Insider
THE MAGAZINE FROM USNR | ISSUE 45
Command center for world-class log line AKD BUILDS ITS EDGE TWO THUMBS FOR BOLSTERED BY UP USNR GRADING LOG LINE &WITH HSSTHG
NEW RESAW LINE BESTS COMPARISON SHOPPING PRODUCTION, PROFITS – WHY THG? AT MACKEYS FERRY
SÄVAR SAWMILL REVS UP CLOSING THE BAND GAP WITH ITS THIRD MILLTRAK 3D SAW PHASE
CONTENTS
Millwide Insider
BAND SAWS AND MORE!
ISSUE 45
In this issue we bring you three sawmill stories that feature band saws. USNR has been building band saws for generations, from such well known brands of yesteryear as Forano, Letson & Burpee (L&B), and Söderhamn Eriksson. We also describe our Process Study service that many USNR customers have used in their investment decision process. And last, but certainly not least, we highlight the many upgrades available for our Coastal Planer – a renowned industry workhorse.
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AKD SOFTWOODS AKD is pursuing a strategy to build up its competitive edge, moving it from 4th largest producer in the region, to second. Its success in doing so is a testament to the vision of its strong, resilient team. USNR’s new reciprocating log line and horizontal shape sawing system provided the means to support this accomplishment.
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USNR Woodland, WA: +1.360.225.8267 Mon. - Fri. 5:00 am - 5:00 pm PT 24/7 Service: +1.360.225.8267 www.usnr.com
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STUDYING THE PROCESS USNR offers customers a service where they can engage in a process study to validate their investment decisions. AKD was one customer that took advantage of this service. Many others have done so as well, and the result has confirmed or adjusted their plans to meet their specified goals. Check it out!
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Canada Post: Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to: USNR c/o Colleen Schonheiter, 3550 - 45th Street Southeast, Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1X1
NORRA TIMBER SÄVAR The world’s fastest band saw line has completed its final phase with the installation of its third LogMaster band saw. Top speed to date is 156 metres/min (511 ft./min), and the mill is running log gaps of only 40 cm (1.3 ft.). The mill also expects to achieve kerfs of 2 mm (0.078”).
MACKEYS FERRY SAWMILL This hardwood mill selected USNR to install a new resaw line with the goal to improve throughput at the carriage, and recover higher value products. The result is improved performance all the way down the line.
1981 Schurman Way, Woodland, WA 98674.
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Building a competitive edge NEW SAW LINE IMPROVES RECOVERY, PRODUCTIVITY, AND FLEXIBILITY In early 2015 AKD Softwoods began its quest for a new state-of-the-art sawline for its main Colac operation. The goal was to lower production costs through improved productivity and recovery, and lift flexibility by enabling a greater product range. After considering other recent large-scale projects in the region and evaluating other suppliers, USNR became the clear choice to transform this process at AKD. Civil construction on the buildings began in 2017, and the first log was processed on time on the 26th of March 2018.
The new Colac sawline was designed with no compromise, and is therefore one of the most modern in the world, and it supports one of the company’s key goals which is to be internationally competitive.
www.usnr.com | ISSUE 45 | Millwide Insider
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AKD SOFTWOODS – BUILDING A COMPETITIVE EDGE
USNR had recently completed several large-scale projects in the region, so we felt there was a high level of experience that was relevant for what we wanted to accomplish.
Shane Vicary, CEO of AKD, says the new Colac sawline was designed with no compromise, and is therefore one of the most modern in the world, and it supports one of the company’s key goals which is to be internationally competitive. Another key company requirement is safety, or to have zero harm in the workplace. This was one of the primary drivers behind how the sawline was designed, constructed, and is now operated. Associated Kiln Driers Pty Ltd, or AKD Softwoods, was founded in 1955, and its head office is based in Colac, Victoria, Australia. It also has operations at Irrewarra and Yarram, also in Victoria, and Caboolture in Queensland. AKD has a long history of growth through strategic acquisition, and continuous reinvestment. AKD owns over 9,500 hectares of Radiata Pine plantations, which supplies some of
its raw material for its mills, while the rest is sourced from sustainably managed plantations. AKD also owns and operates three post and pole businesses in Victoria.
Vendor considerations Shane described the consideration process behind selecting USNR to partner with AKD on this major investment. “It’s one thing to simply
RECIPROCATING QUAD BANDMILL LINE FLOW
LOG SCANNERS
SLEW/SKEW OPTIMIZED LOG INFEED
LOG TURNER 6 2. 5 0 0
PGLR SCANNERS
HORIZONTAL SHAPE SAW LINE
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CANTER HEADS
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choose an equipment vendor, and it is quite another to choose one from another country that is located on the other side of the world. AKD had completed previous projects with USNR and through those projects we formed a solid level of trust with USNR and its personnel. In addition, USNR had also recently completed several large-scale projects in the region, so we felt there was a high level of experience that was relevant for what we wanted to accomplish.” He continued, “We had equipment that was over 20 years old and we recognized that we needed to invest in efficient state-of-the-art equipment. The Colac site has a very high log cost due to high cartage costs, so we needed to maximize
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productivity and recovery to ensure our operation could be cost competitive, and therefore have a sustainable future.”
Embracing BioVision AKD was an early adopter of USNR’s BioVision technology, first installed on an edger in 2013 and subsequently upgraded on two trimmer lines. Shane notes, “We’ve been running the BioVision system for 4-5 years. It’s reliable and dependable, and very user-friendly. It certainly has made a difference for us. I’m a big fan.” He continued, “We just ordered our fourth BioLuma system, and we will be looking to order more for our other sawmills.”
We’ve been running the BioVision system for 4-5 years. It’s reliable and dependable, and very user-friendly. We just ordered our fourth BioLuma system, and we will be looking to order more for our other sawmills.
