Australasian Timber - August 2015

AUGUST 2015

PROCESSING • PRODUCTS • DESIGN • SUPPLIERS Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

AUSTRALIA CHASES PREFAB ADVANTAGE WOODTECH 2015 PREVIEW EPDs ANNOUNCED FOR FIVE KEY WOOD PRODUCTS MATERIALS HANDLING

Why we put a lot of effort into the nail grid?

It‘s simple.

That you don‘t have to. www.egger.com/osfloor

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Available from: Meyer Timber, Hyne Timber, Dindas, Le Messurier, Victorian Timber Wholesalers and Independent Building Supplies N.Z.

NEWS

Local manufacturer releases new range of Victorian Ash furniture

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MELBOURNE manufacturer has launched its new range of hardwood timber furniture, made from locally sourced Victorian Ash. Pre-School Equipment, a family owned business, is a specialist supplier of furniture and equipment to the early learning sector.

They have developed an aesthetic and versatile range of Australian made and fully assembled furniture and equipment ready for schools across the country.

Karen Clark, General Manager of Pre-school Equipment, said that timber created a warm and nurturing learning environment for schools.

“We are proud that these products are made from locally sourced, sustainable Victorian Ash. As a local Victorian business, it is important that we support other local businesses, and it also helps the local economy,” she said.

The benefits of timber in building and equipment are becoming better known. An increasing body of research is beginning to show that being surrounded by wood at home, work or school has positive effects on the body, the brain and the environment1.

A recent FWPA and Planet Ark study reported on the health and wellbeing benefits of wooden interiors in homes, businesses, places of learning and places for healing. The report shows that overall the majority of people are innately drawn towards wood. The results found that wood elicits

feelings of warmth, comfort and relaxation, and creates a link to nature.

Ms Clark said that timber and furniture for schools was a natural fit and their team is experienced in major learning approaches such as Montessori and the Reggio Emilia philosophy.

“Timber is a fundamental part of the Montessori teaching philosophy where due to the importance of natural materials all Montessori furniture and educational tools are made from timber.”

Tim Johnston, CEO of the Victorian Association of Forest Industries, congratulated Pre-School Equipment on the latest range of furniture and thanked them for their support of the forest and wood products industry.

“It is great to see a local company using local, Victorian timber. As we know wood is a renewable, carbon-storing, recyclable product that is suitable for a wide range of uses and I hope to see more products like this in the future.” he said. ¢ Part of the new range of hardwood timber furniture made from locally sourced Victorian Ash, by PreSchool Equipment, a family owned business and specialist supplier of furniture and equipment to the early learning sector.

Tasmania’s specialty timber industry should be valued and supported THE GREENS backflip on specialty timber policy shows they will say absolutely anything as part of their anti-industry agenda, according to Senator Richard Colbeck, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture.

“ENGOs were actually the ones to propose harvesting of special species coupes inside the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area (TWWHA) as part of negotiations for the sham forest peace deal – this was supported by the Greens,” Senator Colbeck said.

“The Greens decision to now change their position shows they will say anything to suit an

argument at a particular point in time – it shows that their word means little.

“Tasmania has an iconic specialty timbers industry that includes artisans, boat builders, luthiers and cabinet makers.

These are mostly small scale businesses that produce high value products that embody the essence of Tasmania’s culture and history.

“It is an industry that should be valued and supported – not undermined as the Greens are trying to do.

“It’s now time for the Greens to recognise the importance of Tasmania’s special species timber industry and to work with

Building professionals can get burnt using non-conforming building products THE PREVALENCE of nonconforming building products is a major concern for the Queensland building and construction industry with widespread use putting homeowners at risk.

Rod McInnes Timber Queensland’s Chief Executive Officer, said an Australian Industry Group survey found 92% of builders had been offered faulty materials or products.

“It’s imperative building professionals understand their responsibility to only specify, use and certify building products, including timber, that are compliant with the National Construction Code - BCA/ Australia Standards,” he said.

“The consequences of not doing so are too dire and expensive to take the risk.”

Rod said there were certification

australasian

magazine Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

August Vol.23, No.5 www.timberbiz.com.au

Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501 Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins Suite 103, 486 Whitehorse Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria, 3127, phone (03) 9888 4822

and quality assurance schemes to assist anyone trying to evaluate product compliance.

“Taking the time to understand the various industry ticks of approval that indicate evidence of suitability is a simple way to keep everyone safe,” he said.

“For example, only timber products that have been grown and manufactured to exacting standards

General Manager: Elizabeth Bouzoudis Editorial: John Hudswell j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9512 Out of office: (08) 7127 6370 Advertising: M ichael Dolphin m.dolphin@ryanmediapl.com.au Melbourne: (03) 9888 4834

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

Timber classified: m.dolphin@ryanmediapl.com.au Melbourne: (03) 9888 4834 Production: Luke Westle Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9522 Accounts: Adelaide: (08) 8369 9555

¢ S enator Richard Colbeck.

the Tasmanian Government to ensure the industry has resource security.”

Senator Colbeck welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s statement that they would engage closely with all stakeholders, including the United Nations, to appropriately manage the special species timber sector.

in Queensland can display the Accredited Queensland Timber Product logo.”

Master Builders Queensland has produced an excellent resource on construction products and evidence of suitability.

“Timber Queensland has been working with Master Builders Queensland, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission and other industry bodies to ensure businesses have the knowledge required to determine if they are selecting and specifying true-to-label and fit-for-purpose materials.”

Conditions: Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the editor/publishers; information is published in good faith and we do not accept responsibility for damage which may arise from any possible inaccuracies. All rights reserved, none of the contents may be used in any other media without prior consent from the publishers. Published by Ryan Media Pty Ltd.

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INDEPENDENT & AUSTRALIAN OWNED

AUGUST 2015

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PREFABRICATION

News Briefs Wood chip with a difference!

Research at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in Wisconsin is taking a thrilling turn with the advent of nanocellulose, and Zhiyong Cai, a research materials engineer at FPL, and his partners at the University of Wisconsin-Madison are situated at the forefront of possibility, developing a semiconductor chip made almost entirely of wood. The majority of material in a chip is support. We only use less than a couple of micrometers for everything else. Now the (new) chips are so safe you can put them in the forest and fungus will degrade it.

Coating market showing growth

The global wood coating market, along with its resin types, applications, and technologies, is estimated to increase in the coming years.

The wood coatings market is experiencing moderate growth which is expected to continue in the near future, mainly driven by the highly growing Asia-Pacific, and RoW regions. The AsiaPacific region is the main hub for wood coatings market.

Source: Markets and Markets.com

Engineered wood on the way up

Engineered wood products will see growth of 20 to 25%, says industry trade group APA. Economic growth and homebuilding will also increase demand for North American structural panels, which are forecast to grow 19%. APA represents approximately 159 plywood, oriented strand board, glulam timber, wood I-joist, Rim Board and structural composite lumber mills throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Not just daggy dongas: time to embrace prefabricated buildings

By Wendy Miller (Senior Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology), Dale Steinhardt (Research Fellow at Queensland University of Technology), Karen Manley (A/Professor of Construction Management at Queensland University of Technology).

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emories of school demountables might cause some people to sneer at prefabricated buildings. But they can be stylish too, not to mention offering a possible way to ease the Amid Australia’s housing affordability problem, could prefabricated homes offer a helping hand?

Prefabricated homes – in which either the entire house or significant parts of it are manufactured in advance and then installed or assembled on site – are generally cheaper to build and have less environmental impact than conventional buildings.

The industry might even help to safeguard manufacturing jobs, as the workforce from Australia’s ailing car industry could potentially shift to manufacturing buildings instead.

This rosy outlook aligns well with Australia’s Construction Vision 2020, a government-commissioned plan for the property and construction industry which strongly supports the role of prefabrication. Yet this vision is not yet becoming reality – less than 5% of new Australian houses are prefabricated.

What are the key issues that are holding prefabrication back?

It is being let down by a combination of the industry’s small size, Australia’s culture and weather, financing, weak policy support, and traditionalism.

How we build and where we live The size and culture of the Australian housing market limits the reform of traditional building processes, as does the warm climate of its urban areas. Australia is a relatively small, low-density market that does not favour high-output factories.

With an abundance of sun and no routine snowfall in our coastal capitals, there has not yet been a compelling reason to move the workforce inside (although there has been no study on the impacts of inclement or extreme weather events on construction time and cost).

Australians are also engaged in a growing love affair with renovating existing housing, rather than building from scratch.

The financing of prefabricated houses is complicated by the fact that the industry necessarily straddles the manufacturing and housing sectors. Financing for traditional house builds relies on the gradual release of funds as milestones are reached such as the pouring of a concrete slab, erection of the frame, and full completion.

In contrast, prefabrication reduces the on-site work to a simple installation process, with no gradual progression, so the builder/ manufacturer needs funding up-front. Such cashflow issues have struck Melbourne-based modular housing designers Unitised Building and Modscape, both of whom have been forced to seek overseas financial backing or draw on private equity.

Shifting sands of policy Australian prefabrication designers also face significant policy and regulatory uncertainty. The National Construction Code was specifically “developed to incorporate all on-site construction requirements”, and features little acknowledgement of offsite, prefabricated methods.

Another example is the Queensland Building and Construction Commission’s Home Warranty Insurance scheme, which does not cover prefabricated work and advises clients to withhold payments until the house is completed. However, there are encouraging signs that the scheme may be expanded next year to cover prefabricated builds.

¢ Not your average donga. Photo by Wendy Miller

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

¢ Prefabricated buildings don’t have to be dull. The challenge will be to get Australians to embrace them. Photo by Wendy Miller

There are also positive signs from within the industry. Australia’s two largest housing industry groups each have a sustainable building program that aligns with the benefits of prefabrication: the Housing Industry Association’s GreenSmart scheme, and Master Builders Australia’s GreenLiving Builders project. With the housing market more focused on ecological sustainability than ever before, environmentalism could be one way of encouraging even more uptake of prefabricated buildings.

Stuck in our ways?

There is still a long way to go, however. The Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council has pointed to specific skill deficiencies, general reluctance within the industry, and a lack of consumer demand as holding back prefabrication. Convincing existing trades to abandon traditional methods in favour of a more structured factory setting may not be easy. The recently announced ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing is a prime example of early work linking research and industry to develop new technologies and people skills.

Little hard evidence is available regarding consumers’ views. A history of poor-quality school demountables and mining “dongas” has probably been damaging. Building stylish prefabricated hotels or apartment towers can help, and will also play to prefabrication’s strengths in developing economies of scale.

But these unique builds will not necessarily thrill the average suburban mum and dad, who might be more focused on carving their own slice of the Australian dream. Proving to Australians that prefabrication does not have to be bland or standardised remains a challenge, and one that is actively acknowledged and targeted by a new breed of architect-designed Australian prefabricated housing.

Making the jump from one-off, designer homes to mainstream acceptance is the next challenge.

