Insider
THE MAGAZINE FROM USNR | ISSUE 46
Advancing with technology TENON APPLIES DEEP TWO THUMBS UP FOR LEARNING TECHNOLOGY GRADING WITH THG TO ITS TRIMMER LINES
CMTP BRANXHOLM COMPARISON UTILIZES AUTOMATION SHOPPING – WHY FOR ITS CARRIAGE LINE THG?
ATCO INVESTS IN CORE CLOSING THE GAP DRIVE TECHNOLOGY WITH MILLTRAK 3D ON ITS LATHE
Contents
Millwide Insider
IMPROVING THE FLOW WITH TECHNOLOGY
ISSUE 46
There are lots of ways to invest in your operation. Some investments will undoubtedly pay off more lucratively than others. Some are quick fixes,
while others are major undertakings. Finding the right balance between capital outlay and operational goals is key to realizing the greatest
potential. This issue outlines some possibilities you may want to pursue.
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TENON CLEARWOOD
A few years ago Tenon’s Clearwood plant invested in a new edger line from USNR, applying BioVision to its edger process.
Now the company has invested in this same technology for its trimmer line, with the added benefit of Deep Learning.
CMTP BRANXHOLM SAWMILL
Automating its end-dog carriage line
helped CMTP Branxholm Sawmill realize the benefits that optimization could bring to
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its process. Both productivity and recovery
EDITOR
Colleen Schonheiter colleen.schonheiter@usnr.com
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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further invest in this mill.
Salmon Arm, BC V1E 1X1
MID-SOUTH STOLBERG GROUP
Mid-South Engineering’s acquisition of Vancouver-based Stolberg Engineering brings together two independent
engineering firms with long legacies serving the wood processing industry. Read about what this means for both companies, and for the industry at large.
ATCO WOOD PRODUCTS
ATCO Wood Products invested in a USNR core drive to enhance the performance
of its lathe. It was part of the company’s strategy for ongoing investments that
continues to improve its process and keep it competitive.
Tel.: 250.833.3028
subscriptions@usnr.com
USNR c/o Colleen Schonheiter,
have jumped, prompting the owners to
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
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Tenon Clearwood
Advancing technology HIGHER VALUE, SMARTER DECISIONS Tenon set its sights on a course to apply technology to improve its process by making smarter decisions, and increasing the value of its output. The company buys pruned logs on the open market, so its raw material is a rich resource that Tenon can’t afford to waste. USNR’s vast experience in biological defect recognition, and now the advancement of deep learning technology, was the formula Tenon needed to meet its targets.
Grade scanning has enabled us to apply more consistency to our high value lumber products. Improving the value of the output in the green mill means less rework, less sorting, less drying, and more value coming out of our secondary process.
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TENON CLEARWOOD — ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY
In phase one of this two phase project to modernize and automate the sawmill, a new edger line was installed earlier.
The board edger was a game-changer for us. It’s changed the bottleneck in the sawmill. We’ve increased our throughput, now we’ve got to look at the rest of the mill and speed that up to balance mill flow.
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A few years ago Tenon’s Clearwood plant at Taupo, New Zealand, invested in a new edger line from USNR, complete with a 5-saw edger, infeed, outfeed, and BioVision edger optimization. This took the operation from a highly manual edging process to one where visual grade scanning and optimization took the guesswork out of the edging solution. At the time, Darryl Robinson, Tenon’s Sawmill Operations Manager commented, “The board edger was a game-changer for us. It’s changed the bottleneck in the sawmill. We’ve increased our throughput, now we’ve got to look at the rest of the mill and speed that up to balance mill flow.” Darryl also noted, “We can cut up to
about 100 mm (4”) thick, and every shift has a different cut ranging from 5/4, 25mm, 50mm, 65mm, 77mm, etc. It varies all the time, and that was the idea for choosing the 5-saw machine.” Tenon is one of New Zealand’s largest producers of defect-free, appearance grade Radiata Pine products. The operation includes a sawmill, dry kilns, surfacing operation, and secondary processing plant that produces mouldings and millwork products. It markets its high value products to the USA, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Lower grade products derived from core wood are sold locally to pallet and packaging plants. With such a wide range of products, the necessity to produce
The trimmer ’s scan frame BioLuma 2900LVG sensors are aligned and calibrated in preparation for start-up.
not only dimensional lumber but also cuttings for mouldings and millwork, visual scanning and optimization is essential to recover the greatest value for the company’s dynamic global market.
