we don’t bother anyone,” Bass says. This helped with community relations. The refining and gluing area includes a Pallmann chip washer and Pallmann one-step 35 metric ton/hour oven dry refiner with 58 in. diameter refining plates and 9380 HP. The station also includes a FRC process water cleaning and recycling system. The Siempelkamp resin preparation, storage and transfer system is good with UF/MUF or pMDI and applies Hexion resin. It includes a Siempelkamp Ecoresonator glue/fiber blending system with Schlick nozzles. The Siempelkamp forming and pressing line includes an 11 ft. width mat former, continuous prepress, moisture detector and metal detector, GreCon fiber scanner, compactor to remove impurities and ContiRoll continuous press with 101 ft. in length (30.5 m) and 8 to 10 ft. pressing width. A single module Dürr Megtec RTO works off the press. The press produces standard American panel sizes in 2.5 to 40 mm thickness.
Swiss Krono Group was inexperienced in American wood yard design, but seems to have found its footing.
“We’re very happy with it,” Graf Grote says with conviction. “It’s doing the job, but we always strive for improvement.” The continuous board runs through diagonal saws and through quality control systems including laser thickness gauge, ultrasonic delamination detector and contiscale x-ray density scanner. Boards move into the cooling turners and to a master panel stack storage system. Boards proceed to a 10 head Steinemann
sander, then additional sawing. Finished boards to be sold are packaged using a Siempelkamp packaging line and OMS strapper. High bay storage is for internal production, including automatic storage and retrieval for the lamination operation. For Bass, the market opportunity was on the thin board side and seeing the plant excel in 2.5 mm up through 40 mm. “That’s our target audience,” he
20 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/23/21 12:51 PM Page 21
COVID IMPACT
Swiss Krono looks at the chip piles as insurance for the wood yard—the process will not have a bottleneck here.
emphasizes. “Our sweet spot is in the real thin side. Focus on flooring, plus thinner than that.” Along with the new MDF plant, a fourth Homag laminate flooring profiling line was installed. The operation also runs three Wemhöner short cycle laminating lines, 5 ft. x 18 ft., EIR one side, and two Vits impregnation/paper treating lines, 5 ft. and 9 ft. widths.
“On a 30,000 feet view of this project, I can tell you about 15 things—if that was undersized or this was oversized. A lot of it was learning to operate this mill, with that wood. And we’re still learning it.”
The facility was challenged in March 2020 from COVID-19, with technicians from both the Swiss Krono Group and Siempelkamp having to leave as the plant was being commissioned. All the Germans had left South Carolina by April, and that attributed to some significant delays. Despite trying remote options, the plant really didn’t fully “re-start” its startup until September 2020. “We fought our way through with the team onsite and some online help,” Erik Christensen, Swiss Krono USA President, says. “We’ve got an incredibly dedicated and energized team here.” Thankfully, the flooring business took off like a rocket in the interim and the facility was able to rise to meet that demand. “In hindsight that was a fit,” Bass emphasizes. “We couldn’t finish the factory, but we could make three thicknesses for our flooring product and they were all in a safe range that we could continue to make—but with lots of workarounds.” Graf Grote simply says of the time, “It is crazy to think about it now, but we made it through the COVID waves and PW kept the factory running.”
PanelWorld • JULY 2021 • 21
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 22
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 8:02 AM Page 23
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:43 AM Page 24
MASS
TIMBER EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies submitted these editorial profiles and images to complement their advertisements placed elsewhere in this issue. Please refer to those advertisements for web site and contact information. All statements and claims are attributable to the companies.
HEXION Hexion’s industry-leading forest products include ultra-low emitting EcoBind resins that meet or exceed the most stringent global emission standards for plywood and panels, highly heat-resistant resins and adhesives for structural wood, as well as other products that improve panel performance and manufacturing productivity. Hexion’s EcoBind adhesives for structural engineered wood products have completed independent laboratory testing required by the ANSI and ICC to be certified for high volume manufacture of glue laminated beams and cross-laminated timber. “Our adhesive system improves the utilization of wood and can reduce waste by 80 to 90 percent,” says Steve Banick, Senior Director, Hexion. Additionally, Hexion is leveraging its decades-long expertise in delivering high-performance solutions for the forest products industry to bring another innovative product to mar- Hexion provides range of adhesives for building products. ket. Hexion has launched ArmorBuilt fire resistant wrap, a new product that greatly improves fire protection when applied to a substrate. ArmorBuilt wrap has passed an industry approved wildfire simulation burn test for fire resistance. It is currently being used to protect utility poles in wildfire prone areas. Since the ArmorBuilt system can also be used as a coating, it will be suitable for coating structural wood components and will have applications in many different industries. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Hexion Inc. is a global leader in thermoset resins. Hexion Inc. serves the global adhesive, coatings, composites and industrial markets through a broad range of thermoset technologies, specialty products and technical support for customers in a diverse range of applications and industries.
LEDINEK Ledinek reports further development of its top series of high-performance planing systems for demanding final processing of fingerjointed solid wood beams and glulam beams. The series, known for its excellent beam surface finish, now also enables the final surface processing of up to 1,250 mm wide CLT elements with the required “residential visible surface quality.” Ledinek developed an oscillating belt sanding unit for the final sanding of the two main surfaces after planing. During the same throughfeed lateral profiles for on-site assembly can be easily finished onto the CLT elements. With this new development the Superles series is now also a very good fit for smaller to medium-sized CLT, glulam and fingerjointed solid wood lines as well as for hybrid production lines of such products. Combined with the optional chamfer- Ledinek planing systems are geared to CLT. ing, square rabbet, groove and sanding units, these machines can adapt to all customers’ requirements. In addition, vertical units with 630 mm tooling length and tooling spindle height positioning of 330 mm is available. Switching between planing (glulam) and molding (CLT elements, profiled logs or beams) is possible at the push of a button and 600 mm thick block glued beams can also be processed. The first machine of its kind will soon be installed as part of a completely new Ledinek CLT plant concept in the EU area.
24 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:43 AM Page 25
MASS
MINDA
TIMBER
With more than 25 cross-laminated timber presses installed, Minda is one of the most experienced plant engineering specialists in the industry. Solid construction methods and constant development are the reason for the company’s success in this field. Minda engineers also halved the non-productive process times such as opening and closing the press, compaction of lamellas, pressure buildup and infeed/outfeed transfer. Like Minda’s standard press, the high-speed (HS) version operates fully automatic and is designed for single-part production. The maximum press pressure is usually 88 psi, although plants with higher maximum pressures of up to 580 psi (special designs) have also been equipped. The latest installations for example were at Arcwood by Peetri Puit in Latvia, Stora Enso Group in Gruvön, Sweden, Setra in Langshyttan, Sweden, and Schilliger in Switzerland. In 2020, the Estonian company Arcwood invested in an automated CLT production line. The entire plant is designed for batch CLT production in the expanded Arcwood production hall, insize 1 and is controlled by the higher-level Minda production con- cluding vacuum laying area in front of the TimberPress X trol, which is linked to the customer’s work preparation system. Within the Stora Enso Group, Minda started the third CLT installation in Gruvön. The new plant can press elements up to 12 ft. wide, which are laid from single-layer boards. The high-speed press and the upstream vacuum laying gantry are designed for fully automatic, order-related production. Up to 100 m³ of CLT panels can be produced every hour. For the Setra Group in Langshyttan, Minda modified a 66 ft. x 20 ft. CLT press in order to produce two more common CLT panels of 6.5 ft. x 12 ft. in one press run without reducing the maximum possible capacity. In addition, Minda incorporated a flexible high-bay storage system that separates the production of the single-layer boards from the production of the CLT boards in terms of process technology. In addition to press technology and fully automatic material transport solutions, Minda also supplies fully automatic warehouse areas and high-bay storage systems for intermediate and finished goods, so that even smaller orders and commissions can be produced in economical batch sizes. At the end of September 2020, the Minda Group acquired U.S.-based Deal Metal Fabrication LLC in Granite Falls NC, and founded Minda North America LLC. Thus current projects such as the installation of the largest production of CLT and GLB in North America at Structurlam Mass Timber in Conway, Ark. can be directly supplied with mechanizations from Granite Falls. This will enable Minda to support its customers even more efficiently in after sales service.