There are signs that prefabricated housing is gaining a foothold in Australia, but there are still key sticking points in convincing industry, financial lenders, policy developers, and consumers of its potential. Lobby groups such as prefabAUS are aiming to improve attitudes – but perhaps what we also need is a primetime television show about prefabrications, to counter the endless fascination with renovations.

¢ A smart way to build. Photo by Wendy Miller

AUGUST 2015

www.timberbiz.com.au

PREFABRICATION

Prefabricated housing: lessons from overseas

By Dr Philip Alviano

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REFABRICATION IN construction encompasses a variety of different systems. They range from tilt-concrete panel slab or crosslaminated timber (CLT) panel systems, pre-made timber frames and roof trusses, structural insulated panels (SIPs) assembled on site through to complete prefabricated pods fitted out offsite and dropped directly into place.

In the case of pods, plumbing, tiles, joinery and appliances are fitted offsite as well. Timber frames, however, may be delivered as open frames or closed panels where the insulation, wall wraps, plaster board, external façade and even windows are pre-fitted.

In Scandinavian countries, approximately 50% of residential housing is manufactured offsite. In Finland it is 74%.

The prefabrication industry in Australia, in comparison, is in its infancy with only 3% of residential buildings prefabricated.

This number is growing, however, and the goal is to achieve 10% of the residential market by 2020 (Newman and Green 2014). An increase in demand for prefabricated housing is expected to be driven by increasing construction costs and the need to reduce them by looking for the greater efficiency gained through prefabrication. This is especially relevant in the mid-rise apartment and townhouse market.

This expected increase in the Australian manufacture of prefabricated buildings is expected to occur in conjunction with a downturn in the car manufacturing sector and a likely major loss of jobs. Thus, there is an opportunity for these skilled car manufacturing personnel to transfer their skill sets to new technologies and industries.

Lessons from Germany In 2014 I was fortunate enough to receive an International Building and Construction Fellowship from the International Specialised Skills Institute (ISS Institute) funded by Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council (CPSISC). This provided the opportunity to travel to Germany to visit a number of companies working in the prefabrication industry.

The specific research aim of the Fellowship was to: investigate the level of knowledge and qualifications that may be required for a manufacturing workforce involved in the assembly of prefabricated buildings.

There were several strategies I carried out to meet the aims of the Fellowship.

These included: • Conducting site visits to the welldeveloped prefabricated construction facilities in Germany to document the systems involved in the production process that may be applicable to an Australian context.

• Documenting job roles involved in the production process both on and offsite and how they may be applied in an Australian context.

• Documenting skill sets involved in the production process both on and offsite. www.timberbiz.com.au

At a glance Dr Philip Alviano is the Sustainable Building Advisor for the Master Builders Association Of Victoria.

He was one of the keynote speakers at Frame 2015 in Melbourne.

The site visits allowed me to observe a training institution for apprentice carpenters, machine manufacturing facilities, construction sites and a number of prefabricated housing manufacturers.

The manufacturers ranged from small companies producing only panels for builders, through to companies building approximately 30 homes per year, to Schworer Haus, a builder with 1000 employees who produce 800 homes per year plus a number of apartment blocks.

The levels of automation vary among the companies, that depending on the volume of houses built. Most often, a Hundegger or Weinmann machine, which is akin to a computer-controlled router, cuts the timber and adds slots where the separate timber pieces fit together. It draws information from the plans about where to make the cuts. Therefore, the details in the drawings are vital to ensure everything fits together correctly so that moisture barriers are not compromised.

Smaller companies use mostly a manual process to nail the frames together on a giant table fitted with right angles to ensure the frame is square.

Fermacell is then stapled on. It is installed on the internal wall instead of plaster board and gives the structure its rigidity. Insulation is then installed together with a vapour barrier and breathable membrane, at which point the panel is stood on edge and the windows are installed. The external facade is then added together with the first layer of render. In this case, they use a compressed timber-fibre product.

Once the walls are installed onsite, each wall is checked to ensure it is square and the correct dimensions. Each wall then has an approval sticker placed on it and is signed off by the installer.

Rendering of the facade, sealing of the Fermacell, tiling and painting all occurs onsite. All services are also added onsite, typically utilising a services cavity which is placed between the insulation and the Fermacell wall. This prevents damage to the barriers and insulation which would compromise the water barriers and thermal efficiency of the building. Once the concrete slab is prepared and cured the onsite house assembly began and lock up is achieved on the second day!

The largest company I visited was Schworer Haus which builds projects as large as two, three and four-storey apartments. This mostly takes place in area facility measuring approximately 400 x 50 metres. The company employs its own delivery and installation crews, and it controls the process and quality from the very beginning of the manufacturing process by buying the trees directly from the forest growers and processing the timber in their own sawmills.

Pre-cut timber studs come from the sawmill to the framing machine where they are fixed in place by an automatic nail gun from a CNC machine working from CAD drawings. At the same time, internal sheeting is cut to size for the same elements. The sheeting is then put in place using a machine to pick up the sheets and place them onto the frame.

¢ A Huf Haus design as featured on Grand Designs.

¢ Stapling by the Weinmann machine at Tussa Haus

They are then stapled automatically in place. The design of the wall includes a services cavity separate from the cavity that contains the insulation and moisture barrier. This avoids having the insulation layer compromised and its effectiveness reduced. It also stops damage to the moisture barrier which would allow water vapour to enter the wall cavity and cause water damage.

All the electrical and plumbing rough-ins are completed in the factory according to the design and approved engineering requirements, reducing the amount of time and materials wasted. The exact installation time can be calculated, leading to more accurate cost estimation.

After windows are installed, the plastering and external rendering are also completed in the factory. This provides more supervision of assembly greater quality control and, ultimately, fewer expensive rectification problems.

What this means for industry in Australia The switch to a controlled manufacturing environment means that wall panels have an improved build quality. The insulation is installed correctly and not compromised by erroneous sub-contractors onsite.

Waterproof and water-permeable membranes are also installed correctly

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

¢ Windows and shutters already installed and first layer of render applied.

and not subjected to damage onsite.

This leads to a tighter and more energyefficient building with fewer problems due to water damage down the track.

This enhanced control leads to less waste of time and materials; the working environment is more tightly controlled and planned. It is good for the environment and reduces the final price of the project.

For the builder who orders the panels, there is also more certainty about costs.

This, in turn, makes increased turnover possible; more of the construction process is outsourced and project delays are reduced, leading to the potential for increased profits.

A prefabrication industry in Australia would create new jobs and roles for construction and manufacturing workers.

Many of the people with whom I spoke in the factories liked that they didn’t have to travel very far for work, performed their jobs protected from the weather and had a reasonable degree of job security.

References: Newman, P and Green, J (2014), Building a housing industry from the relics of a car industry, The Conversation, 14 February 2014, Enewsletter, http:// theconversation.com/au Master Builders Association Of Victoria. http://www.mbav.com.au 5

PREFABRICATION

Securing prefab building advantage for Australia

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USTRALIA’S PLANNED new Prefab Housing Centre should secure the Australian industry’s competitive advantage in the prefab building global value chain leading to local employment growth and increased exports of finished products, componentry and expertise, according to Warren McGregor, CEO of PrefabAUS .

The Federal Minister for Education and Training, Christopher Pyne, announced that $4m in funding over four years would be made available to establish the ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing administered by the University of Melbourne.

PrefabAUS is one of the key partners of the Centre which is a highly collaborative venture involving four Universities (The University of Melbourne, The University of Sydney, Curtin University of Technology and Monash University) and nine industry partners.

This program is part of the almost $40 million in new research funding that will forge stronger research and industry connections awarded under the Australian Research Council’s (ARC) Industrial Transformation Research Program, which will see nine new research hubs and training centres commence vital research programs in priority research areas.

“The Prefab Housing Centre aims to unlock the potential growth of Australia’s prefab building industry by creating a sustainable ecosystem between industry and Australian Universities that will prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists to apply advanced manufacturing principles to prefab modular buildings,” Warren said.

He said this highly trained workforce driven by the needs of the customer would identify innovations in the use of advanced materials, design for direct manufacturing and assembly and automated manufacturing.

“This customer-focused innovation will secure the Australian industry’s competitive advantage in the prefab building global value chain leading to local employment growth and increased exports of finished products, componentry and expertise.

Dr Tuan Ngo from the University of Melbourne said: “This Centre aims to provide new knowledge, methods and technologies, as well as highly skilled PhD and postdoctoral researchers, to

¢ Warren McGregor, CEO of PrefabAUS.

support the research and development needed to propel the prefabricated housing sector well beyond the current 3% share of the construction market.

“The Centre will train the next generation of industry-ready Australian engineers and scientists through creating a sustainable research partnership between university-based researchers and the Australian prefabricated building industry and composite material manufacturers.”

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This will enable the development of sustainable, reusable, smart, and affordable building systems and contribute to creating a globally competitive prefabricated housing manufacturing industry in Australia.

The Australian construction industry has faced severe challenges over the past two decades. Spiralling costs of building materials and construction have made housing less affordable. Sustainability, health and well-being, and safety imperatives together with the marketwide expectation for high-quality design have further challenged traditional construction. Advanced manufacturing of prefabricated housing is a viable alternative.

Leading figures in the Australian industry have recognised the productivity and efficiency gains that advanced manufacturing techniques can offer. In particular, enabling technologies such as composite lightweight materials and systems, automated off-site manufacturing, mass customisation and complex systems thinking are essential components of prefabricated housing.

Powerful global trends have seen a renaissance in housing prefabrication and modularisation in Europe, the US and Japan.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

By comparison the Australian industry is in its formative stages but has great potential for growth in revenue, employment and exports.

Innovative design, lightweight and high performance materials, and new manufacturing techniques have the potential to enable high-quality prefabricated housing tailored to customers’ needs that is ecologically sustainable, reusable, smart and affordable.

New thinking is required to chart the successful work flow from design through to supply, manufacturing and delivery – workflows more akin to automotive, ship and aeronautical manufacturing than traditional design and building methodologies.

Damien Crough, Chairman of PrefabAUS said: “The current prefabricated building market in Australia is a modest $4.5bn of the total $150bn construction industry.

Projections for the 10-year outlook indicate a potential market share growth to 10% or $15bn if current challenges can be overcome.”

The global market in 2014 was estimated at $96 bn. In Australia, demand for low-to mid-rise residential buildings, project homes and public housing are key drivers of demand in prefabricated construction. www.timberbiz.com.au

WoodTECH

Staying at the cutting edge of technology

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O REMAIN internationally competitive, local sawmills increasingly are looking at tools and technologies that can be used to increase lumber yields, improve grade recoveries and get higher production speeds out of their saw-lines.

Lowering the service or maintenance requirements of equipment and reducing the sawing costs for their operation are also high on the list of must haves”.

