October 2001 Volume 7, Number 10
October 2001 Volume 7, Number 10
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Earlier this year TimberLine reported on Thompson Appalachian Hardwoods, a mill processing about 30 million board feet of hardwood lumber per year in Huntland, Tenn. Thompson upgraded to the Inovec StereoScan system last year, and it dramatically improved grade recovery and speed, according to Nordeck Thompson, owner and president.
 Inovec StereoScanTM system models log shape to produce the optimum opening face. |
The Inovec StereoScan system uses lasers and CCD cameras to map the surface of the log as it is dogged on the carriage and heads for the saw. The system models the actual shape of the log surface and uses a proprietary method of selecting and sawing the optimum opening face -- either as a grade sawing face or as part of a whole log solution. The system evaluates the shape of every log and considers the log grade, the mill's special product needs and its proprietary product specifications.
The Inovec StereoScan 3D scanning system at Thompson Appalachian Hardwoods has proven to be a record-breaker in terms of grade and recovery, according to maintenance superintendent Mike Cooper, yet makes no sacrifices in production speed. In fact, production speeds significantly improved. The company's original goal was to run 5,000 feet per hour (Doyle scale) in red oak; since installing the new scanner upgrade, it has been running as much as 6,000 feet per hour. In poplar the mill is seeing 7-7,500 feet per hour with as high as 8,000 feet being recorded; in the past, 6,500 feet per hour had been the norm.
The company also benefitted from greater accuracy. "We went from 70 percent opening face accuracy to averaging in the high 90s," Mike reported. As Nordeck pointed out, "If you've missed the opening face, you've missed that log. The opportunity in that whole log is reduced."
Inovec continues to focus on addressing the needs of appearance wood producers, according to Jeff. "It's amazing how many machinery companies all of a sudden announce ‘hardwood’ versions of their softwood optimizers when the softwood dimension markets are down, some even copying the names of some of Inovec's proprietary software parameters. "That's the easy part. They'll have a lot more trouble trying to match our experience, our software, and our results."
"When the lumber market rebounds, and most of the machinery companies refocus their efforts on making dimension lumber machinery, we will still be working with hardwood and grade pine mills and specialty cutting mills to deliver technology that brings them more value from their logs," said Jeff. Focus is a powerful thing.
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