OEST Oest Maschinenbau is regarded as the market leader for adhesive dosing and application systems in the wood industry. This applies to CLT and glulam productions. As a pioneer from the very beginning, the German-based company can draw on a wealth of experience. According to Oest, almost all industrial glue dosing and application systems for CLT installed in recent years were build in Freudenstadt, Germany. Continuous technical developments are the reason for the company’s success, it says. For example, gantry solutions with a moving speed of the glue application head up to 400 FPM (120 m/min) are now almost standard. Today, the company has a global presence. More than 70 CLT projects have been delivered and successfully commissioned worldwide. Projects in North America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are worth mentioning. Just to name a few customers in North America: Element 5, Freres Lumber, International Beams, Kalesnikoff, Katerra, Smartlam, Sterling, Struc- OEST adhesive dosing and application for CLT panels turlam, Vaagen Brothers among others. In addition to CLT surface gluing systems, Oest very often also supplies the associated machines for the adhesive applications of edge- and fingerjoint gluing.
➤ 26
PanelWorld • JULY 2021 • 25
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_cs.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:43 AM Page 26
MASS
TIMBER
25 ➤ Oest cooperates with all known experts for automated material handling systems and presses for the project realization. Oest concentrates on the adhesive application and ideally also supplies the gluing portal. This has the advantage of a precise adhesive application as a turnkey solution from a single source. The complete gluing process can already be tested during the final acceptance test at the Freudenstadt plant. Another advantage is the reduction of commissioning times at the customer’s site, as time-consuming pre-assembly of the adhesive application head, the dosing lines and the control cables into a third party system is not necessary and interrupting interfaces are reduced to a minimum. Systems for CLT gluing are available for nearly all types of adhesives. Oest is able to offer an optimal solution for every available adhesive system on the market. The customer is free to choose the adhesive according to his specifications of the product, production conditions and national approval requirements. To increase the availability of its adhesive dispensing systems, Oest has developed its easy-to-maintain FACETAC F application head for one-component PUR and two-component MUF adhesives. With a movable y-axis, Oest not only controls the exact edge distance of the first adhesive bead, it also serves the “all in use” principle. Here, the application head alternates between left and right side of the panel. This alternating actuation means that all adhesive valves operate regularly irrespective of the panel width. Problematic hardening of adhesive at individual valves is thus virtually practically eliminated. Recently, additional applications of auxiliary components such as water or primer have also come into focus in CLT production with 1C PUR adhesives. Reliable metering systems for those components are also available from Oest to become an all-in-one supplier for all adhesives application needs to the wood processing industry.
USNR In 2015 Freres Lumber faced competition in the plywood market from OSB and imported products. That led management to broaden the company’s product portfolio and expand its market with MPP (Mass Ply Panel) production at its facility in Lyons, Ore. This expansion was driven by a new specialty carriage designed by USNR. Kyle Freres, VP of Operations, explained, “USNR has been manufacturing carriages for decades for processing hardwood and old-growth timber. We thought this capability would be a good fit for designing a carriage to process our large mass timber beams.” Kyle admitted, “We knew we weren’t getting full value out of our plywood products, so we looked into mass timber as a way to fully utilize the strength properties of the wood.” A Mass Plywood Panel is a structural composite lumber-based panel. Panels are USNR’s specialty carriage design is a win for Freres Lumber. constructed with a combination of cross-grain and long-grain components, processed to required specifications; floor, roof and wall panels as large as 11 ft.-10 in. wide, 48 ft. long, and 12 in. thick. MPPs are marketed to architects, engineers and developers worldwide. Kyle said, “The projects we were quoting required more than just panel products; they also use a large percentage of glulam material. So the beam and column line with the new carriage allows us to expand our primary MPP products. Now we can supply a larger percentage of the project.” USNR’s specialty carriage was designed to accommodate panels or billets 60 ft. in length. The carriage can transport 20,000 lb. billets at speeds up to 410 FPM. The single bandmill is USNR’s proven L&B design. Kyle was happy with the result: “The carriage and bandmill have really expanded the range of products we can produce. Now we can produce columns 24 in. thick and 47-1/2 in. wide. That’s a substantial piece of wood we would never have been able to process without the new equipment.” He added, “Any large project has growing pains, but USNR’s crew is very professional and they did a fantastic job on the installation.” USNR’s innovative solutions for CLT, GLT, LVL and MPP production offer flexible capacity designs and automation options to meet the standards of today and grow your investment into the future.
26 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 27
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 11:15 AM Page 28
CPA’S NEW CHIEF O’HARE NEARS COMPLETION OF FIRST YEAR IN POSITION: ONE HE WILL NEVER FORGET EDITOR’S NOTE: Andy O’Hare became president of Composite Panel Assn. in August 2020. Nearing one year on the job, O’Hare was thrust into a pandemic situation as well as vibrant wood products markets. He will finally be able to move from “virtual” to in-person communication with CPA members at the 2021 Fall Meeting scheduled October 17-19 at the Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, Va. O’Hare happily agreed to answer several questions posed by Panel World. PW: When you took the position at Composite Panel Assn., what did you feel you could bring to the association as its leader, pulling from your past organizational experiences? O’Hare: I am a long-term association executive, having worked for more than 30 years in several industry sectors, including oil and gas, cement and fertilizer, before coming to the composite panel industry, and have been exposed to all facets of association management. During my tenure with these other industries, I have been introduced to a myriad of manufacturing processes, confronted with both opportunities and challenges and devised programs to deliver solutions and member value. I have been a registered federal lobbyist for many years and have a technical background (BS Chemistry, MS Geology), which lends a certain amount of credibility when addressing technical issues, like climate change, air emissions, etc. My extensive legislative and regulatory advocacy experience has included work on environmental, energy, health and safety, trade, security, transportation, infrastructure, among other issues. My goal is to use my vast experience to further build on the strong reputation and valuable role that CPA plays in the composite panel industry. PW: You’re now starting to approach one year since you became president of CPA, basically taking on the position as the pandemic gripped
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 11:10 AM Page 29
the world. What challenges has the virus brought to your position and to CPA and how has it made your organization stronger? O’Hare: Where would we all be without virtual communication platforms like “Zoom” and “Teams.” My transition to president of CPA has been quite unusual, as I have not had the opportunity to meet CPA members in person; in fact, the entire interview process was virtual. Additionally, I have not yet met all of the CPA staff in person. While this “onboarding” has been unique, to say the least, it has afforded me the opportunity to meet more industry executives virtually than I would have in a typical first year. Additionally, the association continues to provide value for the industry, through our advocacy, technical and marketing programs. Fortunately, CPA’s certification programs and associated laboratory testing of composite panel products continued with little interruption. The panel sector was deemed essential in the early stages of the pandemic, so we were able to continue to fully support the industry with the same level of service. More generally, like many organizations, we have been able to continue to provide member service using several new tools and strategies virtually. We have also used this time to revamp our association website and associated database to position ourselves to better serve the industry post pandemic. CPA’s biggest challenge has been trying to reproduce the type of memberto-member dynamic experiences created with in-person meetings. Our in-person annual meetings will finally resume in October when we meet for the first time in nearly two years. PW: What have been your impressions of the composite board industry since your arrival? And how would you describe the current health of CPA? O’Hare: I was initially attracted to this industry given the wide range of uses of our products. Virtually all residential and commercial interiors utilize composite panel products in cabinets, furniture, shelving and storage solutions, millwork and moulding, flooring, etc. The panels are truly ubiquitous! I am also very impressed with the industry’s leadership in sustainability. We are the ultimate recyclers. Composite panels utilize fiber which would otherwise be discarded or burned to make long lasting panels that are in service for more than
an average of 25 years! The industry is therefore a key tool in addressing the challenge of climate change owing to the large amount of carbon that is sequestered in these long lasting products. Regarding CPA, the association is very strong, reflecting a very strong industry. While the pandemic has been unfriendly to many industries, it has been a boon to those industries that use panels to make their products. The residential housing and remodeling markets are on a tear and CPA members are at the forefront of providing the necessary ingredient to satisfy this demand. We see this trend continuing for the near-term, supported by millennials, who are busy setting up households and getting into the residential marketplace. PW: We read a lot about structural wood products demand (lumber, OSB, plywood, etc.). Is composite board supply/demand also trending upward, and how do you see the markets moving forward? And what kind of marketing support does CPA provide? O’Hare: The industry is at the forefront of a renaissance. Several new large greenfield composite panel mills have been constructed and begun operation over the past several months. Given the high demand for panel products, it will be interesting to see how the industry can balance future growth, sustained demand, and existing supply chain challenges. I believe there is room for additional growth in capacity to satisfy what may be a more sustained demand, reflecting the demographics noted earlier. Given the unique impact the pandemic had on the industry, it will take some time for this rebalancing of capacity to occur. Regarding marketing, we are rapidly pivoting away from traditional strategies, including in-person trade shows and printed collateral materials, to adding more digital marketing strategies. We are focusing more heavily on web-based tools, video content creation and social media. Our staple annual publication, “The Master,” which is a partnership between CPA and Surface & Panel magazine, added a digital platform this year to showcase the wide array of industry products, including composite panels and the many decorative surfacing products that transform the panels into finished product solutions for architects and designers. We are getting ready to roll out a new website, which will have enhanced digital capabilities to educate and provide solutions to those in need of composite pan-
els and associated products. Lastly, we have partnered with several social media “influencers,” generally individuals in the design community, that have tens of thousands of followers that support the application and use of products, including those made with composite panels. These new strategies will certainly support the increasing demand for composite panels in the marketplace.