Phase two
Recently Tenon again pressed USNR to proceed with phase two of its process improvement strategy. This phase included implementing BioVision scanning and optimization at the trimmer, with new GPU computers and software algorithms utilizing deep learning as its database of defects and product grade parameters grew. The second phase also included upgrading the
edger optimization system with new deep learning technology to further improve the decision-making process. Deep learning is a subset of machine learning, where neural networks, algorithms inspired by the human brain, learn from large amounts of data similarly to how humans learn from experience. This allows for faster start-ups and increasingly accurate grading solutions. USNR has sold 37 systems to date utilizing this technology.
We recover some of the high value wood out of the lower grade boards, where possible. This maximizes our recovery and value.
Tenon’s overall strategy in making these investments was to extract the greatest value out of its raw material, and also to streamline its process with less handling, contributing to improved operational efficiency.
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TENON CLEARWOOD — ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY
Sawmill grading strategy
As Darryl explains, there is great benefit to having the same technology making decisions for both edger and trimmer processes. “Sixty percent - largely only the high-grade boards, were going to the board edger. The other 40% were lower grade products that we wanted to put through the trimmer grade scanner, so that some of that lower grade could be sent back to the board edger to be upgraded. That way we recover some of the high value wood out of the lower grade boards, where possible. This maximizes our recovery and value.” Now that both edger and trimmer systems have been retrofitted to the latest advanced technology, Darryl reflects on the journey. “From the
time that the new edger system was installed until now, we are absolutely satisfied. It was a nobrainer when it came to increased recovery and better optimization of the board. And then the added grade scanning gave us the option of increasing the value of the piece when cutting it. We knew the grade, we knew what sizes we could sell in certain grades, that was huge. We went with the same system on the trimmer line so that both machines had the same technology.”
Project details
Jeff Storey, USNR project engineer, worked with Tenon’s Projects and Maintenance Manager, Kaki Waenga. A new USNR scan frame replaced the old Inovec scanner that had served
TYPICAL RADIATA PINE DEFECTS
the mill well for many years. The new frame is outfitted with BioLuma 2900LVG sensors, positioned above and below the flow. Four fast optimization computers allow for the new edger/trim logic to operate. Defect finding includes knots, pitch/ bark pockets, latewood resin, bird’s eye (needle fleck), harvest damage, and pith. Defect finding for blue stain is being developed. Jeff noted that there was substantial preparation in training the system to detect the defects. The larger the database of scans, the better the capability of the deep learning networks to evaluate minute differences in wood structure to correctly classify the defects. Jeff gives credit to Tenon’s team for ensuring sufficient board scans exhibiting specific defects were made available for pre-training the system prior to start-up. One new aspect of the trimmer software allows for an edger solution with multiple boards side-by-side to detect potential uplift in grade and value if the piece is sent to the edger. The knot and bird’s eye defects are structured in such a way that end grain scanning wasn’t necessary in this application, and this structure also contributes to detecting the core wood.
Calculating results
Bark pocket
Knot
High resin content
Bird’s eye
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Kaki commented that overall piece count has gone up 20%, though this is not an increase in productivity. “Because we can grade the lumber more accurately at the green mill, we can reduce the amount of random width boards we were cutting and sending to the secondary plant, where it would then be cut into a dimensional size. Cutting dimensional pieces at the green mill means less rework in the secondary process, which means less handling, streamlines the process, and reduces the operational costs. Now we can take a wide random piece and potentially cut two boards out of that piece in the green mill. The piece count went up, and while the volume did go up it was not a 20% volume increase.”
Darryl continued, “Grade scanning has enabled us to apply more consistency to our high value lumber products marketed all around the world. Improving the value of the output in the green mill, means less rework, less sorting, less drying, and more value coming out of our secondary process.” Darryl gives much credit to Kaki, his engineering team, and USNR for the project’s unmitigated success. Adrian Livesey, Tenon Project Engineer takes charge of the PLC controls for the sawmill, and Dave Jones, Tenon Production Optimization and Programming is responsible for programming and maintaining
the optimization system. On the USNR side were Bob Arnold, Sawmill Optimization/EWP Software Manager; Brian Cleveland, Grade Scanning Technician; Don Reeder, Software Engineer; Ken Lomness, Controls Engineer; and Sean Davidson, Mechanical Service Technician. Darryl summed up the success of the projects. “We had a throughput enhancement, we had more consistent grading accuracy, and we had an improvement in conversion. We’ve hit all 3 big targets. We’re more than happy with both projects. The edger was really great, and the trimmer has just really enhanced the increase in value for us.”
We had a throughput enhancement, we had more consistent grading accuracy, and we had an improvement in conversion. We’ve hit all 3 big targets. We’re more than happy with both projects. The edger was really great, and the trimmer has just really enhanced the increase in value for us.
