Insider
THE MAGAZINE FROM USNR | ISSUE 47
IAL
A N G I L SSUE SPEC I
INTELLIGENT MACHINES, TWO THUMBS UP GROUND-BREAKING FOR GRADING WITH SOLUTIONS THG
BROADEST GLOBAL COMPARISON EQUIPMENT SUPPLY: SHOPPING – WHY FROM A TO Z THG?
FLEXIBLE DESIGNS CLOSING THE GAP MEET CONTEMPORARY WITH MILLTRAK 3D CHALLENGES
CONTENTS
Millwide Insider
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
ISSUE 47
Whether you are looking for new technology to improve your yield, reduce your resource requirements, or expand your markets, USNR has the solutions and the talented resources to get you there. This issue showcases USNR’s broad level of technology, capability, and expertise in articles about some of our recent projects around the world. Mercer Timber, Germany. . ....................................................................................... 3
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Mercer Friesau
Accurate grading boosts European export market MERCER TIMBER’S FRIESAU MILL MINIMIZES EXPORT RISKS WITH TAILORMADE GRADING Most investments in the industry aim to increase production volume, but this wasn’t the primary reason when Mercer Timber decided to invest in USNR’s Transverse High Grader for its Friesau mill in Germany.
Exporting dimensional lumber to the US calls for an accurate grading system that’s able to sort the products according to the rules in this market.
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MERCER FRIESAU ꟷ ACCURATE GRADING BOOSTS EUROPEAN EXPORT MARKET
Two rows of BioLuma 2900 LVG+ sensors are configured off-axis to scan all four sides of the board to detect defects. An additional sensor scans the ends of the boards to determine the location of the pith, which aids in determining the shape and size of knots inside the board.
Recently, many European lumber producers have suffered the consequences of inconsistent grading. Large quantities of lumber have been downgraded upon arrival to the US after quality control.
The international lumber market becomes increasingly intertwined. Corporations are constantly seeking new opportunities, adapting to customer demand. This is the story of why one of the world’s most advanced BioVision grading systems, the Transverse High Grader (THG), is bringing its automated grading technology to a mill in rural Germany.
East Germany with the border – the Iron Curtain – just a few miles away. Within five miles (8 km) from Bad Lobenstein, the Canadian corporation Mercer Timber runs two facilities, the Rosenthal pulp mill and the Friesau sawmill. Mercer ’s first entry into the wood processing industry actually started here with the acquisition of the Rosenthal pulp mill in 1994.
Bad Lobenstein is a small, picturesque town in Thyringia, Germany. Prior to the unification of Germany in 1990 Bad Lobenstein, as the rest of Thyringia, was part of
The Friesau sawmill was founded by the Klausner company, partly with subsidies from the government in 1992, after the reunification of Germany. The project was part of
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It is a really smart solution with the spike knot detection, utilizing the end grain sensor and pith locator.
the industrialization of former East German territory. The logs are sourced mainly within trucking distance from the mill. All lumber shipped to port is transported by train in the company’s own rail cars on tracks that run into the mill yard. The wood chips from Friesau are shipped to the Rosenthal pulp mill.
The mill has a relatively limited range of commodity products compared with typical European processors. It was focused on the North American market right from the start. Today, the production of US dimensional lumber (2x4”) is about 30-40 percent of the total production. Mill manager Dr. Carsten Merforth explains the motivation for the investment in new grading technology. “Exporting dimensional lumber to the US calls for an accurate grading system that’s able to sort the products according to the grading agency rules in this market.” Dr. Merforth continued to explain that to increase production capacity wasn’t the primary reason for the investment, but rather: 1: Product confidence, since no more than 5% off grade is allowed; 2: Consistency, it is risky to rely on manual grading. Training graders is a laborious task, and even for the best graders visual grading is a tough and exhausting job. Moreover, the human eye can only estimate the relevance of a defect while an automatic grading system can precisely measure and therefore grade accurately to the allowed parameters, and reduce the above and below grade pieces to a minimum; and, 3: Future increased production throughput.
First installation in Europe
The Friesau mill was the first facility in Europe to install a Transverse High Grader (THG), but USNR’s BioVision grading system was already familiar to some in the mill’s staff. Technical Director Jan Kiesewetter had experience with USNR’s Lineal High Grader (LHG) when he worked at a sawmill in Florida. He felt comfortable with USNR’s expertise with scanning and grading systems, and the performance of the software. Jan also knew many of USNR’s technical personnel involved in the project from his time in Florida.
THG is capable of accurately calculating the size of even the most difficult spike knots.
Discovering THG
The first steps in the process toward implementing a Transverse High Grader were undertaken in 2017. Dr. Merforth and Technical Director Jan Kiesewetter met with USNR at the Ligna trade show, where USNR displayed and operated a demonstration system. As discussions continued, Mercer sent sample boards to USNR’s facility in Söderhamn, Sweden where a fullyoperational THG system is set up to conduct customer tests for grading evaluation. These tests showed that, once tuning took place, the system was capable of detecting and classifying the critical defects, and accurately grading the products the mill wanted to produce.
Implementing THG
Jan Kiesewetter is impressed with the service USNR provides. Upon arrival at the mill, it was discovered that the system had been damaged during shipping. Mercer made a call and a service technician from Canada showed up in less than 24 hours and solved the problem. The on-site commissioning took place over three periods of 4-6 weeks
Mill Manager Dr. Carsten Merforth
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MERCER FRIESAU ꟷ ACCURATE GRADING BOOSTS EUROPEAN EXPORT MARKET each. The Mercer team remains very satisfied with the excellent level of support and communication with the USNR team in North America, and the support closer-by from USNR’s Söderhamn team.
Proven capability
When this reporter visited the mill, the system had been operational for 6 months, proving its capability. Dr. Merforth succinctly summarized the team’s experience to date. “The THG has solved a lot of problems. I haven’t lost much sleep since the installation.” He continues, “It is a really smart solution with the spike knot detection, utilizing the end grain sensor and pith locator. We are happy with the product, the THG can calculate internal knots which is important. We want to be the technical leaders in the industry, and I think we are, together with USNR.”
Second THG on its way
The mill is currently involved in two investment programs. It is upgrading the sawline and also building a new planer mill. After the completion of the planer mill, the Friesau facility will operate two Transverse High Grader (THG) lines. The second THG will be installed during the summer of 2019 and will feature the new occlusionless transfer and scanning system. This capability will completely eliminate all obscuration caused by transport belts, and 100% of the board surface will be scanned, without need for turning. The new planer mill will be faster, at 1200 m/min. The new occlusionless THG with its high speed capability will play an important role.
European vs. North American markets
Dr. Merforth has a lot of experience of both the European and the North American lumber markets, and Millwide Insider took the opportunity to ask him about the main differences.