PW: What is your take on the industry investment from international companies starting up plants in the U.S., existing plants that are being upgraded and plants being built that plan to use alternative fiber sources— do you feel there’s more of this on the horizon for North America? O’Hare: I believe this is a trend that will likely continue, especially if demand for the products continues at the level we anticipate for the near future. Though, as we have seen in the past, markets can be unpredictable, especially those influenced by very unusual events, like the COVID pandemic. The new facilities are unique in some respects, as they are designed to support continued expansion in product development. There is a likelihood that these new facilities will continue to add processing for different products, including more value-added products, such as thermally fused laminates. North American panel production capacity has leveled off after seeing unprecedented growth in recent years; as with these new facilities, we have seen the retiring of some older ones. Sustained market growth, however, could change this calculus and result in additional greenfield capacity in the near future. PW: What would you say are four of the key issues confronting the composite board industry today? O’Hare: There are number of challenges and opportunities confronting the industry, the following four of which I believe are the most important: PanelWorld • JULY 2021 • 29
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 11:10 AM Page 30
l Closer ties to the Architect/Design Community Composite panels and related products are some of the most sustainable products on the market today for use in residential and commercial interiors. I don’t believe these product attributes are universally understood in the architect/design community. We need to expand our efforts and identify new strategies for interfacing with and educating these individuals. I look forward to a day when these professionals are as enthusiastic about panels and associated products as we believe they should be owing to their sustainability, flexibility, beauty and long life. l Sustainability/Climate Change With the recent change in political control in Washington, the issues of climate change and sustainability have moved to the forefront. This is a giant opportunity for the composite panel industry. CPA has been busy interfacing with the new Congress and administration in anticipation of a more robust debate on climate change policy to make sure that they are aware of the positive contributions that can be made by greater use of panels and products made with panels to sequester larger amounts of
carbon, thereby removing it from the atmosphere and storing it for generations. l Formaldehyde CPA and the composite panel industry have been extremely innovative in addressing what would otherwise be the industries “Achilles Heel” and turning it into an industry strength. The industry took the initiative to build a coalition of environmental groups and NGOs that worked with Congress to develop a bipartisan law that created a set of rules that would very effectively address formaldehyde emissions from products made with composite panels. The resulting EPA standards under TSCA Title VI were groundbreaking for their thoroughness and detail and their capability of reducing human health and environmental risk. These rules are complemented by rigorous third-party certification and testing programs, including the one created by CPA, which have now been adopted in many countries around the world and are considered the gold standard for assessing compliance. l Workforce Many North American manufacturers are confronting challenges finding individuals to work in their facilities. Most composite panel mills are located in
very rural locations with an aging population/workforce, making it difficult to attract and recruit younger workers that might otherwise be looking for careers in more urban areas. CPA members are devising strategies to address this matter unique to the local economies and demographics surrounding their mills. In addition, CPA has partnered with the Wood Industry Resource Collaborative, a coalition of wood related associations, including the American Wood Council, the North American Building Materials Distribution Assn., among others, to support collective strategies on the workforce challenge. PW: You are obviously located in the backyard of the U.S. federal government. What have been your impressions on the changeover from the previous to the current presidential administration? O’Hare: CPA is closely monitoring the ongoing transition from the Trump to the Biden administration as well as a new Congress controlled by one political party. The new administration is going to have a more aggressive regulatory posture, which could impact requirements PW imposed on the panel industry.
30 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 8:02 AM Page 31
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 7:54 AM Page 32
MAXIMIZING THE LIFE VALUE OF YOUR VENEER DRYING SOLUTION f achieving consistent veneer sheet quality is essential to the success of your plywood or LVL manufacturing operation, then the veneer drying process is critical to those quality assurance efforts. Overdrying veneer results in defects (such as cracking, splits and waviness) that can compromise the wood’s ability to hold glue. Underdrying veneer requires redrying or standing off the dried sheets to allow the moisture to equalize within each load. By contrast, optimally dried veneer is more easily manipulable and useful across a wide range of decorative and industrial applications. Experienced producers know there is no such thing as a “one size fits all” veneer dryer. However, they also appreciate that sourcing a custom solution can be extremely time-consuming. But the process can be fast-tracked provided you know the right questions to ask and which veneer dryer features to evaluate most closely. Chief among these features is longevity, as recent advancements in veneer drying technology have rendered many legacy veneer drying lines obsolete. In this article, we examine four key considerations mill operators should keep in mind as they seek to identify the veneer drying solution that makes the most sense for their business.
I
The most reliable and efficient veneer dryers on the market take full advantage of humid air’s unique thermal properties. They are consequently more capable of consistently—and thoroughly—drying veneer sheets of higher quality. Therefore, the dryer you select must stand up to the high temperatures, high pressure, and high humidity needed to boost yield and produce high-quality veneer at volume. As such, the proper vetting of high-moisture drying equipment requires an understanding of the following factors. The specific materials used in dryer construction. Leading manufacturers prefer stainless steel, both for its durability and rust resistance. Pay special attention to steel grade and thickness when assessing inner sheeting material and conveyor frames. These materials should demonstrate superior heat expansion and corrosion resistance properties. How the dryer is built. Reducing the number of welds required for assembly can accelerate the installation process. Doing so also minimizes the risk of cracks and weak joints. Any leaks will
impair the dryer’s performance. The quantity and types of components employed. Every moving part in your drying line is subject to wear and tear. The dryer conveyance system, including the rollers, can be especially susceptible in this regard. Meanwhile, pre-heating components, sealant cells, make-up air valves, and misting systems are especially critical to ensuring the stable temperature, pressure, and humidity levels that affect the drying process. In short, the ideal dryer should provide sophisticated functionality but not at the expense of straightforward, rugged design.
2) RIGHT BALANCE When it comes to gauging actual output, drying times and sheets per minute are valuable metrics. But they only tell part of the story. Guaranteeing successful veneer drying outcomes also depends upon balancing the continuous flow of veneer from the lathe with the appropriate level of veneer drying capacity, the most suitable heating requirements, and strategic automation.
1) YOUR STANDARDS What does “heavy-duty” mean in the context of your mill? More importantly, what does it mean in the context of modern veneer drying best practices? 32 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 7:54 AM Page 33
Six-deck, four-load-wide dryers are not yet common in North American mills, but they have become the high-capacity standard in other parts of the world. By utilizing best-in-class jet-box technology, these large industrial dryers offer increased capacity without sacrificing efficiency. In contrast, conventional longitudinal drying technology handles airflow differently, making it more difficult to achieve a uniform application of the thermal mass, lower energy consumption, and reductions in the overall volume of dryer exhaust. Extended lifecycle veneer dryers are also compatible with a variety of heating options. The most robust of modern dryers achieve additional efficiency via a hybrid approach to heat management. For example, one dryer zone may be powered by gas, while the remainder might rely on steam. From sheet feeding to grading, sorting and stacking, the most advanced drying processes employ machine vision to deliver optimal results. The right mix of analyzers can generate invaluable insights into the quality, strength and moisture content of your veneer sheets. Real-time data allows for the continuous calibration of dryer parameters crucial to ensuring the consistently high quality of your veneer.