Utilizing optimization and Deep Learning technologies from both edger and trimmer scan data, the USNR BioVision systems significantly improve value. Below, top screen shows the solution without vision scanning and Deep Learning. Below, bottom screen shows the solution with vision scanning and Deep Learning turned on.
To view an animation that explains the Deep Learning concept, scan the QR code or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/ product/deeplearningsm/videos
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CMTP Branxholm Sawmill
Realizing potential BIG GAINS IN RECOVERY, PRODUCTIVITY The application of optimization technology helped CMTP Branxholm Sawmill realize the benefits that automation could bring to its end-dog carriage line. Since the implementation of the new system both productivity and recovery have jumped, prompting the owners to further invest in this mill. 8
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The productivity improvement out of the mill is 20-25%. In actual recovery we increased about 8%.
Having worked in other mills where optimization was utilized, General Manager Dale Jessup knew it was sure to be a big win for his mill. With commissioning several months past, he’s well satisfied with the decision.
Branxholm Sawmill is a division of CMTP which is based in Colac, Victoria, Australia. CMTP has several operations located throughout Australia. The company is a packaging specialist that markets pallets and crates for storing a wide variety of goods from produce to electronics to livestock, and more. CMTP Branxholm Sawmill is located in Branxholm, Tasmania. The CMTP Branxholm site has a green mill, kiln, and heat-treating facilities, and it manufactures pallets and crates for produce. This site is the largest pallet producer in Tasmania, and also produces some timber products for export. Export products are dried and then heat treated to meet requirements before shipping off-shore. The operation employs 30 people, and has an annual output of 20,000 m3.
Realizing potential
The sawmill recently invested in optimization and equipment upgrades for its end-dog carriage. The carriage operation was originally a manual process. General Manager Dale Jessup, who is with CMTP Branxholm for 9 years, had previously worked at mills where similar optimization had been implemented. With recovery currently running at 44% with a manual carriage process, he recognized that there could be big gains in recovery and productivity if the mill invested in optimization. Dale Jessup commented, “The main driver for the investment was recovery. Our recovery preinstallation was about 44%. I knew the potential of what an optimizer could do for us.” He contacted USNR Account Manager, Jason Clay, and Darren Ousey from Skookum
The main driver for the investment was recovery. I knew the potential of what an optimizer could do for us.
Technologies, to come and assess the situation and help develop the most effective solution. “We did a visual assessment of what was occurring on the saw line, and we unanimously agreed that we would get some pretty significant increases with optimization; we thought we could safely estimate about 6% increase in recovery.”
The solution
The solution included USNR’s End-Dog Carriage optimization utilizing both front- and back-side Lasar2 sensors. Both front- and back-side scanning allows full modeling of the entire surface of the Radiata Pine logs, which have a lot of shape and character. The optimization configuration added software algorithms to model the scribing saws that edge the sideboards prior to sawing them off the log. As well, Skookum designed a new log charging system to load and rotate the logs and cants for scanning, position them for optimal recovery, and then transport them through the carriage saws. The mill processes Radiata Pine logs from 120 to 380 mm (4-3/4” to 15”) diameter and 3.1 to 3.7 m (10’ to 12’) in length. It is designed to operate at 100 m/min (330 ft/min).
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CMTP BRANXHOLM SAWMILL — REALIZING POTENTIAL
A log has completed its A-axis first pass through the saws, and is returned to the home position for rotation to the B-axis for the next pass through the saws. The laser line shown is left over from the manual system where the operator used it as a visual clue for positioning of the dogs. The laser line is no longer necessary with the optimized process.
Field of view
Lasar2 back side
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Lasar2 front side
The scanner system consists of proprietary USNR Lasar2 3D sensors. These sensors have a broad range of capabilities and are ideal for stationary snap-shot scanning, providing full coverage, high resolution 3D images. The sensors are fast: one-scan, oneset. The unique scanning method allows accurate scanning on light, dark, rough, fuzzy, shiny, and barky logs. Among the benefits of the data collected by this sensor is the ability to automatically detect sweep, taper, diameter, length, ovality, flare, fluting, nodal swelling, broken ends, and kink. 3D log images can be automatically saved to files for later off-line re-optimization. Off-line and on-line results are identical, allowing for fine-tuning of settings without risking any real wood. This system performs 2 scans on each log before it is dogged for sawing. The first scan provides data for optimizing the log rotation, and the second scan determines the log breakdown solution. The A-axis orientation is the log’s position ready for sawing to expose right and left faces. The B-axis orientation is achieved once the log returns to the home position and is rotated 90° for sawing to expose the final 2 faces.