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“Compared to the European market, there is a limited range of products in the US. Most of the lumber is sold in pre-defined dimensions and lengths. In Europe, there are almost no standard dimensions, many customers want their own particular dimensions. It results in many thousands of different products a mill has to produce. For the US market, grading is much more ambitious because of the strict grade rules. There are of course threats and opportunities with both systems.” “ This part of Germany has suffered hard hits from storms and insect infestations causing timber breaks and bug stains in the lumber. Logs with damage from these storms and bug outbreaks will affect the production for a while. These events will probably have an impact on the market in a longer perspective as well. In the long run, the softwood share of sawn products is endangered in our part of Europe since the now affected areas are less likely to be replanted with the traditional conifers as pure stands. It is important to find the best fitting species and genetic variations, and also mix hardwood and softwood in the stands to maintain the level of softwood, and also hit the forest owners’ requirements for stability in times of climate change.” USNR was pleased to be a part of this important project for Mercer Timber, and to help this company achieve its goals. The second THG will be installed following its display at USNR’s Ligna stand.
The new planer mill will be faster, at 1200 m/min. The new occlusionless THG with its high speed capability will play an important role.
Hyne Timber
Intelligent sawmill grade scanning MACHINE LEARNING IS A GAME-CHANGER Following the successful implementation of BioVision edger optimization, Hyne Timber again pressed USNR to upgrade its trimmer lines with vision scanning technology. Since the edger lines were upgraded this defect classification system has seen a major leap forward with the onset of machine learning. This new capability is a game-changer in the quest for intelligent systems that far surpass human skill in grade determination.
The knot-scanning accuracy of the new scanners is nothing short of phenomenal. Having BioVision on both the edger and trimmer systems absolutely gives us more control over the whole process.
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HYNE TIMBER — INTELLIGENT SAWMILL GRADE SCANNING
Dual trimmer lines employ USNR’s BioVision technology for advanced sawmill grading capability. These lines utilize machine learning, providing enhanced defect recognition, classification and board grade solutions.
This is a gamechanger for our dry mill productivity. We no longer have low grade products going into the dry mill and causing breakages and jamups. As a result our run times are going up considerably.
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Hyne Timber, Queensland is a leader among Australian forest products manufacturers in applying technology to extract the greatest value from the country’s sustainable timber resources. At Hyne’s Tumbarumba mill, the main business is producing structural timber from radiata pine. USNR has been a favored supplier to Hyne for many years, and is currently involved in a phased introduction of BioVision technology along the mill’s edger and trimmer lines. The use of scanning and optimization to separate defective material is critical for Hyne. Though much of Australia’s radiata pine is good for use in structural applications, defects can inhibit that purpose, and excess processing of material that is unsuitable can adversely affect plant operations.
Edger BioVision project
Recently Hyne worked with USNR to add BioVision scanning and optimization to the mill’s edger lines to assess knot size and location, and to help make better edging decisions. Based on this positive experience, Hyne contracted with USNR to add BioVision grading technology to the trimmer lines as well. “It was always part of the plan to add vision grade scanning to both edger and trimmer lines,” said Mat Thomsen, Tumbarumba site technical controller. “The success of the edger projects had a huge impact in the customer deciding to move forward with the trimmer project and to do it with USNR,” said Carl Thomas, USNR Regional Sales Manager.
Missing opportunity
About 50% of the timber processed through the Tumbarumba mill ultimately yields good quality structural lumber, and the remaining low-quality fiber is used for lower grade products. Prior to installing the BioVision optimizers on the green mill trimmers, the operators were making the grade decisions with the help of an acoustic grader, but a significant amount of lower grade wood had been getting through to be dried and enter the dry mill. The mill uses a USNR Lineal High Grader (LHG) at the dry end of the process, which, before the green mill’s BioVision upgrade, would typically decide that 30% of the output of the planer wasn’t suitable for structural use. “The amount of non-structural product being processed as structural lumber presents a missed revenue opportunity,” said Mat. “The dimensions of non-structural products are typically different than the required dimensions of structural lumber.” For example, cutting a board to 90x35mm in the green mill, spending the effort to dry it and plane it and then realizing that it’s not capable of structural use, might yield a value of about $200/cu.m. in revenue for that product. On the other hand, if it was determined in the green mill that the same raw board wouldn’t make a structural product, it could be cut to 100x25mm, and it could be sold to a pallet manufacturer that uses industrial grades, yielding a value of about $220/cu.m. In addition to the fact that the non-structural fiber stock yields more money if it is repurposed while green, the mill doesn’t need to dry it or plane it, which saves time and cost, and makes more dry-end capacity available to run structural product.
Intelligent BioVision
The BioVision system uses machine learning (AI) defect finding, proven in the many installations where USNR has it employed, that takes automated grade scanning to a new level in grading capability.
GRADING FOR STRENGTH The main characteristics that define the structural grade for radiata pine are knot size and stiffness or MOE (modulus of elasticity). Using the appropriate scanning and optimization technology to identify those qualities early in the process can reduce costs, increase quality, and maximize mill output.
“The knot-scanning accuracy of the new scanners is nothing short of phenomenal,” said Mat. “Having BioVision on both the edger and trimmer systems absolutely gives us more control over the whole process.” Types of defects that can be detected and classified by the BioVision system include: thickness, width and length, wane and end-contour, warp (crook, bow), skip, knots and splits. BioVision is capable of detecting many more defects, but these are the the ones that Hyne requires for its application.
Acoustic grading added
To supplement the visual analysis, Hyne chose to add one acoustic grader to the line upstream of the BioVision scanners and another one downstream of the trimmer. The acoustic grader determines the MOE of each piece by thumping them with an air hammer, and then listening for the echo response. The acoustic grader data is fed into the USNR optimizer for use in the final grade and breakdown solution.
End grain scanning
The USNR product solution also included a PithFinder™ vision sensor, placed upstream of the trimmer scan frame that looks at the grain on the end of each board to determine where the board was located in its parent log. This information helps the optimization system determine knot connectivity within the board.
The amount of nonstructural product being processed as structural lumber presents a missed revenue opportunity.
“Through past experience we know that in making structural grades, about 50% of the factors disqualifying a board from being of structural quality are related to knots and 50% are due to a MOE that is too low,” said Mat. “So, without testing for MOE you can only recognize about 50% of the substandard material.”
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HYNE TIMBER — INTELLIGENT SAWMILL GRADE SCANNING
Less operator involvement
The new Hyne system uses 2-sided vision scanning to target large knots on small board end sections, which may cause the board to fly apart in the planer. Prior to the installation of BioVision, a human operator would reject suspect boards before the planer if there was a chance of this happening. Safety considerations dictated that a board should be rejected if there was any doubt. By rejecting bad boards earlier in the process with BioVision, the operatormanaged drop out at the planer has been reduced by about 70% and the mill has increased its good material run rate by about 5%. At the same time, with less human intervention required, the safety of the milling operation has improved dramatically as the number of material jams have gone down.
Synchronizing the systems
The latest Hyne sawmill upgrades also involved upgrading the software algorithms on the edgers to take advantage of the machine learning capability and make them fully compatible with the new trimmer software. The edger systems can now allow larger boards, even those with large knots, to proceed down the line, with the knowledge that board value will be maximized at the trimmer optimizer.