3) DEFINE QUALITY All wood species—hardwood and softwood—are different. This simple fact can complicate every stage of the veneer manufacturing process. In fact, moisture variation between sapwood and heartwood can vary from 60%-100% in most broad-leaf trees to 50%200% in some conifers. Moreover, species such as aspen and southern yellow pine (SYP) are particularly prone to moisture spotting and streaking. Processing these woods comes with an elevated risk of over-drying, cracking, shrinkage and warping. Your drying solution should be able to condition these woods to a level suitable for efficient gluing and pressing. A robust veneer drying so-
lution is thus one that is species-agnostic, flexible enough to support the production of virtually any end product, and adaptable even under the most changeable and challenging circumstances.
4) CONNECT THE DOTS How does your drying line equipment handle the byproducts of the drying process? The answer to this question can have major implications for both the longevity of the equipment itself and the sustainability of your operations.
Controlling the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during the drying process is crucial to meeting modern health and safety standards. Tight construction, sealant cells, and innovative humidity make-up air control systems can help effectively eliminate fugitive VOC emissions. Pitch buildup is a primary concern for
mill operators who specialize in manufacturing veneer from SYP. Like the tannic acidic that can condense in the process of drying oak or beech, pitch is a corrosive substance that degrades drying equipment. It is also highly flammable, necessitating frequent cleaning and line stoppages. Pitch can also cause you to incur additional labor costs, as more operators may be needed to keep your drying line online and driving revenue. With the Veneer Drying Line R7, we’ve built upon our extensive legacy of veneer production innovation to create the most efficient and robust solution of its kind on the market. For as long as our engineers have been designing drying line equipment, they’ve adhered to the philosophy that the best way to dry veneer is in a high-moisture environment. Doing so results in a more efficient drying process and significant improvements in veneer quality. We’ve collaborated closely with our customers in developing the Veneer Drying Line R7. That feedback has led to significant improvements to essential components such as floors, doors, jet boxes, heating solutions and sealant cells. We’ve also increased capacity beyond what standard jet dryers offer and added deeper integration with our MillSIGHTS data collection and management information system. Operators who choose the Veneer Drying Line R7 can expect a significant return on their long-term investment, including a 10% boost in drying capacity and 15% in energy savings per m3 of produced veneer. The Veneer Drying Line R7 achieves this by directing between 25% and 30% more hot air to the surface of each veneer sheet. And, via meticulous rebalancing of air pressure within the dryer, we’ve also significantly reduced the amount of air exchange contributing to pitch buildup. Learn how Raute’s robust drying solutions can help you maximize the lifetime value of your entire veneer manufacturing line. PW The article and images were submitted by Raute.
PanelWorld • JULY 2021 • 33
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:10 AM Page 34
MILESTONES: REMEMBERING THE PROFESSIONAL LIFE & TIMES OF APA’S BRUCE LYONS BY JACK MERRY
couldn’t help but smile when I read in Bruce Lyons’ obituary last year that he spent his “17th birthday working on a merchant marine vessel navigating the Panama Canal, only to be dropped off in Boston with a final paycheck and desire to save money by hitchhiking home” to Seattle. Yes, I thought, that sounds like what a young Bruce Lyons might have done. So too the story that as a high school football kicker (and running back) he once recovered his own kick in the opposing team’s end zone for a touchdown. To say that Bruce was a full-speedahead, get-it-done kind of guy would be something of an understatement. The Seattle native joined what was then the Douglas Fir Plywood Assn. (DFPA) in 1961 following a stint in the U.S. Army, time earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Washington, and a short period with the
I
Army Corps of Engineers. It was an exciting time in the industry when Bruce started as a young research engineer in the association’s Technical Services Division (TSD). In fact, it was one of three major watershed periods that occurred during his professional life in the forest products business. The first was the rise of the southern pine plywood industry in the mid-1960s. For the first half century of its existence, the softwood plywood industry had operated exclusively in the West, with most of its veneer coming from the vast supplies of Douglas fir in the region. There were ample forest resources in the South, too, of course, particularly southern pine, but researchers had yet to solve veneer gluing problems associated with that species. New manufacturing equipment to accommodate the smaller southern pine peel- Bruce Lyons er logs also had to be developed. Bruce had been on the job just three years when those obstacles were overcome, opening the door to an important new era in the history of the industry. The first southern pine plywood mill opened in 1964 in Fordyce, Ark. Other plants soon followed and before long the South had established itself as a major producing region equal in importance to the West. In fact, by 1981 production in the South outpaced the West, and the South has been the leading softwood plywood producing region ever since. The addition of southern pine plywood manufacturers to the membership
also quickly transformed the association from a regional to a national organization. In recognition of that fact, the Douglas Fir Plywood Assn. changed its name, also in 1964, to American Plywood Assn. (APA). The organization instituted a system of two “annual” meetings each year—one in the Northwest (traditionally Gearhart and later Portland, Ore.) and the other in the Southeast (usually Biloxi, Miss.)—in order to dutifully address the interests and concerns of both regional segments of the membership. That practice continued well into the 1980s. The association also opened new regional quality testing laboratories to service the growing ranks of Southern mills. And it added to field services and market development staff to grow demand throughout the country for the new, larger output of product. Bruce was promoted in 1965 to head of the Industrial Applications Section within TSD and thus would have been focused during the late 1960s on applied research in support of efforts to increase demand for a growing list of industrial applications—agricultural crates and bins, shipping boxes, furniture frames, truck and railcar liners, pallets, boats, recreational vehicles, displays, signage, etc. Other markets were booming during those post-war years as well. Residential construction, in particular, was a market demand mainstay, with housing starts reaching a record-breaking—and still record—2.36 million units in 1972. The association was thriving and at peak employment
Lyons was instrumental in the development of the APA research laboratory, completed in 1969.
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:10 AM Page 35
had upwards of 300 on the payroll. Bruce, who was promoted later in the ’60s to manager of the Applied Research Dept., was assigned toward the end of the decade to oversee design and construction of a new APA research laboratory to be built on the west edge of Tacoma. He was no doubt among the 200 plywood industry leaders, scientists, government officials and other dignitaries who attended the dedication of the completed facility in 1969. The new 37,000 square-foot laboratory greatly expanded APA’s ability to conduct product and systems testing and research and helped vault the association into a position of wood products industry leadership that would continue to the present day. The balance of the headquarters staff remained in offices in downtown Tacoma, although plans were already under way to build a headquarters building on the same site as the new lab. The next major milestone of Bruce’s APA career was the advent and rapid growth of the oriented strandboard (OSB) industry, which was made possible in large part by APA’s development of performance standards that define how a product must perform in service rather than setting prescriptive requirements on how it must be made. The association’s first performance standard— for APA Rated Sheathing—was promulgated in 1980, and as with southern pine plywood years earlier, the product took off. By 1999, North American OSB production surpassed 20 billion square feet (3⁄8 in. basis) and for the first time exceeded North American softwood plywood output. The addition of APA member OSB mills was not without numerous obstacles, including opposition by some
Bruce Lyons, second from left, at APA’s 1992 annual meeting, during which he retired. Others shown, left to right, are APA President-elect Dave Rogoway, retiring APA President Bill Robison, Immediate Past APA Chairman John Galloway of Hood Industries, APA Vice Chairman Tom Smrekar of Potlatch Corp., and APA Chairman Dennis Spencer of Stone Forest Industries.
