On the pulse of the plywood industry in Asia

A NEW ERA IN
VENEER PATCHING
BEGINS
MECANO:
SHARP LENS
BOOSTS QUALITY
RAUTE PRODUCT
FAMILIES MEET ALL
CUSTOMER NEEDS
Issue 14
Raute Customer Magazine
Published by Raute Corporation
MARKET
AREA REVIEW:
On the pulse
of the plywood
industry
in Asia
PLYVISIONS
1
RAUTE NOW RAUTE NOW
RAUTE NOW
RAUTE NOW RAUTE NOW
RAUTE NOW
Profitable solutions for your needs
WHENEVER two Finns get together, they
open the discussion with some comments
on the weather. This time I need to do
that as well. We have experienced winter and summer struggling against each
other for more than a month offering us
unusually warm days in March followed
by 10 cm snow in April. Today, it looks
like summer with the temperature of
late autumn. Perhaps this fluctuation in
the weather also reflects the uncertainty
in the world economy and consequently
in the business of most of us.
2011 was a year of clear improvement for Raute even if we did not
achieve our targets. The first few months
were still rather quiet following a period
of low demand in 2010. After those early
months, April-September was good
and busy, thanks to the nice amount of
new orders you, our valued customers,
awarded to us with in the end of 2010
and early 2011. But towards summer the
demand slowed down and the last few
months of 2011 were quiet again. Due to
these fluctuations we did not succeed in
turning our result back to profits. Please
see more details in our annual report.
The last months of 2011 and the
early ones this year brought us such
amounts of new orders that now we are
confident to be able to continue improving our performance and achieve a positive result after three consecutive years
of losses. The biggest, and definitely the
most surprising new project Raute succeeded winning is the rebuilding project
of Arauco’s Nueva Aldea mill. The mill
was destroyed in a catastrophic fire in
early January. Luckily no one was injured
OUR OFFERING SHALL
ENABLE OUR CUSTOMERS
TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS
IN A PROFITABLE WAY.
or killed. Being able to proceed with the
rebuilding project in just 5 weeks after
the fire is an excellent sign of Arauco’s
management power and also of the good
relationship between Arauco and Raute.
Despite this “mega-order” and some
other nice orders Raute has recently
received we do have the capacity and the
resources to serve other customers and
needs as well. We have maintained our
operative resources at a high level over
the recession and also developed our
delivery process to ensure flexibility of
our production and service operations.
So, we will keep on serving all our customers as well as ever.
The topic of this issue of Plyvisions is our refined strategy “profitable
solutions for your needs”. This slogan
captures Raute’s strategy: Our offering
shall enable our customers to run their
business in a profitable way. Otherwise
they cannot invest in our products. We
offer our customers solutions which
solve their needs, not just machines and
services. And all our offerings need to
be especially tailored for your needs, as
the needs of any customer are unique.
We started to implement this strategy by
clarifying the “your needs” part of the
slogan. We launched new product families to clearly show that we have offerings for the large variety of needs. Since
then we have added new products to all
product families. In this issue we tell you
more about the RautePro composer and
the new patching technology applied in
all of the product families.
Enjoy reading, and all the best in
our joint business,
Tapani Kiiski
President and CEO
2
PLYVISIONS
CONTENTS
Raute now 2
Bryansk plywood plant sets sights on exports 4
Market Area Review: focus on Asia 6
Product families: profitable solutions 12
RautePro composing line 14
A new era in veneer patching begins 16
Raute TwinPeel for emerging markets 19
Clean emissions and energy savings with
RauteGreen solutions 20
Sharp lens boosts quality 22
Lohja mill manufactures with modernized lathe 26
Benefits from Raute charger upgrade 28
Raute eStore
30
Appointments31
22
6
MARKET AREA REVIEW
on pages 6–10
• SOUTH-EAST ASIA transitioning
to plantation-wood-based plywood and LVL
• IN EUROPE the entire forest industry
is undergoing structural changes
• 90% of plywood produced in LATIN AMERICA
is made from plantation wood
• Uncertainty in NORTH AMERICAN markets continues
• RUSSIAN plywood production is estimated
to grow by 10% in 2012
MACHINE VISION on page 22
One major characteristic that makes Mecano stand out
from the rest is its strong input in R&D. Mecano’s main
product is in fact innovations.