The last couple of years has seen the development of some of the most sophisticated sawing technologies and saw designs seen in recent times. WoodTECH (Bayview Eden, Melbourne 16-17 September and Distinction Hotel Rotorua 22-23 September) will be providing an insight into some of these new developments for local mills.

The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) is well known for running regular world class programs that showcase the very latest developments in sawing and scanning technologies. For well over 15 years

events like SawTECH, ScanTECH, Lumber QC and Wood Manufacturing have been run. In fact, they’re the only independent events of their type run in Australasia. The last major event run for local sawmillers was the inaugural WoodEXPO that ran in both New Zealand and Australia two years ago. More than 1100 turned up.

As well as new sawing, scanning and mill optimization technologies, there’s also a much greater emphasis at this year’s WoodTECH on the practical issues of selecting and running saws, low cost improvement tools and on smaller to medium sized operations which are such an integral part of the Australasian sawmilling industry. A better understanding on how saws within the mill are being selected, maintained and operated and how to get the best out of each saw centre will be an integral part of WoodTECH 2015.

As well as new equipment, the environment in which the production team is working and interacting is a critical part of working smarter. From

reconfiguring production lines in the mill through to finding faster ways to identify and reject unacceptable products, the returns through the power of the “team” are significant.

For the first time, teamwork – harnessing the collective power of saw-doctors, maintenance teams and production personnel on site will be explored in depth.

Supporters of WOODTECH 2015

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

www.timberbiz.com.au

WoodTECH

HewSaw maintains its focus on innovation

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his year at Ligna, HewSaw displayed the CRS 250 H0 RipSaw, which was part of a small sawline sold to Uruguay based Frutifor Lumber Company. Frutifor is a family owned and run fruit and forestry business, exporting products such as apples, pears, kiwifruit and blueberries principally to the USA, Canada and United Kingdom.

The sawline purchased by Frutifor comprises of a HewSaw R250 A.1, similar versions of which are in operation in Australia at Carter Holt Harvey and DR Henderson in Victoria and NF McDonnell in Mt Gambier.

The HewSaw R250 A.1 at Frutifor is then followed by an EK1 board separator to recover and deliver the top and bottom side boards to the green chain, then the Cross Rip Saw (HewSaw CRS250) is connected to further process the centre boards into smaller sections for fruit bin and other packaging materials. The CRS 250 H0 RipSaw stimulated a lot of interest and discussion at Ligna and there was as usual a large contingent of antipodean visitors.

This year, there were also a group of sawmillers at Ligna that had enjoyed the previous week travelling through Sweden and Finland on a HewSaw Safari, visiting five of the most modern and efficient sawmills in the world as well as the HewSaw manufacturing plant in Finland.

The group from Australia and New Zealand that participated in the Safari were also treated to some Nordic experiences in Finland, with Reindeer and Bear on the menu, lots of excellent seafood, and a steam sauna followed by a swim in an icy cold lake. The Safari sawmill

visits demonstrated some of the latest technology from HewSaw and other suppliers, all in operation in working sawmills - some of which have capacity over one million cubic metres of log intake, with minimal operators required.

HewSaw will also present some other ideas and developments in sawmilling at the Woodtech 2015 event in Melbourne, Australia and Rotorua, New Zealand. Part of the HewSaw presentation at Woodtech 2015 will focus on the logistics of installing a new sawmill alongside an existing operation whilst minimising any downtime, and the other part of the presentation will concentrate on existing and emerging technology and its application in lineal sawmilling such as the HewSaw SL250 3.4 saw lines.

Being a family company, specialised in design and manufacture of lineal sawmilling machinery, HewSaw are focused on new ideas and always creating new opportunities for efficient, high production, high recovery sawmilling.

HewSaw are also sawmillers themselves and in fact, this is where the business started, over 50 years ago. Having a deep understanding of the process and business of sawmilling and the need for support and expertise, HewSaw also operate after sales offices in many countries where they are active. With around 1,300,000m3 of logs processed each year by HewSaw machinery in this region, a spare parts and service facility in Melbourne, Australia, offering Service and Spare Parts to the Australian and New Zealand region is naturally part of this

commitment to product support. No other major sawmill supplier offers this level of commitment to the Australian and New Zealand industry.

¢ The HewSaw CRS250 H0 created plenty of interest at the Ligna Fair.

¢ Can’t beat a nice Reindeer Fillet

¢ HewSaw Safari Group visit the new 1,000,000m 3 sawmill in Finland

¢ Enjoying a “get to know you” dinner at “The Flying Elk” in Stockholm

¢ The HewSaw R250 A.1.2 line with CRS 250 Rip Saw will be installed at Frutifor.

TIMBERMAN, August 2012 – 6

FRAME AUSTRALIA

FRAME AUSTRALIA

buildingSmart with BIM J

OHN MITCHELL, chairman of buildingSmart Australasia looked around the room at the FRAME conference in Melbourne and asked if anyone knew what BIM was. Did anyone use BIM? The silence was telling.

Certainly there were people in the audience who had some knowledge while some like Claudelle Taylor of the Leighton Group had experience with BIM but mostly the audience was struck dumb.

As Mitchell went on to say, the building industry is not renowned for its affinity with and use of high tech computer software programs but it is time. Other industries have already embraced similar systems, and other countries are embracing Building Industry Modelling (BIM).

So what is Building Industry Modelling?

“BIM is 3D object model that is like a building database, easily visualized,” said Mitchell. “We can extract significant intelligence out of it.”

Currently there is a lack of integration along the supply chain linking parties and between project phases but it’s not impossible to fix.

As Mitchell said other industries such as the Australian Air Conditioning Manufacturers Association has already started supply chain integration.

Other issues that plague the building industry are its reliance on the lowest bid strategy rather than a value for money proposition. There is poor understanding of optimized and properly documented designs. According to Mitchell the “Getting it Right” study in Queensland in 2005 identified this problem. That was seven years ago and it still lingers.

There is also inadequate and ineffective use of technology and a lack of appreciation of the benefits of open communication.

In 2010 Mitchell’s organization commissioned a survey with the Commonwealth’s help that looked at adopting BIM in the Australian construction sector.

Implementation Plan. The starting point was the outcomes of the MESH conferences in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney in early 2011.

The roadblocks are these: • Lack of model building protocols • Little product data for BIM object libraries • Legal and insurance impediments

We do need it, we need to build better, we need to make better use of resources.

“The economic potential is extraordinary, extraordinary, a $4 billion potential per annum - $4 billion productivity potential per annum, this mirrors many other studies around the world,” said Mitchell.

“We do need it, we need to build better, we need to make better use of resources, we need to be more efficient and deliver higher value for money.”

The lessons from the 2D CAD current technology are clear, after 20 years there are still no common guidelines, no consensus in either government or industry and the documentation instead of improving is deteriorating.

“There is significant risk if we do not align with international BIM developments – it’s a worldwide turn to BIM,” said Mitchell. buildingSMART Australasia was commissioned at the end of 2111 to undertake the development of a BIM

• Poor standards for information exchange • Inconsistencies in information handover protocols • Skills gaps • Lack of strategic research focus • Industry resistance to process change The participants at the stakeholder consultation workshops conducted by buildingSmart proposed key recommendations. First and foremost was that a BIM adoption roadmap should be completed.

Commonwealth, State and Territory governments should be encouraged to require full collaborative BIM for their building procurements and they should develop procurement processes and assistance packages to encourage its adoption.

Legal and technical instruments needed to support the introduction of BIM should

7 - August 2012, TIMBERMAN

Lend Lease lends its might to CLT be developed and aligned with relevant international codes and standards. We must think globally.

Education is a must to enable the industry to meet the demands of technology for new workers and re-training for those already in the industry.

Easy access must be facilitated to building product manufacturer’s certified information for use in all types of modelbased applications through an Australian on-line BIM products library.

Open standard data exchange protocols should be established that support collaboration and facilitate integration of the briefing, design, construction, manufacturing and maintenance supply chain throughout the entire life of a built facility.

Governments around the world are seeing the advantage of BIM as it can be used to support automated code checking, ensure buildings meet environmental and energy performance requirements, make certain asset and management information is available at all tiers of government for operational, maintenance, fiscal and strategic planning.

The global construction software industry is well advanced in the change to BIM. All the major vendors Graphisoft ArchiCAD, Nemetscheck Allplan and Bentley Triforma have IFC certification, and now Autodesk Revit has committed to IFC compliance.

Only by adopting BIM, by accepting new processes and by sharing information will the building industry stay competitive.

A

FTER LISTENING to Andrew Neiland from Lend Lease it was difficult to understand why it has taken so long for Australia to embrace CLT, and even harder to understand why it has taken the major construction companies this long to make it all add up.

Initially it seemed odd that Neiland, who comes from the accounting side of the Lend Lease business, was presenting to a timberoriented audience at the Frame Australia conference.

That soon passed as he recounted the reductions that Lend Lease faced through the use of CLT in its new multi-storey Forte apartment building in Melbourne.

Admittedly it won’t be just reduced costs – but that’s the main take-away point, the other reductions relate to significantly lower construction noise, less occupational health and safety issues, and a smaller environmental footprint.

The big cost reduction will come courtesy of reduced construction time, reduced truck movements, less labour, reduced building weight leading to reduced foundation requirements and more.

“It’s lightweight, timber is roughly a fifth the weight of concrete,” said Neiland. “[with precast concrete] you only get a couple of pieces on a truck and that’s about it, you can truck a vast number of CLT panels in one go, so get a huge reduction in truck movements.

“In terms of how the site looks the general comments we have from our construction teams is clean, and how quiet and how orderly the site is,” said Neiland.

“One mobile crane, a couple days of CLT ready for installation and a crew of four guys putting it into place - very quiet and efficient process.”

Victoria Harbour was the instigator Melbourne’s Victoria Harbour has been a development hot spot for some time and Lend Lease was trying to make the most of the limited land available. On North Wharf the company was faced with a problem.

“The building conditions are not great, it’s on silt so we looked for a lightweight construction solution and came up with CLT,” said Neiland.

“That was most viable option and we found a lot more benefits than just light weight. So they assembled a team of designers and engineers to go and have a look at it.

“They saw the opportunity immediately – for an all expenses paid trip to Europe.”

It paid off, representatives from Lend Lease visited 14 projects in Europe, they visited the CLT producers and met with architects who had worked on similar projects and came away very impressed.

“They came away very impressed that it was a proven solution where the owners and occupiers really enjoyed the outcome, and really enjoyed living in these buildings,” he said.

Due diligence on the project took three years to complete.

What Lend Lease did discover and what the company has brought into play with the Forte construction in Bourke Street, Melbourne – only a few doors down from Lend Lease HQ – is that using CLT is a design process.

“It’s not taking a concrete building and replacing concrete with timber, it’s a new process. It’s about completing all your design up-front rather designing as your going,” said Neiland.

“It’s about a factory process where you sign off on the drawings, you work out all the crane movements, you work out the logistics, the truck movements then you manufacture. By doing

this we are minimizing waste and reducing errors and building faster.

