SPRING/SUMMER 2019 VOL - Wood-Mizer

woodmizer.com

V O L 16

Informative magazine for the industrial sawmill industry

SPRING/SUMMER 2019

Industrial Sawmilling Solutions

TITAN SawmillingSystems

L. Garbers & Sons Sawmill

UCL Sawmill

Welcome to the 16th edition of The Industrial Voice magazine. Throughout this edition, you wil l f ind recent instal lations of our industrial sawmill ing equipment throughout the world including complete sawmill systems in Europe, Africa, and the United States. In addition to many new installations, exciting developments within our industrial equipment line and support team have allowed us to have conversations with new sectors of the industrial sawmilling industry while continuing to identify opportunities to better serve our current customers’ needs.

For product news, we recently introduced our flagship WM4500 industrial sawmill with many new features including a heavier bed, a stronger head, and wider blade capacity. The WM4500 has been exceptionally well received with many units ordered within the first months of it being made available to the market. In addition, the WB2000 wideband sawmill has seen

extensive growth partly due to improved sawing performance facilitated by engineering improvements, but also because of Wood-Mizer’s rapidly expanding material handling systems. This allows our integration experts to design more automated and labor-efficient plant layouts that are critical to improve ROI for our customers.

On the secondary processing side, the EG800 board edger installations have accelerated as the versatile, cost-effective machine is designed to allow for edging or ripping of material from 12mm (1/2”) all the way up to 110mm (4-1/2”) thick. For the high-production EA3000 transverse loading optimizing edger, we have teamed up with an optimization specialist company to provide a vision-based scanning system that will consider color as well as shape in its decision process.

These developments, along with many others in the works, are part of our team’s ongoing efforts to push our own boundaries and improve our product offering with the final goal of making your business more profitable. Give us a call for a complete customized system layout or to speak with our industrial team regarding new equipment to integrate into your operation.

We look forward to discussing your next project with you and finding out how we can be a significant partner in your business’s future success.

Sincerely,

EDITORIAL & MARKETING MANAGER Deanna Bunten

EDITORChase Warner317.808.0818 – [email protected]

ART DIRECTORJanine Axsom

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paulina LewandowskaEtienne NagelBen PikeChase Warner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERSSamantha AlexanderJake MooneyEtienne NagelMarcin PiotrowskiHarrison Pogue

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Elizabeth Caudle

LETTERS TO THE EDITORWood-Mizer welcomes your tips, stories, and comments. Please understand, due to the high volume of mail received, we may not be able to respond personally to each letter. Submissions become the property of Wood-Mizer and may be edited for publication.

REPRINTS AND PERMISSIONSTo order reprints of the magazine or request permission to republish an article, call 317.271.1542 or email [email protected].

CONTACT US8180 W. 10th Street Indianapolis, IN 46214www.woodmizer.com317.271.1542 • 800.553.0182

ON THE COVER:

Wood-Mizer supports environmentally-friendly business practices and sustainable forestry initiatives in the forest and in its printed communications.

TITAN Sawmill Line at Meblohit. Read more about their system on Page 8.

Informative magazine for the industrial sawmill industry

John Smith, CEOWood-Mizer

Contents

4Product News

5Company News

6Events

8TITAN Sawmill Line Significantly Improves Pallet Producer Productivity

12WM4500 Industrial Sawmill Boosts Production for Pallet and Grade Lumber Producer

16WB2000 Wideband Sawmill Increases Capacity for Pallet and Fence Board Producer

20TITAN Sawmill Line Improves Efficiency with EA3000 Optimizing Edgers

24EG800 Edger Streamlines Material Flow for Structural Timber Producer

26TITAN Sawmill Line Enhances Efficiency for Pallet Manufacturer

28 Smart Log Processing a Blueprint for Efficiency

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28

12

2

3The Industrial Voice | Spring/Summer 2019

The Industrial Voice | Spring/Summer 2019

ProductNews

HR150 & HR250Industrial Band Resaws

Engineered for pallet and lumber operations, the compact HR150 and HR250 include a 25HP (18kW) motor, 0 – 27 m/min (0 – 90 ft/min) variable feed, and 290 x 250mm ( 11-1/2” x 10”) capacity. The HR150 is primarily designed to resaw material into two pieces with each pass and it can also be used as a recovery saw for slabs, flitches, and jacket boards. The HR250 is a twin blade resaw designed to resaw material into two or three pieces with each pass. Contact your local Wood-Mizer representative to order.

1-1/4” Tooth SpacingBandsaw Blades With increased air flow and higher to o t h p e n e t ra t i o n w h i l e s a w i n g mixed species, Wood-Mizer ’s high-performance Turbo 7 degree profile is tried, tested, and proven by high production, high horsepower, and high feed rate operations throughout the world. Combine this exclusive Turbo 7 profile with a wider 1-1/4” tooth spacing gullet to provide an ideal blade for high throughput grade resaw and sawmill operations. Contact your local Wood-Mizer representative to order.

WM4500 IndustrialNarrowband Sawmill

Engineered to produce grade and d imensional lumber, pallet boards, or breakdown logs for further processing at high speeds, the WM4500 capitalizes on thin-kerf blade technology to produce accurate lumber while reducing material , labor, energy, and maintenance costs. The WM4500 features 50mm (2”) wide blade capacity, stronger head structure, and heavy-duty bed construction for improved durability. Contact your local Wood-Mizer representative to order.

Vortex Dust-RemovalBandsaw Blades

Patent pending and trademarked for its revolutionary design, the Vortex® blade profi le creates an extremely unique turbulence that removes sawdust from the cut. With a typical blade, sawdust can remain on the board by spilling out of the smaller gullet while sawing. By reducing the amount of sawdust left on the board, the Vortex® blade minimizes the need for additional sawdust removal after processing. Contact your local Wood-Mizer representative to order.