member plywood company principals who viewed the new panel product as competitive rather than complementary. Some entertained the idea of forming a new plywood-only association. Some OSB manufacturers also had qualms about closing ranks with plywood producers. However, under the leadership of Executive Vice President Bronson Lewis and Vice President and General Manager John Hess, APA successfully convinced both segments of the industry that it would benefit all panel manufacturers to combine their financial resources in support of APA’s quality, technical, and market support and development programs. Of equal or greater importance to plywood manufacturers, APA testing was able to demonstrate that 15⁄32 inch thick plywood sheathing met the strength, stiffness and other in-service performance criteria set forth in APA’s new proprietary performance standard. That 1⁄32 inch thickness difference—compared with half-inch sheathing—translated to substantial resource economies and improved profitability for member plywood mills. And although some OSB manufacturers chose initially to be represented by other third-party quality auditing or marketing organizations, nearly all soon or eventually elected to join APA. Another critical challenge facing the emerging oriented strandboard industry was the need for new and revised test methods and quality assurance policies
and procedures that accommodated the new OSB manufacturing technologies while also addressing the need for marketplace confidence in product performance. It was a major undertaking that required comprehensive APA staff and mill personnel training and, in fact, a reorientation across all disciplines—quality, technical, and market support and development. Bruce had been promoted to director of the Quality Services Div. in 1978, and therefore was from the very beginning at the center of those efforts to effect what amounted to a cultural revolution. It could be argued that his contribution to that multi-faceted undertaking both within the association and across the industry was perhaps his greatest legacy. Bruce was drafted during this period of rapid change to once again oversee another major design and construction project—this time APA’s long-awaited new headquarters building adjacent the research laboratory. The six-story wood-frame structure, a showcase of APA member products and construction systems, was completed in 1979, finally bringing together to one campus all of APA’s Tacoma staff. The third major development during Bruce’s career was the addition of engineered wood framing products to APA’s product mix, including glued-laminated (glulam) timber, wood I-joists, and structural composite lumber. Bruce, who had been promoted to vice president and general manager in 1984 under President Bill
All photos courtesy of APA-The Engineered Wood Association
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:10 AM Page 36
Robison, played a key role in developing and promoting the strategic vision to add those products. It was primarily under his direction that a proposal was drafted to authorize use of a related APA nonprofit corporation for the purpose of providing services to engineered wood product manufacturers. That proposal was approved unanimously by the APA Board of Trustees in 1990 and the self-funded American Wood Systems (AWS) began operations officially on January 1, 1991. American Wood Systems later became Engineered Wood Systems and subsequently merged with APA. As with southern pine plywood and then OSB years before, the idea of adding new categories of engineered wood products was not without its skeptics. But the strategy was quickly vindicated. It helped advance the market promotion synergies of all of the products. It combined the financial resources of a wide variety of product manufacturers in support of common industry goals. And it served to enhance APA’s leadership throughout the North American and indeed global wood products industry. In recognition of that expanded role, APA changed its name once again, in 1994, to APA—The Engineered Wood Association. Bruce retired in late 1992 and therefore did not see first-hand the rapid incorporation of
APA managed to keep the successive influx of new structural wood products under one umbrella.
36 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 37
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:11 AM Page 38
engineered wood framing products under the APA umbrella. But thanks in no small measure to his efforts, APA today represents 93% of North American glulam output, 76% of wood I-joist volume, and 75% of structural composite lumber production. Bruce’s dedication to APA and the industry was matched by an equally strong regard for the people he worked with, both within the ranks of the membership and the staff. He was a shrewd judge of character and adept at making the most of staff members’ talents and potential. A case in point was his promotion of George Sleet to the position of Quality Services Div. director in 1984, a move that raised eyebrows by leapfrogging George a couple of rungs up the corporate ladder. It turned out to be a clear-sighted decision. George’s success at that job led eventually to his being appointed vice president and secretary of the association. I remember Bruce saying of George after he died in 2016 that he was “an APA gem.” Another example of Bruce’s discerning eye for talent was his hiring in 1974 of Mike O’Halloran, who after various stints in the Technical Services Div. became executive vice president of the aforementioned American Wood Systems, director of Technical Services, and later president of the Western Wood Products Association, based in Portland, Ore. Mike was principal author of APA’s first performance standard in 1980 and of the AWS program proposal approved by the APA Board of Trustees 10 years later. Bruce had a reputation for being a bit stern, even brusque, a characterization that was not without some basis. He did not suffer fools gladly and imposed very high professional standards on those who worked for him. He expected preparation and performance. I can well remember him challenging all levels of staff to explain and defend their ideas and viewpoints. The story goes that Bruce once quickly determined that a salesman of some service or another had not done the slightest homework about APA and its needs. Bruce told the vendor that he had come unprepared and abruptly ended the interview. Those high expectations did not endear him to everyone. But I can’t remember anyone who didn’t respect his straight shooting, good faith, and professional and personal integrity. After retiring, Bruce took it upon himself for several years to organize annual retiree luncheons. He delighted in greeting and talking with his fellow-retirees from all levels and periods of service, and then offering some remarks, which always included an acknowledgement of former colleagues who had passed away during the previous year. Bruce also would stop by the APA offices from time to time to say hello and quite often would send a note of praise or sometimes constructive criticism regarding the latest issue of the Engineered Wood Journal. That abiding interest in the association and its people was part of what I think was his fidelity to the idea of institutional memory—the curious mix of history, vision, personalities, policies, achievements and traditions that defines an organization. Bruce died March 2, 2020 at the age of 89. He was among the last of his APA managerial contemporaries. Many readers will no doubt remember the names (and perhaps the persons themselves) of some of his senior management colleagues: Bill Robison, Tom Flint, Dub Page, Herman Glover, Jim Hackett, Tom Fast, Larry Whitman, Hugh Love, Phil Benfield, Dan Brown, Dave Rogoway, Bob Anderson, to name a few. PW All but the last two are deceased. Jack Merry served as industry communications director at APA—The Engineered Wood Association from 1992 to 2009 and formed MerryCommunications. He can be reached by email: jfmerrycomm@gmail.com
38 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 39
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 10:22 AM Page 40
PROJECTS GO LAB MILL IS ON THE GO
GO Lab, Inc. has relocated a wood fiber insulation board plant from Berga, Germany to its production site in Madison, Maine. Once the equipment is up and running in 2022, GO Lab will become the first company to produce wood fiber insulation in North America, according to the participants. German-based Dieffenbacher originally sold the relocated plant to Homatherm, later renamed Homanit Building Materials, in 2009. Dieffenbacher experts inspected the plant on GO Lab’s behalf in late 2018 and recommended the purchase. Once GO Lab agreed to buy the plant in April 2019, Dieffenbacher supported the company in financing the relocation and planning of its re-installation. Dieffenbacher will also modernize the plant and install new equipment, including a glu-
GO Lab production site in Madison, Maine.
ing system and dryer. “Packed in more than 80 regular and oversized shipping containers, our plant arrived in Maine in late February,” says Dr. Joshua Henry, who founded GO Lab with Matthew O’Malia in 2017. “This is a nationally and internationally notable event—the first wood fiber insulation manufacturing line in North America. The industry is looking at this hoping it’s going to be a model for the future.” The Madison facility is expected to have three production lines. The Dieffenbacher line is the largest, beginning with the refining of wood chips and continuing to the production and packaging of the final product. “If you are new to the market and planning a huge project like this, you need good engineering support. Dieffenbacher helped us really understand the equipment we were about to buy and the processes to get it up and running again,” Henry comments. The idea to start production of wood fiber insulation in North America developed over time, according to O’Malia. “As an architect, I consistently heard builders complaining about the itchy particles from mineral wool and fiberglass, and the bad air quality. Non-recyclable scraps of foam took up tremendous space in dumpsters, and plastic dust from cutting board insulation covered the ground and installers’ clothes during application. I began thinking about why we were using insulating prod-
The Dutch container ship Alamosborg transported the relocated production line across the Atlantic in more than 80 regular and oversized shipping containers.
ucts heavily derived from petroleum to reduce the amount of fossil fuel required to operate the buildings. The reduced energy consumption is canceled out by these mainstream insulations and their high carbon footprints.” Wood fiber insulation would solve all these problems, according to the principals. “We’ll be able to offer a high-performing, sustainable, comprehensive insulation product with a negative carbon footprint priced for mainstream adoption,” Henry adds
BOISE PURCHASES VENEER DRYER Boise Cascade in Chester, SC has ordered its third veneer dryer system from USNR. The 14-section steam heated M-72 jet dryer includes USNR’s Unloader, GSc2000 scanning system, Sequoia Sentry moisture detector, and a 4-bin random/sheet stacker. The spike belt stacker is designed to operate in the range of 42-45 randoms, or 40 redried sheets per minute.
40 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 10:22 AM Page 41
Two longer M-72 dryers will primarily dry green veneer sheets, with the new shorter 14 section dryer and stacking system processing redry, random and some green veneer sheets. The Chester stacker is the fourth new USNR stacking system sold in North America over the last few months. All of the stackers are equipped with new USNR scanning and enhanced moisture detectors.
2021, with two sold to Scotch Plywood and Hunt Forest products. A third system will be installed in British Columbia. Approximately one-third of all highperformance softwood lathe lines in North America are now equipped with USNR’s MPDS spike belt diverter systems, the company reports.