16
PlyVisions is Raute Corporation’s Customer Magazine.
Editor-In-Chief: Veli-Matti Lepistö
Layout: Onnion Oy Printing house: Markprint 5/2012
Cover photo: Dreamstime
Address changes: [email protected]
Publisher: Raute Corporation, P.O. Box 69, FI-15551 Nastola,
Finland, tel. +358 3 829 11, fax +358 3 829 3511
Copyright Raute Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction
permitted only with permission from Raute Corporation.
www.raute.com
ISSN 1459-3165
VENEER PATCHING on page 16
The new Patchman P2 veneer patching line
and the first installation of the new generation line.
PLYVISIONS
3
RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RA
BRYANSK PLYWOOD PLANT
SETS SIGHTS ON EXPORTS
THE BRYANSK PLYWOOD PLANT (OOO BRYANSKIY
FANERNYI KOMBINAT) IS LOCATED IN SOUTHWESTERN
RUSSIA 5 KILOMETERS FROM THE UKRAINIAN BORDER IN
THE VILLAGE OF BELAYA BEREZKA. THE PLANT PRODUCES
4X8 FEET AND 5X10 FEET BIRCH PLYWOOD, MOSTLY FOR
THE RUSSIAN MARKETS AT THE MOMENT. PLANS ARE, HOWEVER, AFOOT TO INCREASE THE VOLUME OF EXPORTS. HALF
OF THE PRODUCTS ARE FILM OVERLAID CREATING PLYWOOD
SUITABLE FOR THE USE IN CONCRETE FORMWORK.
4
PLYVISIONS
THE BRYANSK REGION has dense stands of birch.
50 percent of the raw material used by the Bryansk plant comes from its own forests whereas
the rest is procured from the Kaluga, Smolensk
and Kursk regions and transported to the plant
by land. The plant is a significant consumer of raw
material and is the only plywood plant within a
500-kilometer radius.
Although production is presently directed to
the domestic markets, the vicinity of the Ukrai-
SIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA RAUTE IN RUSSIA
nian border will ease future export
efforts. The objective is to export half
of the production volume to Europe and
America. The required standardization
projects are presently underway.
THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF THE
MACHINE SUPPLIER
The first plywood product was manufactured at the Bryansk plant on July
15, 2011. The plant is a typical greenfield project, whose construction began
from the ground. The significance of the
machine supplier is paramount in these
types of projects. When choosing the
supplier, the most important factor was
to find a partner who would be able to
design the plant so that the division of
labor between the various production
lines would be smooth and bottlenecks
eliminated. The machine supplier should
also be able to deliver all necessary
lines and have expertise in the requirements set by different raw materials.
The partner should also ensure an easy
implementation process. These factors,
in addition to a strong know-how in the
processing of birch, tipped the scales in
Raute’s favor.
The delivery included all lines
required by a plywood plant - from conditioning to packing. When choosing the
machinery, compromises were sought
between manual labor and automation.
The RauteSelect line solutions turned
out to be the most suitable option for
the kind of production that was to take
place at Bryansk. They could guarantee
sufficient capacity and high uptimes.
This was also the best considering possible future requirements; Select-type
lines can be modernized into Smartlevel lines, if production volumes need
to be increased.
The challenge for maintenance is
the long distances involved, with the
nearest large city located a day’s drive
away. The village population is just 5 000
people, so finding competent employees
is a further challenge. To facilitate these
issues, Raute will strengthen its maintenance operations in Russia by developing its St. Petersburg office. The most
common spare parts and components
will be stored there so that customer
service can function even more quickly
and smoothly than before.
SUCCESSFUL INSTALLATION AND
COMPETENT PERSONNEL
The installation phase was successful because of the positive cooperation between Raute and the plant’s
own personnel. At the same time the
future employees were able to familiarize themselves with the machines. The
implementation was made easier by the
fact that 70 percent of the personnel had
previous experience in plywood manufacture so only a short training period
was required for them to learn to operate the machines.
