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Finna Sensors makes in-line moisture measurement systems for lumber mills. Our sensors measure moisture content at the sawmill, in the kiln and at the planer. The data from each stage connects, so you can see how sorting and drying decisions affect final grade. Then you can adjust your sort parameters and kiln schedules to hit your targets.
KilnScout V2 Wireless provides direct visibility into lumber moisture throughout the drying process. You’ll be able to make better decisions about kiln schedules, shutdown timing and continuous-kiln push rates. A wired version is also available for batch kilns.
Explore the KilnScout Sensor’s CapabilitiesThe Transverse HD Sawmill Meter measures the moisture content of each green board so you can sort lumber into groups with similar drying needs. Uniform kiln loads improve drying results and increase your yield.
Explore the Transverse HD Sawmill Meter’s CapabilitiesThe Transverse Planer Moisture System measures the moisture content of each board as it moves across the transfer chain at your planer. You can identify wet boards for re-drying or send the data to your auto grader to optimize the grade of every piece. An inline version is also available for lineal grading lines.
Explore the Transverse Planer Moisture System's CapabilitiesSoftwood lumber is one of the most common building materials. It’s harvested from coniferous (evergreen) trees such as pines, spruces, cedars and firs. Softwood trees grow quickly and are widely available, making them an affordable, renewable source of lumber for construction. In addition, softwood is easy to cut, shape and treat, which makes it a popular choice for many building applications.
Softwood lumber goes through several manufacturing stages, and many of them are now automated. Sensors at key stages give you the data to optimize that process, helping you increase production, reduce kiln energy use and protect profitability.
Most trees used for lumber are grown in forests. Once the trees reach the appropriate size, they are felled (cut down) using mechanized harvesting equipment. After the tree has been felled, the limbs are removed and the tree is trimmed into lengths that are suitable for transportation to the lumber mill.
Once the logs arrive at the lumber mill, the outer bark is removed using ring or drum debarkers. The logs then enter the saw line, while the bark is used as fuel to heat the drying kilns or packaged to be sold as garden mulch.
The primary saw, called the head rig, cuts the logs into boards and larger intermediate pieces. These large pieces are then cut again into smaller boards. Any irregular outside edges are made square using edgers. At this point, the lumber is still considered “green” — it is rough, freshly cut and high in moisture.
Each piece of green lumber is sorted based on its dimensions, moisture content and intended product. After sorting, the boards are stacked with thin wood spacers between each layer to allow air to circulate through the stack.
While some lumber may simply be air dried, most boards are dried in kilns, where controlled heat and airflow remove moisture from the wood. Kiln-dried softwood lumber is typically dried to 19% moisture content or less.
After the boards have been dried to their target moisture level, they’re passed through a planer. During the planing process, each board is cut to its final dimensions. In addition, all surfaces are smoothed and all edges are rounded.
Finished boards are graded for quality (number of defects present) and moisture content. The wood is then bundled into groups based on the type of wood, grade and moisture content. These bundles are shipped to a lumber yard or retailer for sale to customers.
Moisture content affects the ways in which a piece of lumber will change shape, how it will perform structurally and its susceptibility to biological damage. Under-dried boards increase the risk of:
On the other hand, over-dried boards increase the risk of:
Since wood will continue to absorb or release moisture until it reaches equilibrium with its surroundings, the target moisture content must be aligned with the board’s end use. There is significant natural variability in softwood lumber, and two boards with the same dimensions can often hold very different amounts of water. As a result, moisture should be measured at multiple stages of the manufacturing process, with board-by-board measurement at the sawmill and planer.
Obtaining the right moisture content for the final boards requires moisture measurement at three stages of the lumber manufacturing process:
Green boards can vary widely in moisture content, even when they come from the same log. Sorting them into groups with similar moisture before drying results in more uniform kiln loads. You can then run a targeted kiln schedule for each group, which reduces over-drying and under-drying.
Learn More About Sawmill Moisture Measurement
In-kiln sensors measure moisture in real time, which helps you hit your target moisture content more consistently than fixed drying schedules allow for. You can adjust drying times as the charge dries, preventing over-dried or under-dried lumber that loses grade and value.
Learn More About Kiln Moisture Measurement
Moisture data for each board informs your grading decisions at the planer. Boards outside your target moisture range are identified for re-drying, or the system can send each board’s moisture reading to your auto grader, which uses it to assign the final grade.