ROYOMARTIN ADDS ‘ECLIPSE’ CAPACITY
Columbia Forest Products in Hearst, Ontario is investing in a six-deck, fourload-wide dryer from Raute, which will be the first Raute veneer drying line known as R7 in the world. It will be delivered early in 2022. The R7 dryer will be the most robust dryer Raute has supplied as it will include more high-quality stainless steel and thicker mild steel than ever before. To achieve optimal drying, Raute will be providing enhanced dryer controls— a make-up air system and sealant cells for superior dryer production, balance and control while ensuring “next to zero” fugitive emissions into the production plant.
RoyOMartin is installing a new production line for its Eclipse OSB radiant barrier at the Corrigan, Texas OSB facility. “We recognize homebuilders value our Eclipse product, and we are working around the clock to meet the increased demand driven by building code changes and increasing housing starts in markets that utilize radiant barrier roof decks,” comments Bobby Byrd, Director of Sales The production line will double the output of RoyOMartin’s Eclipse when running at full capacity. The line is manufactured by Globe Machine Manufacturing Co. and equipped with a Black Brothers laminating station.
SCOTCH, HUNT ORDER MPDS USNR has received orders for its Multiple Point Diverter System, serial numbers 24, 25 and 26. These systems are currently in manufacture and are scheduled to be installed during the latter of of
COLUMBIA ORDERS RAUTE R7 DRYER
METRO PLY PLANS NEW P’BOARD MILL In April, Metro Ply Group and Siempelkamp signed the contract for the supply of a new particleboard plant with Generation 9 ContiRoll 8 ft. by 40.4 m continuous press for the Metro site in Surat Thani. Metro, one of the largest wood-based material producers in Southeast Asia and the largest particleboard producer in the region, decided for a particleboard
PROJECTS
plant made by Siempelkamp for the third time. The scope of supply includes the forming and press line, board handling and interim storage. Siempelkamp subsidiary Buttner will contribute the energy plant and the dryer. Pallmann, the size reduction specialist within the Siempelkamp Group, supplies the complete portfolio of size reduction machines. At the end of October 2019, the Thai company placed an order for a new forming and press line for an MDF plant at the Kanchanburi location. This MDF plant went into operation on time in April 2021. The start of assembly of the newly ordered particleboard plant is planned for the beginning of 2022. The particleboard plant will be built at a new Metro Ply Group site in the south of Thailand—in Surat Thani. This region has the highest proportion of rubberwood plantations in Thailand.
VMG GEARS UP FOR LVL Raute Corp. received orders worth EUR 30 million from VMG Group, including production machinery for a complete LVL process. The machines will be delivered to VMG’s new LVL mill in Akmene, Lithuania. The ordered machinery and equipment will be delivered during Q1-Q3/2022 and production on the new lines will be started during Q3/2022. The equipment will be engineered and produced mainly in Raute’s unit in Lahti, Finland and in the company’s partner network. The grading and quality control equipment will be delivered by Raute’s units in Kajaani, Finland and Pullman, Wash.
PanelWorld • JULY 2021 • 41
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 10:22 AM Page 42
S U P P LY
LINES
RAUTE IS MOVING OPERATIONS IN CHINA
Raute is moving its operations in China to a new location in Changzhou, Jiangsu province. The new facility is located three hours of driving from Shanghai and there is a fast and efficient train connection. Operations at the new site are planned to start in January 2022. “The current location in Shanghai area has limitations for further growth as the area is being developed more towards lighter industry’s needs,” says Tapani Kiiski, President and CEO, Raute Corp. “The nearby supplier network is moving to new regions as well. Also, challenges of finding skilled work force for industrial work did contribute to the decision. “ Raute will employ some 100 persons in the coming Changzhou facility. Raute is offering jobs for the new location to its current employees. At the same time, some office functions, sales, admininstration and engineering will be moved to a new location in the Shanghai area.
WALKER REPRESENTS SMARTECH WAX SYSTEM Walker Industries and Smartech announced a partnership naming Walker as the exclusive vendor for North America of Smartech’s SmartWaxSys wax suspension system. ➤ 44
42 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 43
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 10:22 AM Page 44
S U P P LY
LINES
42 ➤ Serving Canadian and U.S. markets out of operating locations in Ontario, South Carolina and Oregon, Walker’s emulsions division provides a range of wax emulsions used by the wood products industry to provide water repellency characteristics and improve the dimensional stability of oriented strandboard, medium density fiberboard and other engineered wood products. Smartech SmartWaxSys transforms the way wax is used, enabling engineered wood manufacturers to reduce costs significantly, improve product quality and gain superior control over the manufacturing process, according to the company. “We’re thrilled to offer customers an innovative new solution that will help them produce high-performing products for less cost while also reducing their environmental footprint,” says Archie Reynolds, EVP, Walker Emulsions. Smartech reports its SmartWaxSys reduces costs—typically by at least 20%— for wax and emulsions for all types of engineered wood panels; and that the system also provides green benefits:
overall consumption of hot melt wax is significantly reduced while maintaining performance standards; fewer trucks are required because water is added at point of production rather than being premixed, resulting in fewer shipments. “The combination of Smartech’s innovative SmartWaxSys technology, Walker’s extensive market reach, and both companies’ complementary areas of expertise will bring significant savings and advantages to engineered wood manufacturers in North America,” says Hanoch Magid, CEO, Smartech.
XYLEXPO PARTNERS WITH BI-MU FOR 2022 A new exhibition dedicated to manufacturing technology will be launched at FieraMilano-Rho, Italy, October 12 to 15, 2022, resulting from a partnership between BI-MU and Xylexpo, and organized by Ucimu-Sistemi per produrre— the association of Italian manufacturers of machine tools, robots and automation, and Acimall, the association of Italian
woodworking machinery manufacturers. As reference events in their respective industries, 33.BI-MU (biennial exhibition of machine tools, robotics and automation, additive manufacturing, digital and auxiliary technologies) and Xylexpo (biennial exhibition of woodworking technology and furniture industry components) will be presented as distinct but complementary events, highlighting their respective peculiarities while leveraging every possible synergy. This decision will expand the audience of potential visitors for exhibitors (unified access to the fairgrounds will allow visit to both exhibitions), and will help the visitors from the sectors of furniture, design, industrial plants, machinery for aluminum, composites and next-generation materials, interested in both events, to make the most of their trip to Milan. Besides a wider technology lineup, visitors will have access to a rich agenda of presentations, seminars and conferences. Special attention will be dedicated to the topics of digital and sustainability. Barbara Colombo, president of Ucimu-
44 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 45
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 10:22 AM Page 46
S U P P LY
LINES Sistemi per produrre, comments, “This project is much more than the sum of two historical and popular exhibitions. We believe that the merger of BI-MU and Xylexpo will help the industry represented in both exhibitions to show the best of its contents and potential. “Under these premises, we believe that the event will be a point of attraction for the global manufacturing industry, with strong visibility in Italy and abroad, to the benefit of all the companies that will choose to participate.”
HOMAG PURCHASES PRESS MANUFACTURER Homag Group is acquiring majority interest in the Danish mechanical engineering company Kallesoe Machinery A/S as Homag takes another step toward establishing itself as a leading technology partner for sustainable construction with solid wood. Kallesoe specializes in high-frequency presses for the production of cross-laminated timber. The company was founded in 1969 and reports installation of 500 presses worldwide. Kallesoe supplies high-frequency presses that work with high-frequency waves to accelerate curing of adhesive. “We want to offer as many technologies for timber construction as possible from a single source,” says Ralf Dieter, CEO of Homag Group AG. “We are developing the solid wood business into a second pillar alongside our activities with the furniture industry.” Homag is acquiring 70% of the shares in Kallesoe Machinery A/S from the Christensen family, with 30% remaining with the family.
