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Latest News & Technologies
Timberlink announces new appointments
Timberlink has announced the appointment of Jason Wilson (photo) to the newly created position of Chief Operations Officer (COO) to support its growth and development strategy. In addition, Duncan Mayes has joined the Timberlin...
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NZ mill worker injury brings hefty fine
Maintenance work leads to crush injuries – WorkSafe New Zealand says businesses must learn from previous health and safety failings to ensure workers are protected. Carter Holt Harvey Limited appeared in Whangarei District Cour...
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JoeScan debuts next gen scanner
JoeScan gave visitors a glimpse at the future of sawmill scanning during TP&EE in Portland, Oregon. The 3D laser scanning leaders brought a pair of interactive demos to their booth, showcasing a variety of innovations exclusive...
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Mid-rise timber construction programme launched
A new programme launched on Monday in New Zealand aims to boost mid-rise building construction using New Zealand engineered and panelised framing timber, and deliver a range of regional, social, environmental and other benefits...
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AKD Softwoods acquires NSW sawmilling business
Associated Kiln Driers Softwoods (AKD) is pleased to confirm that it has finalised the purchase of Carter Holt Harvey’s (CHH) New South Wales sawmilling business. The major assets of this business comprise of the Tumut sawmil...
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Funding boost for Tairawhiti sawmill
The Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) will invest NZ$500,000 in the Far East Saw Mill in Tairawhiti to increase wood processing capacity and get local people into jobs, Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones announced on...
0Thanks to our WoodTECH 2018 Sponsors
Green light for new particle board plant
China’s Guangxi Fenglin Wood Industry Group has been given a green light to lease land to build and operate a NZ$100 million-plus particle board factory in Kawerau. Fenglin last year announced plans to establish a plant in Ka...
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Red Stag casts doubt on J-Frame decision
In response to coverage last week on the J-Frame dispute, Red Stag Timber describes as dubious the announcement that the Commerce Commission had “insufficient evidence” that J-Frame samples used in a decay trial had a diffe...
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Structure yields new wood composite technology
Wood is often described as “nature’s composite.” It’s composed of long cellulose fibres that are aligned along the direction of stress—and those fibres are all bound together by a lignin (organic polymer) matrix. If y...
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WoodTECH Update – Issue 8
Welcome to the latest update for Australasia’s sawmilling and wood manufacturing community. We were delighted to meet so many of you last month as part of the WoodTECH 2018 series that ran for local dry-mill and stand-alone w...
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Hyne Timber announces significant expansion
Hyne Timber has announced a significant expansion to its Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing capability in Maryborough, Queensland. Already a significant manufacturer of GLT in addition to softwood timber products, this e...
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JNL confirms plans for Kaitaia Triboard mill
Forestry and wood processing company, Juken New Zealand Ltd (JNL) has confirmed that its plan to refurbish its Kaitaia Triboard mill will go ahead, securing wood processing jobs in the town for the long-term. The company told T...
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The robots are coming to wood manufacturing
Advanced Automation was a key component of the just completed WoodTECH 2018 series run for local wood manufacturers. In fact, one presenter discussed in New Zealand a local wood producer that has just integrated robotics into m...
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Review of Wood Processing training needs
Over the past 50 years Toi Ohomai, formerly Waiariki Institute of Technology and also the NZ Forest Service, have been home to a tertiary training facility at Waipa, specialising in various aspects of solid wood processing. The...
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The robots are coming!
Robots are likely to have a bigger role in timber processing as they take over work that is dirty, dangerous or difficult. By Philip Hopkins for Timberbiz That was a key message of Troy Krogh, regional director of Scott Automat...
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Commission rules on J-Frame
This week JNL have been have been in contact with their J-Frame customers regarding the outcome of the Commerce Commission investigation into allegations that its J-Frame product had failed timber treatment Standards. The Commi...
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WoodTECH 2018 Event Summary
Another Record Turnout After an absence of over eight years, the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) this year focused on innovations and new technologies around dry-mill and wood manufacturing operations. The previo...
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Wood Treatment receives a global greentag
MicroPro® Wood Treatment Technology has received a Global GreenTag GreenRate™ Level A award under Version 4.0 of the Global GreenTag International Product Certification Standard. It is the highest-level achievement for a pro...