Learn More About Planer Moisture Measurement
| Stage | Moisture Challenge | What Finna Sensors Measures | How the Data Is Used |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sawmill | Green boards vary widely in moisture, even from the same log | Moisture content of each green board | Used to sort boards into groups with similar drying needs for more uniform kiln loads |
| Kiln | Fixed drying schedules can over-dry or under-dry a charge | Real-time moisture inside the kiln | Lets you adjust drying times and end the cycle at your target moisture content |
| Planer | Boards outside the target moisture range reach grading | Moisture content of each board at the planer | Identifies wet boards for re-drying or sends readings to your auto grader to assign final grade |
Radiofrequency (RF) moisture measurement sends a low-power electric field into the wood and measures how the wood responds. Water reacts to an electric field much more strongly than dry wood does, which makes RF sensing well suited to detecting moisture in lumber. The process works in three steps:
RF measurement is fast and non-destructive, which makes it practical at every stage of the mill. At the sawmill and planer, sensors read each board as it moves along the line. Multiple sensor heads can measure different sections of the same board. In the kiln, sensors track moisture in real time throughout the drying cycle, allowing you to adjust your drying times based on the moisture content of the boards inside the kiln.
At Finna Sensors, we provide moisture measurement solutions for the key stages of the lumber manufacturing process.
| Stage | Product | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Sawmill | Transverse HD Sawmill Meter | Measures the moisture content of each green board on the transfer chain for sorting before drying |
| Sawmill Green Lumber Sorting System | Assigns each board to a moisture group with similar drying characteristics | |
| Density System | Measures the density of each green board for sorting before drying, as a standalone system or combined with the Transverse HD Sawmill Meter | |
| Kiln | KilnScout V2 Wireless | Measures moisture in real time inside your kiln to set the drying end point |
| KilnScout-Wired | Provides wired in-kiln moisture measurement for batch kilns | |
| ProTrac Kiln Performance Software | Tracks kiln performance and connects planer moisture data to drying reports | |
| Planer | Transverse Planer Moisture System | Measures each board on the transfer chain and identifies wet boards or sends readings to your auto grader |
| Inline Planer Moisture System | Maps moisture along each board on lineal grading lines |
Measuring moisture at each stage of the mill improves drying efficiency, grade recovery and product quality. Better sorting at the sawmill creates more uniform kiln loads, and better drying reduces the number of wet boards at the planer.
Some of the most important benefits you’ll experience from implementing comprehensive moisture measurement in your lumber manufacturing process include:
At Finna Sensors, we have over 20 years of experience providing moisture measurement solutions for the lumber industry. We’ve been manufacturing in-kiln moisture systems since 2006, and sawmill and planer systems since 2008. Our systems are installed in most North American lumber mills, and we’re proud to offer the industry’s most widely used end-to-end line for the sawmill, kiln and planer.
When you work with Finna Sensors, you get:
Kiln-dried softwood lumber is typically dried to 19% moisture content or less, which qualifies it for a KD19 grade stamp. Lumber dried to 15% or less can carry a KD15 stamp. Many mills target a range of 12-19% on an oven-dry basis, depending on the product and customer requirements.
Moisture content affects a board’s dimensions, strength and grade. Wood shrinks as it dries, so under-dried lumber can shrink below its regulated size after it ships. It’s also prone to mold and stain. Over-dried lumber becomes brittle and can split or chip during planing. Over-drying also reduces throughput and increases kiln energy costs.
Most mills measure lumber moisture content with radiofrequency (RF) sensors. At the sawmill and planer, in-line sensors measure each board as it moves along the line. In the kiln, sensors placed in the lumber packages track moisture throughout the drying cycle. These sensors replace time-consuming manual checks. Oven-dry testing, which weighs a sample before and after drying, remains the reference method for verifying sensor accuracy.
Moisture should be measured at three stages: the sawmill, the kiln and the planer. At the sawmill, measurement lets you sort green boards into groups with similar drying needs. In the kiln, this information tells you when each charge reaches its target moisture content. At the planer, it identifies boards that need re-drying before grading.
Moisture claims usually result from lumber that ships wetter than its grade stamp allows. Wet lumber can shrink, warp or develop mold after delivery, which leads to complaints from contractors and end users. Measuring each board at the planer helps you catch wet pieces before they’re graded and shipped.
Request a quote for moisture measurement systems at your lumber manufacturing facility. Our team will provide the expert recommendations you need to maintain proper moisture control throughout the process.
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