Company News

Adam [email protected]

Roman [email protected]

Your Industrial Sawmilling Solutions Teams

Industrial Sawmilling Solutions

For decades Wood-Mizer has provided industrial equipment for customers around the world who require high levels of production. Wood-Mizer’s industrial sawmilling solutions are engineered and proven to maximize productivity, reduce labor requirements, and increase recovery from every log. The product range includes rugged industrial headrigs, narrowband and wideband vertical breakdown saws, horizontal resaws, board edgers, multirips, and fully customizable lines.

Wood-Mizer is committed to customer success and has assembled an experienced sales and service team to offer advice, knowledge, and local service worldwide for your industrial sawmilling operation. Our dedicated team is available to evaluate customer requirements and design customized solutions for high-throughput operations throughout the world. Contact your local Industrial team member for more information.

Luke MurraryCorporate Industrial Products DirectorWood-Mizer

USA

Gary Vande [email protected]

Stacy [email protected]

Gary [email protected]

Colin [email protected]

Europe Africa, Asia and South America

Peet Van [email protected]

4



Wood-Mizer will attend the Forest Products Equipment Expo 2019 in Georgia, USA. Visitors to Wood-Mizer Booth 1039 will be met with one of the largest displays of equipment at the Expo. Wood-Mizer’s industrial sawmilling equipment will be represented which includes the WM4500 industrial sawmill. In addition, a new horizontal resaw, professional sawmilling equipment, a wide capacity sawmill, and other equipment will be displayed.

According to the Expo, more than 100,000 square feet of the Georgia World Congress Center will be dedicated to showcase a broad range of forestry and wood processing equipment during the 3-day exposition. Since 1950, the Expo has provided the forest products industry with a quality venue to discuss trends, discover new technologies and focus on manufacturing success.

Wood-Mizer has a long-standing presence at the LIGNA

woodworking show held every other year in Hannover,

Germany. At the event, Wood-Mizer showcases a broad

range of wood processing equipment available through

their established distribution network. Visitors to Wood-

Mizer’s stand (FG K44) at LIGNA 2019 will be presented

with new high-volume sawmil l ing equipment and

woodworking machinery.

Wood-Mizer’s line of high-volume sawmilling equipment

will be represented at LIGNA with several individual units

including the WB2000 wideband sawmill, the EA3000

optimizing board edger with scanning capability, and

a high capacity EG800

m u l t i r i p e d g e r . I n

addition, new horizontal

resaws , p rofess iona l

sawmill ing equipment,

4-sided planer/moulders,

and other equipment

not yet publicly released

wil l be demonstrated.

According to LIGNA, the event held in Hannover, Germany

is the world’s leading trade fair for the woodworking and

timber processing industry. The biennial event is well

attended by more than 1,500 exhibitors, 93,000 visitors,

and 42,000 international guests in the industry.

LIGNA in Germany

Events

Forest Products Equipment Expo in the USA

woodmizer.com

6


RESAWS

Engineered to improve your production rates and elevate operational efficiency, the high-

throughput, high-capacity Wood-Mizer TITAN line includes wideband sawmills, resaws, circular

saw edgers, multirips/gangs, optimizing edgers, and material handling equipment. Make your

business TITAN STRONG with a standalone unit or a complete system by contacting your

Wood-Mizer representative today.

MULTIRIPS / GANGSEDGERSTWIN VERTICAL SAWMILLS

TITAN products are heavy-duty

wideband sawmilling solutions for

high-throughput industrial applications.

roduction efficiency is one of the most important factors determining success in the

pallet industry. For Jan Zawada, Owner of Meblohit, production efficiency has significantly increased with a new Wood-Mizer TITAN wideband sawmilling line and his plan for additional improvements is just getting started.

Meblohit is a Polish company that has been producing pallets for nearly 30 years. It’s a very challenging industry in which production efficiency is one of the most important factors leading to success. Over the years Jan Zawada has become an expert in increasing

production efficiency. “I started this business by producing construction timber. Later on, the business model began to change, and we started to produce pallets. It was then that we discovered how hard it was to make this business really profitable,” Jan recalls. They found that the machinery they were using was inadequate to produce pallets efficiently. “Initially, we used a swing blade sawmill. The efficiency was disappointing, so we bought our first narrowband sawmill and then another one to increase productivity,” says Jan.

Over time, it became clear that to keep up with the market and not be left behind their competitors, further investments were needed. They considered the

TITAN SAWMILL LINE

Significantly Improves Pallet Producer ProductivityFeaturing MeblohitBy Paulina Lewandowska

“Nowadays it is very difficult to recruit employees, so one of the main expectations we had of the new machinery was to increase

production efficiency without having to increase our number of employees,” Jan says. “And so, we decided to purchase

Wood-Mizer’s TITAN line.”

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8



Meblohit: TITAN Sawmilling System

TV6000 Twinband Vertical SawmillRobust primary breakdown twin vertical saw that includes heavy-duty

automated infeed and outfeed systems with feed speeds up to 60 m/min

(195 ft/min). The TV6000 150mm (6 inch) wide blades create equal open

faces on the sawn cant for higher recovery down the line at a multirip or

gang saw.

MR3000 Multirip/EdgerUsing sensor activated pneumatic roller hold-downs, the multrip edger

removes the outside edges of a cant while converting the rest of the cant

into multiple boards. With six blades, the MR3000 produces five boards

and two slabs in one pass at feed speeds up to 40 m/min (130 ft/min).

