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 wood manufacturing operations. New technologies (from wood scanning and optimisation through to finger-jointing, gluing, laminating and timber finishing), new operating practices and processes along with tips to improve current manufacturing operations were outlined by tech providers drawn from throughout this region, Europe and North America.

We had over 350 of you there. In one of the featured stories this month we’ve got a page full of photos taken at both the Rotorua and Melbourne events. We’ve also included a brief summary from the series and a story from one of the presenters, Troy Krogh, regional director of Scott Automation & Robotics. In it, he covers the increasing role that robotics will play in wood processing. In fact, the presenter on robotics in New Zealand outlined that the technology is here now. It’s already being used throughout a local wood manufacturing operation – in probably what’s an Australasian first.

In a more recent article, the issue of finding labour has, according to the author, been the spur for many manufacturing companies to look at robotics. In this story, machinery experts share their thoughts on advanced automation, including robotics.

Other articles in this month’s bumper issue include; some pretty valuable insights from one of Canada’s largest wood products companies, Canfor into how we can be more innovative as we work to recruit and retain future employees, a survey (which you can participate in) that’s currently being undertaken in New Zealand to review the current skills shortages across the various roles that are required to successfully run a solid wood processing plant in New Zealand (and Australia) and we cover some recent decisions – and reaction – to the ongoing dispute on treatment levels for LVL.

That’s it for this month. Enjoy this issue. Remember, if you have any contributions for future stories, if you have a lead that we can follow up or any recommendations on improvements to the coverage we’re currently supplying, please let us know by emailing brent.apthorp@fiea.org.nz.