Productivity improvement
The existing mill had been acquired by CMTP, and Dale Jessup didn’t have much in the way of technical specifications on the equipment. Because of this lack of specifications, during commissioning the team discovered that the hydraulics for the setworks weren’t capable of expending enough oil to set the logs at the rate of speed that was desired. Dale related, “We were experiencing some delays – a few seconds for each log, but over a shift it really impacted production.” The mill replaced the hydraulic pack after the optimizer was installed, to realize the full productivity improvement. “As soon as we got the hydraulic pack changed over we noticed an immediate improvement. We haven’t looked back.” He explained the change in process. “With the manual process, the operator had to load the logs onto the chargers, shift the log up to the desired position, rotate the log, set the saw pattern manually, and then cut the log. Every time it took an extra 3-4 seconds. Now the system runs so the log is dropped in for scanning while the previous log is being cut. As soon as the
Lasar2 back side
Field of view
B-axis orientation, rotated 90° and ready to saw the final 2 faces A-axis orientation, ready for dogging and sawing the first 2 faces
Lasar2 front side
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CMTP BRANXHOLM SAWMILL — REALIZING POTENTIAL carriage comes back the operator dogs the log up and the saw pattern is set automatically, and then the system proceeds to saw the log.” He continued, “There is almost no delay between each log. Now we cut close to 1,000 logs each day, so that’s 3,000-4,000 seconds we’re saving. The productivity improvement out of the mill is 20-25%. In actual recovery we increased about 8%.” Dale says he’s well satisfied with the level of service he’s received. “During ordering, delivery, installation, and post-commissioning we’ve been very satisfied with everything USNR and Skookum have done for us. When we placed the order USNR was very busy, so we hired TUI Technology to do the controls. We weren’t sure if that would create problems with coordinating the project, but the level of cooperation was excellent between the teams.”
Giving credit
Dale recognizes the investment by the owners Chris and Travis Meade, and the confidence they displayed in proceeding with this project. “They’ve got about 8 sites around Australia. We really appreciate their commitment to this operation, and it’s given the employees a lot of confidence for the future.” He said that because the owners had seen the gains achieved with this project, they will be amenable to investing further in this operation. The mill is installing a 28-bay sling sorter and a stacker. Another project underway is a concrete bunker to contain the sawdust and bark. This will improve the environment and air quality on site. The end-dog project was completed in January 2019, and to date the new system is operating very well. With
its rejuvenated carriage line, CMTP Branxholm is positioned to continue supporting the market with top quality products, and a carriage line it knows it can depend on for years to come.
There is almost no delay between each log. Now we cut close to 1,000 logs each day, so that’s 3,000-4,000 seconds we’re saving.
Optimization has improved recovery significantly, up 8%. The pink boards indicate low value, high wane recovery boards that would otherwise have been chipped away.
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Mid-South Stolberg Group
Responding to opportunity STRENGTH, FLEXIBILITY, AND LONG-TERM STABILITY Mid-South Engineering’s acquisition of Vancouver-based Stolberg Engineering brings together two independent engineering firms with long legacies serving the wood processing industry. The combination expands the capabilities of each organization, both with respect to geography and application expertise.
This acquisition really strengthens our teams and launches Mid-South into new regions.
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MID-SOUTH STOLBERG GROUP — RESPONDING TO OPPORTUNITY
Red Stag Timber − Rotorua, New Zealand
Stolberg supplied conceptual plans for Red Stag’s Waipa sawmill. Included were multi-phase upgrades of the sawmill involving primary breakdown, shape sawing gang, optimized edging, and trim-sort-stack line.
Pinnacle Renewable Energy Group − Lavington, BC
Stolberg supplied conceptual development, capital cost budgeting, detailed civil, structural, electrical, and mechanical engineering. This mill is a greenfield pellet plant in Lavington, BC including fibre infeed and receiving, 2 belt dryers, 2 hammermills, and 7 pelleters.
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Since USNR’s acquisition of Mid-South Engineering, both companies have made great strides in executing large scale turn-key projects, despite the significant slowdown in the pace of investment in the North American sawmill industry since mid-2018. Over the past two years we’ve contracted dozens of turn-key projects ranging from large greenfield or brownfield projects to smaller, single mill-process upgrades. While Mid-South preserves its ability to operate as an independent consultant to mill operators, the ability to collaborate with USNR on joint projects has proven invaluable in streamlining activities and eliminating obstacles that have traditionally bedeviled complex projects. The acquisition of Stolberg Engineering, based in Richmond, BC, represents an exciting growth opportunity for Mid-South Engineering. From its headquarters in Hot Springs, AR, Mid-South has progressively extended its geographic reach and industry expertise with prior acquisitions in North Carolina and in Maine that added experience in pulp and paper, power cogeneration, panel, pellet, and mining/bulk material handling sectors. MidSouth had previously worked on projects in Eastern Canada, but Stolberg opens up access to Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest U.S., as well as New Zealand and Australia, where Stolberg has completed numerous projects. Stolberg also further strengthens Mid-South’s bench of engineers with expertise in the sawmill and pellet mill industry.