“If you design it well it will last, if you design it poorly it won’t.”

Australia’s building code doesn’t take into account timber buildings taller than three storeys so for Forte Lend Lease had to undertake a fire engineered solution and that’s not something that everyone can do. It may be a barrier to highrise CLT construction in Australia unless it is addressed.

Forte is nine storeys tall (with a ground floor retail area) with 23 apartments and four townhouses.

Lend Lease was faced with a certain amount of dismay when it came to fire approvals.

“Melissa Chandler who is our building codes expert said it was the most interesting conversation she’s ever had with the fire brigade in her life.

“Saying we’re building 10 storeys of timber, the lift well, the fire stairs and we’re leaving the fire stairs exposed timber. The look on their faces was priceless. We convinced them it was a good idea,” said Neiland. “We did the fire testing of the CLT panels with the CSIRO to achieve our approvals.

“While it is not of a size that requires sprinklers we are installing sprinklers for this one,” he added.

As the ground floor is to be a retail space that floor is designed very differently to the apartments and so it is mounted on a concrete slab which was laid in February this year. The CLT installation started in June and it is anticipated that it will take eight weeks to put up and should be finished in August.

The whole building should be finished in October this year.

Neiland said that for his company it wasn’t just about building a building in CLT it needed to be a step change in sustainability and that is

certainly what has happened. This will be the first 5-star green star building built in a residential environment.

Each apartment is dual aspect and will take 25% less energy to heat and cool compared with a typical apartment, which equates to roughly $300 a year saved. All apartments will have a smart meter to link to an in-home display, which shows real time and historic data on energy consumption.

Not only that, but simply by using timber 1451 tonnes of carbon is saved (cradle to site).

Like every new idea there were challenges, the biggest was the logistics of shipping a building from Europe to Australia. KLH in Europe is the manufacturer of CLT for the Forte construction and so the panels had to be shipped to Australia and then stored awaiting installation.

Out it came – 485 tonnes of timber, 759 CLT panels shipped in 25 containers in two ships.

Lend Lease then did some other due diligence on the project, at 32.17 metres tall was it the tallest timber building in the world?

“We came across Nikolai (Sutyagin) who was friendly old chap in Russia who was lonely and in 1992 he started to build a timber house for himself. He went a couple of storeys up and just kept going and he didn’t stop until he got to about 44 metres.

“So we couldn’t go out with the claim that it is the tallest timber building so we modified it with a clause that it’s the tallest apartment timber building,” said Neiland.

For the future Neiland said that Lend Lease is considering building up to 50% of its residential apartments using CLT. “For us Forte is not a one-off demonstration building,” he said.

You can see live webcam vision of the Forte building under construction at http://www. forteliving.com.au

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9

WoodTECH

The Key to success in optimisation

S

INCE 1986 Key Knife has been providing sawmills around the world with innovative indexable knife chipping solutions. Key Knife’s success is a direct result of the company’s unrelenting commitment to provide value to each customer by partnering with them to develop custom solutions that increase product value and enhance mill performance.

“Key Knife’s High Recovery Solid Head (HRSH) is a good example of a product that is yielding exceptional value to sawmills by enabling them to achieve new levels of production, board finish, and chip quality,” said Terry Parsons, Managing Director.

High Recovery Solid Heads (HRSH) are running in over 80 slabbers, canters, and edgers world-wide.

“Over the last 29 years Key Knife has worked with several hundred sawmills. They understand each mill is unique and requires custom solutions to ensure optimal performance is achieved.

“Unlike other conical chipping head suppliers, each High Recovery Solid Head is custom designed based on the mill’s specific operating parameters and performance goals,” said Terry.

All parts are engineered using CAD, and are CNC machined or ground to attain the tight tolerances necessary to achieve precise and repeatable cutting. The HRSH’s simple, yet innovative design, is chalked full of features that yield measurable gains in the areas of production, finish, chip quality, and operating costs.

The HRSH’s innovative face plate utilizes a helical surface to limit cants from over feeding (surging). The added control ensures smooth cutting, improving recovery and board finish by significantly reducing tear out.

The split knife configuration (picture shown) allows for smooth uninterrupted processing of cants with up to a 180 mm depth of cut. The smooth cutting coupled with the large head mass ensures the chipping heads don’t bog down during large depths of cut.

HRSH utilizes Key Knife’s Ridge XL knife system to deliver a precise repeatable cut, unmatched knife life, and excellent chip quality. The indexable Ridge XL knife is easy to handle due to its small size, and can be re-honed making it an excellent choice for mills seeking a safer and more cost effective knife solution.

Value engineered for longevity and low operating costs. Replaceable bases and counterknives with tungsten carbide hard surfacing are used in high flow areas. Mills benefit over time from only needing to replace small inexpensive wear components vs. a large expensive hub.

Each HRSH is custom designed and configured to a mill’s machine centre, operating parameters, and performance goals. Key Knife has manufactured High Recovery Solid Heads that have cut diameters from 355mm up to 914mm, 3 knives up to 8 knives, and offer a myriad of finishing solutions…such as finishing knives, pre-cutting saws, and post-cutting saws.

High Recovery Solid Heads are an exceptional chipping solution, but they are only as good as the company that stands behind them. Sawmills interested in upgrading can expect comprehensive engineering and technical support from a local representative. In addition, Key Knife stands behind its products with an unconditional guarantee. t.parsons@keymatic.com.au

¢ Culp SLD Head.

¢ High Recovery Solid Head.

¢ Precutting (illustration).

Innovative wood processing solutions MORE THAN 1000 Springer wood processing plants are already in operation worldwide, among them innovative screw log processing equipment in Australia.

E-Feeder 200 - the new lug loader for mixed board dimensions: Springer has developed a completely new lug loader concept for the lumber industry.

Including a number of significant technical innovations the concept -- which was recently presented at LIGNA 2015 -- contains a unique singulating unit with which the boards are kept fully under control through the entire feeding process, resulting in smooth and gentle manipulation and transport to the connected scanner or trimmer units.

“With this new feeder concept we have placed particular focus on the optimization of sawmills producing different dimensions on the same production line. The efficiency of the process is increased substantially with the new E-feeder simultaneously handling all products produced by the sawing line,” said Timo Springer, CEO at Springer.

“The smooth and reliable flow of the boards enables maximum efficiency of the lumber production line. This leads to higher overall performance at lower comparable cycles which result in lower maintenance costs regarding the overall lumber production. The new feeder unit’s main assets are its high process reliability as well as its careful 10

handling of the lumber products.”

Board surfaces and edges remain unharmed due to the larger surface area of the clamping arms, which also facilitate a smooth and gentle transfer of the boards to the lug chain. This unit can be used for both construction and visual grade lumber in both softwood and hardwood.

Ideal scanner connection Goldeneye 900: The E-Feeder is ideally connected to the new generation of Microtec’s Goldeneye 900. This scanner detects all geometric and visual properties relevant to the quality of the board transported in transverse orientation. The new, innovative transport design through the scanner allows scanning of the bottom of the board simultaneously with a chain occlusion width of only 3mm.

The space requirement of the whole system is kept very small; the new Goldeneye 900 can be installed on a single level only, allowing easy integration of the scanner in existing lumber manufacturing plants.

E-Cut 200: The innovative new trimmer was presented at LIGNA 2013 and has since proven itself successfully in the sawmill. Combined with the new E-feeder and the Goldeneye 900, the integrated system complies with the highest economic standards and ensures reliable and cost-effective operation. The electrically driven trimmer works without belts, therefore exposing parts to a minimum of wear

and tear. Trimmed pieces are handled by the integrated transverse conveyor which manipulates them directly to the waste conveyor, guaranteeing smooth and jam-free operation.

The E-feeder was displayed together with Microtec’s Goldeneye 900 and the E-Cut 200 trimmer at this year’s LIGNA in Hannover/Germany. The single modules are perfectly geared to each other and can be integrated into all production lines, either separately or as a complete three-module system. The three-unit combination

by Springer Microtec presently offers the most productive and cost-effective lumber production solution on the market. The mechanical and electronic interfaces are predefined, guaranteeing perfect integration into the existing sawmill, supplied from one source.

For more information watch our YouTube videos and visit us at www.springer.eu

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

www.timberbiz.com.au

WoodTECH

State-of-the-art gear helps maintain cutting edge advantage

T

HODE KNIFE & Saw Ltd is a New Zealand owned company that has well over 30 years’ experience servicing and supplying industrial knives and saws to a wide variety of industries.

Thode has built a formidable knowledge base over this time. Its sales consultants are qualified sawdoctors who have many years of experience individually. Its consultants can help with any cutting or tooling problems you may have. They are also well qualified to advise on tooling upgrade and replacement.

Thode Knife & Saw Ltd operates in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands and is the largest business of this type in Australasia. The staff and management at Thode are understandably proud of the levels of service and backup that they can offer customers. A serious investment program in new machinery

now sees Thode having the latest state-ofthe-art computer numerically controlled and robotic manufacturing and servicing capability. This allows Thode to offer unsurpassed levels of accuracy and consistency when manufacturing and servicing bandsaws, circular saws and guillotine blades.

Thode has a staff of over 80 and have manufacturing and servicing branches in Auckland, Rotorua and Christchurch in New Zealand and Healesville in Australia. Five in-house sales staff and six “on road” sales consultants are ready to service your needs.

Thode also carries out both Greenmill and Drymill Audits with a focus on improved quality, efficiency and yield.

To complement its own manufacturing facilities, Thode also represents some of the world leading suppliers of quality

products such as Kanefusa, Iseli, MVM, Calsaws, Bohler, AceCo, Lenox, FABA, Kinik, Fuchs & Syntol.

Quality and customer focus key ingredients in scanning success THE JOESCAN story is a classic example of an innovator applying ingenuity and utilizing technology to improve an existing product. Joey Nelson founded JoeScan with one idea in mind: Design and build a better non-contact 3-D laser scanner using open industry standards – a precision product that anyone could operate easily right off the shelf. JoeScan now makes a range of scanners that improves recovery in many aspects of mill operations.

As Joey was growing up, he was exposed to the sawmill industry through a family business. In college he took an even stronger interest in the sawmill industry, and laser scanning in particular.

His experience around the sawmill industry made him confident there was a market for affordable and reliable scanning – if an integrator could offer an optimization system that included a proven scanning component, mills could increase their efficiency and boost their bottom line.

Joey formed JoeScan in 1999 and released the first JS-20 scanner in 2002.

Since then, JoeScan has continuously optimized its 3-D scan heads, which now include increased scan rates and multiplelaser models. JoeScan is so confident in the quality of its products that it backs its scanners with an industry-leading 5-year warranty and a 10-year product support policy.

Every JoeScan scan head must meet the company’s rigorous quality standards and pass testing before it is shipped.