Productivity is improved
Production. “We can now determine earlier in the process what will make good structural product.” “This is a game changer for our dry mill productivity,” adds Mat. “We no longer have low grade products going into the dry mill and causing breakages and jam ups, and as a result, our run times are going up considerably. And now that we’re not feeding as much fiber to the dry mill as we were, we are looking to develop other markets for the non-structural lumber that doesn’t require drying and planing.”
The mill upgrade project is producing results that go directly to Hyne’s bottom line. “Years ago we would put about 80% of the product into the dry mill, resulting in about 30% of the dried lumber failing the structural grading test at the end of the line,” said Rachel Armisted, Hyne’s General Manager of
Below, BioVision Trimmer: Utilizing intelligent machine learning capability, combined with MOE (modulus of elasticity) stiffness data and end grain scan data, this piece qualifies as an MGR10 product, defined by Hyne Timber as a structural grade product. It will be dried and then go on to the dry mill for further processing, sorting, stacking and packaging.
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Norra Timber - Sävar
World’s fastest band saw line SÄVAR SAWMILL SETS SPEED RECORD 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 BAND SAW 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).
Northern Forest Owners’ (Norra Timber) sawmill at Sävar, in North Sweden, recently completed the transformation of its saw line. The primary breakdown process features band sawing technology, and the secondary process includes a new edger line, all from USNR. The first phase included the installation of two twin Logmaster HPS band saws, and the final phase saw the third band saw started up during the summer of 2018. 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 750E ROTARY LOG TURNER
CHIPPER CANTER 2500
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FLOW
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.
Completing the project
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.”
FLOW
SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR
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.”
Saw blade monitoring: improves accuracy, safety
The new Logmaster HPS runs continuously at a band speed of 100 m/sec. (328 ft/sec.). To avoid blade rupture, it is of utmost importance to have a reliable and exact monitoring
LOGMASTER HPS BAND SAW
FLOW
SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR
FLOW
TO TRIMMER
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NORRA TIMBER – WORLD’S FASTEST BAND SAW LINE system. This is where the newly developed BMS - Bandsaw Monitoring System - comes in handy. The BMS system monitors the blade’s position on the wheel utilizing inductive sensors, and an actuator that tilts the upper band wheel’s vertical position. The main advantage to using inductive technology is the capability to detect cracks in the blade, even very small ones. Apart from safety risk and damage to equipment, blade ruptures create downtime. One customer indicated that the BMS investment has a very short pay-back time, as well as 100% crack detection (zero blade ruptures). He said that thanks to increased up-time in the saw line, the mill’s production has risen on average by an impressive 1.9 cubic meters (800 board feet) per hour.
The BMS’ sensors are mounted in a protective housing on the return side of the saw blade. The BMS’ detection capability is not reduced by sawdust build-up or particles in the air. BMS actively corrects the saw band’s position on the band wheel, which not only minimizes wear but also improves sawing accuracy.
Planning ahead
To view a video of the line in action, scan the QR code or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/product/ logmasterhps/videos
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.”
Left: 4-sided cants enter the Logmaster HPS band saw.
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Turn your carriage into a profit center. USNR Optimization software uses True Shape 3D scan data to consider millions of solutions based on log grades, surface features, and user-defined product definitions. You specify the wane limits, grade zones, and real dollar values and the optimizer calculates the most valuable solution for every log loaded on your carriage. USNR’s optimized log carriage system provides highly accurate opening faces and will model any downstream machinery including curve sawing machines, resaws, edgers, and trimmers. This increases throughput and ensures the best fiber utilization and recovery for your sawmill. Three advanced cutting modes including MOF+, BOF, and Optimized Grade Sawing, give the flexibility to get the most from your resource. MOF+ and BOF modes improve consistency and maximize grade out, giving you more control over your product mix to meet market demands. Optimized Grade Sawing is the industry’s most advanced yet easy to use system available. Contact us to discuss putting this technology in your mill.
Millwide. Worldwide.
+1.360.225.8267
www.usnr.com
Waipapa Pine
Carriage automation boosts performance BUILDING THROUGHPUT, RECOVERY AND SATISFACTION With a primary goal to increase throughput, Waipapa Pine took their carriage log breakdown from a fully manual process, to fully optimized. They've greatly improved their throughput, and recovery gains are a much appreciated added bonus.
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We have seen an increase in volume, a higher grade in this volume, and we have cut fewer logs to achieve these improvements.
Fitted with both front- and backside Lasar2 sensors, the carriage breakdown process is now fully optimized. The frontside Lasar2 sensor is circled in red above, mounted above the log deck.
In 2012 Kiwi Timber Protection Ltd (KTP) of Whangarei, New Zealand purchased the assets of a closed sawmill in Kerikeri, NZ, and reopened the site as Waipapa Pine Ltd. Then they set about bringing the primary process up to current standards. Today, the Waipapa Pine operation consists of a sawmill, continuous dry kilns, and timber stacking equipment. The mill’s primary product is high grade framing timber for the new house construction market on the North Island, with some export to the Pacific Islands. The facility currently processes Radiata Pine with a single-shift processing capacity of 130,000 tons of logs annually.
Manual sawline challenges
The company’s headrig carriage primary breakdown line was installed by the previous owner of the site. The carriage was a fully-manual operation; the operator was 100% responsible to decide what yield to target out of each log. Three years ago the mill installed a slabber on the line. Although it delivered good production results, mill management identified that manually determining
the cuts to make with the slabber added significant time to the process of breaking down a log. With the primary goal to speed up the line, the mill decided to invest in optimization. “We understood that optimization could provide additional benefits, but our main target was to increase production output by reducing the time we spent breaking logs down,” said Grant Arnold, Waipapa Pine Operations Director.
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WAIPAPA PINE – CARRIAGE AUTOMATION
TYPICAL LINE LAYOUT Backside Lasar2
Carriage
Field of view Bandsaw
Frontside Lasar2
Two Lasar2 sensors are mounted above the log infeed, and are positioned to scan the front and backside of each log once it is loaded on the carriage. With both frontside and backside scanning the Lasar2 sensors collect dense data from 270 degrees circumference of the log, allowing the MillExpert optimizer to generate a dense 3D model for highly accurate log breakdown solutions. The yellow area above depicts the field of view of the Lasar2 sensors.
Automating the decision
The mill decided on carriage optimization using USNR’s Lasar2 front and backside scanners. “Scanning as much of the log as possible is preferred for any mill planning to utilize USNR’s optimized whole log breakdown system,” said Dale Bradicich, USNR International Account Manager. “Depending on the mill layout and available space for front and backside sensors, up to 270 degrees of coverage is achievable on a log loaded onto the carriage.” Grant said, “We considered other vendors and looked at a couple of other installations here in New Zealand, but when we compared functionality and fitness for our operation there was only one way to go.” He continued, “I have also had experience with USNR optimizers in the past, so I was very happy knowing USNR sets the benchmark with these systems.”
Lasar2 scanning
Lasar2 is the second-generation laser log scanning technology from USNR. This technology has been used successfully in transverse transport machine centers such as conventional headrig carriages, overhead end-dogging systems and log merchandiser decks, in addition to closecoupled primary breakdown systems such as C-frame carriages and EDLF machines. The scanner produces “radar-type” measurements of the distance from the sensor to each data point within the field of view, amounting to between 50,000 and 100,000 data points for one side of a log. Using front and backside scanning, a scan image can be created that profiles 75% of a log’s circumference.