Marc Stewart Marc Stewart, President of Mid-South Engineering, commented, “The Stolberg team is widelyrespected and the company has a rich history over the 40 years it has been providing engineering services to the building products and wood pellet industries. This acquisition really strengthens our teams and launches Mid-South into new regions.”
Lakeland Mills Ltd. − Prince George, BC
Stolberg supplied detailed structural, and mechanical engineering of residual conveying, log, and lumber processing systems for a new sawmill. The previous mill had been destroyed by a fire.
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MID-SOUTH STOLBERG GROUP — RESPONDING TO OPPORTUNITY
Stability and flexibility
For Stolberg, the new ownership delivers a significantly expanded capacity, allowing it to take on projects that previously would have been too large or too complex. Joining forces with Mid-South also provides long-term stability for the company in the face of turbulent regional market forces, and insures that the business continues long after principals and industry veterans Norm Stolberg and Rod Gronlund retire in the next several years. Together, Mid-South and Stolberg can handle the challenges of largescale industrial projects throughout North America, and beyond. The combination delivers a highly capable, independent engineering organization with unmatched regional and application expertise that aims to assist wood processors achieve their goals. Reactions to the news from the industry has been positive, with clients of both companies recognizing the potential benefits that come with the combination.
Rod Gronlund
Norm Stolberg
Says Rod Gronlund of Stolberg, “I’m really looking forward to being a part of this larger combined organization: I think our clients will appreciate the greater depth, capacity, and range of services that we will be able to offer as part of Mid-South. It will be great to see the Stolberg legacy carry on.”
Norm Stolberg adds, “I think our construction background and experience in the industry will bring another facet to the combined group and we look forward to continued growth and enhanced opportunities as we integrate the legacies of these two great companies.”
EACOM − Timmins, Ontario
Stolberg supplied structural, electrical, and mechanical engineering. The previous mill had been destroyed by fire. The rebuild included a log infeed system, two debarker lines, a double length infeed to a two-sided canter with quad arbor saw section. Also included were a 10-inch vertical double arbor shape sawing gang, bin sorter upgrade and residual system.
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USNR Field Service
The guys who keep your gear running SERVICE IS A VITAL COMPONENT TO SUPPORTING YOUR INVESTMENT Almost every day of the year around the world, USNR service technicians are hard at work to keep your equipment operating at top performance. Millwide Insider joined a team to Stora Enso, Ala Sawmill in Sweden to give you a view of the work of these highly skilled men.
When most of us head home to family and friends on Friday afternoon, these young guns still have two more mills to visit during the weekend.
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USNR FIELD SERVICE — THE GUYS WHO KEEP YOUR GEAR RUNNING
Hans Nerlund
High visibility clothing and hard hats are mandatory in this mill, but safety glasses are not, as is common in this region.
Hans’ long career as a service tech has taken him all over the world. Apart from the European countries and Russia, he’s seen places like Chile and Mozambique.
Today is maintenance day at the mill, and the typical rumble from the log intake and the roar of the saws is silent. But the inside of the mill is a flurry of activity. At 7:00 am in December in northern Sweden it’s still long before daybreak . The sun won’t rise from the nearby sea for a couple of hours. A team of four USNR ser vice techs arrive at the mill, two of them will perform maintenance on the debarker line, and two will work on the bandmill infeed. The quad bandmill has been in service since the 1970s, and thanks to rugged design and careful maintenance it’s still a reliable part of the line. Tord Hane and Andreas Olsson work on maintenance for the debarker, while Hans Nerlund and Jesper Ekholm head to the bandmill.
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Tons of experience
Between them, this team of 4 has over 100 years of experience. Tord started working with Cambio debarkers in the 1960s and has seen them all. Even though Andreas is only 26 years of age, he has been in this game for 8 years. Andreas’ father also works for USNR as did Jesper Ekholm’s father. Hans Nerlund will soon turn 65 which is retirement age in Sweden, but he plans to hang in for two more years to make it a full 40 years in the field. Hans’ long career as a service tech has taken him all over the world. Apart from the European
countries and Russia, he’s seen places like Chile and Mozambique.
Safety first
Teams from several contractors are doing their work on a tight schedule. Flashes of lights from welding and the screech of power grinders cut the air. Even if time is short and there’s a lot of work to be done, work safety is the main priority. Power to the machines is cut and the switches are locked out with keys held by the team. High visibility clothing and hard hats are mandatory in this mill, but safety glasses are not, as is
Andreas Olsson checking the Cambio 800.
common in this region. The mill floor is puddled with water where welding or grinding has taken place. Jesper knows this mill well; he used to work here as a maintenance technician before joining USNR. Now he shares his time between the shop floor at USNR’s Söderhamn facility and traveling to customer mills as a field service technician.