Scan heads are built on-site at JoeScan’s corporate headquarters in Vancouver, WA, USA. JoeScan’s senior assembly technician has been with the company for nearly a decade and brings a wealth of experience and technical knowledge to every scanner built.

In addition to product quality, JoeScan places a high emphasis on customer relationships. Customer commitment goes beyond offering exceptional products.

“The success we’ve had is a lot about www.timberbiz.com.au

customer relationships – being in tune and listening to them,” says founder and president Joey Nelson.

JoeScan supports customers during every phase of their 3-D scanning programs, from initial analysis to installation to maintenance. “In addition to the value JoeScan scanners add to our customers’ operations, JoeScan offers customers a level of engineering support and customizable solutions that is hard to match,” explains Nelson.

JoeScan’s quality and customer focus are the cornerstones of its growth.

Today, JoeScan has 11 employees at its Vancouver, WA, USA headquarters, and it continues to expand. “Our longstanding reputation for quality, reliability and support is validated by JoeScan’s continued success,” said Nelson.

JoeScan regularly attends industry trade shows around the world. Visit JoeScan at WoodTECH – Sept. 16-17, 2015 in Melbourne, Australia / Sept. 2223, 2015 in Rotorua, New Zealand.

For more information, call +1.360.993.0069, visit www.JoeScan.com or email sales@joescan.com.

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11

FWPA

Australian timber “better than carbon neutral” – credible declaration now available

By Matthew Lovering

H

AVING A robust EPD value for major building product is essential to assist designers to understand the environmental impacts of their buildings. This allows them to consider alternative materials when designing and specifying their buildings so as to create low carbon buildings. In these scenarios timber and engineered wood products can excel, both as being carbon efficient but also economically and structurally sound.

For commercial building owners, having a building that is Green Star compliant means having a building that is saving them money through its reduced ongoing use of electricity and water. Indeed the World Green Building Council finds ‘that a minimal 2% upfront cost to support green design can result in average life cycle savings of 20% of total construction costs—more than 10 times the initial investment’.

For the Australian forest and timber industry, producing products that fit in with the environmental assessment standards of builders of Green Star sustainably rated buildings makes rational economic and environmental sense. A range of certifications may contribute to a building product being recognised by the Green Building Council (GBC) and so be eligible for inclusion in its star ratings system. The development of an Environment Product Declaration (EPD) is one such opportunity to demonstrate the environmental credentials of a product and be included in the certification system An EPD is an internationally standardised and verified way of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product based on a consistent set of rules developed through a stakeholder consultation process. These impacts are based on the product’s consumption of raw materials and energy; waste generation; emissions to air, soil and water over its full life cycle (including, for example, its impact on the ozone in the atmosphere and algal blooms in waterways); and its carbon footprint. Already competing product providers, such as Bluescope steel, have developed an EPD for one of their products.

Industry-wide To benefit Australian produced timber building products, Forest Wood Products Australia (FWPA) have funded a project, in which the Timber Development Association and sustainability expert thinkstep, have developed industry-wide EPDs for five key Australian wood products. These products are: sawn Australian softwood, Australian hardwood, particleboard, medium density fibreboard and plywood. Information about each EPD and how to use it is on the www.environdec.com and www. woodsolutions.com.au websites.

As these EPDs are industry-wide, rather than product specific, they allow consumers of Australian timber and wood products and producers who are FWPA members of those products to claim a proportion of the available credits under the Green Building Council of Australia Green Star building rating scheme. In order for individual producers to claim the full credits they must publish specific EPDs for their own products.

The environmental impacts of the products are based on industry averages from across Australia for producing the products. For example, the EPDs for sawn softwood products are based on pinus radiata as well as the slash pines, hybrids and hoop pines grown in warmer regions of Australia, while the EPDs for sawn hardwoods is based on average densities for the main Australian production species including Tasmanian Oak, Victorian Ash species, Spotted Gum, Blackbutt, Jarrah and Ironbark etc. The EPDs for Particleboard, MDF and plywood are based on the most commonly found product sizes used in general construction; however, the EPDs (and their environmental impacts) can be scaled up or down if narrower or thicker sheets are used by builders.

12

Transparent declaration When considering EPDs, it is important that building designers and developers realise that they are not a ranking system, and that an EPD does not imply that the product is environmentally superior to any particular alternative. Instead, it is a transparent declaration of the environmental impact of a product across its production life cycle, that is from the cradle to the factory gate. Each EPD for each product is determined using a rigorous international standard of data, all of which is independently verified and registered, and made publicly available.

Although not strictly for Green Star certification, the EPD process can also be used to illustrate the carbon footprint of products. The TDA research

revealed the environmental impacts of a range of different scenarios for each of the products including cradle to gate, and cradle to end of life—including to landfill, energy recovery or recycling.

For example, the EDP for 1 cubic metre of Australian sawn kiln-dried and planed softwood shows that it stores 900 kg of carbon, while releasing 270 kg of carbon equivalent in its production. This is the ‘cradle to the factory gate’ volume of carbon stored and/or produced during production, as is required of the EPD. The research demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the Australian timber industry to sustainability and will certainly enhance the development and marketing of more carbon positive timber building products earning more Green Stars into the future.

EWPAA appoints new CEO NEW ZEALAND-born Dave Gover, 40, who has been involved in the timber industry most of his life, has been appointed CEO of the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia.

Mr Gover, who succeeds Simon Dorries, now CEO of Australian Forestry Standard Ltd, will take up his new position in September.

President Brendan Smith said the team at EWPAA was delighted that Dave Gover was coming on board.

“Dave is the right person to build on the strong history of success of the association,” Mr Smith said.

“The EWPAA will continue its industry-leading product certification program, assistance to members, education, standards and market development,” he said.

“Dave has the technical and management experience, as well as great communication skills, and I am sure that he will lead great outcomes for the engineered and solid wood product industry.”

Mr Gover hails from Gore in Southland, New Zealand, and got his first taste of the timber industry as an eight-year-old on a school visit to a sawmill and forest near Tapanui, a town in West Otago in the South Island – a field trip he still fondly recalls.

On completion of his AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

schooling, he studied forestry engineering at the University of Canterbury, and then worked as development engineer for Carter Holt Harvey Engineered Wood Products, based at the Kinleith plywood mill, Tokoroa, in the North Island, providing technical support to the NZ sales team.

Following a brief secondment at Nangwarry, SA, Mr Gover was involved in commissioning the Marsden Point LVL plant in New Zealand where he was responsible for establishing process quality control systems, product testing, and product certification. He also had responsibility for ironing out operational issues with the continuous LVL press.

Having commissioned one LVL plant, Mr Gover wanted to try commissioning another, and with his family moved to Perth as plant manager for Wesbeam.

After four years in the west, the Gover family was looking for a more rural lifestyle and moved to Heyfield, Vic, where Mr Gover took up the role of operations manager with ITC in the Southern Hemisphere’s largest hardwood sawmill.

ITC was purchased by Gunns and Mr Gover was involved in helping the operation through some difficult times. For the last

AUGUST 2015

¢ Dave Gover .. new CEO at EWPAA

three years the operation has been owned by Australian Sustainable Hardwoods, and Mr Gover has been involved with developing and commercialising a range of new laminated hardwood products.

The new EWPAA CEO is married to Sarah and they have three boys aged 17, 15, and 12.

When time permits, they enjoy being among the mountains and rivers.

Mr Gover and his wife are also kept active through involvement in their local church, coaching and playing hockey, getting kids to various sporting and cultural endeavours, and some occasional amateur dramatics. www.timberbiz.com.au

IMPORTED TIMBER

American hardwood exports to Australia continue to boom

F

IGURES RELEASED by the United States Department of Agriculture for the first quarter of 2015 show a 57% increase YOY in the volume of hardwood lumber exported to Australia and 43% in value.

The growth experienced in 2014, a record year for exports to Australia, shows little sign of abating.

American white oak once again is driving the increase accounting for 2,912 cubic metres in the 3 month period, an increase of 68% compared with the same period in 2014. American hard maple, whilst exported in smaller quantities, also exhibited an uplift of over 40% in volume.

While building construction in both residential and non-residential sectors in Australia fell at the end of 2014 it scraped back into expansion in the first quarter of 2015 and sources suggest this was driven by the home building sector. And when it comes to American white oak, it continues to be the timber of choice

for some of Australia’s largest construction projects including Melbourne’s Prima Pearl development.

Steve Napier of Melbourne’s Woodform Architectural states of the growth:”We have noticed a definite increase in demand for American white oak.

We believe this is due to three factors – the rise in engineered flooring sales, flexibility in use and also higher desirability and interest driven by social media.

We’ve also noticed the rise in other species such as maple as specifiers are drawn to its warmer tones.”

Roderick Wiles of the American Hardwood Export Council says: “It’s encouraging to see American hardwoods continuing to be used so extensively in Australia. I think the fact that American hardwoods have very strong and proven environmental credentials makes them an easier choice for architects and designers than some other material options and this is certainly contributing to that growth.”

¢ American white oak the choice for some of Australia’s largest construction projects including Melbourne’s Prima Pearl development.

American Hardwood Environmental Profiles (AHEP) made available to industry throughout Australia and New Zealand

By Rod Wiles American Hardwood Export Council THE TERM ‘sustainable’ has been appropriated by so many different industries, materials and practices that it has become all but rhetoric. In our view, anyone can claim environmental credentials, but few are making the effort to prove the true impact of their products or activities on the environment.

When the Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Amendment Regulation (AUSILPAR) came in to full force in November 2014, among other things, it required Australian importers of timber to undertake due diligence with respect to the sources and suppliers of their imports. They now need to demonstrate, as far as possible, that the material they are handling has been harvested legally.

At the American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC) we have always been striving for more than just a tick in the box for good forestry practices. We have consistently introduced initiatives that have put American hardwoods beyond doubt when it comes to both source and environmental credentials.

Earlier this year one such initiative was made available to importers all over the world, including Australia. The American Hardwood Environmental Profile, or AHEP, brings together in one shipping document, individual species data on legality, sustainability and environmental impact. The document takes three crucial sources of independent information and combines them to provide an individual consignment-based environmental profile.

and shipping lumber and veneer from different American hardwood species to markets around the world.

The system that AHEC has developed means that a profile for a consignment can be provided by the exporter at the push of a button. For the importer it makes the due diligence required by AUSILPAR a more straightforward task and means that they can confidently reassure customers of the environmental credentials of what they are supplying.

To receive an AHEP with a shipment, an importer only has to request one from his or her supplier. AHEC’s representatives for Australia and New Zealand are also available should any importer have questions regarding how to interpret the information contained in the AHEP, as they familiarise themselves with the new document.

It’s just one of the steps in cleaning up the muddied waters of the recurrent sustainability claims that are present in our industry and others alike.

¢ Sample AHEP

What are these three sources?

Firstly, data published by the US Department of Agriculture through the Resource Planning Act, which records growth and removal rates for individual species throughout the US forest.