HEXION ADDS RASTOGI, MARK ALNESS RETIRES Hexion Inc. announced that Sanjeev Rastogi has joined the company as Senior Vice President, Global Resins. Rastogi brings to Hexion a distinguished track record of creating profitable growth and value. Throughout his 25year career, he has held a variety of senior leadership roles. Rastogi most recently served as vice president and general manager, Performance Materials and Technologies, at Honeywell International Inc. where he had overall responsibility for the direction and results of the company’s global Fluorine products business since January 2018. Prior to Honeywell, he served as associate principal with Arthur D. Little/Charles River Associates, a leading strategic consulting firm, and as a project scientist with Union Carbide/Univation Technologies. Rastogi earned a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the University of Bombay, a doctorate degree in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware, and a masters in business administration from New York University, Stern School of Business. “Hexion is well-positioned for continued success and we have tremendous confidence in Sanjeev’s ability to drive continued momentum in our global resins business based on his proven track record of earnings growth, strategy and innovation,” comments Craig Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO. Rastogi replaces Mark Alness, who has retired after more than 40 years with Hexion and its predecessor companies and most recently served as Senior Vice President, Global Resins. ➤ 49
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 47
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 48
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_bkj.qxp_Layout 1 6/21/21 2:20 PM Page 49
S U P P LY
46 ➤ “I’d like to congratulate Mark on his retirement and thank him for his tremendous contributions over his career,” Rogerson says. “Mark built a high-performance team culture within the Forest Product business as a lasting legacy that continues to serve us well going forward.”
SIEMPELKAMP ENHANCES SOUTH AMERICA TEAM South American wood-based material producers are among Siempelkamp’s longest-standing and most active customers and in order to provide plant investors with even more targeted support for future projects, Siempelkamp has expanded its South America team. Werner Masnitza, sales director for the Wood Division there since 2002, moves to a senior consultant role. He has worked for Siempelkamp since 1987 and shaped the success in South America. His expertise resulted in initial sales successes in Chile and Colombia. Two additional employees are now dedicated to the task of providing customers in South America with the best possible support. Jonathan Parisotto, who has been working for Siempelkamp for four years, takes over the position of Sales Director Siempelkamp do Brasil Wood Division South America. Daniel Hasemann has also been working for Siempelkamp for four years and strengthens the team as Sales Director for Siempelkamp Maschinen- und Anlagenbau GmbH, Wood Division South America. “With this setup we are ready to support wood-based material producers in South America in the best possible way with a precisely fitting specialized team and to meet the growing demand,” emphasizes Ulrich Kaiser, Head of Sales at Siempelkamp.
ZAK LEADS DÜRR’S CLEAN TECH SYSTEMS Ken Zak is the new head of the Dürr Group’s Clean Technology Systems division, succeeding Dr. Daniel Schmitt, who join the Board of Management of Homag Group AG. Clean Technology Systems is responsible for the Dürr Group’s environmental technology business. Zak has been part of the Clean Technology Systems management team since
LINES
October 2018. He joined Dürr through the acquisition of U.S. environmental technology company Megtec/Universal. As a result of the acquisition of Megtec/Universal, Dürr has established itself as a world-leading supplier of industrial exhaust-air purification systems. The new division head will focus not only on exhaust-air purification and noise reduction technologies but also on the growing business in systems for the coating of battery electrodes. Dr. Schmitt has been responsible for the successful development of Dürr Clean Technology Systems since 2017. He now will be in charge of expanding Homag’s solid wood business.
HEXION COMPLETES EURO RESINS SALE Hexion Inc. has completed the sale of its Phenolic Specialty Resin, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses for $425 million to Black Diamond and Investindustrial. Commenting on the transaction, Craig Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO of Hexion, comments “This sale strengthens our balance sheet, while maintaining a strong specialty chemical portfolio going forward. I want to thank our associates within our Phenolic Specialty Resins, Hexamine and European-based Forest Products Resins businesses for their many contributions and wish them well going forward.”
ALTEC NAMES LUPTON AS SALES MANAGER Altec Integrated Solutions congratulates Chris Bartlett, former VP Sales, on his retirement after 12 years with the company. Altec has been well served with the work he performed and wish him well in his next stage of life. Taking over wood industry sales is Paul Lupton, Sales Manager-Manufacturing, who brings more than 20 years of industrial sales experience, primarily in increasing efficiencies and uptime of material handling systems in distribution. Lupton says he is very excited about the opportunity at Altec “to bring their extensive experience in innovative solutions to the veneer industry to improve customer recovery, productivity and lower operational costs.”
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PWjuly21pgs_SS.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 10:11 AM Page 50
CLIPPINGS VISIT US ONLINE: www.panelworldmag.com
FPS ANNOUNCES 2021-2022 OFFICERS Forest Products Society announced its 2021-2022 Executive Board, which is the governing body of the group. They include: —President, Terry Liles, Director of Raw Materials, Huber Engineered Woods —President-Elect, Justin Price, Principal, Evergreen Engineering —Vice President, Bob Bryer, PhD, Georgia-Pacific Chemicals LLC —Past President, Dr. Nicole Stark, Research Chemical Engineer, Engineered Composites Science Group, USDA Forest Products Laboratory Regional representatives include: —Europe, Sergej Medved, Associate Professor, University of Ljubljana —Southeast U.S., Yucheng Peng, Assistant Professor, Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. —Mid-South, Tamara Amorin França, Assistant Professor, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Miss. —Midwest, Joseph Jakes, Research Materials Engineer, Forest Products Lab, Madison, Wis, —West, Jesse Paris, Willamette Valley Company, R&D Chemist, Eugene, Ore. —Eastern Canada, Leandro Passarini, Researcher, CCNB-INNOV-Agriculture-Bioprocesses-Beverages-Environment Div., New Brunswick, Can.
50 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
GEOs_0721.qxp_GEOs_Jan04.qxd 6/10/21 10:11 AM Page 51
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS
DIRECTORY ■ Poland
■ Taiwan
ASIA ■ India
GREAT GIANT INC. VENEER AND VENEERED PRODUCTS 260 Dachang Road Niao Song District Kaohsiung, Taiwan 833 Tel: 886 7 3790270 Fax: 886 7 3790275 E Mail: jc.giant@msa.hinet.net
■ Switzerland
AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA
SPECIALISTS IN AUSTRALIAN & PACIFIC VENEERS FSC & PEFC ECO-CERT Veneers from around the world Over 150 species in stock Reconstituted veneer/spliced faces/rotary veneers Website: Email: Tel:
www.briggs.com.au admin@briggs.com.au +61 2 9732-7888 www.fsc.org
■ Malaysia
NORTH AMERICA ■ Canada
■ Italy
■ British Columbia
Manufacturer In Malaysia
6670 - 144th Street, Surrey, BC V3W 5R5 Plant: (604) 572-8968 Fax: (604) 572-6608
CARB P2 / EPA Certified
Producers of high quality fine face veneers. Specializing in species indigenous to the West Coast. We manufacture Music grade solids and veneers. We also offer custom slicing, cut-to-size and log breakdown. Fir • Hemlock • Spruce • Pacific Maple (Figured and Plain) • Alder Western Red Cedar
Fancy plywood/MDF/ Particle Board/ Blockboard Layon Veneer, Veneer Parquet, etc. Lot 488, Jalan Jati Kiri, Kg. Perepat 42200 Kapar, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia Tel: +603 3259 1988 • Fax: +603 3259 1886 E-mail: bungaraya@bungarayapanel.com Website: www.bungarayapanel.com
05/21
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
GEOs_0721.qxp_GEOs_Jan04.qxd 6/10/21 10:11 AM Page 52
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY ■ Ontario
■ Mississippi A new “Dimension” in Veneer & Plywood
Dimension Plywood Inc. A FULL SERVICE PLYWOOD & VENEER COMPANY WE OFFER: Short turnaround time, In-house veneer mill—ROTARY, FLAT CUT, RIFT and QUARTERS, Custom pressing capabilities, Architectural specified plywood jobs, Huge veneer and core inventory, Over 100 natural species and engineer veneers in stock, All sizes and thicknesses–6'x4' to 5'x12', Internal logistics for fast on-time deliveries Contact us: Birchland Plywood-Veneer Ltd. TeL: 705-842-2430 • Fax: 705-842-2496 Visit www.birchlandplywood.com to view our “Live Log Program”
■ United States ■ Georgia
Custom Architectural Plywood & Doors 415 Industrial Blvd. • New Albany, IN 47150 Tel: 812-944-6491 • Fax: 812-944-7421
Dimension Hardwood Veneers, Inc. Rotary & Sliced Veneers 509 Woodville Street • Edon, Ohio 43518 Main Office - Tel: 419-272-2245 • Fax: 419-272-2406
www.dimensionhardwoods.com
Reserve your space today. Call Melissa McKenzie 800-669-5613
NORSTAM VENEERS, INC. Proud to announce we have the “Newest Veneer Mill in the World” MANUFACTURER OF QUALITY HARDWOOD AND SOFTWOOD VENEERS
Green & Kiln Dried Hardwood Lumber
P.O. BOX 32 HWY. 135 BUS: 812.732.4391 MAUCKPORT, IN 47142 FAX: 812.732.4803 EMAIL: info@norstam.com
■ Ohio
■ Michigan
■ Pennsylvania
■ Indiana Amos-Hill Associates, Inc.