Flexible optimization We understood that optimization could provide additional benefits, but our main target was to increase production output by reducing the time we spent breaking logs down.
The USNR Carriage Optimization system provides detailed breakdown rules that can be set for each species, grade and fiber class, along with other options including configurable face cut orders, configurable minimum opening face sizes and lengths, half taper, full taper, and no taper options. Multiple adjustable scan zones ensure maximum coverage area and maximum scan density on every size of log. The stop-n-loader scan feature allows prepositioning of the carriage knees to accept the next log, pre-loaded close to the saw line, for faster throughput.
Installing the system
“We are very satisfied with how the project progressed,” said Grant. “Geoff Strang and the group at Skookum Technology (USNR’s agent in the region), Aaron Taitoko and the Tui Technology team, as well as the complete USNR team working on our project, did an excellent job. My Waipapa Pine team grabbed the project with both hands and worked closely with all suppliers to make the project a success.”
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The mill configures which downstream machine each cut zone is routed through and then optimizes for the log's best opening face.
Exceptional results
With this optimizer upgrade, all three key production measures in the mill have increased. Run rates have increased by 28%, simply as a result of relieving the operator of breakdown decisions in order to concentrate on loading the log, dogging and driving the carriage. The average time to process a log on the carriage has been reduced by 20 seconds. Sawn recovery has increased by about 3%, and graded recovery has increased by 2.9%.
More production, less cost and a better sales mix has given our performance a great boost.
“These results have aligned very well with our business goals,” continued Grant. “Bottom line, we have seen an increase in volume, a higher grade in this volume, and we have cut fewer logs to achieve these improvements. More production, less cost and a better sales mix has given our performance a great boost.”
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Tropik Wood
Sustainability drives saw line investment TROPIK WOOD INCREASES RECOVERY TO SUPPORT FIJI BUILDING BOOM Determined to improve its recovery in its quest for sustainable harvesting, Tropik Wood set out to update its saw line with state-of-the-art technology. It selected a line from USNR, manufactured in Sweden. The result features increased recovery in excess of 50% and significantly higher throughput.
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The level of technology incorporated in the mill is unique to this region. It is a testament to the importance of sustainable harvesting.
Tropik Wood Industries Limited (Tropik), a division of Fiji Pine Group of Companies, Limited, is the largest producer of timber products in the country. Processing Caribbean pine, the 170-employee company produces more than 15 product types, both treated and untreated, ranging from profiled timber, construction material and posts and poles for domestic customers, to wood chips for export markets. The company uses its waste material to feed a biomass power generating plant.
Selecting the equipment
Project goals
Q uad reducer band saw;
The mill was originally set up to focus on volume rather than recovery. This did not match the company’s and the government’s goals for optimizing the use of the island’s natural resources. “The old mill experienced long downtimes and very poor recovery,” said Vimlesh Kumar, Tropik Wood’s Project Manager. “The low average recovery of 27% meant that we were wasting our valuable saw logs, which take 25 years or more to mature for timber.” Several alternatives were considered by the Tropik team. “We explored a number of options including bringing in refurbished machinery from Canada or New Zealand that would have saved initial capital cost,” said Faiz Khan, Fiji Pine’s Executive Chairman in an article in the Fiji Sun newspaper. “But brand new, top-of-the-line equipment will give us greater certainty of productivity increases over the next 15 years.”
A series of discussions with USNR and other suppliers produced a complete scoping of the project, which included: New log infeed deck; Cambio 800 ring debarker (including
CIM 750 infeed, CamTrail outfeed);
Scanning conveyor and True Shape
3D scanner;
7 50E log turner; L ogPos optimized infeed; O utfeed board separator; C atech 400 optimized 3-saw edger; C hipper canter 2500, 435 infeed; G ang saw; O ptimization software, PLC controls; N ew structures and conveyors.
“The level of technology incorporated in the mill is unique to this region,” said Lars Lindvall, USNR account manager. “It is a testament to the importance of sustainable harvesting that Tropik was willing to make the significant financial commitment to bring these plans to reality.”
Debarking
Caribbean pine logs enter the sawmill unsorted with respect to diameter, and leading with the small end. Logs range from 15 - 50 cm (6 - 20") diameter in lengths of 3 - 6.1 meters (10 - 20'). Logs are scanned and optimized, with 2.8 - 3 m (9 10') gaps at the infeed. Processing logs with small ends first provides advantages in more accurate infeed alignment and for edging accuracy. The log decks have two sections with separate drives; one loading/ storage deck and one thinning deck to separate logs before they arrive at the log elevator. The log elevator and singulator sends logs one-byone to the debarking line. The Cambio 800 is a heavy duty high-speed debarker that accommodates all log sizes, and is particularly suited for logs with a diameter up to 795 mm (31”). It offers reliability, minimal service requirements and ultra-low operating costs. At Tropik Wood the Cambio 800 is paired with the CIM Debarker Infeed. This infeed’s auto-centering function allows feeding logs without any log gaps, maximizing debarking line productivity. The CamTrail debarker outfeed prevents logs from wobbling or rotating.
Right: Cambio 800 debarker with CIM 750 infeed
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TROPIK WOOD – SUSTAINABILITY DRIVES SAW LINE INVESTMENT Once logs are debarked they pass through a metal detector, then a single axis log scanner for sorting out reject logs. Next they are transported to a log kicker, log elevator and singulator then on to the sawline scan conveyor.
Chipping, canting
Once scanned, a 3D data model is produced and an optimized saw pattern provides log and cant breakdown solutions. Log rotation is achieved with the 750E rotary log turner controlled from the PLC and actuated with an electric servo motor. Next the LogPos log infeed positions the log with 4 pairs of vertical side rollers on a chain bed. The side rollers have spikes to hold the log's rotated position securely while feeding into the cutting tools. The infeed offers side shift capability of Âą30 mm (1.18") and follows the path
defined by the sawline optimizer to achieve accurate opening faces on both sides. Spiked press and side rollers firmly secure and feed the logs into the chipper canter unit. The Chipper Canter with CombiSpiral discs was chosen due to its capability to produce first class pulp chips and boards with smooth sawn faces, and proven dimensional accuracy. It can be customized for log or cant breakdown, straight or sweep sawing and for production speeds up to 150 m/min. (500 feet/min.).
Sawing
The quad bandsaw's design maximizes production and performance with thin kerf saws. It is designed for high product accuracy at feed speeds up to 120 m/ min. (400 feet/min.). The bandsaws have optimized height-shifting saw guides, and speed is also optimized
by cutting height. Two to four sideboards are separated out at the board separator, and dropped off to the edger conveyor. After sawing and separating side boards from the log, the cant is kicked sideways, turned 90 degrees and conveyed to the cant breakdown line. The Cant Feeder 435 positions the cant in front of the second chipper canter; it is centered, side shifted and skewed for the most accurate curve sawing, following the cant's natural shape. The curve sawn cant enters the single arbor circular saw with 4 shifting saws and the option to mount further saws on the outer shafts. Side and center boards are sent to the green chain. Side boards are manually separated and sent to the optimized edger.