Secondly, it draws on the conclusions of the Seneca Creek risk assessment study, commissioned in 2008 (and soon to be updated), which independently examined the legal frameworks and forestry practices throughout the US hardwood forests. This study showed that there is a less than 1% risk of illegally-logged timber entering the US hardwood chain. Finally, and importantly, it uses the data from the ISO-conformant Life Cycle Assessment project commissioned by AHEC from international environmental consultants Thinkstep (formerly PE International), which quantifies the environmental impact of harvesting, processing www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

13

TECHNOLOGY

Technology offensive on a broad front The Weinig Group underlined its “Technology Offensive 2015” at LIGNA with a range of innovations. At the centre was the introduction of new generations of technology. The core themes were resource efficiency, flexibility and networked production. In addition to the major premieres, there were also pioneering developments on show in the product unit Profiling as well as in the window manufacturing, cutting/gluing and joint technology segments.

Premiere for the new Powermat series Weinig revealed the new Powermat generation (the 700 and the 1200) to the global audience in Hanover for the first time. The outstanding feature of the moulder is the innovative “Comfort Set” operating concept, which enables largely tool-free setting and significantly reduces set-up times. Further benefits of the four-sider include high operating safety and very good accessibility.

It also impresses with its high energy efficiency, which is primarily attributable to the optimization of the extraction system. Particular progress has been made with the optimized flying of chips. The chips are better removed, reducing the risk of chip impact against the wood and tool. The “Smart-Touch” function makes the new Powermat a trendsetter in manmachine interaction in wood processing.

Wireless communication, for example, is possible between controls or tablet and the machine. This way, information on set-up is displayed to the operator where he needs it.

Networked production with System Plus The new Weinig System Plus connects all processes involved in preparing the moulder for production.

The integrated system is comprised of the Moulder Master Software, the new Rondamat 1000 tool grinder, tool measurement with OptiControl Digital and PowerCom machine controls. From creating drawings in the integrated 2D CAD program, straight and profile knives are produced with the fullyautomated CNC grinder based upon the data provided. Reference points are then measured via a camera system using images supplied by the Moulder Master.

Finally, the data is transferred to the PowerCom machine controls for setting up the machine. System Plus offers networked production from a single source and reduces throughfeed time by reducing the process stages. Risk of errors and downtime is also reduced via optimal work preparation.

Rondamat 985 tool grinder In the Rondamat 985, Weinig will be exhibiting a new grinder in Hanover for 14

straight knives with max. 720 mm tool length. The Rondamat 985 tool grinder (for straight knives with a maximum 720mm tool length) has a grinding unit with fully-automatic controls and integrated radius measurement of the knives. It is ideal for precise grinding of drilling tools, knife shafts and hydraulic tools. The latter particularly enables the precision of the Rondamat 985 to extend the intervals between tool changes via jointing.

New processing units and tool clamping systems for the Conturex CNC window centre For as long as there have been wooden windows, the corners and connections of the horizontal and vertical transoms, mullions and glazing bars have been the most sensitive areas. The quality of these connections stands and falls on the gluing and the precision of the transversal and longitudinal processing.

Besides the conventional methods, such as mortise-tenon and dowel connections, the new, highly robust round tenon corner joints are increasingly establishing themselves in the windows and doors market. The initial results show a material improvement in terms of the bending and breaking strength of these connections. Manufacturing these corner joints is almost exclusively restricted to CNC centers. The concept of the Weinig Conturex with its open and flexible configuration is precisely tailored to round tenon production.

Using new processing units and tool clamping systems, the Conturex achieves optimal precision and productivity. Even producing a mix of different connections is not a problem.

¢ The new Powermat 700: the new benchmark for quick set-up and operator comfort

consumption. Tools on CNC systems work with significantly higher speeds than on conventional machines and, therefore, react more sensitively to the afore-mentioned influences. The result is increased imbalance and uneven chip removal. Regular cleaning of valuable tools is, therefore, highly recommended for reasons of cost-effectiveness. The level of care is adapted to the condition of the tools. Once again, Weinig has shown the spirit of innovation. A fullyautomated tool cleaning station with program control takes care of this. At night, during free shifts or at weekends, the wash system takes the relevant tools, cleans them and returns them to the appropriate changeover position. A change of cutter or sharpening is then also problem-free.

New generation of the UniPin gluing and dowel inserting machine With the new user interface and performance-enhancing process optimization, Weinig is entering the next generation of the UniPin gluing and dowel inserting machine. Whether online in contact with the Conturex or as an individual machine, the new and improved Weinig UniPin is an indispensable CNC system. On a double-leaf window with central pillar and counter-corner or dowel corner joint, at least 56 dowels can be inserted.

This means a daily capacity of 1,120 dowels with 20 windows. And all with consistent quality and, crucially,

precisely the same glue amount and insertion depth. Only thus can highquality connection of window corners be guaranteed. The new generation is equipped with new, rapid controls and optional double part processing. In addition, a significantly improved user interface has been developed.

“Block gluing” production concept The Weinig Concept business unit specializes in project planning of complete production lines. The system solution comprises an innovative production process for central layers.

Weinig has patents and patents pending on the “block gluing with butt joints” process. With this process, Weinig is setting standards in efficient use of resources. Whether planing, gluing, cross-cutting or ripping, technologies are used that create significant savings and higher wood recovery. Block gluing is also more reliable and far less expensive than conventional processes.

The added value potential starts with the round timber cutting as block gluing allows the use of a range of sawn timber dimensions with the same end product.

The high flexibility of the system also opens up a range of other products, starting from the glued block, including top layers, shafts for timber construction, CLT profile lamellae and even door frame blanks. The centerpiece of the system, the ProfiPress C, presses the glued butt-jointed strand without height offset and with perfect alignment

“Nocturnal” tool cleaning station The condition of tools has a significant influence on service life and wood surfaces. The effect of the different wood types, particularly softwood, on tool blades is often completely under-estimated. During milling, layers of resin and glue are built up that become stuck in the chip area and on the tool body. These build-ups and deposits in the chip area normally have `serious consequences for service life and particularly for surface quality and even result in increased power

¢ Weinig ProfiPress L II: fully-automated gluing center with one-man operation

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

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TECHNOLOGY blade adjustment and a saw shaft with outboard bearing. Pneumatic clamping ensures tool-free operation.

GlueEye glue detection system

¢ Block gluing with butt joints: pioneering production concept and example of all-round Weinig expertise

in length. The ProfiPress C is designed for special application as a cold press and, thus, requires no energy for glue hardening. With excellent pressing force distribution, the required adhesive volume can be reduced to a minimum.

Standard Weinig user interface The new standard user interface for all Weinig machines was shown for the first time at LIGNA. The interface has been developed to offer the user consistency in operation and menu navigation across the entire Weinig product portfolio. This means that the individual machines and software applications create a perfect unit that works together optimally.

The intuitive operation is easy to learn.

The new user interface was on display with optimizing cross-cut saws from the Dimter Line and Optipal packer software.

ProfiPress L II gluing press The new Weinig ProfiPress L II is primarily aimed at ambitious workshop businesses and is designed for oneman panel production. The degree of automation of a machine is the basis of personnel efficiency. Both the positioning of the glued lamellae and transfer of the lamellae from the gluing station to the infeed belt or infeed chain are automatic. The pressure cylinders are also selected automatically. The ProfiPress L II proves its worth in highcapacity layer formation and impresses with the perfect calculation and positioning of the track, which is also guaranteed with multi-track operation.

Cutting solutions: intensive upgrade The extensive Dimter Line range of cross-cut saws from Weinig has been enhanced with a range of improvements and extensions. The OptiCut 200 Elite, which was on the stand in Hanover as an Inline scanner solution with EasyScan, has enjoyed a product re-launch. A new design, new and larger touch-screen user interface and performance-optimized machine concept all enhance the attractiveness of the cross-cut saw.

For the OptiCut S 50 Window, the alignment aid for packages in the infeed table is also now available. The popular option of the OptiCut S 90 series provides for increased length accuracy and process reliability. The www.timberbiz.com.au

options for workpiece recognition have also been extended for models from the OptiCut S 50, OptiCut S 90 and OptiCut 450 FJ+ series. The range now extends from simple recognition of workpieces to application of high-definition graphic logos even at high feed speeds in the outfeed of an OptiCut 450 Quantum or FJ+.

In addition to the increased degree of automation, the advantages lie in optimal process reliability and value creation. Also at LIGNA, a system solution will be exhibited for the first time that builds upon the OptiCut S 90 Speed. This cross-cutting system for pure defect removal achieves performance that can otherwise only be achieved by throughfeed saws while also impressing with its high length accuracy.

can been seen at LIGNA along with the VarioRio 310 multi-blade rip saw.

Optimal value creation: ProfiRip 450 Speed with CombiScan Profit maximization and quality start with cutting optimization and Weinig demonstrated its expertise in this process with a high-end system consisting of a ProfiRip 450 Speed separating saw and a Weinig CombiScan scanner. The ProfiRip 450 Speed with roller feed is designed for speeds up to 160 m/min. It has 4-fold

ProfiRip 340 multi-blade buzz saw The completely newly developed machine offers up to 3-fold blade adjustment and is designed for a high level of productivity. The TimberMax software ensures particularly high wood recovery. The quality optimization in 2D taken into consideration the required part lengths during separating. Minimal set-up times and high user-friendliness are among the other attributes of the ProfiRip 340. This includes the Quickfix quick clamping system, which allows the fixed saw blades to be clamped without tools. The exemplary safety standard of the saw is assisted by the SafetyPlus concept and the new “Chain Protect” to protect against inadvertent “sawing into the chain”.

The new GlueEye glue detection system offers visual inspection of glue application for HS systems. The current glue application is compared for coverage with a prepared master image using color cameras. Lamellae with defective gluing are indicated on the touch panel and rejected based upon defined tolerances. The fingerjointing line stops after a pre-selected number of successive defective gluings.

GlueEye can also improve quality since knot holes, broken pieces of wood, under-sized or over-sized pieces of wood and broken finger joints can be at least partially detected and discharged.

A GlueEye for package lines is in development.

Trimsaver for package lines The Trimsaver, which is already successfully in use with Weinig horizontal finger-jointing lines, is now also being developed for package lines.

The Trimsaver measures the workpiece on the front side before positioning it such that a little wood as possible is machined before the finger joints are milled. This allows wood savings of up to approx. 60,000 running m/year, equivalent to a profit of €50-100,000.

Other advantages of the Trimsaver are reduced tool load as well as reduced chips and hence lower disposal costs.

WEINIG WORKS WOOD Machines and systems for solid wood processing in WEINIG quality

RipAssist Pro width optimization The proven RipAssist optimization program for automatic width optimization of boards now offers even better performance. In the enhanced “Pro” version, the board width is now automatically measured with trimmed goods. The software itself has been given an upgrade and can now also optimize combinations of fixed arbor set-ups (several fixed saw blades) and adjustable saw blades.