Quality Veneers Manufacturers of Decorative Hardwood Veneer Domestic and International Markets Species include: Walnut, White Oak, Red Oak, Hard Maple, Cherry and Birch “Quality is the Lifeblood of our Business” 112 Shelby Ave. ◆ P.O. Box 7 Edinburgh, IN 46124 Phone: 812-526-2671 ◆ Fax: 812-526-5865 E-mail: info@amoshill.com Website: www.amoshill.com The mark of responsible forestry FSC Supplier: SCS-COC-002445 * SCS-CW-002445
05/21
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
GEOs_0721.qxp_GEOs_Jan04.qxd 6/10/21 10:11 AM Page 53
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY ESTABLISHED 1972
VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY NEXT CLOSING: SEPTEMBER 23, 2021
Proudly serving our clients in the hardwood plywood sheetstock, plywood component, solid wood component, face and core veneer markets for over 40 years. Looking forward to applying our worldwide knowledge and resources to help create the solution you need. inquiry@pittsburghforest.com Office: 724.969.5000 375 Valleybrook Rd, McMurray, PA 15367
■ Vermont
North America’s largest manufacturer of fancy face rotary decorative veneer and platform solutions. Offering FSC® 100% [FSC®-C017500] production in ash, basswood, birch, hard maple, tulip poplar and red oak in stock panel & cut-to-size lay-ons as well as unspliced veneer .4mm to 1.5 mm thickness.
Plain sliced Alder regularly available.
Submit, on a separate sheet of paper, your ad information and we will typeset it for you for FREE. Please be sure to include this form for payment/contact information and send any good-quality artwork that should be included. ❑ Payment enclosed ❑ $325-3x or ❑ $615-6x ❑ Bill my Visa or Mastercard Card# _____________________________________ Exp Date __________________ Signature _____________________________________________________________ Name _________________________________________________________________ Company _____________________________________________________________ Street _________________________________________________________________ City ____________________________________ State _________ Zip ____________ Phone: __________________________ Fax: __________________________ Email: _________________________________________________________________ Please return ad info to: VENEER/PANEL SUPPLIERS DIRECTORY PO Box 2268 • Montgomery, AL 36102-2268 or send ad and above information to: melissa@hattonbrown.com
Offering domestically produced FSC MIX Credit, TSCA Title VI compliant platforms - both long grain and cross grain dimensions in a variety of thicknesses.
Contact Sales at 802-334-3600 • Fax: 802-334-5149 www.cfpwood.com 324 Bluff Road Newoort VT 05885 05/21
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES Recruiting Services
1615
Executive – Managerial – Technical - Sales
JOHN GANDEE
& ASSOCIATES, INC Contingency or Retained Search
9237
Depending on Circumstances / Needs
“Your Success Is Our Business” Serving the Wood Products and Building Materials Industries For more than 26 years.
512-795-4244 Call or Email me anytime! john@johngandee.com www.johngandee.com 3220
Top Wood Jobs 1009
Recruiting and Staffing George Meek geo@TopWoodJobs.com www.TopWoodJobs.com (360) 263-3371
3779
Jon Olson Tel: (800) 985-5191 jon@olsonsearch.com Custom search & recruitment services for the complete range of composite panel and related careers in the U.S., Canada and Europe. www.olsonsearch.com
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
4231
Austin, Texas
THE Forest Products Group
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/11/21 3:34 PM Page 54
EVENTS JULY
NOVEMBER
20-23 • AWFS Fair 2021, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV. Call 800-946-2937; visit awfsfair.org.
30-December 3 • Woodex, 17th International Exhibition of Equipment and Technologies for Woodworking and Furniture Production, Crocus Expo, Moscow, Russia. Visit woodexpo.ru.
AUGUST 2-4 • American Forest Resource Council annual meeting, Skamania Lodge, Stevenson, Wash. Call 503-222-9505; visit amforest.org. 11-13 • Forest Products Machinery & Equipment Expo, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Ga. Call 504-4434464; visit sfpaexpo.com.
SEPTEMBER 3-6 • WMF: Shanghai International Furniture Machinery & Woodworking Machinery Fair, National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai, China. Call (852) 2516 3518; visit woodworkfair.com. 7-9 • Decorative Hardwoods Association 100th anniversary celebration and meeting, Sonesta Resort, Hilton Head, SC. Call 703-435-2900; visit decorativehardwoods.org. 7-11 • Furniture China 2021, Shanghai New International Expo Center, Pudong, Shanghai, China. Call +86-21-64371178; visit furniture-china.cn/en-us. 8-10 • Jyväskylä Fair, Jyvaskylan Paviljonki, Jyvaskyla, Finland. Call +358-14-334-0000; visit puumessut.fi. 14 • Pennsylvania Forest Products Assn. annual meeting, Wyndham Garden State College, Boalsburg, Pa. Call 717-9010420; visit paforestproducts.org. 27-30 • American Wood Protection Assn. Technical Committee meeting, Eldorado Hotel, Santa Fe, N.M. Call 205733-4077; visit awpa.com.
OCTOBER 13-16 • IFMAC WOODMAC Indonesia—the International Furniture Manufacturing Components and Woodworking Machinery Exhibition, Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran, Indonesia. Visit ifmac.net. 17-19 • Composite Panel Assn. Fall meeting, Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, Va. Call 703-724-1128; visit composite panel.org.
Check us out online at
panelworldmag.com
DECEMBER 3-6 • BIFA WOOD Vietnam, Binh Duong Convention, Thu Dau Mot City, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam. Call +84 274 222 1735; visit bifawoodvietnam.com. Listings are submitted months in advance. Always verify dates and locations with contacts prior to making plans to attend.
A
●
D
●
L
●
I
●
N
●
K
This issue of Panel World is brought to you in part by the following companies, which will gladly supply additional information about their products. ADVERTISER
Altec Integrated Solutions Argos Solutions Biele Automation Process Buttner GmbH Corvallis Tool Crow Engineering Custom Engineering Delta Computer Systems Evergreen Engineering Fagus GreCon FMW North America George Koch Sons Hashimoto Denki Hexion Imal S.R.L John King Chains Johnson & Pace Kings Mountain International Ledinek Engineering Lonza Wood Protection Meinan Machinery Works Metal Detectors Mid-South Engineering Minda Industrieanlagen GmbH Nestec Oest GmbH Pal S.R.L Pallmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH Radian Robotics Raute Roo Glue Sherdil Precision Signode Stela Laxhuber GmbH Sweed Machinery Taihei Machinery Works USNR Wemhoner Surface Technologies Westmill Industries Yalian Machine
PG.NO.
5 2 39 19 41 40 11 8 50 23 22 50 48 55 13 45 50 21 37 12 9 6 42 42 38 20 13 17 10 56 36 43 44 46 30 31 7 49 27 47
PH.NO.
604.529.1991 +47 916 694 25 +34 629 429 620 +49 2151 448 844 541.929.2234 503.213.2013 814.898.2800 360.254.8688 888.484.4771 704.912.0000 706.829.3337 812.465.9672 281.741.0410 888.443.9466 +39 059 465 500 +44 1977 681 910 903.753.0663 704.739.4227 +386 2 61300 51 678.627.2000 +81 562 47 2211 541.345.7454 501.321.2276 828.313.0092 610.323.7670 +49 7441 539 412 +39 0422 852 300 +49 6332 802 0 905.639.7370 604.524.6611 877.766.4583 519.727.4010 800.323.2464 +49 8724 899 0 800.888.1352 +81 568 73 6421 800.289.8767 +49 5221 7702 0 877.607.7010 +86 0433-6346788
ADLINK is a free service for advertisers and readers. The publisher assumes no liability for errors or omissions.
54 • JULY 2021 • PanelWorld
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 55
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!
PW_0721_ASM.qxp_Layout 1 6/10/21 9:54 AM Page 56
CLICK HERE IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY OPTED IN!