QUAD BANDMILLS
RECIPROCATING SHARP CHAIN CANT SCANNERS
HSS SAWBOX
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HSS CHIPPER MODULE
HSS PROFILER www.usnr.com | ISSUE 45 | Millwide Insider
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AKD SOFTWOODS – BUILDING A COMPETITIVE EDGE
Sideboards are separated from the cant downstream from the quad bandmills.
Reciprocating primary breakdown line The equipment supplied includes a reciprocating quad bandsaw line. It is designed for logs up to 650 mm (25.6”) in diameter and down to 150 mm (5.9”), in lengths up to 6.3 m (20.66 ‘). Design speed is 16 logs per minute.
Once logs are scanned, they are turned in the quad roll log turner, and a Precision Geometric Log Rotation (PGLR) scanner monitors and adjusts the turn in real time to match the turn solution from the log optimizer. The PGLR significantly improves cutting accuracy, increasing uplift and recovery. Log rotation error can be reduced by 50% or more. A mis-turn
The operator’s screen shows an optimized HSS breakdown solution.
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of as little as 2 degrees could wipe out an entire board in a small log, so the first cut is crucial for everything that happens downstream. Next the optimized log infeed provides slew and skew actuation, ensuring precise positioning ahead of the canter heads. Conical chip heads operate in a 30 degree vertical plane, keeping the cutting heads on the log center line, thus reducing side chipping forces and resulting in smoother feeding, better quality chips, and longer-lasting knives. The reciprocating sharp chain transition allows the mill the flexibility to slice off up to 4 flitches at the quad bandmill, then stop the forward motion and back the cant up to run through for a second pass, taking off up to 4 more flitches before releasing the center piece. This is an innovative design that is popular for some mills. Shane commented, “We were motivated to implement this reciprocation at Colac for flexibility and to conserve capital. We could have elected to install a second quad bandmill (and we have left room in our line for this in the future) but
The operator’s booth and console provides a bird’s eye view and control over the whole process.
it would be under-utilized with our current log size distribution for this mill. We felt that reciprocation would give us that additional flexibility to cut larger logs at Colac, and/or multiple cant sizes which we could not do previously, and therefore conserve capital for other projects.”
Horizontal Shape Sawing line Shane noted, “The HSS was designed with a profiler which was not originally in the scope, but after further consideration a profiling module was added to the contract. This addition was made to reduce the pressure on the single edging line, and maximize recovery.” Once the cant is released onto a belt at the outfeed of the bandsaw line, it is transported to the HSS line where it is scanned once again before being fed into the cutting tools. A shape chipper module chips off the remaining rounded sides of the cant, then a shape profiler cuts profiles into all 4 corners of the piece ahead of the horizontal shapesawing double arbor sawbox. The shape chipper, shape profiler and
shape-sawing sawbox all process the piece following its natural curvature, to produce longer and stronger boards, thus maximizing recovery. From the outfeed of the HSS, boards are transported on to the trimmer line.
Validating the investment An integral part of the decisionmaking process was to run a variety of scenarios or log studies to help determine the best course of action. Consideration for the operational process, as well as budget and return on investment, are essential elements to achieving the overall objectives of the investment. (See the feature on process studies, next article.) Shane described the process. “I think if you’re a good sawmiller you should already know what equipment you want. The log studies, however, are about validation – creating validation for your financial modelling. We wanted a robust business case and to ensure our strategic intent was going to be achieved. The log studies enabled us to point to empirical evidence as compared to just gut
The log studies enabled us to point to empirical evidence as compared to just gut feel, and helped us determine what equipment we needed rather than simply what we wanted.
feel, and helped us determine what equipment we needed rather than simply what we wanted. The scoping, log studies/validation and negotiation phases took a long time for both parties (and we appreciate USNR’s patience), as we were absolutely driven to ensure our project achieved all of our goals, from safety through to productivity and ultimately financial.”
www.usnr.com | ISSUE 45 | Millwide Insider
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AKD SOFTWOODS – BUILDING A COMPETITIVE EDGE
The AKD project team is pictured left to right: Shane Vicary, CEO; Paul Muscat, Maintenance Manager; Michael Johnson, Electrical Engineer; Warrren Eyers, Installation Supervisor; Craig Campbell, Project Manager; John Browne, Facility Manager; Mick Walker, Main Line Trainer; Luke Day, Team Leader Day Shift; and Adam Harris, Area Fitter. Missing from the photo: Brady Wicks, Electrical and Automation Engineer; and Toni Kirkup, Health & Safety Manager.
Road to success The line has now been operating for several months, and Shane is well-satisfied with the way it is performing. “We are still on the upward curve, but we are ahead of where we thought we would be. We would normally expect to have a long list of exceptions to work through on a project of this size, but at this stage we do not have any major issues and only a small number of minor issues to work through. The line has been running really well, right from the first day.” One highlight Shane noted was that the AKD team managed the project in-house. “This relates back to another one of our business goals, to develop a high performing team. We therefore created an in-house project team and it worked really well. In hindsight, I probably should have had a bit more segregation between the project and our operational business, as it created a lot of extra pressure for one or two individuals. The AKD team is very proud of taking on the project management, and it has ensured that the
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Millwide Insider | ISSUE 45 | www.usnr.com
individuals engaged in the project are here today ensuring the plant is operating successfully. They were responsible for all the planning, all the civil and building adjustments, installing the equipment, and now they are responsible for running it. That has given our team a real sense of personal ownership, and they should be proud of what they have achieved.” Shane also acknowledged the USNR team, saying it was very professional and its skill contributed to a very successful commissioning phase of the project. Another challenge was several large organizational changes occurred for the business at the same time. In March of 2018, the same month the new equipment came online, AKD acquired two new sawmills: Yarram Victoria and Caboolture Queensland (from Carter Holt Harvey Woodproducts). Shane said, “March was probably one of the craziest months of my career. We had 3 large events all happening at the same time, and a fourth happening in the background. Subsequently AKD has announced that it will be
We’re still on the upward curve, but we are ahead of where we thought we would be. The line has been running really well, right from the first day.
acquiring the Tumut NSW sawmill and a 50% stake in the Highland Pine operation in Oberon and other associated sites. Therefore, AKD completed this large-scale project in-house at the same time as acquiring four additional sawmills.” These latest advancements will project AKD further along its path to operational excellence and maintain its strong competitive edge.