HR500 Horizontal ResawMid-size two-head horizontal resaw for recovering slabs or resawing cants

to produce three boards in one pass. As production increases, the HR500

is configurable to add four more heads for a total of six heads for produc-

ing up to six boards and one slab in one pass with feed speeds up to 20

m/min (65 ft/min ).

status of the Polish labor market, and knew that reducing the number of employees required to operate machines was becoming extremely important, in addition to the machinery’s productivity requirements. “Nowadays it is very difficult to recruit employees, so one of the main expectations we had of the new machinery was to increase production efficiency without having to increase our number of employees,” Jan says. “And so, we decided to purchase Wood-Mizer’s TITAN line.”

Each Wood-Mizer TITAN line is set up with various machines and material h a n d l i n g s o l u t i o n s t o m e e t t h e customer’s needs in the best possible way. Meblohit’s TITAN line is made up of a TV6000 Twinband Vertical Sawmill with mechanized log loading, a MR3000 Multirip with a cant centralizing table, and a HR500 Horizontal Resaw.Support equipment includes a log deck, a slab transfer deck, an operator platform, and a sawdust col lection conveyor that runs the length of the entire line. This configuration ensures efficient processing of long, small diameter logs and the effective recovery of the slabs for further processing. “We saw mainly pine and spruce logs, 2-3 meters (6.5 -10 feet) long, and up to 45 cm (17 inches) in diameter. The line layout that Wood-Mizer designed for us has proved to be perfect for our needs,” Jan says.

Even during the initial implementation p h a s e , J a n a l r e a d y c o u l d s e e improvements. Previously they were sawing about 60 m3 (25,000 board feet) of logs in one eight-hour shift. So far, this has increased to 90 m3 (38,000 board feet) per shift. “With the TITAN line, we have significantly increased efficiency without additional workers. This has been very important for me,” he says.

Even though he is satisfied with how their productivity is improving, Jan is already thinking about the next investments he would like to make - complementing the line with another resaw and an expanded sorting system. “Next year we intend to add more Wood-Mizer machinery. According to my calculations, this will allow us to increase productivity up to 120 m3 (51,000 board feet) of wood in one shift without having to hire more employees,” he says.

When asked why he chose Wood-Mizer machines, Jan’s answer was clear. “These are really good machines. I know why they have such a good reputation in the market. Their service is also excellent. I don’t have to wait more than 1-2 days for parts or accessories, and we can’t afford longer downtime in my industry,” he says.

1 800

pallets per day

90 m3

(38,000 board feet)

every eight hours

PIN

E &

SP

RUC

E LO

GS

10



WM4500 INDUSTRIAL SAWMILL

Boosts Production for Pallet and Grade Lumber ProducerFeaturing L. Garbers & Sons SawmillBy Chase Warner

h e f a m i l y - o w n e d a n d operated L . Garbers & Sons Sawmill in Northwest Ohio, USA was established

in 1997 by Luther Garbers and his two sons David and Marty. What started out as a side business with a portable sawmill has grown into a full-time operation with a high-production industrial sawmilling system producing pallet material, cut stock, blocking, and grade lumber in Wauseon, Ohio.

L. Garbers & Sons SawmillDuring the formative years of the bus iness , Dav id and Mar ty both farmed and worked separate full-time jobs so they were only able to help their father at the mill on weekends and hol idays, but their interest in sawing started at a young age. “We both love sawing lumber and it ’s a joy to run the mill,” said David. “It all started when we were kids running our grandfather’s mill. We’ve grown up with it in our blood.” When Luther passed away in 2002 and farming profits started to decline, the brothers turned their focus to sawmilling and began working full-time at the family mi l l . “Our dad a lways to ld us to produce quality material and you will always have work,” said David. “That’s been true and we’ve held to that since the start.”

In addition to having decades of experience running sawmill equipment, L. Garbers & Sons has relied on Wood-Mizer equipment for more than 20 years to produce accurate, consistent material by maintaining thickness, reducing waves or variation, and minimizing wane. “We’ve always received comments about the quality and consistency of our material and

Wood-Mizer contributes a great deal to our quality,” said Marty. “The quality of how they construct their mills and their engineering help you maintain your production as well as your quality of cutting.”

In addit ion to providing quality material , L. Garbers has grown throughout the decades by sawing a

variety of material and taking smaller jobs to get their foot in the door with a potential for securing larger jobs with clients. For example, the business entered the pallet board business by first doing trailer planking for a trucking company who eventually started a steel coil shipping business and contracted all pallet work to L. Garbers & Sons. “If one product is a little slower, another product will pick up,” said David. “We try to keep our eggs in different baskets.” The business processes and sells material to a range of clients including pallet stock to the pallet industry, blocking to the railroad and steel industry, and grade lumber to clients throughout Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Missouri.

Upgrading to a WM4500 Industrial Sawmilling SystemWhile L. Garbers has remained flexible to produce whatever the market demands, one constant has been operating with Wood-Mizer sawmilling equipment. The company started with a Wood-Mizer LT40 hydraulic portable sawmill before securing a large contract for producing pallet stock. This led to an upgrade to an LT40 super hydraulic portable sawmill to meet production demands. After more than 3,500 m³ (1,500,000 board feet) on the LT40 super portable sawmill in just a few years, the operation upgraded again to an LT300 sawmill – Wood-Mizer’s largest industrial mill at the time. Thousands of cubic meters (several millions of board feet) and sixteen years later, the company operates today with an industrial sawmilling system that includes a Wood-Mizer WM4500 sawmill, EG400 board edger, and material handling equipment. They also maintain their own blades on-site with Wood-Mizer blade sharpening and setting equipment. “The WM4500 was huge for us, kind of like a present for paying our dues and working our way up,” said David.