SAWLINE L AYOUT SIDEBOARDS
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TO TRIMMER
SINGLE ARBOR CIRCULAR SAW
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3-SAW EDGER
CHIPPER CANTER 2500 FLOW
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CENTER BOARDS
SIDEBOARD SEPARATOR FLOW
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Edging
The Catech 400 edger line includes an S-shaped unscrambler, transverse scanner with conveyor, edger infeed and 3-saw edger, edgings separator and board outfeed. The edger line offers high speeds and top recovery with optimized wane control, and a split saw that offers greater capability for processing wide boards.
Installation
“While relocation to a greenfield site would be ideal, the costs of moving all other processes would make the project commercially unviable,” said Faiz Khan. “Even so, the integration of our existing conveyors with new machinery at our current site was a challenge,” added Vimlesh. “To increase our chance of success, we engaged the services of Skookum Technology, the process engineers (and USNR’s agent) out of New
Zealand, to review our plans and ensure that everything was planned perfectly for smooth machine installation once the USNR installation engineers arrived from Sweden.”
for Tropik,” concludes Vimlesh. “The Fijian economy has been importing a lot of timber, and by increasing our output we will support the country’s building boom sustainably.”
“Despite many factors, and the time zone difference between Fiji and Sweden, the project was implemented on time,” said Vimlesh.
Results
The new mill has a capacity of 350m3/day, however it is currently being run at a daily average of 180m3 to ensure sustainability of the forests the mill draws its raw material from. As a result of the new equipment installation, recovery of timber has increased significantly. As well, the new line offers greater flexibility and can handle logs of larger diameter. “The increase in production efficiency comes at the perfect time
We knew this project was going to offer significant challenges, but we were pleased to be able to outfit this operation with state-ofthe-art equipment that will serve Tropik's interests for many years to come.
CATECH 400 EDGER INFEED
SCANNER S-UNSCRAMBLER
TO OLD LINE (RARELY USED)
COMBI-SPIRAL DISC CHIPPER
LOGPOS S4 INFEED
750E LOG TURNER
SCANNER
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QUAD BAND SAW
Viiratsi Sawmill
Flexiblity, advanced automation NORDWOOD’S VIIRATSI SAWMILL TAKES MERRY-GO-ROUND SYSTEM TO THE NEXT LEVEL This saw line features Swedish mechanical design paired with USNR scanning and optimization technology. The result is exactly what was needed for this processor, and proves the flexibility of the solution.
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The main objective of the investment was to offer forest owners the opportunity to supply all the possible assortment of logs to one factory.
Viiratsi Saeveski AS is one of three sawmills in the Nordwood group in Estonia. Recently they started discussions with USNR about a new saw line for large diameter logs to match their existing small log line. Availability of raw materials was a key factor. Competition in the market for small logs had increased significantly in Estonia, making it hard to grow by volume. The sawing capacity in Estonia is also bigger than the availability of raw material. Therefore it was necessary to extend the raw material base to keep the volume of sawn material. Nordwood’s lumber is used in a wide variety of applications such as construction works, furniture, packaging and wood industry. Hence, Viiratsi needed a flexible solution which could manage a broad variety of saw patterns. The
solution to this equation spells out the SuperSaver merry-go-round line. The merry-go-round sawline, together with an optimized edger line, is a common solution in many regions, and in Scandinavia it is closely associated with the Söderhamn Eriksson (now USNR) brand. To learn more about the concept, see the fact box at the end of this article.
Based on our raw material, optimum saw patterns plus the maximum possible curve sawing recovery is needed to achieve our goals.
Mill Manager Tõnu Ehrpais explained why he chose the SuperSaver solution. “The decision was based on an economic estimate. With bigger logs, the investment principle was to
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VIIRATSI SAWMILL — FLEXIBILITY, ADVANCED AUTOMATION get a maximum monetary yield out of the raw material. Based on our raw material, optimum saw patterns plus the maximum possible curve sawing recovery is needed to achieve our goals.” Mr. Ehrpais underlined the competition for raw material and the role of the suppliers, “ The main objective of the investment was to offer forest owners the opportunity to supply all the possible assortment of logs to one factory. Before this investment, the Viiratsi Sawmill was a small log mill. Upon completion of the new line, we can handle logs with diameters from 8 to 50 cm (3 to 20”) at the small ends, and with lengths of 3-6 meters (10 to 20’).” The Viiratsi sawline is a complete USNR line from the Cambio 800 debarker to the resaw and the Catech edger line. The Viiratsi is also the first saw line produced in Sweden with USNR optimization. A great effort was put into adapting the USNR optimization software to the new machinery. This work was done through a tight cooperation between Swedish technicians and the USNR optimization team in Parksville, BC. The advanced optimization, together with sweep sawing technology and the Catech edger optimizer, guarantee a high recovery level.
Catech Edgers
Catech edgers have long been the top-of-the-line trademark for high speed softwood edging. Scanning and measurement technologies have evolved throughout the years, and now USNR’s BioLuma technology has been implemented. The standard scanner heads in Catech systems are now BioLuma 2900L. The scanners feature laser scanning at a resolution of 8 mm (0.3”) at a scan rate of 2500 Hz over the full length of the board. As an option, the system can be fitted with vision scanning for full value optimization. Recently, the first two Catech systems with BioLuma technology have been installed, one in Fiskarheden Sawmill, Sweden, and one in Viiratsi.
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Pictured above: Catech Edger utilizing USNR optimization with BioLuma sensors.
Why Catech?
Margo Jaska, technical manager at AS Viiratsi Saeveski explains why they chose the Catech edger for their new sawline, “The edger was chosen mainly because of the capacity – with a peak capacity of up to 70 boards per minute, and an average speed of 55 boards per minute. Other vendors in Europe did not have an edger with such capacity.” BioLuma 2900L geometric profile scanners with USNR’s optimization package were chosen based on the precision and reliability that are proven out over many installations.
With a peak capacity of up to 70 boards per minute, other vendors in Europe did not have an edger with such capacity.
Smooth installation
The performance of the machinery once it’s up and running, is only one of many parameters to consider in the process of buying new equipment. A smooth installation and commissioning process is important as well. When we asked Mr. Jaska about the Catech installation process his answer was very concise, “The installation process went unnoticed. That is a good sign of assembly quality and professionalism of the startup/ installation crew.”
Upon completion of the new line, we can handle logs with diameters from 8-50 cm at the small ends, and lengths of 3-6 meters.
To view a video of the line in action, scan the QR code, or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/ product/SuperSaverSM/videos
SUPERSAVER CONCEPT SuperSaver is USNR’s versatile concept for merry-go-round saw lines. The common denominator in all SuperSaver configurations is the compact layout, high recovery and high capital utilization. The core concept is the quad bandmill, through which the logs pass up to four times depending on log size and machine configuration.