Process studies
Analyzing your options SIMULATIONS PROVIDE REAL DATA TO GUIDE INVESTMENT DECISIONS USNR offers log and process studies to help you gauge the potential benefits of your investment. This service is available to all USNR customers, and can be a key element in directing and validating your capital investment plans. Following are a few examples that demonstrate the value this service can provide for your decision making process.
Analyzing the process An integral part of the decisionmaking process for AKD (see mill story, Page 3) was to run a variety of scenarios or process studies to validate their decisions on the capital investments they planned to make. USNR’s Monica
Thomas, sales support engineer, (see profile Page 12) provides this service for USNR customers, to help them gauge the validity of choosing one processing path over another. The studies evaluate machine capabilities, upstream and downstream constraints and bottlenecks, what-if analysis of one
processing application vs. another, or comparison of a variety of applications. Process studies such as these may or may not become part of a larger feasibility study that would be performed by an engineering firm during the planning phase of a capital investment project.
www.usnr.com | ISSUE 45 | Millwide Insider
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PROCESS STUDIES — ANALYZING YOUR OPTIONS
Purpose The mill determines the purpose for doing a study, and its objectives help USNR understand the goals it wants to acheive. The purpose for the study will dictate the level of detail that is required. Some projects will require a more in-depth analysis than others depending on the complexity and scale of the project. Sometimes a mill may want to evaluate a variety of possible processing options, particularly if it is contemplating a major change to its capacity, its log diet, its product mix, or a change in market strategy. A study will analyze all the scenarios the mill wants to consider to determine which solution will best meet its goals, both short and long term. Following are typical considerations for preparing a process study, and for collecting the pertinent data:
Equipment specific information,
existing and proposed
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kerfs chippers and saws shifting limits skewing limits optimization
Reporting With any study, the mill reviews the model(s) and confirms the accuracy at each step in the process:
Review log distribution Review mill model(s) Review targeted solutions Outline simulations Show simulation comparisons Outline production assumptions Show production models Summarize findings
M ill goals vs. existing operating
conditions Proposed mill flow(s) vs. existing Mill specific information, for
building the optimization model
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log distribution nominal sizes, target sizes wane rules board prices
Below: Typical steps involved in studying incremental changes.
Run 1 : Current baseline
How much improvement with just adding optimized rotation?
What happens to recovery with a new log line? What happens to production?
Run 2: Add optimized Log Rotation
What happens to recovery if profiling vs sending to an edger?
Run 3: Replace log line Run 4: Add profiling to line
What happens to production with no edger bottleneck?
Run 5: Upgrade Trimmer/Sorter/Stacker
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How much more mill capacity could there be if trimmer/sorter/stacker is upgraded too?
Focus: Studying the process
Q& A MI – Please describe how you go about
gathering and analyzing the information you use for the process studies.
MT – I try to assume that I know nothing about
what the customer does or how they do it, so I don’t miss any of the nuances that make them unique. The account manager is a key element in the process having built a long-term relationship with the customer, and he knows what the customer wants to achieve. We collect information about the fiber that the mill processes, how they process it and the products that they produce. As I work through the customer’s setup in the optimizer, I source specific product information from our engineering teams. What capabilities will the equipment have, and what limits may affect the flow of production?
MONICA THOMAS: SALES SUPPORT ENGINEER USNR’s technical engineer who performs our log and process studies is Monica Thomas, based from her home at Kelowna, BC. Monica is a sales support engineer at USNR. Her first foray into our industry was as a coop student for USNR, while she was enrolled in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Victoria in BC. Once she completed her degree, she began her career at USNR fulltime. She rapidly moved up from a technical support position to take on the role of optimization project manager, specializing in carriages. For several years Monica enjoyed her time traveling the world to assist in carriage start-ups, but in time she needed a more stable schedule. She took a hiatus from USNR for several years, working as operations manager for a local manufacturing firm, which gave her an excellent grounding in the business world. In 2015 she rejoined USNR to assist the sales team, utilizing optimization computer models to help customers determine the technology solution that best suits their goals and their application.
We work to understand the mill’s current process, and then test the proposed equipment using our optimization software. We want to be sure that we are proposing the best option for the customer’s requirements. The simulation methodology and findings are summarized in a report provided to the customer. The simulations produce data that mills use to justify major capital expenditures, so we have a responsibility to be as accurate as possible.
MI – What is the broad scope of projects you’ve been involved with preparing studies for?
MT – I’ve worked on all scopes of projects – from $100k projects to modify existing equipment, to analyzing new greenfield sawmill projects.
MI – What aspects of your role do you find most rewarding, and why?
MT – I understand the challenges when trying to
make changes in an organization with a limited budget, and shareholders that want qualitative data to justify improvement projects. If I can assist someone in that role to move forward on a project that helps their company reach their goals, it’s a win-win. Every week I get a glimpse into a different company with a different set of challenges. I believe that I’ve helped some of them move forward in solving those challenges. I couldn’t ask for a more rewarding job.