Bigger isn’t always better
A couple of guide plates between the reducer discs and the saw bands are worn and need to be replaced. Being small-framed and 30 years younger than his superior, Jesper volunteers to climb inside the bandmill. Gently
Jesper Ekholm dismantling the guide plates.
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USNR FIELD SERVICE — THE GUYS WHO KEEP YOUR GEAR RUNNING
Even though the Cambio 800 is the biggest and sturdiest machine in the USNR debarker series, the components inside are high precision and cleanliness must be observed.
he removes the screws and nuts holding the pieces to be replaced, careful not to lose anything down the chute beneath him.
In the shop
During dismantling, Hans and Jesper discover that two rollers linked to the guide plates show unwanted play in the bearings. Rather than trying to replace the bearings in this dusty and not very ergonomic environment, they decide to remove the 100 pound brackets and bring them to the mill’s workshop. With proper tools and drawings at hand, it doesn’t take them long to dismantle the rollers, remove the old bearings and install new ones.
Wrapping it up
While the bandmill team reinstalls the brackets, we pop over to Tord and Andreas at the debarker line. They are replacing an axle in the massive Cambio 800 debarker. Located at the infeed end of the line, the debarker room is much colder than inside the bandmill. Years of bark spray also makes it dark. The upside of it is that there is more elbow room for work. Even though the Cambio 800 is the biggest and sturdiest machine in the USNR debarker suite, the components inside are high precision and cleanliness must be observed. Tord
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Tord Hane
and Andreas carefully mount the new axle in the machine, checking that the surfaces and bearings are not coming in contact with the dusty environment. Andreas checks the air pressure controlling the debarking force before closing up the machine which is now ready to take on new batches of logs.
On the road again
While Hans and Tord remain at the mill until the first logs pass through the line again, Andreas and Jesper leave when their part of the job is done. But their work week isn’t over yet. When most of us head home
Tord started working with Cambio debarkers in the 1960s and has seen them all.
to family and friends on Friday afternoon, these young guns still have two more mills to visit during the weekend. First they hit the road west to a mill on the other side of the country, almost on the Norwegian border where another bandmill needs some care. On the way back from there they’ll stop by a third mill to modify a canter. Such is life for USNR’s dedicated service technicians.
ATCO Wood Products
Strategic investing UPGRADE DELIVERS PERFORMANCE, PRODUCTIVITY, AND QUALITY
ATCO Wood Products, located in the West Kootenay region of BC, invested in a USNR core drive to enhance the performance of its lathe. It was part of the company’s strategy for ongoing investments that continues to improve its process and keep it competitive.
The installation went really well, it’s one of the best projects we’ve ever undertaken. It has been running consistently.
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ATCO WOOD PRODUCTS — STRATEGIC INVESTING When Rebecca Weatherford bought ATCO Wood Products from her father in 2007, the company had to get creative to weather the storm of the Great 2008 Recession. And they did. They reconfigured their operation and expanded into new markets to keep the company afloat. Their efforts paid off and they not only survived that storm, they continue thriving today. Since those challenging times, they have made small strategic investments in equipment to remain competitive and keep pace with the booming US wood products markets. A few years ago they decided to replace the original, modified backup roll on their Premier Gear lathe. After local inquiry, Scott followed up on a suggestion that USNR’s core drive had helped many other
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operators in the industry to improve performance, productivity, and quality in their peeling process.
The solution
USNR’s solution was to replace the back-up roll with a new M1380 core drive. The purpose of this hydraulically powered core drive is to minimize deflection of the block in the lathe as the block is peeled to ever-smaller diameters. By peeling to smaller diameters, more usable veneer is produced, thus improving recovery from each block. In addition, the powered core drive imparts a turning force to the block that substantially reduces spin-outs at the chucks due to splits or soft ends in the veneer block, and also assists in maintaining uniform veneer thickness
control. This equipment is specifically designed to permit peeling incoming blocks from 5” to 36” in diameter. The new core drive was installed in 2016, and according to Scott Weatherford, CEO of Atco, “The installation went really well, it’s one of the best projects we’ve ever undertaken. The core drive was dropped into the slot, and the hydraulics all worked right out of the box. They hooked up controls, made adjustments, and it has been running consistently ever since.”
The technology
The powered core drive consists of two independently adjusted rolls. One is positioned opposite the knife, the other above the block. Both rolls are powered. This assembly is mounted on a hydraulically powered and movable structure that can be quickly elevated out of the way of the incoming block and is repositioned onto the core through an automatic sequence control.