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LOG SCANNER
Debarked logs enter the saw line’s scanner and the optimum saw pattern for each log is determined. The log is rotated into its optimized sawing position and fed into the canter. The cant is then fed on into the quad bandsaw where two or four sideboards are sawn off. The board separator separates the boards from the cant and sends them off to the
RING TURNER
CANTER
QUAD BANDSAW
edger. The cant is rotated 90 degrees before returning for the next pass. The Viiratsi line is equipped with a quad resaw for extra high output; this means that all patterns can be sawn with just two passes through the line.
BOARD SEPARATOR
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QUAD BAND RESAW
LOG INFEED
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CANT SCANNER
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CANT DECK
CATECH EDGER
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TO GREEN SORTING
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Comprehensive lumber handling. USNR offers the most comprehensive line of lumber handling products in the industry. And with vetted manufacturing capacity in Sweden, Japan, South America, and New Zealand, customers around the world have access to full-featured equipment with practical deliveries. USNR provides our customers with fully integrated solutions.
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Sawmill Trimmer lines for all applications from high speed stud lines to custom cut hardwood lines
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Sorters of all configurations including Tray, Sling, Bin, Pusher Lug, Drag chain, and J Bar
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Stackers for stickering and solid piling, all configurations including Lunden, Newnes, and High-Speed Stackers
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Complete Planermill Systems from infeed to package outfeed including USNR and Coastal Planers
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Full Suite of Optimization and Controls for primary and secondary breakdown, trimming, green and dry vision grading, sorter tally systems, lumber/log flow
Canfor Southern Pine
Profiling ramps up throughput PROFILING AT THE CURVE SAWING GANG YIELDS SIGNIFICANT FLOW IMPROVEMENTS DOWNSTREAM A recent upgrade at a Southern Yellow Pine mill in Alabama has had a major impact on the mill’s productivity with the addition of profiling incorporated into the mill’s curve sawing gang process. The mill was facing daily bottlenecks at the edger that resulted in backed up lumber decks, hours of overtime work to clear the backlog, and continual maintenance to keep the overworked components operating. Today lumber is flowing and the bottleneck has moved on down the line to the kilns, with a solution in the works to ease that pain as well.
The new system has exceeded all our expectations. We were really hoping our production would increase to 60,000 board feet per hour, but we've blown past that goal.
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CANFOR SOUTHERN PINE – PROFILING RAMPS UP THROUGHPUT The Scotch and Gulf Lumber mill at Fulton, Alabama was purchased by Canfor Corporation in 2016, and became Canfor Southern Pine. “I believe our mill was a perfect fit for Canfor,” said Perry Callaway, plant manager. “They saw the potential in the mill, its equipment and people, its strong timber base and its product mix.” The mill features dual log processing lines, one for small logs up to 27” in diameter and one for large logs up to 46”. It produces dimensional lumber products from 2x4 to 2x12, MSR (machine stress rated) lumber, #1 and #2 prime lumber, and specialty grades. The mill also produces 1x4 and 1x6 boards that are shipped green (undried).
Holding up the line
An ongoing bottleneck at the board edger was a major slowdown in the productivity of the entire operation. The original configuration of the mill had boards exiting the gang and being transported directly to the trimmer. A significant amount of the lumber was being tippled out after the trimmer, and routed to the edger for remanufacture. “The edger was doing all it could but was just overwhelmed with reman lumber,” said Perry. “We would start processing logs at 6:00 am and by 9:30 we’d have to shut down the headrig and canter/ bandmill because all the lumber transfer chains would be blocked up,” continued Perry. Adding to the productivity issues, there were
also safety concerns as the lumber was crossing up on the decks and required manual straightening. The plant’s edger, trimmer and stacker operators were often required to work until 8 o’clock at night just to catch up so the mill would be ready to start up the next morning. There was also the issue of maintenance personnel constantly working on the tipples behind the trimmer. “Our reman was typically 13-14 percent, or 6,000 to 7,000 pieces per shift,” said Perry. “We were literally beating our tipples to death with so much reman lumber.” Plant management felt that the potential productivity increases and cost reductions that the mill could achieve would be significant, if they could keep the line moving forward.
UPGRADED LAYOUT
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Black = new supply Grey = existing equipment
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A straightforward approach
The USNR and Canfor teams worked together to determine the best configuration that would improve the mill flow and increase productivity and recovery. They recommended retrofitting the existing curve sawing gang with a new shape chipping canter and a shape chipping profiler, as well as improved scanning and optimization. “We considered other vendors’ solutions, but one of the main reasons we decided to go with USNR was the mechanical simplicity of the USNR approach,” said Perry. “It was pretty much what all the millwrights were used to working on every day.”
SHAPE CHIPPERS
SHAPE PROFILERS
How it works
The new solution incorporates a chipping canter and profiler ahead of the saw box. The shape chipper skews and slews as it chips off the cant’s sides via conical chip heads. Then, the four-sided cant is fed through the shape profiler eliminating much of the requirement for edging the boards. Not only does profiling reduce the need for edging, it also smooths much of the flow which vastly improves productivity. Following profiling, the existing horizontal sawbox cuts the cant into boards. The project included new scanning and optimization, as well as controls for the line. The original scanning was performed with a single lineal scan zone, as there was ample time to pass the solution on to the
SAWBOX
gang’s control system before the cant entered the machinery. Also, the original system did not require optimization for shape chipping and profiling. The new configuration includes 3 scanners along the scan belt. This allows the system to complete a full scan of the cant in only 9 feet of travel, and allows time for the optimized solution to reach the PLC and set the cutting tools to implement the decision. The cants are fed horizontally onto a rollcase from both sides, coming from the large and smaller log lines. They are fed onto a scan belt where they are transported lineally through the 3 scan zones and to the shape chipper ’s infeed. The shape chipper infeed controls the cant with 3 powered top press rolls that secure
To view a video of the system in action, scan the QR code or go to: https://vimeo. com/215897375
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CANFOR SOUTHERN PINE – PROFILING RAMPS UP THOUGHPUT
All the operators are happy that fifteen minutes after the mill goes down at the end of a shift, all the lumber is caught up and they get to go home.
The new configuration includes 3 scanners along the scan belt. The system completes a full scan of the cant in only 9 feet of travel, and allows time for the optimized solution to reach the PLC and set the cutting tools to implement the decision.
the cant on the chains while feeding it through the conical chip heads. The profiler infeed has 2 powered top press rolls to secure the cant, and 2 reference rolls that feedback the cant’s position to the plc system. This allows the plc to control the skew and slew of the profilers to carry out the optimized profile solution.
were really hoping our production would increase to 60,000 board feet per hour, but we’ve blown past that goal. As of now we’re right around 62,000 feet per hour, and all the operators are happy that fifteen minutes after the mill goes down at the end of a shift, all the lumber is caught up and they get to go home.”
Reference rolls are also included on the gang’s existing chipper arbors ( just upstream of the sawbox) to allow the plc to set the saws relative to the chipped surfaces of the cant. The gang infeed employs 3 powered top press rolls and a bottom feed roll to secure the cant while it is transported through the double arbor sawbox.
Based on the success of the recent mill upgrades, the Canfor team is talking about what improvements they can make next. “We have a target of about 130 million board feet of production this year, but we have plans to increase our output beyond that level once we complete other upgrades throughout the plant,” concluded Perry. “With that goal in mind, we’ve already ordered a new USNR continuous dry kiln.”