T

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“We’ve always had the best results with Wood-Mizer blades. We are running the 2” wide Turbo 7 blades with the 1-1/4” tooth spacing and we really like them for the ability to cut faster with the same surface quality,”

The installation of the WM4500 was completed in approximately three days and David and Marty were both trained by Wood-Mizer technicians on how to operate the new machinery. “What I like most about the WM4500 is the powered toeboard rollers,” said Marty. “It is much nicer shifting the log back and forth on the deck how you want and the dual chain turners are able to handle the logs so much easier.”

L. Garbers & Sons fits their sawmill equipment with Wood-Mizer Turbo 7 blades. “We’ve always had the best results with Wood-Mizer blades. We are running the 2” wide Turbo 7 blades with the 1-1/4” tooth spacing and we really like them for the ability to cut faster with the same surface quality,” said Marty. “We’ve tried other blades but didn’t see the quality like we do with Wood-Mizer.”

The company also sharpens their blades daily in-house with Wood-Mizer blade sharpening and setting equipment which has helped reduce costs and provide consistent cut quality. “Maintaining our blades in house tends to save money when you don’t have to worry about shipping them out,” said Marty. “We can also control the quality of blades that we are using

and we can change the tooth set based on the species we are sawing.”

Processing Grade and Pallet MaterialThe sawmil l business runs eight hours a day, five days a week with five employees doing a variety of work

board footage before being sorted for grade or pallet quality. If they are grade quality, logs are also sorted by species. On the WM4500 sawmill, logs are milled into various sized cants and boards depending on the customer needs and sent to a transfer deck. For boards that need to be edged, the transfer deck sends material to a green chain that goes to the EG400 board edger. “The EG400 edger has a larger width capacity, laser lines, and presets for quickly setting the right board width. Plus cutting speed is a lot faster which has sped up production,” shared Marty. For straight edged material off the mill, the transfer deck sends material to a large chop saw to cut to the correct length. Material is then stacked and prepared to send out to clients.David’s advice for start-up sawmill operations is to work hard, market your business to grow your customer base,

including milling, edging, running the chop saw, and sharpening blades. “The WM4500 is a lot heavier built which makes it a lot easier handling bigger and longer logs,” said Marty.

A variety of grade and pallet quality logs are supplied from Ohio and nearby states including Michigan and Indiana. Grade quality logs tend to come from longer distances because there is more money in the finished material than pallet quality logs that generally come from shorter distances. “We primarily saw walnut, red and white oak, cottonwood, cherry, maple, sassafrass, and hickory,” said Marty. First, logs are unloaded and scaled for

and to be patient during good times and bad. For the future, the company is looking to invest in a log debarker, a second sawmill, or even a grade resaw system in order to improve efficiency. For now, L. Garbers continues to focus on quality and consistency in everything they do. “Do a quality job and you will always have work,” said Marty. “We’ve heard from many different customers that they buy from places with good qual i ty and consistency. That ’s something we always try to strive for and is a pride of ours. That philosophy has kept us work in even some of the leanest times.”

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Retail Price$119,995*

CONQUER

800.553.0182woodmizer.com

FOR MORE OUTPUT THAN EVER TRY THE NEW 1 ¼” TOOTH SPACING TURBO 7 BLADE!

“The quality of how Wood-Mizer constructstheir mills and their engineering help

you maintain production as well as your quality of cutting. The WM4500 is a

lot heavier built which makes it easier handling bigger and longer logs.”

—Marty Garbers L. Garbers & Sons Sawmill

Ohio, USA

© 2019 Wood-Mizer LLCPrice in US Dollars. Price and specifications subject to change without notice.

The ALL NEW WM4500 Industrial Sawmill is fully-loaded

with stronger angled bed rails, reinforced dual-rod side

supports, enhanced material drag back, and is equipped with

2" blades, balanced steel band wheels, 3" diameter blade guide rollers,

50% stronger head structure, pressurized blade lube system, powered taper

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14


WB2000 WIDEBAND SAWMILL

Increases Capacity for Pallet and Fence Board ProducerFeaturing Carronbridge SawmillBy Ben Pike

r ian Wyl ie has been the o w n e r o f C a r ro n b r i d g e Sawmil l in Scot land for more than 23 years. With

the help of his wife, Veronica, and general manager Bi l l Frew, the operation has grown to process 36,000 tonnes of t imber a year and employs 27 ful l - t ime staff. Specializing in the manufacture and distribution of fence posts, p a n e l s , p a l l e t s , b a t t e n s a n d trell ises throughout the UK, the team has developed a reputation for quality first and foremost, but also flexibil ity which Brian says sets them apart from other large mills. The latest addition to the operation – a Wood-Mizer WB2000 wide band sawmill – is helping the company shelter itself from the volatility of the timber market while increasing production at the same time.

Carronbridge SawmillThere is evidence of a sawmill at Carronbridge dating back to the 1850s. Located just a short distance from the Galloway Forest – which produces 600,000 tonnes of timber a year – coupled with good transport links makes the site well positioned for what it does. It wasn’t until 1995 that Brian decided to take over the operation. “I set it up as a sideline business and a proper base for my core work as a timber harvester,” said Brian. “But over the years we got quite good at what we were doing and all of the sudden the timber harvesting became a sideline to the mill.”

As a sawmiller Brian had noticed shortage of places to send smaller logs. “It was just piling up on the side of the road and there was nowhere to get rid of it,” he explained. “I came up with the bright idea of putting a sawmill in to turn them into pallets and that got rid of the problem.” It took an initial investment of £40,000 and a team of six staff to help get the milling business off the ground. “It was just interesting to work with all the wood and I saw the potential to grow the business,” Brian added.