The core drive is equipped with proportional lift, which raises the main frame a minimum amount required to clear the incoming block. Each roll is powered by two hydraulic motors, one connected at each end of the roll through a roller chain drive. The structural frame support is designed to allow maximum operator visibility and is arranged to mount directly to the lathe frame. Mounting pedestals are included.
Scan the QR code to see the lathe and powered core drive in action, or go to: www.usnr.com/en/product/veneerlathe/ videos
M1380 POWERED CORE DRIVE
FIXED FRAME
OUTER ROLL UPPER ROLL
MAIN PIVOT FRAME
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Model 950 Chip Head
Improve cant feeding, chipping control UNIFORM CHIPS, SMOOTH SURFACE FINISH, FLEXIBLE KNIFE CHOICE USNR’s Model 950 Chip Head enhances the performance of today’s high-speed, high-volume log lines by improving cant feeding and control throughout the chipping process.
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Babbit knives
With over 20 years of production and more than 100 installations around the world, USNR log lines have proven reliability. This Model 950 canter chip head further enhances the performance of modern log lines while delivering flexible knife options. With decades of success in chipping technology, we know that uninterrupted performance and high quality production is critical in today’s challenging operating environment. Get the most out of your system with unique and reliable upgrades from USNR that are specially designed by the people who understand lumber processing machinery better than anyone in the business.
Superior performance
Increased production capacity, premium board finish, lower operating costs and a more uniform chip quality are benefits that add up to superior performance. A key feature is the Model 950’s ability to use both double-edge and babbitted knives, delivering added flexibility to your operation in addition to uniform chips, a smooth surface finish and minimal knot tearout. Easy set-up and low operating and maintenance costs are simply icing on the cake. The Model 950 is available with finish knives, finish knives and a postcutting saw, or a pre-cutting saw. The USNR True Flow double-edge finish knife can be reground without losing the knife plane location.
fact USNR was a pioneer in developing modern chipping technology. Learning from years of manufacturing and servicing CM&E, Kockums Cancar and Forano chippers of yesteryear, USNR’s engineers created the True Flow system from the ground up, incorporating features others are still trying to understand and copy. The True Flow knife system can be retrofitted to chippers from practically any manufacturer, and comes standard on all new USNR chippers. USNR developed its advanced knife systems to help you get the most out of your machinery. Not only can we help you with the knife system but also the machinery around it including arbors, bearings, feed systems, and all the other factors that contribute to top quality lumber, high recovery, good surface finish, and quality chips.
Options Available with finish knives, finish
knives and a post-cutting saw, or a pre-cutting saw
Available with double edge knives or
babbitt knives
Double edge finish knife can be
reground without losing the knife plane location
Benefits Increased production capacity Premium board finish Lower operating costs More uniform chip quality
Chip disc with optional finishing knife
True Flow knife system
The Model 950 comes equipped with USNR’s high-performance True Flow knife system, which is an outstanding alternative for most drum-style and conical chipper heads. It was designed using sophisticated 3D solid modeling CAD software, resulting in a chipping system that is optimized for high quality chips and low operating costs. The True Flow system is the culmination of decades of chipping system design experience. In
Chip disc with pre-cut saw for cutting through knots prior to chipping, to minimize knot tear-out
Chip disc with finishing knives and postcut saw, creates a smooth sawn-look finish instead of a chipped finish
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NEW PROJECTS
Baikal Wood Company – Sawline Upgrade
Baikal Wood Company, operating in the republic of Buryatia east of Lake Baikal, has ordered a comprehensive upgrade of an existing sawline for increased speed and lower maintenance costs. The new equipment consists of a knuckle log turner and type 448 log infeed, two 240-12 chipper canters and a 433 cant feeder. All machines will be produced at the USNR facility in Söderhamn, Sweden.
Ball Lumber – Transverse High Grader
Ball Lumber at Millers Tavern, VA has ordered a Transverse High Grader (THG) as part of its dry mill improvement project. The THG is scheduled to be started up in Q3 of 2020.
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THG utilizes a variety of advanced technologies including Deep Learning, which ensures even more accurate grading solutions and faster start-ups. The optimization system is pre-trained on the mill’s wood basket, defect maps, and product profile. Then using the power of today’s most advanced computer processing, the optimization system uses that pre-trained knowledge base to detect and classify the defects, and produce solutions for the products the mill wants to market. Today USNR has deployed nearly 50 automated grading systems with Deep Learning.
Collums Lumber – Trimmer BioVision Collums Lumber of Allendale, SC is investing in BioVision technology at its sawmill trimmer to improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of its process.