It is now also possible to take into consideration variable strip widths. This means even greater material yields.

Automatic measurement also increases productivity. The new RipAssist Pro AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

S4S and profiling

Ripping / cross cutting

Windows and doors

Finger-jointing

Automation

Scanner technology

Furniture

Tenoning

Tool / grinding systems

Optimization

Surface sections

Coping

Your expert www.weinig.com

WEINIG OFFERS MORE

AUGUST 2015

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Crowning in timber floors Have you ever wondered why you can sand cupping out of one floor and it remains flat, while in other instances you have further problems down the track.

Well, if cupping has been sanded out of a floor that has become substantially wet, irrespective of what it has been laid over, crowning is generally the outcome.

As David Hayward, ATFA Technical Manager points out, crowning appears as a washboard effect across the floor some months after sanding and finishing.

Crowning is where board edges are lower than the centre of the board and gaps will also generally appear at the joints between crowned boards.

David Hayward ATFA Technical Manager.

T

he house was finished, the hardwood floor was sanded and polished, however when some additional plumbing work was undertaken water leaked for some time across a significant section of the kitchen and dining room floors.

The moisture penetrated through board joints and was trapped between the lower surface of the flooring and particleboard beneath. Within a short period of time cupping with raised board edges was apparent in this area of the floor. The floor was left to dry for some weeks and when considered quite dry on the surface the whole floor was re-sanded to be flat throughout.

The sanding was undertaken even

though cupping was still present in the moisture affected area. After re-finishing, it again looked a million dollars. But gradually over the next six or so months the washboard effect associated with crowning appeared.

Well, with this story there are a few aspects to consider.

Firstly, just because flooring looks dry on the surface it doesn’t mean that it is dry beneath. Capacitance moisture meters pick up wet areas with relative ease and resistance meters that can penetrate deep into the board are also very effective.

If crowning is likely to occur, such testing will usually reveal significantly higher moisture contents toward the lower board surface. It is also often the case with higher density timbers that the floor will have swollen and measurements over 10 consecutive boards in the moisture affected area can be compared to areas not affected.

You may find five or more millimetres of expansion in the moisture affected area and drying of the floor will result in wider gapping

¢ Crowned floor and flooring elsewhere (Inset).

in this area compared to other areas of the floor.

There have been instances where moisture affected cupped floors over particleboard or plywood have been left for say six to eight months and the boards have dried naturally. During this time almost all the cupping has gone and the residual gapping is minor in nature. In such instances sanding and re-finishing is all that was needed.

However, in many instances such a time frame is not acceptable and in such cases both the moisture affected

flooring and sub-floor have been replaced. Ensure all moisture affected material is removed as leaving a few boards with minor cupping can result in a few boards with minor, but quite noticeable, crowning some time down the track. Also remember that moisture meters are not reliable in particleboard or plywood and if some of the sub-floor is dried and is to remain, oven dry moisture content testing of the sub-floor should may be necessary.

Campaign to boost Australian timber flooring THE AUSTRALIAN Timber Flooring Association (ATFA) is considering a new campaign to address the declining use of Australian timber species in flooring products. According to ATFA, use of Australian timber species in flooring has declined by about 60% over the past four years and a solution is urgently needed to arrest this decline and save the timber flooring industry from a fate similar to that suffered by the Australian furniture industry in the late 1990s.

In that instance the industry deteriorated beyond critical mass due to lack of industry unity and direction, cheap imports and the economic downturn. However, the decline in Australian solid timber species flooring production and the complete loss of domestic manufacture of Australian timber species engineered flooring have not seen a commensurate growth in imported products such as engineered flooring, laminate or bamboo flooring.

Bamboo flooring sales, for instance, have risen from 5% to 15% over the past four years but are nowhere near the 60% loss suffered by the Australian timber species segment.

This can only mean that spending has reduced considerably, and even those that are spending on flooring are not considering Australian timber.

ATFA’s campaign proposes to address this issue by building awareness and demand for Australian timber, so that all products including laminate, bamboo and imported engineered flooring products can compete in an informed marketplace based on their respective attributes and price points.

Typically, a downturn in building approvals sees a corresponding decline in Australian timber species flooring production; however, the decline in this flooring segment has continued even with a return to healthy building approvals in recent times.

ATFA believes a proactive approach is required to promote Australian timber species flooring to take advantage of a thriving building market.

16

¢ Varying lengths of Boral Australian hardwood solid strip flooring installed at the Hawthorn Town Hall.

At the ATFA Board meeting in December 2014, members agreed on the need for the association to utilise its resources and drive a plan to re-energise the industry to one of health and vibrancy.

The Board proposed that a joint campaign be developed to mobilise invested time and commitment from all relevant Australian timber flooring producers, supported strongly by coatings and adhesives companies as well as equipment sellers and timber flooring contractors who rely AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

on the success of the timber flooring industry.

ATFA is seeking feedback and contribution to this initiative from association members.

Australian Timber Flooring Association (ATFA) in New Zealand is a reality and the organisation will be known as ATFA NZ with a committee now in place setting the agenda for the remainder of the year. The ATFA NZ board is also adapting ATFA’s technical literature to better suit New Zealand conditions. www.timberbiz.com.au

ASSOCIATIONS

Building stronger alliances along the whole chain

By Kersten Gentle Executive Officer / FTMA Australia

O

VER THE past twelve months FTMA Australia has been pushing for greater collaboration among the frame and truss fabricators as we believe through collaboration we can lift the standards of the industry plus bring greater benefits to fabricators.

The timber fabricator around the corner or in the next suburb is not your competitor in the long run, the steel industry is and we need to work on ways to bring a fabricators costs down to ensure we not only remain competitive but are the cheaper, more environmentally friendly option for our products.

In saying this we must also move with the times and continue to explore new market opportunities including increasing services. Many fabricators do not like the idea of installation, that’s the builders job and the fabricators job is to provide a product. However, many of the larger builders are no longer builders, but project managers and they are looking to work with companies that provide more than just a product. They are looking at streamlining the construction so are looking for fabricators that either install or who work collaboratively with builders providing products that make construction easier.

Recently a fabricator who has in the past installed, informed me they were

no longer going to do so as they believe it was hindering their business. They believe if they concentrate more on making trusses and wall frames then they will sell more, but they also recognise the importance of being more than just a supplier to the builder. Being a builder themselves, they know the importance of finding a ‘partner’ they can rely on, not just another supplier.

We have seen this in other areas of our supply chain where some timber companies are moving from the ‘supplier’ mentality to ‘partner’ way of thinking when dealing with fabricators. Too often in the past timber companies have skipped the fabricator and gone straight to the builder offering rebates if they use their product, forgetting that the builder doesn’t actually purchase the timber, the fabricator does. It is reassuring to hear from fabricators that some timber companies are changing their way of thinking and are providing additional services to fabricators who use their products. Services such as job management software and other tools are being offered by timber companies to help the fabricator streamline their business.

Traditionally this styled relationship was created through the nail plate partnership with fabricators. Nail plate companies are not just suppliers but

partners with fabricators, helping with many facets of their business and again over the past few years the feedback has been that there is a significant increase in these services.

Fabricators must take the same approach as some of the timber and nail plate companies and begin to build partnerships with the next link in the chain, the builder, the architect and the project managers.

The same goes with FTMA, we need to and are building stronger alliances with builders, certifiers and government bodies who impact on our industry. We need to look at a range of best practice guides on various issues and in many issues that will be based on state by state activities as there is still many variances amongst the states on what a fabricator can and can’t do. FTMA will begin work on some best practice fact sheets and will work with various bodies within the supply chain to ensure they can be introduced and accepted across the supply chain.

Material

Steel myths I recently read an article from an American group ‘Steel Framing Alliance’ and was highly amused at the myths they portrayed about timber.

I’m unsure what made me chuckle more. Was it the Steel industry using propaganda from the Wilderness Society to make a point or that according to the American Iron & Steel Institute, “steel construction products have a recycling rate of more than 90 percent, meaning that at the end of a steel building’s life, more than 90 percent of its steel is recycled into another steel product, using significantly less energy than was necessary to create the original product”.

What they forgot to mention is that in the first instance a whopping hole is made in the earth, taking out minerals that will never be replaced and that steel releases approximately 355 times more carbon than sawn timber during production and doesn’t store any carbon.

Carbon Released (kg/m3)

Carbon Stored (kg/m3)

15

250

5320

0

120

0

22000

0

Sawn timber Steel Concrete Aluminium

(Sourced from Forest & Wood Products Research & Development Corporation, (1997) Environmental Properties of Timber, P5 Table 0.5) An Australian group once made a claim that it takes 3-4 recycled cars to make a steel frame. Even that argument is ridiculous when it comes to environmental outcomes. What have those 3-4 cars cost the environment throughout their life time, let alone the amount of carbon released throughout the recycling phase.

Wood stores carbon for life, wood is harvested through sustainable means and wood is mother-nature’s own building material.

For more information on the benefits of using wood in construction please visit: http://www.naturallybetter.com.au/

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More members means a stronger organisation

THE MORE members there are in Timber Preservers Association of Australia (TPAA), the better the representation the organisation can offer.

It’s important that the industry sticks together to drive its own future. If you are not already a member of TPAA, please consider joining so that the whole industry can benefit.

• TPAA provides its members with practical solutions and benefits to address industry problems • TPAA provides member advice to improve market opportunities • TPAA offers technical advice • TPAA supports members who use best practice methods in producing treated commodities to comply with Australian Standards • TPAA represents members on Australian Standards committees • TPAA accredits members who comply with Australian Standards • TPAA supports environmentally friendly treatment operations and whole-of-life product stewardship • TPAA members include treaters, chemical suppliers, retailers, government researchers, and expert consultants If you would like to know more the following contact details can assist:TPAA Email: tpaa@tpaa.com.au Web: www.tpaa.com.au Plant Register Web: www.treatmentplantregister.com.au President: Garrie James (03) 8706 1252 Secretary: Jack Norton (0418) 989 398 Contact Editor: Doug Howick (03) 9596 8166 www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

Mt Beauty Timber Industries Pty Ltd is seeking to clear all sawmilling plant & equipment from our site at Mount Beauty in N/East Victoria.