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WoodTECH 2018 Event Photos
We had a great turnout for WoodTECH 2018. Once again the WoodTECH series attracted record numbers, with over 350 delegates attending the New Zealand and Australian events in 2018. Delegates ranged from wood processing & manufac...
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Optimism for North American softwood market
With strong prices in the U.S., optimism persists in the softwood lumber business. Russ Taylor, Managing Director, FEA Holdings has provided a recent analysis of the North American softwood lumber market (Extracted from the Saw...
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Renewable diesel and bitumen from wood waste
Turning sawmill scraps and sawdust into renewable diesel and bitumen sounds far-fetched, but could soon become a reality under a plan by Australian building and construction supplier Boral. Boral’s six hardwood timber mills o...
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Five ways to help attract, recruit and retain
Kara Biles, Director of Leadership and Learning, Canfor What’s the secret to attraction, recruitment and retention of the future workplace? Unfortunately, there is no secret solution, at least not one that we’ve found at Ca...
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Timberlink’s investment to increase processing capacity by 20%
A combined AU$110 million will be poured into two South-East sawmills, securing the future of 500 factory jobs and highlighting the region’s reputation as a world leader in forestry. The investments by Timberlink and OneForty...
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Investment planned for JNL’s Kaitaia Triboard mill
Forestry and wood processing company, Juken New Zealand Ltd (JNL) has this week announced a proposal to modernise its Kaitaia Triboard mill. The company is proposing to make a significant investment over the next few years to u...
0WoodTECH Update – Issue 7
Welcome to the latest update for Australasia’s sawmilling and wood manufacturing community. First off, we’re looking forward to meeting up with many of you from both sides of the Tasman over the next couple of weeks. The firs...
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AU$100m for Timberlink’s Australian sawmills
Timberlink has approved an AU$100 million upgrade program to its Australian sawmills. This generational investment will see the total processing capacity of the Australasian sawmilling company increase by more than 15%. The inv...
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Opportunities for the AI-controlled exoskeleton
At the IFA in Berlin this week, LG is set to unveil a “wearable robot” exoskeleton designed to help workers take the load off their legs. LG has been pushing the robot angle hard lately. Last year the electronics company re...
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Accurate Group set for expansion due to Stirling Machinery growth
Accurate Group – the new umbrella company for well-known tooling supplier Accurate Australia and emerging machinery brand Stirling Machinery – are major sponsors of the 2018 WoodTECH event in both Australia and New Zealand....
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Wood manufacturer breathes life into local community
Kaingaroa Village rests in the heart of the Kaingaroa Forest just South of Rotorua in New Zealand’s central North Island. Once a thriving forestry town of almost 4000, changes to ownership of cutting rights from NZ Forest ser...
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New AU$20m optimisation hub planned
A consortium of forestry companies has begun the development of a high-tech optimisation facility aimed at maximising the value of resource handled on the Eden and East Gippsland regions. The new development at Edrom Road will ...
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Quick Check Tool to prepare for Industry 4.0 adoption
Festo has developed an online tool to help companies assess their readiness for Industry 4.0 adoption. Called Industry 4.0 Quick Check, it enables companies to identify their current Industry 4.0 maturity level and what their n...
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First mass timber panel gets APA certification
US based Freres Lumber Company says it has achieved Mass Plywood Panels (MPP) certification under the APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s ANSI/APA PRG 320 standard. The product is the first Mass Timber Panel constructed...
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Record profits for North American and European sawmills
A surge in lumber prices and modest increases in sawlog costs have resulted in record profits for many lumber companies in North America and Europe in 2018, reports the Wood Resource Quarterly. Sawlog costs, the largest cost co...
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USNR cancels participation in the Portland show
USNR have always been one of the main exhibitors at the Portland Woodworking Show. Over the past 30 years, USNR has exhibited at the trade show that is now formally called the Timber Processing & Energy Expo, but is more common...
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BID Group founder named to Order of British Columbia
BID Group founder Brian Fehr has been named to the Order of British Columbia. He will be among 14 people who will receive the province’s highest honour during a ceremony at Government House in Victoria on Sept. 20. His biogra...
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New partnership tackles timber cladding research
A new pilot program has been launched by Weathertex and Queensland University of Technology (QUT) to understand the chemical changes that take place during the production of external timber cladding. A collaboration between ind...
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