The plant employs 136 people, 100
of whom are involved in production. The
plan is to increase the number of personnel by thirty in the near future. Competent employees will be easier to find
as an educational facility functioning
in Bryansk will be offering a new fouryear training program in wood processing. So, in a few years’ time, a qualified
workforce will be available.
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR PLYWOOD
The plant will stay fully operational
due to the region’s broad forests and
the high demand for plywood on the
domestic and foreign markets. Further
acquisitions enhancing the capacity and
product range are being planned. For
example, short-cycle overlaying would
enable a flexible use of a variety of overlays and textures and, as a result, the
manufacture of products for a multitude
of purposes. The Ukrainian border will
help gain a foothold in the European
markets. Russia’s accession to the WTO
will facilitate exports to Europe and the
United States.
Text and photos: Veli-Matti Lepistö
PLYVISIONS
5
MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MA
On the pulse
of the plywood industry i
ASIA
THE CENTRAL ISSUES OF 2011 WERE PLANTATION RAW MATERIAL, CONTROL OF PRODUCTION
COSTS AND THE IMPACT OF CHINESE PRODUCERS ON THE WORLD MARKET. THESE SAME ISSUES
WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN FOCUS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WITH THE EUROPEAN AND WORLDWIDE MARKET WOES ADDING THEIR OWN SPICE TO THE MIX. NATURAL DISASTERS ALSO
DISRUPTED THE LIVELIHOOD OF MANY IN THE PLYWOOD BUSINESS IN 2011.
WHILE WAITING for local plantations
to mature, log imports have increased
in Asia, particularly in China and
Japan. Over the last two years, significant growth could be seen in imports
from North America and Oceania to
replace traditional tropical timber and
Russian larch. In the meantime, India
has become the largest log importer
of tropical timber from Malaysia and
Myanmar.
Chinese plywood exports are now a
daily topic. The debate on volume, price
and quality is on-going and importers are having a hard time positioning
themselves in the game. Experience in
the export market will definitely force
6
PLYVISIONS
the local panel industry to become more
quality orientated when it comes to
securing a permanent role in the international market.
Unexpected natural disasters and
currency fluctuations spell woes for
the market. Although rebuilding after
a disaster increases orders for wooden
panels, financial problems limit the
availability of housing loans in panelconsuming markets.
SOUTH-EAST ASIA TRANSITIONING
TO PLANTATION-WOOD-BASED
PLYWOOD AND LVL
South-East Asian forestry companies
have been very active in the plantation
business. Millions of trees are planted
every day and the industry is gradually gearing up for the utilization of
this new raw material. It is a fact that
large-diameter natural logs are getting
more expensive and consumers are voicing their demands for plywood sourced
from sustainably managed forests and
plantations. Now the challenges are to
find the right wood species to grow for
good plywood that can command a high
value and to renew the process so that
recovery and processing costs are kept
under control.
Raute’s expertise lies in small logs.
With a background in specialized small
logs, solid experience and proven track
EW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW
y in Asia
records, Raute can openly claim to be
the most suitable partner in the transition from big to small logs. A number of
plywood producers have already proven
that simply changing the raw material
without making significant changes to
the process can result in severe financial
losses, bringing recovery and productivity down to an unbearable level. Some
have panicked under the pressure – to
the degree of closing their doors.
In shifting to a new raw material,
the main issue is to follow the production cost per cubic meter in detail and
act on the findings. This is where, to borrow the expression, “action talks - others walk.” It is time to put historical data
and experimental process in the trash
bin and graduate to knowledge-based
process management.
SAVE MONEY THROUGH
MODERNIZATIONS DURING
TRANSITION PERIOD
Money for investments is surely in
the crunch during such a transition.
Uncertainty about the future will add
to the difficulties in decision-making.
In many cases, modernizing old processing machinery and lines is the best
solution. Instead of buying completely
new machinery, a fraction of the money
can be used to modify old ones that can
serve another few years. This also buys
time to research the right solution for
plantation log processing before big
volumes make it to the log yard. Raute
has expanded its offering in modernizations to include non-Raute equipment.
We have modernized all major brands of
equipment, and new modernization and
up-grade products are being developed
together with individual customers on a
continuous basis.