Most items priced under $20,000 List of items include; • Gibson Log Carriage with McKee Load Deck • Twin Circular Log B/Down Unit & Outfeed • Macsim Sizing Carriage with Loading Deck • 72” Klamath Band Saw • Isles Forge 54” Band Resaw & Roundabout • Grey Circular Saw Bench & Infeed • Sumner Multi Saw Edger • 48” Precision Chipper and Chip Screen • Twin Saw Board Dock/End Trim System • Board Unscrambler • Goldsmith & Vollmer Saw Sharpeners • Armstrong Band Saw Sharpener & Tensioner • 120M3 Solar kilns x 2 • Stainless Steel Reconditioning Chamber • Ingersoll Rand SSR 2000 10L Air Compressor • Transfers, Rollcases, Trolleys, Blowers & more

To view all items and prices visit our website at www.mtbeautytimber.com or contact Bruce on 0428 361497 or mbtimber@bigpond.com AUGUST 2015

17

ASSOCIATION

Significant Fair Work Commission decision to allow cashing out of annual leave across all modern awards • employees who are under 18 will need a parent/ guardian’s signature to a cashing out agreement

Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer Timber Trade Industrial Association

T

TIA STAFF are often asked by members if their award-covered employees can cash out their annual leave. Currently, unless that employee is covered by an award or an enterprise agreement that includes a provision that allows for the cashing out of annual leave, then no cashing out of annual leave is permitted under the Fair Work legislation. I’m happy to inform you about a positive change for employers.

The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission on 11 June 2015, as part of their four yearly review, held that all modern awards will be varied sometime soon to include a model term allowing for the cashing out of annual leave for all award covered employees. To clarify, ‘cashing out’ means an employee will be able to receive pay in lieu of taking their annual leave.

There will be a number of safeguards around the cashing out of annual leave: • only two weeks’ paid annual leave can be cashed out in any 12 month period (this would be a pro rata amount for your part-time employees) • employees must still have a residual balance of no less than 4 weeks’ annual leave left after cashing out • there must be an agreement in writing between you and your employee to cash out annual leave and you will be required to keep a copy of this agreement

The decision of the Commission was that all 122 modern awards should be varied to include this modern term.

The Commission indicated that it would publish draft determinations then invited parties were to make submissions. Final determinations will be published and TTIA Members will be advised when the changes commence.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about the proposed changes, please call the TTIA advisory line on (02) 9264 0011. TTIA will also deal with these issues in depth at Member seminars – see below.

• Question and answer opportunity on key employment topics will conclude the session.

The Workers Compensation session (p.m.) will deal with the following: New workers compensation changes for small, medium and large timber business including: a) Additional minimum and maximum premiums for stability and certainty; b) Simpler documentation that reduces administration; c) Rewards for businesses that maintain safe workplaces; and, d) I ncentives for employers to manage workers through safe recovery at work.

Industrial Relations / Workers Compensation update sessions

After almost 3 years under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 what has been the impact of this safety legislation for Timber businesses:

TTIA will be conducting industrial relations/ workers compensation update sessions throughout Australia during August. In particular, the key topics and issues to be dealt with during the IR sessions (am) include: What employers need to know about changing award conditions including superannuation obligations; • Important recent cases and updates on issues such as unfair dismissal, bullying and adverse action; • New products relating to partnerships with regard to fuel discounts, vehicle servicing and tyre replacement, foreign exchange products, electricity discounts, expanded training options, business coaching/ recruitment options; • Important TTIA template policies and forms to protect members from potential claims;

a) Prosecutions b) WorkCover’s attitudes c) Consultation d) Risk assessment e) Safety systems

As TTIA only conduct these sessions every 12 – 18 months, it is important that employers send at least one representative to keep ahead of what has been a rapidly changing workplace environment in recent times. Contact the TTIA Enquiry Line on (02) 9264 0011 for details of venues and dates.

YOU’ VE GOTTA GO WITH GOTTSTEIN The educational TRUST you can TRUST ..

.. to help develop the future leaders in Australia’s forest and wood industries.

Founded in 1971 to recognise the services of the late CSIRO scientist Bill Gottstein, the Trust has awarded more than 200 fellowships, most involving overseas travel.

Select someone in your business now to apply for a Gottstein Fellowship or Scholarship in 2016 under the Joseph William Gottstein Memorial Trust and give them the chance to further their experience, education or training either within or outside Australia.

Project topics are listed on the Gottstein website (www.gottsteintrust.org).

Candidates will be selected on the value of the project. Applications for each category will be considered by the Trustees and promising applicants will be selected for interviews in October 2015.

Further details at www.gottsteintrust.org or from the Secretary. The closing date for applications is September 18, 2015.

Applications should be forwarded to: Jim Bowden, Secretary, J. W. Gottstein Memorial Trust Fund, PO Box 330, Hamilton Central, Q 4007, or email gottsteinsecretary@bigpond.net.au 18

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AUGUST 2015

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ASSOCIATION

Think different, think customer, think of the opportunities

By Eric Siegers Executive Officer Timber Merchants Association

T

HE MORE I look at the building process the more I realise that we need to look at how production line technology can help the industry as a whole meet the ever shifting dynamics of the market and the consumer.

The consumer wants a house or renovation delivered on time in full. As we all know from personal experience and from our involvement in the industry this is a rare occurrence. If we look at the production line idea then it is easy to see how the supply chain falls apart on any particular project and results in a dissatisfied end customer.

The supply chain that delivers the renovation, home or office is filled with individual businesses operating as individual service providers and rarely (and for various reasons) works as a cohesive whole to achieve the desired outcome.

Yes, I know there are those that say “it’s impossible to get the coordination required to deliver a project on time in full”. In many ways I would agree with that particular statement.

However, if the independent businesses and small to medium sized businesses want to survive in a market dominated by Big Box stores and conglomerates that move their profits overseas then we have to undertake a paradigm shift in thinking.

We have to look at the ways where we can get communication flowing along the supply chain; where we can get material deliveries that are accurate and to spec; where we can get builders to share their knowledge of a particular build.

The list goes on. There are many questions to ask, but we have to ask them or risk facing a future devoid of diversity and flexibility and risk being swamped by imports that provide consumers with

solutions that are out of step with environmental, community and industry sustainability.

So, let’s ask the tough question... What will it take for an industry to deliver a renovation, home build or commercial construction on time in full?

If we take the production line model, then each of the links in the timber industry chain is an independent outsourced business. In a car manufacturer there would be planners tasked with the duty of coordinating the various elements in the supply chain to make certain products arrive on time. A lot of coordination happens to bring things together to deliver the products in full on time.

I’m not saying they get it right all the time, but the point is they try to do it and have systems in place.

It’s not as if the builder – merchant – sawmiller chain, for instance, can’t deliver a product on time in full, it’s that it takes skills and communication and a mindset to challenge the way we do things to a different way. What will it take to facilitate better communication between builder and merchant? What then will need to be modified to allow the timber manufacturer to know the deadline so it can be delivered on time? How will this affect pricing strategies?

The list is long, and it is easy to just continue doing things in the same old way because the alternative is just “too hard”. However, the market dynamics are pushing us all in a direction where speed, questions and meeting customer expectations quickly and effectively are all creating a paradigm that will either see us sink or build success by using collaboration as the significant competitive tool that other industries are using to build success in this current vibrant market.

If we use collaboration to seriously look at meeting the challenges, opportunities such as affordable housing begin to become viable options for the sector. Let’s not just think that everything has to be at the “top end” of the value spectrum to realise a profit – Henry Ford proved quite well the value in providing the needs of the masses.

Collaboration is not easy, and it’s not a silver bullet; it’s a process that helps open the doors that industry is having a tough time opening because

Australian softwood timber industry-wide EPD registered THE AUSTRALIAN timber industry has registered the first industry-wide Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) as part of the new Australasian EPD Program.

The industry supported development of the EPD through Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA). The EPD was produced by the Timber Development Association and sustainability expert thinkstep. The EPD will be available for building and design professionals via the WoodSolutions website. It is already available on the Australasian EPD Program website. The EPD confirms sawn Australian softwood as a “better than carbon neutral” building material considering cradle-to-gate and a typical landfill scenario.

“This project demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the Australian timber industry to sustainability,” says Chris Lafferty, Acting CEO of FWPA, “and I am pleased to see benefits flow to our members and levy payers from these credible environmental profiles.” “ We are excited to be involved with these EPDs as they disclose technical environmental information based on robust international standards rather than greenwash,” said Barbara Nebel, Managing Director of thinkstep in Australia.

www.timberbiz.com.au

The EPDs will also benefit timber product buyers as it will be easier to get credits for using Australian softwood timber in Building and Fitout projects seeking a rating under the Green Star building rating scheme. This EPD is the first of five industry-wide EPDs for Australian wood products authored by the Timber Development Association and thinkstep and independently verified by Catalyst. EPDs for Australian hardwood, particleboard, medium density fibreboard and plywood have also been finalised and will be registered soon.

The Australasian EPD® Program provides a platform across Australia and New Zealand for communicating credible environmental information. The program is aligned with the International EPD® System, to enable a harmonized and efficient platform for global EPD development and communication.

An EPD is a standardised and verified way of quantifying the environmental impacts of a product based on a consistent set of rules that have been developed through a stakeholder consultation process. These impacts are based on the product’s consumption of raw materials and energy, waste generation, and emissions to air, soil and water over its full life cycle. An EPD includes a carbon footprint alongside other environmental indicators.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER

AUGUST 2015

we are stuck in the mindset of “let’s ride it out – it’s how we have always survived”.

With the fundamental shift being undertaken in the market, doing things the same way and “toughing it out” won’t deliver the results that are sustainable. And that at the end of the day is what it’s about. Creating a business and business opportunities that are sustainable, that focus on meeting the paradigm shift head on.

Think different, think of the customer, and think of the opportunities (and there are plenty of them out there) and sustainability of business will start to come into view.

New emergency planning tool for SMEs FOR SMALL businesses that can’t afford expensive emergency planning consulting services but need to comply with government regulations and supplier standards, EmePoint, an online emergency planning tool developed

by Healthpoint ANZ, can be a boon.

EmePoint uses a framework developed by experts in risk identification, emergency planning management and business continuity planning. It guides users through an intuitive process online to produce a customised emergency response plan that identifies and assesses risks specific to the organisation.

After completing and publishing the plan they are ready to respond to an event and, when one occurs, they will be able to recover more rapidly.

Andy Wisheart, Emergency Planning Business Development Manager of Healthpoint ANZ, which offers customised cloud-based emergency planning software for SMEs, said there is an unmet need amongst SMEs for emergency planning.

“EmePoint allows a small business to easily develop a customised plan for emergencies, often within a day. EmePoint can provide small businesses in any sector with an emergency plan – from schools and law firms to garages and retail stores – not just the health sector.”

“Small businesses provide an enormous amount of goods and services to large organisations, but that’s all at-risk if they haven’t got a plan for responding to events that can limit their operational ability,” said Kate Rhind, Managing Director of Healthpoint ANZ. “The reliance on smaller companies by larger ones has seen an increase in contractual requirements around emergency planning, and it is mandatory for governmental contracts. The Australia worksafe legislation also places responsibility for emergency planning on employers.

Alongside this, any organisation seeking a quality accreditation will need to show comprehensive and robust planning.”

EmePoint covers a wide range of situations, from, amongst others, large-scale emergencies to smaller crises that disrupt small businesses, from risk identification to loss of power supply, disruption of utilities provision and telecomms and IT services.

www.emepoint.com/

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