Slowly and steadily the mill – and its reputation – grew. It made the natural progression into fencing as its customer base developed with an emphasis on slats and feather-edge boards. “It has taken us a long time but we have a built up an excellent customer base now,” he said. “We don’t have a sales manager so all our orders are repeat business and

people who have seen what we do and like it. We like to focus on quality and we feel we deliver that for our customers. A lot of the large mills are very good at what they do but their operations are quite rigid so they’re looking to do articulated lorr ies [ t rucks] f i l led with one product. We will regularly put seven or eight different sizes and products onto lorries [trucks] because that’s what our customers want.”

Looking AheadBrian always has one eye on the future and another on the financials. He says the availability and cost of timber are big concerns. In the UK, timber prices have grown due to an increase in demand for smaller logs from power stations and, with a weakening of the pound, many house builders are also looking to secure domestic supplies rather than import. “At the moment it’s quite hard to buy logs – particularly smaller sizes because the power stat ions are taking them. One nearby is burning close to 700,000 tonnes per year of virgin wood,” Brian said. “Forest owners are doing very well at the moment – probably the best they’ve ever done, but in the past they’ve arguably not been getting the price they deserve. We don’t know if we have reached the top of the market yet.” That was one of the key reasons why Brian was attracted to a high production machine. Having the abi l i ty to handle large logs which are too big for many markets would allow him more freedom when sourcing timber.

B

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There’s not much that the WB2000 can’t do to be honest because it handles such a big log and that’s the main advantage it has given us - the ability to cut 16 foot logs.

First Introductions to the WB2000 SawmillAt the LIGNA forestry event in Germany in 2017 he came across Wood-Mizer’s WB2000 wide band sawmill. “At the time I didn’t know Wood-Mizer made a wide band so it really caught my eye,” shared Brian. “They brought it over to a demonstration day in Cumbria so I took Bill to go and look at it. We make an offer on it there and then.” He became the first owner of a WB2000 sawmill in the UK.

Brian is pleased with what he has seen but, is looking at what he can do next. “The saw is very good but we could run it a lot faster - we’re not using it to its full potential just yet,” shared Brian. “With one mill we are doing up to 60 cubic tonnes (28,800 board feet) a day and with the wide band we’re doing a further 15 cubic tonnes (7,200 board feet) from bigger logs for smaller orders such as rails, fencing, gate posts and sleepers. There’s not much that the WB2000 can’t do to be honest because it handles such a big log and that’s the main advantage it has given us - the ability to cut 16 foot logs. In the past we could only cut up to 12 foot so we have the ability to buy bigger logs so we’re not competing so much with the power stations.”

All you need to

W rkwith wood

woodmizer.com

Installed on five continents, the WB2000 WIDEBAND

SAWMILL offers a 900mm (35”) max cut width and 6 ton log

capacity for cutting the heaviest hardwood logs.

Features & Options• Touch screen control panel• Multicamera display• Powerful hydraulic log handling• 30 or 37 kW (40 or 49HP) motor• Additional options

WIDEBAND SAWMILL

CUT THE

HEAVIEST HARDWOOD LOGS

15 CUBIC TONNES

(7,200 board feet)

FROM BIG LOGS TO RAILS, FENCING, GATE

POSTS, & SLEEPERS

woodmizer.com

Installed on five continents, the WB2000 WIDEBAND SAWMILLoffers a 900mm (35”) max cut width and 6 ton log capacity for

cutting the heaviest hardwood logs.

18


TITAN SAWMILL LINE

Improves Efficiency with EA3000 Optimizing EdgersFeaturing UCL SawmillBy Etienne Nagel

h e t w o W o o d - M i z e r EA3000 Optimizing Edgers operating at UCL Sawmill in South Africa are part of

the company’s ongoing sawmilling improvement program to increase i ts sawn t imber p roduct ion capacity and eff ic iency. The agricultural company uses its own commercially grown timber to produce certified structural timber that is sold locally and in the region.

Challenges with Manual Edging The expectation is that manual edging crews wil l always make the right decision on how to edge a waney edged board to get the best volume and value out of it. But the reality is somewhat different. Edging is a high-piece count and physically demanding activity where mistakes add up and recoveries drop as crews tire over the course of a shift. To manually wrestle heavy sideboards into position and still judge which position and dimension will give the best recovery often results in bott lenecks that impacts output and overall sawmill efficiency. Optimizing edgers are designed to alleviate the bottlenecks that occur during the edging process to improve overall edging efficiency. Before the introduction of Wood-Mizer ’s opt imiz ing edgers , th is

efficiency typically came with a hefty price tag.

Wood-Mizer Optimizing EdgersWood-Mizer’s innovative approach to its optimizing edgers balance cost with effectiveness to give sawmillers an intelligent edging solution with a justif ied price tag. Overall , the EA1000/EA3000 optimizing edgers offer an affordable, simple, robust and automated edging solution. The entire edging process is automated and uses optical scanning technology

to achieve high precision and low waste edging of boards. The system is made up of a material infeed conveyor, scanning station, positioning station, sawing head and waste separation outfeed. On the material infeed side, both transverse and in-line material infeed options are available. The transverse option has an unscrambler and cross-transfer conveyor that separates and indexes each board for scanning. The in-line option can also be fitted with an unscrambler to separate material before feeding it

“We decided to opt for the EA3000’s because of availability and cost. The first unit was part of our 2015 Wood-Mizer line installation and the fact that it met our expectations and requirements primed the decision to get the second unit,” Keith said. “On the TITAN line, if we were to include more 25 cm (9”) diameter logs in the current 13cm to 23cm (5” – 9”) diameter log mix, we would reach between 180 and 200 m³ (76,200 – 84,700 board feet) per nine-hour shift.”

