Tenon at Taupo, New Zealand sourced a new edger line with advanced technology to provide visual grading capability for its high-value shop and moulding products. Tenon describes the operation as the country’s largest single site producer of defect-free, appearance grade radiata pine products. The output includes lumber, solid lineal mouldings and clear pine boards, with the majority exported to the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia.
“We’re getting an increase in log to lumber recovery, more than we initially expected. The system allows us to do a lot more rationalizing of products to improve efficiencies in our secondary processing. We can cut up to about 100 mm (4”) thick, and every shift has a different cut ranging from 5/4, 25mm, 50mm, 65mm, 77mm, etc. It varies all the time” said Darryl Robinson, Sawmill Operations Manager at Tenon.
USNR was tasked with developing the shop optimization (cuttings algorithms) for some of the products to comply with NZS 3631 grading standards. The cuttings analysis requires substantial computing power to analyse the cuttings placement and board combinations, thus 3 computers work simultaneously on each piece to ensure the optimum solution to maximize value.
This edger line, with its BioVision grading capability, dovetails nicely with the company’s goal to expand and grow its output and its market, and to maintain its standards for the utmost in quality products. To read more on the installation and technology involved, click here.
Since the completion of this project, Tenon has installed a grade trimmer optimizer to work in conjunction with the edger line.
Photo: The startup team, left to right: Ryan Scott (USNR); Kurstin Te Mete, Tenon Project Engineer; Kaki Waenga, Tenon Project Manager; Adrian Livesey, Tenon Project Engineer; Jeff Tomlinson and Paul Kangas (USNR); Dave Jones, Tenon Production Optimization and Programming
Source & Photo: USNR Insider
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