CHINA – BIG, BIGGER, BIGGEST
China has made it clear through its
plans and actions that they are reaching
towards greater self-sufficiency in panel
industry raw material supply. More land
is being allocated for plantations, and
private companies are encouraged to
“ACTION TALKS
– OTHERS WALK.”
get involved in plantation activities.
Even so, this big country, with its growing demand, is facing a bigger roundwood deficit than ever. Consumption
growth is exceeding plantation growth.
Log imports doubled from 17 Mm3 in
2001 to 35 Mm3 in 2006 and recovered
back to the same volume last year after
the economic slow down. The forecast
for 2011 indicates that log imports, for
the first time, will exceed 40 Mm3. The
supply of domestic logs has grown at an
even faster pace, but still cannot catch
up with demand.
Urbanization in China has led to
staggering housing start numbers, which
are touching 20 million as of now. As a
benchmark, this number is more than
twenty times that of North America’s.
PLYVISIONS
>>
7
MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MA
largest plywood exporters. The deficit in
domestic wood supply will cause higher
log prices, which will in turn cause
higher end product prices. Is China’s
wood raw material consumption pushing up market prices in the global market? That remains to be seen.
LVL IS IN CHINA TO STAY
Jukka Siiriäinen
Cooling measures for the overheated
property market were issued by the government and the effects can be seen in
big cities as lower prices. These actions
are probably sufficient to stop the growth
of housing starts, but not the growing
demand for wood construction material.
Wood use in China was fuelled during the early part of the millennium by
domestic consumption. In the last five
years, exports of wooden products have
also grown. Once the world’s largest plywood importer, China is now one of the
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED
OURSELVES FROM FOREIGN
SUPPLIER TO LOCAL
PRESENCE.
8
PLYVISIONS
Natural disasters and the drive towards
safer and greener housing are increasing
the demand for LVL. But the availability
of affordable big logs for sawmills is getting scarce. The strength of LVL is well
known and has been proven, in every
earthquake, against many other building
materials. LVL is also replacing sawn
timber in typical domestic applications.
Fast-growing, small-diameter plantation logs and LVL are a good match.
The big bang of LVL usage in China has
almost arrived and the export market is
already open and growing rapidly. Currently, China’s biggest LVL export markets are the US and Japan. Acceptance
by these demanding markets is proof
that Chinese LVL is suitable for the
global market.
INDIA IS NOW THE FASTEST
GROWING MARKET FOR PLYWOOD
Whereas China is the biggest market
for plywood, India is the fastest growing market. India’s booming economy is
employing more people in towns, and in
many respects the country is following in
China’s footsteps, but in an Indian way.
Current housing starts are at the
level of two million plus and will continue to grow to over five million in
the next few years. The growth rate
is exceptional. The crunch in domestic raw material supply and industrial
licensing is a reality. It looks like India
will become a big plywood importer for
a while until the opportunity for major
growth in the domestic plywood industry is realized.
Log imports have grown with
demand. The high price of tropical
timber has driven Indian importers to
search for more feasible raw material
sources. Recently, imports from New
Zealand and Australia have been in
favor. Log prices are still the highest in
India’s wood imports, followed by panel
products and sawn timber.
EMERGING MARKETS
A STRATEGIC ISSUE FOR RAUTE
Raute has taken strategic actions on
challenges in emerging markets. We have
established ourselves from foreign supplier to local presence. This is to understand our customers’ business better
and to provide localized solutions and
services.
Our strong home market position
in China has provided us with an open
window to the plywood and LVL industry, and we have initiated R&D processes to address future demand. Close
co-operation with various technical and
industrial bodies, as well as industry
itself, has taught us the lessons we need.
As a first concrete result, we introduced
the Raute TwinPeel peeling station at
the Shanghai exhibition in 2011. There
is much more to come. New peeling and
LVL solutions will be introduced shortly
and all these solutions are designed with
other markets, such as India, and plantation wood producers in other countries in mind. •
Text: Jukka Siiriäinen
EW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW
EUROPE AND AFRICA
Structure changes
in the forest industry
EUROPE IS RAUTE’S established home
market. Although production volumes
have not risen, nor are they expected to
rise materially in the future, Europe will
retain its significance for Raute. Together
with our established partners, we have
created high-technology innovations for
improving the efficiency of production
processes, and will continue to do so.