“Due to the fact that the optimizing edgers have removed the human error that are related to manual operations, the recovery in the wetmill is now more consistent and

therefore has a positive impact on the bottom line.”

into the machine. The transverse option handles long and short lengths equally well while the in-line option is better suited to shorter lengths.

Scanning is done in-line or transverse depending on the material infeed option that is chosen. The computer reads the profile of each board to confirm how the board will be edged to recover the best volume and value. After scanning, the boards pass through an alignment station where the board width is read and communicated to the electric servo sizing system that adjusts the width of cut before the board is cut. Depending on the conditions, the EA1000/EA3000 can edge up to 20 boards/minute at feed speeds of up to 240 m/min (780 ft/min). The opt imizat ion technology uses Windows-based software to ensure simple training and ease of use for the operator.

Improving Efficiency at UCL SawmillUCL Sawmilling’s Operations Manager Keith Bailey reported on the following key results that UCL have achieved since both of the EA3000’s were commissioned.

at feed speeds of up to

240 m/min (780 ft/min)

boar

ds/m

inut

eUp to

T

EA3000 optimizing edger system with in-line unscrambler, queuing deck, and tailing option.

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180 and 200 m³ (76,000 – 84,000 board feet)

per nine-hour shift

“On the framesaw line, it would be difficult to do a volume comparison between what we cut when we edged manually and what we’re now achieving with the EA3000,” Keith said. “This is because our log diameters have changed. We’re currently cutting 25 cm (9”) and above diameters on the frame saw line and our input now stands at between 180 and 200 m³ (76,000 – 84,000 board feet) per nine-hour shift.”

“The installation of the optimizing edger in the framesaw line has improved the wetmill recovery calculated over six months by 1.4%. Due to the fact that the optimizing edgers have removed the human error that are related to manual operations, the recovery in the wetmill is now more consistent and therefore has a positive impact on the bottom line. I am sure that if we were to increase our volume of 25mm and 19mm (1” and ¾”) boards by changing our cutting pattern strategy, our recovery will increase even further. The added benefits of the new units have been reduced manning levels and with the accuracy of cut also improving now that human error on alignment has been reduced,” Keith Bailey concluded.

UCL Sawmill: TITAN Sawmilling System

TV6000 Twinband Vertical SawmillRobust primary breakdown twin vertical saw that includes heavy-duty automated

infeed and outfeed systems with feed speeds up to 60 m/min (195 ft/min). The

TV6000 150 mm (6 inch) wide blades create equal open faces on the sawn cant

for higher recovery down the line at a multirip or gang saw.

MR3000 Multirip/EdgerUsing sensor activated pneumatic roller hold-downs, the multrip edger removes

the outside edges of a cant while converting the rest of the cant into multiple

boards. With six blades, the MR3000 produces five boards and two slabs in one

pass at feed speeds up to 40 m/min (130 ft/min).

HR6000 Twin Head Horizontal ResawHeavy-duty two-head horizontal resaw for recovering sideboards/slabs or

resawing cants to produce three boards in one pass. As little as 0.3 seconds is

needed to change the size for each sideboard even when feeding at 20 boards

per minute. The HR6000 150 mm (6 inch) wide blades are capable of fast feed

speeds up to 80 m/min (260 ft/min).

EA3000 Optimizing Board EdgerUsing optical scanning technology to achieve high precision and low waste

edging of boards, the EA3000 optimizing board edger system includes material

infeed conveyor, scanning station, positioning station, sawing head, and waste

separation outfeed. This system is capable of edging up to 20 boards/minute at

feed speeds up to 240 m/min (780 ft/min).

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EG800 EDGER

Streamlines Material Flow for Structural Timber ProducerFeaturing Capio LumberBy Etienne Nagel

a p i o Lu m b e r i s a successfu l sawmi l l in South Africa that produces structural

t imber for the construction indust r y i n the reg ion . A complete Wood-Mizer sawmill line, that has undergone several upgrades over the past six years, has allowed Capio Lumber to meet its output targets that have risen consistently since the mill’s start in 2012.

Capio Lumber’s current breakdown capacity consists of a Wood-Mizer LT20B electric sawmill and two Wood-Mizer LT70 sawmills. The mill’s secondary processing side consists of three Wood-Mizer HR200 single head resaws, a Wood-Mizer HR500 double-head resaw, and a Wood-Mizer EG300 board edger. Improved productivity came under the spotlight with the addition of a Wood-Mizer EG800 board edger to Capio Lumber’s equipment line-up. Management is confident that the efficiencies from the entire line and specifically the EG800, will position the mill for constant growth.

Improving Efficiency at Capio LumberBefore the EG800 was installed, the two LT70’s and LT20 broke the logs down into blocks and sideboards. Saleable timber from the sideboards was recovered on the HR200’s and EG300 edger. The blocks were passed through the HR500 double-head resaw to produce two or three boards. According to Bruce Moxham, who manages Capio Lumber with Ross Scorgie, output at

+-60 m3

(25,400 board feet)

the time stood at +-60 m³ (25,400 board feet) depending on log size and recovery averaged 60%.

“Despite the numbers, we knew that we could streamline the process better and improve overall productivity,” Bruce commented. “To produce the block sizes for the resaw required turning the log through four sides. The sideboards that resulted from this took excessive effort to reroute to a busy recovery section and we tended to only recover low value shorts. To produce the blocks also ate into productivity time on the breakdown machines. Efficiency improvements included a more streamlined material flow that required less labor, less machine time, and gave more flexibility to change board sizes quickly that allowed us to recover higher value product.”