www.usnr.com | ISSUE 45 | Millwide Insider
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PROCESS STUDIES — ANALYZING YOUR OPTIONS
CASE STUDY: AKD SOFTWOODS The study performed for AKD yielded a 42-page report. The report covers the mill’s operational requirements and targets, simulations and their parameters, equipment configuration scenarios, production analysis, and a summary of the findings. The AKD summary included the following recovery projections, and where production bottlenecks would occur or be alleviated given several processing scenarios: % increase in recovery to go from the existing line to a Positioning Infeed coupled with an updated mechanically guided curve sawing gang % increase in recovery to go from a Positioning Infeed to a Short Optimized Log Infeed % increase in recovery to go from a mechanically guided curve sawing machine to Horizontal Shape Sawing (see sample comparison below) % increase in recovery to go from single quad bandmills to double quad bandmills
Sawing patterns provided: 100mm cant
Sample of grade zones being used to box the core wood (mechanically guided curve sawing)
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Sawing patterns provided: 150mm cant
Sample of grade zones being used to box the core wood (horizontal shape saw curve sawing)
CASE STUDY: ADD POSITIONING INFEED WITH QASB A mill in the southern US was considering adding a positioning infeed with a Quad Arbor Saw Box (QASB). One concern that was raised during the analysis was the fact that the downstream equipment could limit the production
Log Distribution Dia (in)
Combined
4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 13 13.5 14 14.5
0.01% 0.07% 0.51% 1.67% 4.06% 6.80% 10.40% 15.72% 17.37% 14.10% 11.04% 6.83% 4.83% 3.07% 1.78% 0.92% 0.45% 0.20% 0.09% 0.04% 0.02% 0.01%
Weighted Ave/Log Combined:
Log Line Capacity Logs / Minute 8ft 2x4 Only
Edger Flitches/Log 8ft 2x4 Only 0.03 0.07 0.07 0.04 0.32 0.90 1.22 1.83 2.00 2.03 2.39 2.80 3.03 3.38 3.91 3.95
32.79 32.79 32.79 32.79 32.79 32.68 32.79 32.64 32.40 32.01 31.70 31.61 30.37 29.78 29.26 29.24 27.45 25.11 23.65 22.61 23.35 22.10
32.02
# Pieces to the # Pieces to the Trimmer per log Trimmer per log 8ft 8ft 2x4 Only 2x4 Only 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.00 3.83 3.83 4.97 4.97 5.98 5.98 5.99 5.99 6.49 6.49 6.95 6.95 7.35 7.35 8.68 8.68 10.00 10.00 11.45 11.45 11.94 11.94 12.40 12.40 13.11 13.11 13.80 13.80 14.59 14.59 15.86 15.86 17.59 17.59 17.91 17.91
0.31
6.91 6.91
at the log line. Monica conducted an evaluation to analyze the impact. She found that the trimmer would limit the mill’s production on larger logs with high piece rates.
Log Distribution Dia (in)
Combined
4 4.5 5 5.5 6 6.5 7 7.5 8 8.5 9 9.5 10 10.5 11 11.5 12 12.5 13 13.5 14 14.5
0.01% 0.07% 0.51% 1.67% 4.06% 6.80% 10.40% 15.72% 17.37% 14.10% 11.04% 6.83% 4.83% 3.07% 1.78% 0.92% 0.45% 0.20% 0.09% 0.04% 0.02% 0.01%
Weighted Ave/Log Combined:
Log line running at capacity Varies Trimmer at capacity 185 Edger at Capacity 45 Logs / Minute to Reach Downstream Capacity 8ft 2x4 Only 32.79 32.79 32.79 32.79 32.79 32.68 30.93 30.87 28.49 26.63 25.15 21.32 Largest Logs only 18.50 1 0 Logs/min vs 16.16 22 logs/min 15.49 because of Trimmer 14.92 14.11 bottleneck 13.41 12.68 27.2 logs/min as 11.66 compared to 10.52 10.33 32 logs/min
27.22
CASE STUDY: NEW PATTERN SAWING MILL WITH PROFILING A producer in New Zealand wanted to build a pattern sawing mill, including profiling. The sales team recommended optimized sawing to an edger as the
optimum solution in this application. Monica was asked to do a study that analyzed the potential uplift in grade and value with optimized sets and a downstream edger.
BioVision Edger solution
Profiled board solution from cut pattern
Recovery comparison between optimized sawing and pattern based sawing
Recovery
Value comparison between optimized sawing and pattern based sawing
Value
www.usnr.com | ISSUE 45 | Millwide Insider
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PROCESS STUDIES — ANALYZING YOUR OPTIONS
CASE STUDY: ADD TILT TO EXISTING ELI 2.50%
4.0%
Tilt 3 Skews
1 .50%
Tilt 5 Skews
1 .00%
Tilt 7 Skews
0.50%
0.00%
-0.50%
3.5%
Tilt 1 Skew
% Increase LRF
% Increase Recovery
2.00%
Tilt 9 Skews 4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
3.0% 2.5% 2.0% 1 .5% 1 .0% 0.5% 0.0%
Tilt 1 1 Skews
4
6
Log Diameter
In another study, a mill in Alberta was considering adding tilt to the existing Extended Length Infeed (ELI). The setup for the simulation was relatively easy because the mill already had USNR optimization on their existing line. When the vertical skew capabilities were initially added to the log line simulations it had unexpectedly little effect on the recovery. As a result, the simulations took
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10
12
Log Diameter
14
16
18
a week longer than planned as every possibility was considered. Due to the study results, the mechanical design for the upgrade was changed to allow more tilt than originally configured, ensuring the right design was implemented to meet the mill’s operational goals.
CASE STUDY: ADD PROFILING TO GANGSAW A company in the US Southeast wanted to estimate how adding profilers to their gang would affect their production. Monica said, “Production can be difficult to model because the real world does not always behave the same as the simulation world. The log study predicted that the trimmer would see about 15% fewer lugs filled with reman. It was gratifying to hear that once the upgrades were made, the customer achieved their production goals.”
Distribution by number of logs
Plan your next project We have many more such examples of the benefits of conducting studies to evaluate your process while planning your capital investments. Contact us to learn more about this service, and let us help you plan out your next project.
Estimated Average Weighted to the Log Distribution
Existing Gang
Gang w Profilers
Average total edger flitches per log:
2.69
1 .30
Average trimmer lugs per log:
8.1 2
6.73
Average subwidth boards from the gang per log: Reman boards as a percentage of lugs: Estimated logs/min with current downstream capacity:
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1 .71
0.32
1 9.7%
4.8% (1 4.9%)
1 1 .2
1 3.0 (1 6.0%)
Norra Timber - Sävar
World’s fastest band saw line SÄVAR SAWMILL SETS THE MARK HIGH In August 2017, the first logs were sawn on Norra Timber’s new line at its sawmill in Sävar, Sweden. The line was designed with the bold notion of being the fastest band saw line ever conceived. During the summer of 2018 the facility reached its full capacity with the installation of its third LogMaster HPS resaw.