Several different sectors exist
within the European plywood industry:
Finland and the Baltic have advanced
technology, using birch and spruce as raw
materials. Especially Latvia’s plywood
industry has developed significantly over
the past few years. Finland’s plywood and
LVL industry have also resumed their
growth following the 2008 down-turn.
The markets of the companies in these
countries are global, although Europe is
naturally their key focus area.
The plywood industry in Eastern
Central Europe consists of small and
highly-specialized companies. Large
investments have not been possible due
to the typically low production capacity.
Birch, aspen, spruce and beech are utilized as raw materials. The area’s main
markets are in Europe.
A few larger plywood producers and
a considerable group of very small specialized veneer and plywood manufacturers operate in Southern Europe. The central raw materials used there are poplar
and maritime pine and the central markets lie in Central and Southern Europe.
The entire forest industry is undergoing structural changes and the capacity of the chemical forest industry has
been downsized, which entails new
challenges for the sustainability of the
mechanical sector. On the other hand,
the increasing importance of ecologi-
cally sound construction and housing in
the future opens up possibilities for the
growth of wood construction alongside
traditional concrete construction. The
challenge faced by the plywood, veneer
and LVL industry in the near future is
answering to the demands created by
this trend. Especially LVL will benefit
from the significant growth opportunities that this offers.
Raute’s strength lies in its production technology know-how suited to
European conditions and raw materials,
as well as the strong confidence it has
earned from its customers. Raute is seeking growth in the European markets by
strengthening its customer relationships,
through its technology services and by
helping its customers to capitalize on the
growth in wood construction.
Juha-Pekka Salimäki
AFRICA
The development of Africa’s plywood
industry continues to be slow. As some
significant raw material producers have
begun to restrict exports of round wood,
planning has begun for the construction
of production facilities, however, these
projects have not yet been initialized.
The existing plywood and veneer industry is very out-of-date. Raw material,
mainly okoumé, is sourced from natural
forests. Over the next few years, a significant opportunity will open up in a few
West African countries where plantations will soon reach harvesting age. The
competitive utilization of this raw material potential requires more efficient and
modern production processes than exist
at present. Raute can offer precisely the
right solutions considering the local cost
level and personnel capabilities. •
RAUTE IS SEEKING GROWTH
IN THE EUROPEAN MARKETS
BY STRENGTHENING ITS
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS.
Text: Juha-Pekka Salimäki
PLYVISIONS
9
MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MA
LATIN AMERICA
Martin Murphy
NORTH AMERICA
Raute driving forward
WHILE THE UNCERTAINTY in North
American markets continues, Raute
Canada Ltd is moving forward with
initiatives to help meet the growing
demand for technical solutions. This
focus has driven the development of
new products as well as better ways to
modernize existing systems – getting
the “biggest bang for the buck,” so to
speak.
Plywood and LVL manufacturing companies have been investing in
improved automation products that
can enhance the performance of existing machinery. These products improve
productivity and product quality, but
they also increase recovery. These are
valuable keys to gaining that competitive edge while staying on budget. From
log cutting through to the packaging of
the finished product, Raute has an automated solution to meet every need.
Most recently, advances in PLC technology have enabled Raute to manufacture it’s first all-electric high speed rotary
clipper. It’s a significant improvement to
the performance of this machine, while
reducing energy costs during operation.
The development of the six deck
jet box veneer dryer in previous years
10
PLYVISIONS
resulted in significant gains to our customer’s typically bottle-necked process.
Many look back now and say that the
improved drying capability and significantly lower drying costs have kept
them in business. Advances in automation have aided in improving the quality of dry veneer with the addition of
an intuitive dryer control system. Once
again, the need to improve veneer recovery as well as strength properties have
driven these advances and reduced drying costs even further.
Raute has solid knowledge in updating previous generation machinery to the
next level. Let Raute upgrade or modernize your existing production lines to
help them reach their full potential. •
Text: Martin Murphy
RAUTE HAS SOLID
KNOWLEDGE IN UPDATING
PREVIOUS GENERATION
MACHINERY TO
THE NEXT LEVEL.