Benefits of the Wood-Mizer EG800 EdgerThe EG800 edger has resulted in simplified primary breakdown, sizing flexibility, less machine movements for the reduction of sideboards, and streamlined material flow.

“In total however, the EG800 has unlocked a more streamlined material flow that has given us the clear channels we need to now take production to the next level.”

Because the EG800 can rip material up to 110 mm (4”) thick with a multi-blade arbour, the cutting patterns for the breakdown units are very simple and allows for a multitude of product sizes. The initial top-bottom log squaring process is fast, puts less strain on the breakdown unit, produces only two sideboards, and the operator is less likely to make a mistake. Less mistakes also means higher saleable volumes and better-quality end product. Less sideboards also alleviates the pressure on recovery and requires less labor and material handling systems to move from breakdown to recovery.

“One of the most important benefits of the EG800 has been a more streamlined material flow,” Bruce Moxham says. “Previously, material and material handling systems, which also required a lot of labor, criss-crossed at various places, which made the mill very busy. The stop-start process and our inability to find clear channels that could make the mill more productive, placed a ceiling on further expansion. Looking at the final numbers, recovery and output has stayed pretty much the same, but we’ve managed to recover more brandering (38 x 38 mm or 1 ½” x 1 ½”), which is a good seller. In total however, the EG800 has unlocked a more streamlined material flow that has given us the clear channels we need to now take production to the next level.”

C

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Improving Efficiency at Rocklands SawmillRocklands Sawmill is a mining timber mill located in South Africa. It was established in mid-2010 in conjunction with local partners to provide a higher value take-off for burnt and fresh timber for Peak Timber Producers after the devastating fires of 2007 and to produce high quality products for local and export markets.

The mill’s key output is mining timber with a wet-off-saw line also kicking into gear in 2013 to supply pallet components to manufacturers in South Africa. The wet-off-saw line is built entirely around Wood-Mizer equipment. Primary breakdown at Rocklands is done with a TV2000 Twin Vertical Saw. Sideboards from there are fed to two

oth narrow and wide bandsaw blades have specific benefits. A sawmilling solution that can fill the gap between the two blade types, opens the door to the versatility needed to build profitable sawmilling businesses. Wood-Mizer’s TV2000 twin vertical saw and HR2000 horizontal resaw are the answer in the small to medium sized sawmilling sector. This allows for a sawmilling solution that gives sawmillers

the flexibility to either run wider blades for more performance or narrower band profiles for those looking for a simpler saw doctoring process. The versatility that this solution offers has a number of secondary benefits that adds to the utility of the Wood-Mizer line.

resaws, a HR2000 resaw and a HR4000 Twin resaw. The sideboards and two-sided cant exiting the TVS are edged and ripped with four board edgers.

Current input into the mill of mainly 2.5 and 3.1 m (8’ to 10’) Eucalyptus logs stand at 500-600 logs per day. Although daily and monthly output was undisclosed, recovery figures are estimated at between 48 and 50%. Speaking to Rocklands Mill Manager Jaco Fourie, he said the line’s compact design and flexibility makes it possible to achieve the output that they’re achieving from it currently. Jaco concludes that he is confident that the line has not reached its limit yet and that it can be

TITAN SAWMILL LINE

Enhances Efficiency for Pallet ManufacturerFeaturing Rocklands SawmillBy Etienne Nagel

B increased significantly into the future.Wood-Mizer Hybrid Twin Vertical Saws and ResawsThe Hybrid range consists of primary and secondary breakdown machines with both designed to run narrower

or wider bandsaw blades. • From a price point and compared to other offerings, the range offers heavy duty sawmilling capacity at very affordable price. This makes it accessible to small and medium sized sawmills• The affordability of the range, the customization possibilities that it offers and the productivity that it gives, empower sawmillers to widen margins and extend efficiencies• The ability to run blade widths that vary in size from 32 to 80 mm (1-1/4” to 3”) can be customized further with the choice to run spring set, swage set and stellite tipped 65 to 80mm (2-1/2” to 3”) wide saws on one headrig platform • Heavy duty feed mechanics is standard for the entire range• The range is simple to maintain and operate and can easily slot into existing lines• The Hybrid range also slots in neatly between Wood-Mizer’s narrow bandsaw ranges, TITAN TV4000 (4” or 5” wide blades) and TV6000 (6” wide blades) twin vertical saws, and HR4000 (4” or 5” wide blades) and HR6000 (6” wide blades) resaw bandsaw range• Sawmillers benefit from the wider product choice, increased flexibility to integrate different solutions from the same producer in one line, and the ability to

are also available to fit the needs of various operations.Hybrid Horizontal ResawsWood-Mizer’s Hybrid HR2000 Resaw is a high-performance, industrial capacity resaw that is available in a single or back-to-back twin-head configuration. It is suitable for processing sideboards and cants or blocks measuring up to 350 mm (13-3/4”) wide and 290 mm (11-1/2”) high.

Factors that contribute to its productivity and efficiency Include:• Feed speeds of up to 40 m/min (130 ft/min)• A heavy-duty headrig construction for high strain, high speed accurate sawmilling• Pneumatically assisted powered hold-down rollers

• Heavy-duty in and outfeed slat-chain bed with variable speedThe unit can easily integrate into existing lines. Low power consumption adds to the utility of the product.

“...the line’s compact design and flexibility makes it possible to achieve the output that

they’re achieving from it currently.”

do so in the most affordable manner possible Hybrid Twin Vertical SawsThe Wood-Mizer Hybrid Twin Vertical Saws are an efficient and affordable primary breakdown solution to cut the log into a two-sided cant. The TV2000 and TV2000-AFL are both suitable for log diameters of between 120 – 400 mm (4-3/4” – 16-3/4”).