Increased productivity
“The new system has exceeded all our expectations,” continued Perry. “When we started the project, we
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World’s fastest edger is now even better. https://www.usnr.com/en/ product/catechedger/videos
Operating at speeds up to 75 boards per minute, the Catech 4000 TS sets the standard for high-performance optimizing edgers. Installed with high-speed BioLuma sensors and you have a winning combination for todays high-speed lug rates. BioLuma’s high-density profiling sees the finest defects. You see more value and recovery. The Catech Edger is a modular machine able to acheive a broad range of solutions for high-capacity cutting patterns. It is equipped with double-sided profile scanning and the option to add full value optimization. The unscrambler features unmanned operation with integrated systems installed for detecting and correcting skewed or double-fed boards. Contact us to learn more!
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Södra Wood Värö
Reducing trim loss MULTI-TRACK FENCE IS A PROMISING INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE When the old fence no longer met the high quality standards of Södra Wood Värö, one of Sweden’s biggest sawmills, they installed a Multi-Track Fence from USNR. It was a promising investment for their future.
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Our requirements were a decrease of faulty trim cuts by 0.4%. With our production volume it means several hundred thousand dollars a year in savings.
Christer Carlson of USNR, left, discusses this successful project with David Herbertsson and Mattias Sundholm of Södra Wood Värö.
Good sawmillers know, the further on in the production chain, the higher the costs for inaccurate cuts. That was a major driver for the Södra Wood Värö plant when they set out to reduce trim loss at their trim line. After investigation, they quickly realized that there was big money to save if the accuracy of the trimming was improved; reducing trim loss is significant to enhance recovery in both volume and value. "Our requirements were a decrease of faulty trim cuts by 0.4%. It may not sound like it is a big figure but with our production volume it means several hundred thousand dollars a year in savings," says Mattias Sundholm, production engineer. Mattias continued, "The production line runs at full speed now. We are satisfied that our flow targets are being met, and likely even more so."
Service close at hand
One of the reasons for choosing USNR as a supplier was the need for access to local service and support. "We are very happy to have a reliable Swedish industry supplier in this region," says Mattias Sundholm.
Manufactured in Sweden
The Multi-Track Fence has earned a solid reputation for its accuracy and reliability in North America. The machine that was installed at Södra Wood Värö is built by Söderhamn Eriksson in Sweden. It fully complies to the metric system and is equipped with components that are familiar to the European market.
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SÖDRA WOOD VÄRÖ – REDUCING TRIM LOSS
The paddles are pre-set by being directed into different tracks.
Smooth project
The installation took place the last weekend of November 2016 and ran completely as scheduled. Christer Carlson, sales manager at USNR, related, "This sawmill is big and spacious. We drove in with the loader, lifted out the old fence and dropped into place the new MultiTrack Fence, and aligned it. Then we connected it to the existing drive gears before the electricians took over. Mattias Sundholm agrees, "This is oneof the best projects that we’ve had here."
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The final adjustment is completely electric, as is the entire machine.
To view a video of the line in action, scan the QR code or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/product/ MultiTrackFenceSM/videos
Multi-Track Fence
Industry's #1 choice OVER 150 SOLD GLOBALLY Our Multi-Track Fence is still the market's top solution for high speed mills. Introduced in 2010, there are now more than 150 units operating in green and dry mills all over the globe. The Multi-Track Fence is a cost effective solution for mills that require a rapid, highly accurate fencing system for the most demanding applications. It is an excellent choice for high-speed optimized applications offering infinite resolution, and guaranteed at 0.1” (2.5 mm) accuracy. The MultiTrack Fence allows wider lug spacing at higher speeds, with less critical timing than other rotary fence models. It operates without any air or hydraulics; all-electric actuation is easy to maintain. The Multi-Track Fence is designed to retrofit into existing 3-stage fence locations.
The Multi-Track Fence uses moving board bumpers to position the boards, and this allows several lug spaces for boards to come to the bumpers and settle into a fixed setback location prior to leaving the positioning system. The result is highly accurate, infinite board positioning, and often higher speeds. The all-electric design eliminates system leakage and maintenance associated with air or hydraulic actuation. Operating costs are reduced, less maintenance is required, and with lower energy consumption.
Features Available in 12” (305 mm) and 24” (610 mm) setbacks; push or pull back configurations Bumper accuracy +/- 0.1” (2.5 mm) Speeds over 200 LPM on dimension applications Non-critical timing; no air cylinder cushions to tune Simple PLC control Electric design reduces operating costs No fussy brakes internal to moving board bumpers Easy access for maintenance
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Buffiere & Fils
Reliable flare reducing TIGHT GRIP EVEN ON SHORT LOGS Can a new debarking line really increase the productivity of a mill by 20 percent? Yes, according to Mr. Alain Buffiere of the French sawmillers Buffiere et Fils, it’s quite possible. Right in the middle of the breathtakingly beautiful Massif Central, the highland region of south-central France, Scierie Buffiere et Fils (Buffiere and Sons) is found in the outskirts of the small town of Saint-Chély d’Apcher. The business
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started out in 1958 and is now run by the three sons of the founder since 1985. The annual production is about 30,000 cu.m (12.7 mmbf ) and employs 18 personnel. This puts the company in the mid-range among French sawmills.
We had good communication with Hervé Doret, USNR’s sales representative based in France.
Mr. Alain Buffiere
In these surroundings, some reaching an altitude of well over 1000 m. (3000 ft.), the log supply consists of softwood species such as Douglas fir, Scots pine and Norway spruce. The sawmill comprises two saw lines, one carriage bandsaw line for big logs and one circular saw line dedicated to produce pallet boards. Designed for small and well-shaped logs, the latter of the two lines was plagued with constant interruptions due to butt flares. The old debarking line in the pallet lumber mill didn’t have an inline flare reducer, so logs with flares would get stuck in the line if they were not spotted and put aside by the log yard staff.
Short logs
USNR’s European division in Sweden has a long history and experience with flare reducing, having developed the rugged and reliable CamTrim reducer. However, no standard setup could be used in the Buffiere mill. In Scandinavia, most mills feed the logs top end first, and the typical length of the logs is 4.5 m (15 ft.). The short French logs of 2.5 m (8 ft.) requires a firm grip for processing. Since the logs are not sorted with top end first, it is often the case that they enter the line butt end first. The precision of the infeed is critical for this log presentation. If a log misses the center of the reducer rotor, it will be shredded with the massive power of the CamTrim.
Uniform output
The solution to this challenge was to put two CM 600D feedworks between the log infeed and the flare reducer. This ensures both a tight grip and high precision processing. Both the flare reducer and the Cambio 460 debarker modules are compatible with the CamShift design, allowing modules to be pulled out horizontally for outstanding access and serviceability.
Tha CamTrim is powerful enough to reduce over-sized logs throughout their entire length.