The top speed that we have run in the new saws is 156 meters per minute (511 ft/min.) so far. We have no records of any band saw running faster than 150 m/min.
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NORRA TIMBER – WORLD’S FASTEST BANDSAW LINE
Johan Fredriksson, Norra Timber project manager (left), and Mats Ekberg, USNR engineer, stand above the line upstream from the Logmaster HPS 1800 resaw. This is the third and final phase of the project.
We have been running a year now and it operates really well. We don’t have much room for error, especially with log gaps of only 40 cm (1.3 ft).
In Millwide Insider issue #43 we told you about the band saw line at Norra Timber near Sävar, Sweden. At the time, though it still had one phase to go, it was touted to be the world’s fastest. Having completed the final phase, the goals have now been reached. Sävar Sawmill has a long history of band saws from USNR. The old line, with its speed of 65 m/min (213 ft/min.), had served the mill for about 40 years and was now ready for a well-deserved retirement, to make way for new technology in a fast-paced market.
BAND SAW LINE LAYOUT - COMPLETED THIRD PHASE 750E ROTARY LOG TURNER
CHIPPER CANTER 2500
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CHIPPER CANTER 2500
LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW
SKID BAR CONVEYOR
Aggressive goals The goals for the new line were set high; to double the speed and halve the kerfs, all with an increased recovery. To achieve this, all the latest innovations of sawing technology were applied to the project. The design features two chipper canters upstream of the saws. This provides a square cant for the first saw, thus reducing the cut height to get maximum speed and less sawdust. Norra Timber chose not to replace the old resaw during the first stage of the investment. It soon became clear that the slower resaw was the bottleneck of the line. So, during the summer of 2018 a tri-band Logmaster HPS 1800 was installed, allowing the line to reach its full capacity.
Third phase is complete Johan Fredriksson, Project Manager at Norra Timber, commented on the latest installation. “The third Logmaster HPS (the resaw) has been in service for three weeks and it runs very well. We’re still tuning the controls to match the high speed. It has already been running at 70-150 m/min (230-500 ft./min) depending on log size, and several times we’ve increased the speed above that rate. The production line runs at its targeted capacity now, about 230,000 cubic meters of sawn lumber annually.”
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ROTARY CANT TURNER
Johan expressed his approval of the line now that the final phase is complete. “We have been running a year now and it operates really well. Of course, there are challenges with running at such high speeds. We don’t have much room for error, especially with log gaps of only 40 cm (1.3 ft.).” Johan went on to say he believes the line can operate at up to 180 meters/min. (600 ft./min) with the saw blade speed of 100 m/sec. (330 ft./sec.).
We need more tests before we get there, but kerfs of 2 mm are absolutely within reach of these saws.
He explained one challenge the mill experienced in the past year. “During the first winter of service the saw line faced a two-month period of blistering cold weather with temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius (-4 F) and colder. Processing frozen logs is quite different from doing it under warmer conditions.”
typically 4 mm (0.15”)). Johan reported, “Our normal kerf is 2.8 mm (0.11”) and we have performed tests with 2.2 - 2.4 mm (0.0860.095”) We need more tests before we get there, but kerfs of 2 mm (0.08”) are absolutely within reach with these saws.”
He also noted that the mill needed to do some tuning of the chipper canters during this period, which is typical with any new equipment. Johan explained that, since the saws always cut square cants, the side boards produced have a more uniform shape, which decreases the demand on the edgers. All these factors served to push the bottleneck in the production line further downstream. Originally the mill planned an ambitious goal to halve the kerfs from the already thin kerfs of 3 (0.12”) mm (circular saws are
LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW
“ The top speed that we have run through the new saws is 156 meters per minute (511 ft./min) so far. For longer periods, a couple of shifts at a time, we have run at 150 m/min. (500 ft./min). We have no records of any band saw running faster than 150 m/min.” Looking to the future, Johan said the mill’s next step is to install a new stacker expected to be up and running during late fall of this year. “We are also building an additional dry kiln as we speak. When these installations are finished we plan for a yearly production of 250,000 to 270,000 cubic meters.”
LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW
FLOW
FLOW
SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR
SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR
TO TRIMMER
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Mackeys Ferry Sawmill
Production, profits trending up HIGHER THROUGHPUT, MORE VALUABLE OUTPUT. LONG-TIME USNR CUSTOMER STILL A BIG FAN. With an aging resaw linebar that required a team to keep it going, Mackeys Ferry Sawmill knew it was time to update its process. Its goal was to improve throughput and be able to handle larger pieces at the resaw, with a focus on providing a high piece count with minimum gap between pieces. Today the benefits from this investment are being felt all the way down the line.
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We've dramatically changed our product mix. With a bigger block size we're able to push a more valuable, thicker board to the outside of the log with less loss, and less edging required.
Its existing resaw was no longer up to doing its job when Mackeys Ferry Sawmill solicited bids for a new system. The company reviewed resaw lines from all the major bandmill suppliers to find the right fit to meet their processing goals. The result is a line that is satisfying those needs, and a lot more.
The view from the new operator's cab.