Features include feed speeds of up to 40 m/min (130 ft/min), manual or automated log loading, various sharp chain options, pressurized feed rollers to ensure a stable cut, heavy duty construction for high strain sawing and electronic cut size control. With the automated cut size control, the operator simply selects a cut size and the machine will automatically adjust to that size. This removes the need to sort the logs before sawing. Additional options

2.5 and 3.1 m(8’ to 10’)

500-600logs per dayEu

caly

ptus

Log

s

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SMART LOG PROCESSING

A Blueprint for EfficiencyBy Etienne Nagel

• Low capital and installation costs

• Modular to expand with sawmill needs

• Produces more product and less waste

• Low power consumption

• Is inexpensive to maintain

• Uses thin-kerf blades to deliver better log yield than other processing methods

• Blade maintenance is easy with

Wood-Mizer’s proprietary blade maintenance equipment

• Includes material handling systems to increase mechanization and throughput

• An ideal sawmilling solution for markets processing small to medium-sized logs

• Easy to use and low training costs

WOOD-MIZER SMART LOG PROCESSING SYSTEM:

A TYPICAL SLP LINE CONSISTS OF:

A Twin Vertical Saw (TVS) for primary breakdown to produce two-sided cant

A Single Vertical Saw (SVS) for secondary breakdown to produce the third side of three-sided cant

Resaw options on both the secondary breakdown and recovery side. Up to six resaws inline to produce six boards and one slab in one pass

Edger on recovery to square slab sides and cut boards into final spec boards

Various log in and outfeed options allow for stable and accurate cutting during primary breakdown

Various material handling options to increase mechanization and reduce labour costs

A full SLP line can be seen on page 30.

awmil lers throughout the w o r l d s h a r e t h e s a m e o b j e c t i v e t o p r o d u c e sawn timber in the most

cost-effective and efficient way possib le to maximize prof i ts . Recovery is an important measure of overall efficiency and is gauged by comparing the input and output v o l u m e t h ro u g h t h e s a w m i l l . However, small diameter or poorly shaped logs can drastically reduce recovery and efficiency. In many forestry environments, small to medium diamter logs, low-value logs from thinning, and tops of harvested trees are readily available. This can provide an opportunity to boost efficiency if the correct equipment is in place to process these types of logs. In addition to reducing labour, energy, maintenance, and training costs, increased mechanization that can smooth the flow of logs through the line are among opportunities to improve efficiency.

Wood-Mizer Smart Log Processing SystemWood-Mizer ’s Smart Log Processing (SLP) system is a flexible series of modular products that use thin-kerf

S28



blades on each sawmill unit in the line to deliver better yield and higher profits from lower-value logs between 100 - 400mm (4” – 16”) in diameter to increase overall efficiency.

The SLP line has been successfully used in sawing high-quality structural t imber and pal let mater ia l . I t is a diverse and modular l ine that can be adapted to many different configurations and arrangements to suit the cutting needs of the sawmill operation. The SLP line utilizes Wood-Mizer’s modular system, with many of the machines using the same electrical parts, belts, and bearings, requiring the operation to keep fewer spares on hand. 2250 m³

(953,000 board feet)

into the mill per month

1050 m³(445,000 board feet)

of sawn timber out per month

recovery stands at

72%

Tried and TestedThe SLP system was first introduced to the market in 2007. Since then, the solution has found international application in sawmill ing markets around the wor ld . Fu l l l ines or variations of the SLP system that have slotted into existing sawmilling lines now operate throughout the world.

An SLP system that went l ive in South Africa in the Western Cape in 2015 illustrates the value of the solution further. When the system was commissioned in 2015, the sawmill owners had a projected monthly figure of 800 m³ (340,000 board feet) into the mill, 400 m³ (170,000 board feed) of sawn timber out, and a recovery percentage of 66%. Current figures for the unit stand at 2250 m³ (953,000

board feet) into the mill , 1050 m³ (445,000 board feet) of sawn timber out per month, and recovery stands at 72%. Log diameters vary from 130 mm (5”) to 405mm (16”) and logs lengths are between 2.4 to 3 m (8 and 10 feet). The owners are confident that output can be expanded further going forward with the profitably of the mill exceeding all expectations.

MAXIMIZE LOG YIELD AND REDUCE INVESTMENT AND OPERATATIONAL COSTSSLP


Highly popular among pallet manufacturers, the SLP line is engineered to make the most profit possible from low value logs and increasing your competitive edge. The SLP line has been successfully used in sawing high quality construction grade boards to pallet material. It is a diverse line that can be adapted to many different configuration requirements to suit the sawmillers needs.

Log Incline Deck

Chain Incline Conveyor

Roller TableEdger Log DeckSVS - Single Vertical Saw

TVS - Twin Vertical Saw

SYSTEM EQUIPMENT IN ABOVE CONFIGURATION

6-Head and 2-Head Horizontal Resaws woodmizer.com

MAXIMIZE LOG YIELD AND REDUCE INVESTMENT AND OPERATATIONAL COSTSSLP


Highly popular among pallet manufacturers, the SLP line is engineered to make the most profit possible from low value logs and increasing your competitive edge. The SLP line has been successfully used in sawing high quality construction grade boards to pallet material. It is a diverse line that can be adapted to many different configuration requirements to suit the sawmillers needs.

Log Incline Deck

Chain Incline Conveyor

Roller TableEdger Log DeckSVS - Single Vertical Saw

TVS - Twin Vertical Saw

SYSTEM EQUIPMENT IN ABOVE CONFIGURATION

6-Head and 2-Head Horizontal Resaws

30


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