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Lumber mills are increasingly focused on lumber recovery to increase profitability and reduce waste. Sorting green lumber by moisture content and/or density is an effective and proven method for accomplishing these twin goals. Finna Sensors has been providing systems for green sorting in the sawmill for 20+ years. Today, we supply industry-leading sensors with easy to use software to help mills achieve the best sorting results possible to realize better kiln drying and higher profitability.
Finna Sensors built the Transverse HDNC Sawmill Meter to increase the number of potential sensors from 8 to 24. The sensors can now be specified to fit within chain runs and can be located on both the top and bottom faces. This significant increase in surface area allows mills to identify sapwood/heartwood boundary areas or wet pockets for proper sorting prior to kiln drying. Sorting by moisture content has been shown to improve drying productivity by 10% to 15%, as well as, enhance lumber recovery. Further advancements in the software allow users to track packages through the drying process, add Internet of Things (IOT) data and perform advanced analytics with new reports.
The system was developed to offer higher accuracy, better yield and increased profit. Additionally, through design innovations, this newest solution has lower cost of ownership and easier startup and training. The following chart highlights some of the key features:
| Feature | Advantage |
|---|---|
| Up to 24 sensors available | Measure more of the surface area; measure both faces of the board |
| Wet pocket identification | Identify 'hard-to-dry' boards for air-drying or extended kiln schedules to reduce variability at the planer |
| Multiple, high-speed temperature sensors | Identify cold spots to correct MC measurement; consistent year-round sorting results regardless of thawed or frozen lumber |
| Three sensor sizes | With 7", 16" and 22" sensors, can now fit between chain runs that was previously unavailable |
| Remote upgrades | Can upgrade both Windows software and firmware via the cloud |
| Timed air blasts | Automatically clean sensors to confirm proper measurement |
At the onset of the development of the Transverse HDNC Sawmill Meter, Finna Sensors embarked on a new path. Rather than just improve the existing system, Finna Sensors started from scratch to re-imagine the product to make it a more robust, effective and easy to use system. In particular, the engineering team started with the following concepts to guide their efforts:
Previous generations of the sawmill sorting system were limited by either a full contact system with sensors reading both faces, or a just five non-contact sensors measuring only one face of each board. The HDNC system can now measure twelve non-contact sensors on both faces of the board and correct the measurements for frozen lumber.
Finna Sensors has implemented a rigorous program called, Persistent Innovative Development, to drive continuous investment in new products and services. The company does not want its customers to be bound by 7 year+ product cycles. Therefore, tools are provided so that any system can be upgraded via the cloud to deliver new features and enhancements.
Today’s manufacturing environment demands ever-increasing data. To accomplish this, Finna Sensors adds internal diagnostic checks and passes the results to plant computer systems. Users can set limits to trigger alarms to warn of potential sensor performance issues. All of this provides invaluable Internet of Things (IOT) data for the manufacturer.
Improved moisture control has emerged as an important process improvement element in the forest products industry, as mills continue to focus on profitability and yield. Finna Sensors provides the industry’s widest-used end-to-end line of integrated moisture measurement systems and related process optimization tools for the sawmill, kiln and planer.
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