Family owned/operated The Jones family owns the Mackeys Ferry Sawmill at Roper, NC where it processes hardwood lumber. It also owns J.W. Jones Lumber at Elizabeth City, NC. That location processes high grade Southern Yellow Pine boards, and it has a chip mill on the same site. Wilson Jones III is co-owner of the company and manages the Mackeys Ferry operation while his brother, Stephen Jones, is co-owner and manager of the Elizabeth City mill, and he is also president of the company. The Jones family has been in the lumber business since 1882. The Mackeys Ferry Sawmill comprises a sawmill, planer mill, dry kilns and log yard; the mill is a typical hardwood sawmill that has been added on to and retrofitted many times over the years since its inception in 1959. In 1987 the mill was acquired by Wilson III's father, Wilson Jones Jr., who is now mostly retired. The Mackeys Ferry mill cuts red and white oak, soft maple, yellow poplar, ash and cypress. Products include primarily 4/4 and 5/4, and a small
percentage is 7/4. About 80% is exported to Asia, with the remainder marketed domestically. The mill employs about 70 people, and it has a capacity in the range of 12 mmbf.
brothers decided it was the right time to implement a replacement for the old line, and bring it up to modern standards.
Mackeys Ferry Sawmill is located just off of Albemarle Sound, a large estuary on the east coast of North Carolina. Its close proximity to the deep-water port at Norfolk, Virginia only 90 miles away, provides sthe mill with easy access to ship its products to export markets. Mackeys Ferry has developed close ties with some small to mid-size factories in Asia.
The new line The new equipment starts with a carriage outfeed transfer, then a transfer table to transport the squared timbers to the resaw line. An infeed transfer and table queue up the material for sawing, and the
Setting the goal Wilson explained the need for the new resaw. “ The original system we had was worn out. It was an old bandmill built in 1959, and a linebar that was installed around 1972-73. We had upgraded it and replaced components, but it was really labor intensive to run it. We had 3 men working on it and it was just worn out. We originally planned to replace it in 2007, but when we saw the economy falling we held off until the time seemed right.” Fast forward to 2015 when the Jones
Previously we were cutting a lot of those pieces 4/4 or 5/4, and now we can go 6/4 or even 8/4. It’s made that log yield more profit. Our production is up about 12-13%.
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MACKEYS FERRY SAWMILL – PRODUCTION, PROFITS TRENDING UP
Now we have an 18” block capacity, so we put less lines on the log at the carriage. That translates to fewer carriage passes, and more valuable fiber processed at the resaw.
line-bar positions each piece for feeding into the bandmill. The linebar ’s fence section is 12” high by 10’ long, and positioned by a hydraulic servo-linear positioner for a total travel of 12” from the saw line. The 72” double column bandmill resaw is USNR’s renowned L&B design featuring a full air strain system. The outfeed shifting and separator tables are designed to effectively and efficiently remove the slab or shim, and separate the boards from the return cant. The boards are dropped onto a lower deck for transport to
the USNR optimized edger. Boards not requiring edging are transported to a landing table and on to the trimmer transfer. Except for the hydraulic linear positioners all other motors and devices are electric. The PLC control system for the resaw line was updated to the ControlLogix architecture. A new operator ’s cab was supplied, outfitted with the latest technology for ease of operation as well as comfort for the operator. As an integral part of the project, the USNR optimization system for both
CARRIAGE / RESAW LINE LOWER DECK TO EDGER
FROM CARRIAGE
FLOW TO TRIMMER
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW TO TRIMMER
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
FLOW
LINEBAR RESAW
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OPERATOR'S CAB
carriage and resaw was upgraded. The carriage optimizer features LASAR scanning on both front and back sides.
Achieving milestones One of the project’s key design goals was to provide a high piece count with minimum gap between pieces. Outfeed separation and waste board management were also very important features of the design. The system includes height and width sensing for automatic cut pattern that can be overruled by the operator, if desired. Luc Frigon, USNR project manager, commented on a production milestone. “They broke a mill production record just before Christmas (2016) achieving 8,200 board ft./hr.”
A processing solution is displayed on a screen in the operator's cab.
Wilson described the results the mill has achieved with the new line. “We saw some immediate gains. One of the statistics that we look at is lines per log.” He continued, “On our old system the resaw had a 12” block capacity. Now we have an 18” block capacity, so we put less lines on the log at the carriage. That translates to fewer carriage passes, and more valuable fiber processed at the resaw. With the old resaw we probably fed a poplar cant at about 200 feet/min. On this machine that same size cant can be fed at about 330 feet/min.”
More benefits
He continued, “On the old line, if we had a 24” log we had to saw it down to 12” before we could present it to the resaw. Now we can take up to a 30” log and cut an 18” cant off of that and send it to the resaw. That’s a big benefit.” Another benefit he described, “We’ve dramatically changed our product mix. With the bigger block size we’re able to push a more valuable, thicker board to the outside of the log with less loss. Because we’re canting that log at a larger size, there is less loss and less edging required. Previously we were cutting a lot of those pieces 4/4 or 5/4, and now we can go 6/4 or even 8/4. It’s made that log yield more profit.”
“The project installed nicely, then we started looking at production and we could just see the trends going straight up. As we learned how to utilize the features of the resaw we’ve made changes in how we approach sawing the log at the carriage now that we’ve got so much more capacity.” Wilson continued, “We’re still working on a few things within our organization to make the system run better, but we couldn’t ask for a better system.”
Wilson explained, “We saw everything up on the resaw. We have a dispatch system where we send a waney board to the edger, a good board to the trimmer, and the cant returns to the resaw. Our production is up about 12-13%. Not only do we get more throughput on the line, we also get increased throughput at the kiln because our sizes are so much more uniform. More uniform product sizes mean it is easier and faster to dry the lumber.”
A key USNR member on the project was Eric Brousseau, who at the time was general manager at USNR’s Plessisville, Quebec facility, but has since been promoted to vice president, overseeing all of USNR’s manufacturing activities. Wilson Jones commented on Eric’s role in
the mill's decision to select USNR for this project. “Eric showed us the video of the Bégin and Bégin carriage and resaw system, with slabs immediately removed right off the end of the outfeed. That was what sold us. Lots of our colleagues in this industry have problems with getting slabs dropped out to the chipper.” Wilson also noted that the company has been a USNR customer since 1947. “We have two USNR edgers, two trim-sort-stack lines, a shape sawing gang, and between both Mackeys Ferry and Elizabeth City we have seven USNR dry kilns. My grandfather bought his first Moore dry kiln and it’s still in use today.”
