Welcome to the latest issue of WoodTECH.News. The last couple of months has changed the face of the planet. COVID-19 has highlighted just how exposed we are to viral pandemics and how interconnected the global economy is. There are some positive signs though. Both the New Zealand and Australian Governments have responded to the crisis perhaps better than other countries. We’re …
WoodTECH 2020 – NEW on-line interactive webinars planned
COVID-19 has changed everyone’s business plans and operations, almost overnight. World-wide, industry events, trade shows and exhibitions planned for 2019 have all been casualties of the virus. Social distancing, tightening of travel and border controls and restrictions on meetings have meant that WoodTECH 2020, originally scheduled for mid-late August 2020 had to be cancelled. Well, the conferences, workshops and exhibitions …
Microtec acquires Lucidyne
In a move that creates the largest wood products scanning company in the world, Microtec has acquired Lucidyne Technologies, Inc. Microtec has been delivering technologically advanced scanning and optimization systems for 40 years, and is a premier scanning company across Europe. Lucidyne has been the industry leader in scanning and optimization throughout North America since 1985. This acquisition expands both …
Major decline in Australian housing construction predicted
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) is calling on Australia’s leaders to urgently put in place a stimulus recovery package for the housing construction sector to counter the massive reduction in new house starts and therefore the timber products used in their construction. AFPA CEO Ross Hampton said, “Australia’s softwood timber processing industry supplies most of the renewable timber products …
Transparent wood film acclaimed at awards
Congratulations to Qilang Fu and team, whose transparent wood film was highly commended in the Wood and Fibre Products Technology and Innovation category in the 2020 Resene Timber Design Awards. The novel wood is ultra-strong, flexible and 80% transparent. The process is simple – a chemical treatment removes lignin/hemicellulose from thin layers of wood that are compressed and dried. The …
Tribute to industry pioneer Richard Neville-Smith
The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) has paid tribute to forest industries pioneer and leader Richard Neville-Smith. Mr Neville Smith, the former Chief Executive of “Neville Smith Forest Products” (NSFP) passed away last week in Melbourne aged 82 after a long illness, and his funeral was held on Thursday. The Neville Smith business was started in 1924 by Mr Neville …
A new process for preserving lumber
Pressure treating – which involves putting lumber inside a pressurized watertight tank and forcing chemicals into the boards – has been used for more than a century to help stave off the fungus that causes wood rot in wet environments. Now Georgia Tech researchers have developed a new method that could one day replace conventional pressure treating as a way …
JoeScan launches new sawmill scanning website
Sawmill scanning leader JoeScan has just released a complete overhaul to their website. The new site offers a more streamlined experience for visitors and lots of new content. The new website has been more than two years in the making and was developed in-house. “This upgrade is much more than an aesthetic face-lift,” says JoeScan president Joey Nelson. “We needed a …
Metsä to build world’s most modern sawmill
Metsä Group is to invest €200m and build the world’s most modern sawmill in Rauma. It will be Finland’s largest ever sawmill investment. Investing €200m in the Rauma project, Metsä’s newest sawmill will have a projected capacity of 750,000 m3 of sawn pine timber per year. The new sawmill will utilise machine vision and artificial intelligence in different stages of …
WoodTECH Update – Issue 24
Welcome to the latest issue of WoodTECH.News. So, what a difference a month makes. When the last monthly issue came out there were rumblings about our country’s borders potentially being closed. Incoming passengers were increasingly being tested for COVID-19. There were also, of course, the very real issues in getting our logs into China’s congested ports so harvesting crews and those …
Changes to WoodTECH 2020
WoodTECH 2020 was scheduled to run in Rotorua, New Zealand on 19-20 August 2020 and then again in Melbourne, Australia for local wood manufacturing operations, on 25-26 August 2020. Because of current restrictions around COVID-19 in both countries and the uncertainty in the weeks and months ahead, it has been decided that the technology series has to be postponed. It …
World first robotic graded timber stacking
Tumbarumba is home to a world first. Rod Murray, Hyne Timber Automation Project Manager, says the Hyne sawmill robotics project is “a world first for graded timber stacking.” “Our team has created a fully-automated timber sorting and packing production unit.” Rod said. “Product is already being packed by the system and our operators are now assisting the contractor with testing.” …
Video: 60 Years in a Cave!