Important
part of
integrated
forest
industries
AS MUCH AS 90% of the plywood produced in Latin America is made from
plantation wood. The southern temperate zone is a favorable climate for
wood growth and has attracted investments in forest industries. Pine and
eucalyptus are commonly used species.
Plywood manufacturers in the tropical
zone are also starting to use fast-growing plantation species. Raute’s extensive expertise in small-log processing
makes this raw material shift economically interesting.
Plywood is an important part of
integrated forest industries in South
America. Butt logs are typically used for
plywood, whereas the middle of the trees
are used by sawmills and the thin parts
for pulp. Softwood plywood production
has grown, especially in Chile, which has
increased its market share on the American and European plywood markets.
Brazil remains the continent’s largest
plywood producer. A brisk economy and
rapid growth have increased domestic
plywood consumption. Local Brazilian
markets have become important to many
plywood producers who previously
exported almost all their production.
EW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW MARKET AREA REVIEW
RUSSIA
Industry trends for 2012
Timo Reinikainen
RAUTE IS THE MAIN
MACHINERY SUPPLIER IN
THIS EXPANSION.
As proof of the competitiveness of
plywood manufacturing, a Chilean plywood mill that started up few years ago
is preparing to double its production to
500,000 m3/a. Raute, also involved in the
original project, is the main supplier in
this expansion.
Early this year, a major forest fire
spread to the biggest plywood mill in the
area, temporarily reducing the supply of
plywood. Reconstruction began immediately, and Raute will supply all of the
main machinery for the new mill, which
will start off with greater efficiency than
the original mill.
Large projects like these do not
occur every year. Most of Raute’s projects have been smaller modernization
projects, including modernizations of
other suppliers’ machinery. Smaller
projects that have helped customers
to reduce their manufacturing costs
include, for instance, liquid extrusion
gluing and XY-charger modernizations.
Raute offers local maintenance services,
whose use is growing. •
Text: Timo Reinikainen
THE RUSSIAN PLYWOOD production
volume in 2011 grew by 7 percent as
compared to the previous year, reaching approximately 2.8 million m³. This
resulted from the commissioning of
new deliveries, such as the Bryansk and
Yenisei plywood mills. Production also
increased at the existing plants, such as
the Sveza Group plants, Arkhangelsk
and Syktyvkar plywood mills.
Sveza Group has strengthened its
position in the market, accounting for
approximately one quarter of the total
Russian plywood production. In 2011,
along with the launch of the Yenisei Plywood Mill, Ilim Bratsk DOK started a
large-scale modernization involving two
new peeling and drying lines. After the
modernizations are completed in 2012,
the plant will produce up to 200,000 m³ of
softwood plywood. Dallesprom Company
started mounting equipment for the production of commercial softwood veneer
in the Khabarovsk region. The production of softwood plywood and commercial softwood veneer will increase due to
the production drop in Japan caused by
the tsunami and the closure of a number
of production facilities.
In 2011 several factories were
upgraded, specifically involving the
modernization of old Raute 3V and 4V
series peeling machines as well as an
installment of new chargers. This trend
will continue in 2012.
In general, Russian plywood production is estimated to grow by 10 percent in 2012.
Raute is focusing on developing
maintenance by improving the effectiveness of Raute Service LLC’s operations.
Warehousing operations in St. Petersburg are being developed in order to
guarantee short, flexible delivery times
for spare parts and other components.
Raute has a strong installed
machine base in the CIS countries. We
believe that the modernization of existing equipment is the quickest and most
profitable method for improving production efficiency.
Utilization of softwood is increasing
considerably in Russian plywood manufacturing. Raute’s technology for producing softwood plywood is world-class. We
have supplied numerous plants and individual lines all over the world. •
Text: Olga Harju
IN GENERAL,
RUSSIAN PLYWOOD
PRODUCTION IS
ESTIMATED TO GROW
BY 10 PERCENT IN 2012.