The project installed nicely, then we started looking at production and we could just see the trends going straight up. We couldn't ask for a better system.
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MACKEYS FERRY SAWMILL – PRODUCTION, PROFITS TRENDING UP
At the resaw outfeed, boards are separated off to go for edging or trimming, while the cant is transported back around for another pass.
Team effort Wilson praised the members of the team responsible for installing and commissioning the new equipment. “Bob Gaston is the mill’s PLC controls technician, who made a huge contribution to the installation and to converting the old controller to the new ControlLogix platform. Terry Morgan, our staff electrician, performed all the electrical installation. Our maintenance manager and sawmill foreman is Cecil Richardson. We has been instrumental in the installation and the every-day maintenance of the new line. James Downs is our sawfiler, and he absolutely loves the L&B bandmill. He says it’s a beast. The whole team did a phenomenal job, and I’m very proud of them.” Wilson also noted two other key people involved with the mechanical installation, Mike Reynolds and Greg Davis of D.R. Reynolds. He said the company has had a good working
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relationship with the Mackeys Ferry and J.W. Jones mills spanning 20 years. Looking ahead Wilson expects to do further updates in the next few years, but says the mill will require updating the electrical system before that can happen. He says for now the plan is to keep their heads down and pay off debt. This new line, with its higher production and more profitable recovery, will help meet that goal.
Scan the code to see the line in action, or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/product/ VerticalResaw/videos
Coastal Planer upgrades
Updates for an industry legend BETTER-THAN-EVER PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY The Coastal planer is designed for superior lumber surfacing at speeds of 3000 fpm. It offers the flexibility to ribbon feed or configure a gap. Advanced features like quick-change cutter heads, rapid lumber set-up changes, and easy-access maintenance, make operating the Coastal Planer a breeze, and have contributed to its industry popularity. With the latest technology advancements applied to this workhorse, it is even more efficient and productive. It just keeps going, and going, and going!
Most of the Coastal planers built are still in operation. In fact the very first unit is still running at a mill in Colorado!
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COASTAL PLANER UPGRADES — UPDATES FOR AN INDUSTRY LEGEND
MANY UPGRADES AVAILABLE USNR’s Coastal planer is renowned in the industry as a workhorse that maximizes quality and production, minimizes downtime, and is easy to maintain. With over 150 Coastal Planer systems installed since the mid-1970’s, and many more successful upgrades done, the Coastal planer has developed a well-deserved reputation among planer operators for providing years of consistent and reliable production. Most of the Coastal planers built are still in operation. In fact the very first unit is still running at a mill in Colorado!
Even after years of brute-force service, technology advances can breathe new life into this steadfast system. USNR has developed many upgrades including infeed table upgrades, the patented electric drive conversion, controls system upgrades, automatic jointing, setworks, and advanced knife conversions. These advances are described in detail below. Upgrading your Coastal planer system is a worthwhile investment that can greatly increase its efficiency, and offers an attractive return on investment particularly when productivity is an issue.
Infeed table upgrade USNR has updated the Coastal planer infeed and bridge system with 16” diameter pineapple rolls that have a more aggressive tooth pattern and an open profile to facilitate picking up the boards. It also features a closed-loop tensioning and positioning system so one push of a button sets all the feed rolls and pressures. This results in better pressure control, product feeding and recipe setting options for different product widths and thicknesses. It features automatic thin board control, whereby the system automatically senses a thin board and drops the pineapples to grab the board and shoot it off to the planer.
Electric feed roll TEFC motor and driveline Electric drives are now available for both the planer and the infeed. The powered hold-down and electric drive ensures better speed regulation and a constant, smooth flow of material. This replaces worn or obsolete hydraulic drive motors. Electric motors and gear ratios can be easily tailored to suit any application. The conversion can be further customized with VFD’s, HMI’s and control systems integration. . Factory assembled drive modules make installation easy. With careful planning, most drive retrofits can be completed over a two-day weekend.
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Top, bottom head TEFC motor and driveline Head drives can be converted to drivelines with standard TEFC motors, on top and bottom cutter heads. If space is available behind the planer, this upgrade takes the Coastal custom drive motors off the head carriers, and mounts standard off-the-shelf TEFC motors on a fixed motor base behind the planer.
Kanefusa knives Knives coated with Advanced Material Technology stay sharper longer. It changes the knife wear characteristics and reduces residue adhesion, delivering dramatic gains in machine-uptime and reduced grinding costs. This applies to straight knife top and bottom
heads and straight knife side heads. This upgrade delivers a longer cutting life between knife changes, with less knife jointing required on lumber production runs. USNR is the exclusive distributor of Kanefusa knives in North America.
Automatic servo jointer Existing manual jointer assemblies are replaced with complete top and bottom cutterhead or top and bottom profiler automatic jointer assemblies. This upgrade creates a more consistent jointing performance and a safer environment with less risk of accidents. In the event of control power or motor failure, the jointer can be operated manually with a manual indexing knob that overrides the motor. The traversing assembly is easily disconnected. Upon power loss, memory is retained for the battery life of the PLC, typically two years. Manual controls are also provided. New automatic jointers require a simple modification to the existing mount brackets by drilling and tapping new mounting holes.
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COASTAL PLANER UPGRADES — UPDATES FOR AN INDUSTRY LEGEND
Servo setworks Existing manual or hydraulic setworks are converted to electric actuation allowing for quick changes to product size and thickness, improved setting and sizing accuracy, and increased reliability. This upgrade can be applied to top and bottom heads, sideheads, or the top head profiler, and multiple axes. Adjustments can be made remotely from outside the planer room.
Controls system Bring your controls system into the 21st century with an update that offers immediate performance improvement and ensures against obsolescence. ControlLogix and CompactLogix control systems are
now available to replace AllenBradley PLC5 and older existing systems which are no longer supported. Controls can be hard wired to a fixed located touch screen interface. Other options include controls via wireless tablet or similar means at customer request.