The mill is replacing its existing laser profile scanning system with the BioLuma 2900LVG visual scanning system, to drop out boards and trim ends containing excessive knots and holes ahead of the drying and planing processes. This will reduce overall production costs, and improve the quality and value of its output. The line will update its software to USNR’s latest BioVision trimmer logic.
Faircloth Forest – Stick-N-Fork Stacker Upgrade
Faircloth Forest Products of Swainsboro, GA is upgrading an older-style Stick-N-Fork stacker that is in good condition, but utilizes outdated technology. Faircloth wants to increase its capacity and efficiency, and is investing in stick feeding upgrades to improve performance.
The Stick Feeder upgrade replaces all worn parts, and changes the configuration to direct continuous feed, tying the feeder directly to the distribution. It allows for longer stick feed cycles. A secondary stick holddown ensures positive stick separation, so that even damaged and warped sticks do not impede stick feeding. This improvement allows for speeds in excess of 220 sticks per minute.
Hyne Timber – LHG with Deep Learning
Following the successful application of Deep Learning technology on its edger and trimmer lines, Hyne Timber at Tumbarumba, NSW, Australia is applying this advanced approach to its Lineal High Grader. The LHG has been in operation at this mill since early 2008, providing accurate grades, expanded sorts, and facilitating the production of MSR/MEL products. This latest investment will improve the system’s capability with the latest software and hardware technologies for faster, and more accurate processing. This improvement will use Deep Learning for the detection of knots and pith. The upgrade is scheduled to be completed in Q2 of 2020. USNR will also upgrade the hardware to ensure continued performance and reliability of the LHG for years to come. A scan tunnel will shield the sensors from debris, new LED light bars utilize higher intensity light for more accurate defect detection,
ethernet based laser profile and vision sensors provide much faster data transfer for improved defect detection, jacking tube assembly and feedworks will improve the feed frame’s stability and apply better control of the board, and powerful new GPU computers afford the highest speed decision processing and Deep Learning functionality.
Rayonier Advanced Materials – Two Quebec mills Updates
Rayonier Advanced Materials is investing to update the primary breakdown line at its La Sarre, Quebec plant. The company is installing a new Small Log Line that will feature a Knuckle Turner and Extended Length Infeed with slew, skew and tilt capabilities, PGLR log rotation monitoring and correction system, canter, sideboard profiler, Quad Arbor Sawbox and VSS vertical shape sawing gang system. The stud mill operation processes Eastern SPF logs from 3” - 17” diameter, with the line’s maximum operating speed at 600 fpm. The La Sarre mill will also install a sawmill Multi-Track Fence as it retools to improve its process. Close on the heels of the investment in the La Sarre operation, Rayonier A.M. ordered a new VSS vertical shape sawing gang system for its mill at Bearn, Quebec, as well as a planer mill Multi-Track Fence for that location. The Bearn mill produces random length lumber.
In 2017, Jacksonville, Florida-based Rayonier A.M. acquired all of Tembec’s holdings in Canada, USA and France. The La Sarre and Bearn mills are among those holdings.
Timberlink Australia – New Primary Saw Line
Timberlink Australia is investing in a new saw line, horizontal shape saw, and edger lines at its Tarpeena, South Australia site. The company operates three sawmills at Bell Bay (Tasmania), Blenheim (New Zealand) and Tarpeena (South Australia) that manufacture plantation structural pine products. The project includes log infeed, log turners, Precision Geometric Log Rotation (PGLR) system, slew and skew extended length infeed, canter heads, quad bandmills, horizontal shape sawing gang (HSS), BioVision cant corewood scanner, and Catech 7100 edger system. The BioVision cant corewood scanner will scan the sawn cant faces to identify the boundary between sapwood and corewood. This data will allow for specific low-grade lumber products to be sawn from the low-density corewood in the cant, assisting the mill to better manage its product output.
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PROFILE Mike Cesselli is an Account Manager based in BC Mike joined USNR in January 2019, having previously worked in customer support and capital sales at Newnes Machine from 1994-2002. Prior to Newnes, Mike was a branch manager for a bearing and power transmission distributor in northern BC. In 2002 Mike started Sawmill Equipment Company (SEC), and developed a line of lumber handling equipment. Mike says he joined USNR because of the opportunity to work with many of
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the people he knew from the Newnes organization, as well as the many customers he has come to know over many years in the industry. Mike adds, “I was also intrigued with the new and innovative products that were introduced to the market over the past several years. USNR has been doing great things, and I’m excited to work with this talented team.” Outside of work Mike enjoys wood and metal working. He’s also an avid outdoorsman all 4 seasons of the year from his home at Lac La Hache, BC.
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