Olga Harju
PLYVISIONS
11
PRODUCT FAMILIES PRODUCT FAMILIES PRODUCT FAMILIES PRODUCT FAMILIES PRODUCT FAM
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According to our strategy we want to operate so that
we can meet all customer needs in a profitable way.
This requires a broad range of expertise and knowledge
of our customers’ operating environments and the needs
in various market areas. For decades Raute has been
present in the four corners of the world, wherever
veneer, plywood and LVL products are manufactured.
Thanks to the active presence we have accumulated
substantial global know-how in our field.
Text: Matti Ukkonen
12
PLYVISIONS
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techn martest a offers
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THE PHRASE PROFITABLE SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR
NEEDS MEANS RECEIVING PROVEN, RELIABLE
SOLUTIONS THAT MEET SPECIFIC PRODUCTION
AND END-MARKET NEEDS, NO MATTER WHERE
IN THE WORLD YOU DO BUSINESS.
EACH MARKET AREA has its own requirements and challenges concerning raw materials, energy consumption,
automation level, amount of investment costs, labor costs
etc. The technology solutions for production machinery
need to reinforce these regional requirements as much as
possible.
At Raute, we have solved this issue by creating product families to match a variety of production needs. Our
product families utilize technologies which are precisely
tailored to fit the intended use. Additionally, the technologies allow for an increase in the level of automation in
the future.
Raute solutions are now available in three product families. Each product family offers unique benefits
depending on the customer’s production.
RautePro is a professional, industrial production
process with reliable and proven technology. A typical
RautePro product is a basic machine or line with separate
automated functions. Investments as well as maintenance
costs are relatively low, making the pay-back time short.
RautePro is a perfect solution for customers who produce
high-quality products without a large product variety.
The RauteSelect solutions are especially valued by customers who manufacture high-quality products with flexibility in production and efficient use of raw materials. RauteSelect is the answer for customers who process several wood
species and produce several panel sizes on the same production line. Existing lines can be retrofitted with RauteSelect
solutions and upgraded to the RauteSmart family through
modernizations.
RauteSmart represents the industry’s latest and most
efficient state-of-the-art technology. RauteSmart customers focus on producing large volumes and make efficient use
of the latest automation and measuring technologies. The
investments can be kept up-to-date through modernizations
and upgrades with the latest features of Raute’s R&D innovations. Raute’s flagship product is the RauteSmart lathe, with
a peeling speed of up to 400 meters of veneer per minute.
In developing these product families, Raute’s main philosophy has been to find the most valuable features for different types of producers and to combine them into solutions
which can be easily adapted for all of its customers around
the world. Together with Raute’s sophisticated service offering, new and existing production lines can provide the best
possible profitability by always keeping them running at an
optimal performance. •
PLYVISIONS
13
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
String and glue application
Defect scanning
Defect clipping
Sheet clipping
Veneer stacking
Veneer infeed
Lift platform and
stack removal
RautePro
composing line
RauteSelect
THE MAIN TARGETS FOR RAUTE WHEN DEVELOPING
THE NEW RAUTEPRO COMPOSING PRODUCT FAMILY
WERE TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVEN BENEFITS OF RAUTE’S
COMPOSING TECHNOLOGY WITH A COST-EFFECTIVE
SOLUTION, WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY IMPROVING THE
YIELD AND RECOVERY OF COMPOSED VENEER.
RautePr
o
RauteSelect allows
a wide range of adjustability
and flexibility in production,
and can be easily
upgraded.
RautePro
offers
a profes
sio
productio nal, industrial
n
reliable a process with
nd easy
technolo to use
gy.
rs
offe test
art
la
eSm t and est
t
u
s
Ra arte with b st
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he
sm
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o
a
rec
cap
Text: Tero Laitinen Photos: Janne Kousa
THE NEW RAUTEPRO
COMPOSING LINE
As a result of this development work,
Raute has developed a new modulebased core veneer composer that includes
automatic veneer defect clipping and
composing functions with a simple and
cost-effective construction. All the normal composing functions are now available with improved energy efficiency!
The total installed electric power can be
even more than 30% lower compared to
conventional composers.