Coastal Planers are built to last for decades. In any region, any species, and any material dimension, your Coastal planer will keep going, and going, and going.
Others available USNR has developed many other upgrade options to keep your system running efficiently for years to come including the top and side head chipbreaker, top head hydraulic pressure plate, side head holdover roller, side head guide shoe rapidadjust system, side head holdown shoe system, hydraulic pressure plate, to name a few.
Scan the code to see an animation of these upgrades, or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/product/ CoastalPlaner/videos
We’re not exhibiting. Over the past 30 years USNR has always exhibited at the Portland Machinery Show in a very big way, but this year we have decided to skip the show entirely. Right now, we are just too busy to devote the manpower needed to participate in this show in a high-quality way. We are pleased to report that customer demand for our products is at an all-time high, and we are now working through a record backlog of committed customer orders.
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Accordingly, we believe that the most important thing we can do for our customers is to keep all hands on-deck, focusing 100% of our energy on delivering the quality products and services that our customers need. To those of you who will be attending this year ’s Portland Machinery Show, we’re sorry to miss you. We look forward to connecting with you in other ways, hopefully sometime very soon.
NEW PROJECTS Biewer Lumber – Edger, Trimmer Optimization Biewer Lumber in Prentice, Wisconsin is updating its Edger, Trimmer and WinTally systems to the latest USNR software and hardware release. This investment will ensure the reliability, competitiveness and supportability of its sawmill edger, trimmer and sorter processes at this site. The new technology will improve recovery and increase uptime with simplified calibrations, improved diagnostics, and supportable hardware and software. Proven algorithms provide the most valuable cut solution, using input from the mill user, measurements from the sensors, and available operator inputs. Biewer is based in St. Clair, MI and operates 5 lumber operations in Wisconsin, Michigan and Mississippi.
Bois CFM – New Sawmill Bois CFM has contracted with USNR to supply its new sawmill at Causapscal, Quebec. The mill will process Aspen logs from 4” to 22” diameters, and ranging from 76” to 106” in length. The order includes an end dogging carriage system with LASAR scanning, quad arbor sawbox with top chip head, 6” vertical arbor gang, transverse edger line with BioLuma 2900L sensors, MillTrak lumber flow control system, and trimmer optimization system with BioLuma 2900L sensors.
Canfor – HSS with profiling Canfor Southern Pine at Moultrie, GA is investing in USNR’s Horizontal Shape Saw complete with profiling module. The HSS is a unique machine that combines canting, profiling and sawing in a single machine center. The new machine replaces two existing straight sawing gangs, a 12” double arbor and a 6” single arbor gang. The new equipment will be installed in a new section of the sawmill building. The project will be supplied on a turn-key basis, with USNR providing the equipment and Mid-South Engineering handling the engineering and construction supervision on the new structure.
Canoe Forest – New HoldDown System Canoe Forest Products at Canoe, BC is installing a powered veneer clipper hold-down system on its green veneer line. This hold-down system detects fold over ribbons and multiple layers of veneer prior to the clipper. It holds the veneer taut for scanning, providing a better image and more accurate scanning solution.
Magistral-Transit – Catech and Eurosaw USNR will supply a complete circular saw logline in the summer of 2019. The order comprises a classic design circular logline with a Catech 400 TS-5 edger optimizer on the first pass. The side boards on the second
pass are profiled on a EuroSaw FDP equipped with cutter heads. The log breakdown head rig is a 24012 canter with 110 kWt drives per side, and a double arbor EuroSaw S4D circular saw. Both the logline and an edger will be equipped with USNR optimization, Bioluma scanning heads, as well as USNR PLC controls. Magistral-Transit, located in the Irkutsk region (Russia), installed a Cambio 75 debarking line in the spring of 2018. The annual capacity of the logline is 400,000 m3.
McDowell Lumber – BioLuma technology McDowell Lumber, a hardwood producer located at Asheboro, North Carolina, is updating its edger and trimmer optimization systems with BioLuma scanning technology. The edger line will receive a new scanner frame to house the new sensors, while the trimmer line’s scan frame will be modified to accommodate the sensors. This new scanning technology will improve the accuracy and recovery from its edging and trimming processes. This mill was established in 1974, and today it primarily processes poplar, as well as red and white oak to supply furniture and flooring manufacturers, both domestic and international. The mill also provides pallet stock for its pallet operation on the same site.
COMPLIMENTARY SUBSCRIPTION For your complimentary subscription to our Millwide Insider magazine e-mail subscriptions@usnr.com to join our mailing list, or go to www.usnr.com/en/page/Newsletters.
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PO Box 310 Woodland, WA 98674
Millwide Insider is printed on recycled paper.
PROFILE Eric Ortquist is an Account Manager based in Woodland, Washington. Eric joined USNR in 2006 in the Parts group assisting customers to access the replacement parts and critical spares they needed. In time he transitioned into the Estimating department, where he prepared proposals for capital projects. Several years ago Eric moved his talents to the sales arena, working closely with customers in the Pacific Northwest region of the US to find solutions for their operational challenges.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Eric enjoys developing long term relationships with customers, and working face-to-face with them through all facets of the process, from sales to engineering, installation to start-up and commissioning. He says, “It’s especially rewarding to see a project through from conception to commissioning.” Eric is ver y active outside of work as a cub scout leader, and spent nine years as a volunteer with the Woodland Fire Department. He also enjoys the outdoor life and travelling, as well as restoring his vintage 1962 Willys pickup truck.
2–4 OCT NHLA
2–5 OCT SFPA
11 OCT Maine Mass Timber
Toronto, ON
Charleston, WV
Orono, ME
17–19 OCT
24–25 OCT CA WoodWorking
24–27 OCT LesDrevMash
Saint-Hyacinthe, QC
Krasnoyarsk, RU
See page 26 TP&EE . for details.. Portland, OR
