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PLANERMILLS EDITOR’S NOTE: The following companies supplied these editorial profiles and photos on their technologies in the planer mill, to complement their advertisements that can be found throughout this issue.
BID GROUP (COMACT)
AUTOLOG
Autolog’s ProGrader is built with mill personnel in mind.
Comact GradExpert: optimization and Artificial Intelligence
With more than 20 new optimizers recently installed in the U.S., Autolog’s ProGrader linear planer optimizer has been quoted by mill personnel as one of the easiest grading systems to work with. What does easy to use mean exactly? It means you can quickly leverage the knowledge and the experience of your key graders. At many locations, graders with limited computer knowledge can learn and delve into the system in order to extract the most value out of every piece. Easy to use means that your resources will be autonomous. Autolog’s ProGrader is a linear optimizer designed to fully automate the grading process of dressed lumber at the planer. Being positioned just after the planer, its group of sensors (geometric, vision and tracheid), which face each side of the board at 90 degrees, provides an unobstructed reading as well as stops any major planer mechanical production issue. It is a reliable and fast system that can be installed closed coupled or not, processing all dimensions between 1x3 in. to 6x12 in., 6 ft. and up. The 3D geometric sensors measure dimensions, skip, wane, holes and warp; the 2D vision sensors measure knots, rot, splits and shakes, bark, etc.; and the tracheid sensors measure slope of grain and detect knots and unsound wood. The ProGrader LTS (Linear Tracking System) control module provides information on all data that is collected and how it is trending. It integrates the analysis of detailed and precise data on the tracking and synchronization of boards, keeps track of the board gap and synchronizes its speed with your electrical planer. It monitors and leverages information from all sensors, moisture reader and MSR to maximize the board value. The ProGrader linear planer optimizer offers the best priceperformance ratio with less than one-year payback. Autolog’s automation solution can seamlessly integrate your selection of equipment from the tilt hoist to the stacker.
With Comact in its brand portfolio, BID Group is a North American leader of optimization products with vision. Over the last years, several members of our team have specialized in Artificial Intelligence (AI) after a R&D phase that allowed us to conclude that this was the future of wood grading. AI is a computer science branch that enables the simulation of human intelligence based on specific instructions. Why will AI revolutionize wood grading? Because it allows the detection and interpretation of wood defects almost like the human eye. However, this almost human detection has no value if it is not combined with a high-performance optimization software like the GradExpert original software platform. In fact, all defects identified by the AI must be processed by the optimization software that merges geometrical and visual data, applies defect analysis algorithms, and considers grading criteria as well as the client’s product priorities, to finally issue the best decision for grading and trimming. The AI models used by the GradExpert were created in-house to ensure extremely high efficiency. Our AI internal experts with a team of wood processing specialists educated the basic model and each system installed. In other words, the Comact defect detection with AI models combined with the ultrapowerful optimization software is the equivalent of 25 Comact wood specialists in your machine 24/7. The GradExpert with AI allows defect identification with pixel precision. Since the AI system is well educated, it can recognize the different shades of visual defects like rot and knots that may vary considerably according to the origin of the wood, the species and the severity of the defect. For instance, AI excels at identifying and dimensioning various shades of knots: blond, sound, scattered, black ring, decayed, star checked, hollow, etc. These few examples demonstrate how Comact’s AI platform will revolutionize the industry and establish new standards.
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TIMBER PROCESSING
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