Sixty years ago, on 26 February 1960, the Brunson Instrument Company went underground. Literally. The move to a cave location became necessary when Brunson started adapting surveying equipment for the tight tolerances of the jet age on behalf of what would become one of our biggest customers, the Boeing Airplane Company. The year was 1948, and Brunson’s downtown factory just …
Researchers build adhesive-free timber building
University of Liverpool engineers have built an eco-friendly timber building that does not use any adhesives in the construction process. The timber structure uses timber to reinforce timber without using adhesives, which can be damaging for the environment. Engineers designed and constructed a large section of the office space using adhesive-free laminated timber (AFLT) beams and adhesive-free cross laminated timber …
SawSense temperature sensor provides real-time feedback
FPInnovations’ SawSense temperature sensor technology has been commercially available for a month and industry response has already been positive for licensing and manufacturing partner Williams & White Equipment. The patented technology accurately measures the temperature of a saw when in the cut for both circular and band saws by using two contact temperature sensors. This provides real-time feedback of saw …
Pollard Lumber pioneers bucking scanning & optimization
USA-based, Pollard Lumber, is once again blazing new trails with the technology for their recently upgraded bucking line. The sawmill is proud to announce that the world’s first next-gen JS-50 laser scanners are now up and running. The new Nelson Brothers Engineering (NBE) optimizer receives geometric data from a single overhead bank of 12 dual camera JoeScans. The scanners are …
New manufacturing plant for Heyfield
Heyfield Australian Sustainable Hardwoods has officially commissioned a new AU$3 million timber manufacturing plant. The centrepiece of the new plant at ASH’s Greenmill in Firebrace Road is a high-strain twin band resaw, which uses German sawing technology to maximise the amount of useable timber while minimising sawdust and woodchip waste. ASH managing director Vince Hurley said the technology used in …
MD for Nelson Pine Industries steps down
More time with the grand kids is on the horizon but Murray Sturgeon insists his “semi-retirement” won’t mean a cutting of ties with the company he has helped grow. After 35 years at the helm of Nelson Pine Industries and 57 years’ experience in panel manufacturing, the former managing director announced as of 1 January he had reached a decision …
Third shift being added for bushfire recovery operations
Hyne Timber Tumbarumba is in the process of adding a third shift as the Bushfire recovery salvage operation continues. The site already employs approximately 230 people and is actively recruiting to a range of new opportunities and vacancies. Site Manager, Marcus Fenske said the third shift is essential as the company does its part in bushfire recovery and increases locally …
WoodTECH Update – Issue 23
Welcome to the latest issue of WoodTECH.News. We are pleased to announce that the FIEA WoodTECH 2020 programmes are now out and live on the event’s website. This year, the WoodTECH series will be focusing on new technologies, new processing systems and case studies showcasing “smart operating practices” that can make a significant difference to dry-mill and timber manufacturing companies. A …
WoodTECH 2020 programmes now out
We are pleased to announce the programmes for this year’s WoodTECH 2020. This FIEA technology series is running in Rotorua, New Zealand on 19-20 August 2020 and in Melbourne, Australia on 25-26 August 2020. Two years ago, the WoodTECH technology series achieved a record turnout of local wood manufacturing companies. Over 350 delegates from all major wood manufacturing and dry-mill operations …
Commercial trial of RF technology
A technology that uses dielectric heating and radio frequency energy to destroy destructive pests lurking within wood products is closer to reaching the marketplace after a recent commercial trial at Penn State’s University Park campus. The 17 December demonstration, which was observed by regulatory and wood products industry professionals from the U.S. and Canada, validated the effectiveness and cost efficiency …
MASSLAM passes fire tests
Australia’s first 120 minute Fire Resistance Test (FRT) and Fire Resistance Level (FRL) has been successfully completed on exposed glue laminated timber members manufactured in Victoria by Australian Sustainable Hardwoods Pty Ltd (ASH). The members, not encapsulated with a fire resistant board, are intended for ‘seen structural’ applications and manufactured under the brand name MASSLAM. A number of different MASSLAM …
New Contra Flow Kiln (CFK) open in Tarpeena
Timberlink Tarpeena’s major upgrade project reached a key milestone on with the first load of timber rolling into our brand new Contra Flow Kiln, the second of its kind at the site. The kiln’s advanced drying technology assists with product consistency, reduced emissions, and streamlining the production process. The kilns use an ingenious system of circulating air through two 80 metre long …
New process for preserving timber without pressure treating
Pressure treating—which involves putting lumber inside a pressurized watertight tank and forcing chemicals into the boards—has been used for more than a century to help stave off the fungus that causes wood rot in wet environments. Now researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a new method that could one day replace conventional pressure treating as a way …
Nature’s Flame completes significant expansion
Nature’s Flame’s facility, ideally located in Taupo, New Zealand has recently undergone a significant expansion with an investment from parent company Norske Skog of around NZD$8 million. This has enabled production to increase to 85,000 tonnes of premium quality wood pellets per year, all from sustainably sourced fibre residues. “Utilising local, unused geothermal energy we have eliminated bottlenecks and more …
Impacts of bush fires reviewed at Tumbarumba
Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon Michael McCormack MP, NSW Member for Albury, Justin Clancy MP, Snowy Valleys Mayor, James Hayes and Deputy Mayor John Larter have all visited the Hyne Timber Tumbarumba Mill to further understand the impacts of the bushfires on the softwood industry. Timber from the Tumbarumba Mill supplies 1 in 4 new homes across the NSW market …
CHH closes Whangārei sawmill
CHH Timber chief executive Clayton Harris confirmed a final decision had been made to close the mill, with the loss of 111 jobs, after consultation started in January. Workers at Carter Holt Harvey’s Whangārei mill are “disappointed” with the company’s announcement confirming the mill’s closure, union representatives say. The closure was disappointing and a “double-whammy” for the industry which is …
Timberlink to build a CLT and GLT operation
The Timberlink Board has approved plans to enter the growing mass timber market enabled through building a state-of-the-art Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) & Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturing facility that will service this growing market segment. Timberlink Chief Executive Officer Ian Tyson said “CLT and GLT products are used as the structural elements for building residential housing, medium density and …
WoodTECH Update – Issue 22
Welcome to the latest issue of WoodTECH.News. This is the first issue for 2020 and we, like you, are looking forward to another big year. The annual technology event, WoodTECH 2020, is taking place in August this year. Alternating every year between green and dry-mill operations, this year‘s series will focus on timber manufacturing, dry-mill optimisation and robotics & automation. We’ve been …