To view a video of the line in action, scan the QR code, or go to: https://www.usnr.com/en/ product/camtrim/videos
If an over-sized log enters the line, CamTrim is powerful enough to reduce the diameter of it throughout its entire length. After the installation, all logs in the pallet board line pass through the flare reducer and are trimmed down to a suitable diameter for the machines further downstream.
CamTrail Cambio 460 CamTrim
CM 600D
CIM 500
FL
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Cambio 800D
Smart debarking NEW DESIGN FEATURES HIGH SPEED DEBARKING, EASY MAINTENANCE USNR introduces another step forward in advanced debarking with the release of Cambio 800D. New features and practical design elements make this our best debarker yet!
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Higher
speed Easier to service, maintain Reduced noise, bark spray Reduced operating cost Higher redundancy Longer life
Specifications: Max. feedspeed: 130m/min (426 fpm) Max. log dia.: 800mm (32”) Min. log dia.: 90mm (3.5”) Weight including cover: 12,600 kg (28,000 lbs.) Feedwork drives: 4kw x 6 arms Rotor drive: 75kw 6pol Separate oil lube system for rotor lubrication, incl. filter and monitoring Electrical actuators to open/close the covers
Jonas Ljung, designer, explains the concept. “We know how costly it is for a mill when a machine is down, so we wanted to build in further redundancy to our Cambio design, to ensure our debarker could keep running even if a drive unit should fail. This way the mill can keep running and change it out during the next scheduled maintenance.” The drive units are attached into the arm with 4 screws, so changing the drive is much less time consuming. The new design accommodates the same size of logs and a slightly higher speed than the traditional Cambio 800 (130m/min vs. 110).
Features
With its separately driven feed rolls and new, patented suspension system, the Cambio 800D debarker is designed for high speeds and for all timber sizes. Cambio 800D has separate electric motors for each feed roll. This reduces the number of moving parts which results in lower costs for maintenance and spare parts. The drive units are designed as individual modules and can easily be replaced.
the covers tighter to minimize noise and bark spray, and to provide a better environment around the machine. The covers can be opened to a wide angle which increases access and speeds up the maintenance work. A new patented hydraulic suspension system – HYDA – controls the clamping force. The new suspension system also puts less stress on the frame and extends the lifespan of the machine. The reduced number of moving parts and the absence of bevel gears makes the Cambio 800D well suited for modern high speed sawmills.
We know how costly it is for a mill when a machine is down, so we wanted to build in further redundancy to our Cambio design, to ensure our debarker could keep running even if a drive unit should fail.
The Cambio 800D has built-in redundancy. The debarker remains functional even if one of the drive units should fail. This all sums up to reduced downtime and lower maintenance costs. The Cambio 800D is available as a stand-alone debarker unit. This design has been installed in two mills to date, one in Norway and the other in south Sweden.
With this new design, we have made
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A & J Scott
Setting output records INCREASED CAPACITY, REDUCED MANPOWER A & J Scott Ltd. is a large, independent player in the UK sawmilling industry. Recently the company commissioned a new primary breakdown line and edger line supplied by USNR, at its Mill 7. Production capacity has significantly increased, and today the company is setting output records as a result of its vision toward excellence, and its major investment in the business. The company aims to increase its overall output by over 15%.
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Our decision to invest in our sawline was based on the need for higher timber recovery, both in terms of volume as well as value, lower mechanical and operational downtime and the need to upgrade older machinery with new technology.
The reducer unit is installed upstream from the quad bandsaw.
Above: The auto-rotating log turner, side-shifting LogPos infeed, reducer quad bandsaw and board separator are shown in place.
A & J Scott is a strong family-owned company that was established in 1960, operating from its original site located in Northumberland. It is a very important employer in the area. Recently it invested in a large upgrade to the sawline with technology supplied by USNR. Equipment includes a new mill infeed, 3D optimization with LogPos log infeed and a bandsaw reducer quad. The company also installed a new Catech 400 optimizing edger line. USNR is proud to have been a supplier-partner to this outstanding producer for many years, and most recently supplying a Bruks drum chipper line at this mill. Robert Scott, Managing Director, recently commented on the project. “Our decision to invest in our sawline was based on a number of factors. These included the need for higher timber recovery, both in terms of volume as well as value, lower mechanical and operational downtime
and the need to upgrade older machinery with new technology.” “We selected USNR equipment because it has an excellent reputation within the industry. The proposal put together by their team fit our needs well and we were confident that it would deliver what we needed.” In addition to 3D optimization and PLC controls, the supply includes the following: Automated log rotation conveyor LogPos positioning log infeed Reducer Quad bandsaw unit Board separator Merry-go-round processing upgrade Catech 400 optimizing edger line with 3-saw edger sawbox
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A & J SCOTT – SETTING OUTPUT RECORDS
Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Vice Chair of the governmental APPG, visits A & J Scott to view the new lines in action. The side-shifting LogPos infeed and reducer quad bandsaw.
With its new equipment, the complete sawline and edger line requires only a single operator. The operator is located in the edger control room so he is completely out of the line of sight of the sawline. While cameras are positioned to provide monitoring of the sawline from the control room, the operator must rely on the equipment to run automatically. Mill management is pleased with the result of the investment, enabling the company to start the year with an alltime record output. A & J Scott was visited by the Conservative MP for Berwick-uponTweed, Anne-Marie Trevelyan as part of National Apprenticeship Week in the UK. The theme of the week was 'ladder of opportunity' - celebrating the achievements of apprentices over the last decade and highlighting the many apprenticeship routes available for young talent, from traineeships through to higher and degree apprenticeships. A & J Scott Ltd is proud of the company’s apprenticeship scheme providing training to a very high standard and has done so for many years.
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Anne-Marie Trevelyan is a Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Forestry where, together with other MP’s, the group works toward promoting the UK’s forestry sector. In the UK one of the major voices for the forestry and wood sector is Confor and they work together with Anne-Marie Trevelyan as part of the APPG. Confor is a notfor-profit organization that works very hard to promote the timber industry at all levels, including governmental. Robert Scott said, “ This latest investment will increase our output of high quality fencing products to complement the increased range of railway sleepers and landscaping timbers we are producing. It's a great feeling to start the new year by bringing the upgraded production facilities online, and we are looking forward to another strong year ahead."
It's a great feeling to start the new year by bringing the upgraded production facilities online, and we are looking forward to another strong year ahead.
Introducing the high-speed, thin-kerf, curve-sawing bandmill. The Logmaster HPS is a versatile machine that maximizes production and performance with thin saw kerfs, and the result is excellent yields. The 6’ model is designed for feed speeds up to 590 feet/min and saw speeds up to 328 feet/sec, with proven outstanding cutting accuracy. Supported by electronic blade monitoring and self-adjusting features, system stability and reliability is assured. Logmaster HPS can be delivered as a log or cant breakdown machine, with or without a reducer unit. It can also be combined with profiling and sweep sawing technology. Contact us to learn more!
Millwide. Worldwide.
+1.360.225.8267
www.usnr.com
Millwide. Worldwide.
Our products have been installed in sawmills and plywood plants all over the world, from North and South America to Japan and Australia, from Africa to Europe and Russia. No project is too complex, no location is too remote.
USNR GLOBAL
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