14
PLYVISIONS
THE FIRST DELIVERY
The first Pro composer has already been
delivered to the listed company Taizhou
KeMian Wood Industry Co., Ltd. It is
a green field delivery to produce core
veneers for LVL production.
Taizhou KeMian Wood Industry Co.,
Ltd., is an independent wood industry
company with 800 employees in China.
The company previously focused largely
on the parquet industry, but is now also
gaining a foothold in LVL. The new LVL
mill is situated in Jiangsu Province,
art
Sm
te
Rau
near Shanghai, in the area of the city of
Taizhou (c. 5 million pop.).
NEW FEATURES SAVE VALUABLE
RAW MATERIAL
New features, such as servo-clipping
(servo motor controlled and powered
clippers) and smart and simple line controls with logics have improved both the
efficiency of the composing process and
the yield of the composed veneer. The
new defect detecting and defect clipping
module can be equipped and controlled
NE
ES
rt
rs
offe test
nd la est
b
with hest
d hig
.
city
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
with a modern camera solution that
saves valuable raw material: the minimum veneer width to be utilized after
defect clipping can be only 50 mm, which
is a major benefit when veneer recovery
is important. Also the operations and
maintenance of the composer have been
made as simple as possible, for example
knife service for both, defect and sheet
clipper.
Features common to Raute’s veneer
composers are the maximization of pro-
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
ductivity and quality along with low
labor costs. Composing lines can be run
by one single operator.
MODULAR CONSTRUCTION
All these product developments and
improvements are implemented on one
piece modules which are preassembled
and tested before final assembly on the
customer’s site. With the simple and
modular construction, assembly is easy
and quick to carry out. •
TECHNICAL DATA
Models for up to 1500, 2000 and 2600 mm
veneer lengths (5 ft, 6 ft and 8 ft)
• Veneer thickness 1.2–4.2 mm (other thicknesses
on request)
• Optional veneer thickness control
• Optional pen veneer detection with camera solution
• Minimum veneer width to be jointed 50 mm (for some
wood species and thickness)
• Hot melt glue strings for each 12 inch of veneer length,
optional on both sides of veneer surface
• Application of glue spots
COMPOSING
LINES CAN BE
RUN BY A SINGLE
OPERATOR.
PLYVISIONS
15
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
A NEW ERA IN
VENEER PATCHING
BEGINS
WE HAVE RECEIVED INCREASING
AMOUNTS OF FEEDBACK FROM OUR
CUSTOMERS IN RECENT YEARS CONCERNING THE GROWING NEED FOR
VENEER PATCHING. THE AVERAGE
REQUIRED THICKNESSES FOR PLYWOOD PANELS HAVE DECREASED
SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE DECLINE
IN THE AVERAGE DIAMETER OF
BLOCKS TO BE PEELED.
Text: Erkki Kauranen Photos: Veli-Matti Lepistö
16
PLYVISIONS
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NE
ES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
TAKEN TOGETHER the above facts
mean that the need for good-quality
surface veneer has increased further.
This demand cannot be satisfied simply through improving the efficiency of
veneer grading.
The answer for supplying the
required amounts of surface veneer can
be found in more efficient veneer patching. The so-called natural defects of
the veneer raw material, such as knots,
knot-holes and resin pockets can be
patched, thus increasing the amount
of valuable surface veneer. The types of
defects needing patching depend on the
species of wood used.
The unique machine vision system
created by Raute’s Mecano business
unit has made it possible to implement
patching technology using an entirely
new concept. Patching can be automated
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
using machine vision while simultaneously achieving improved accuracy,
speed and uniform quality. It also facilitates the adherence to quality specifications according to standards.
Through automatic patching, costefficiency improves as a result of the
improved work output and raw material
utilization ratio.
FROM IDEA TO DELIVERY IN JUST
A YEAR AND A HALF
The planning process for the new
patching line was initiated by customers’ experiences and their feedback
concerning our previous generation of
patching lines, as well as the opportunities presented by our state-of-the-art
machine vision technology. Based on
these, clearly-defined goals and a project implementation timetable were set
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
up for the next-generation technology.
The objective was to create an automatic patching line which is as userfriendly and productive as possible and
can be used by a single operator. Additionally, the line’s capacity, capability
for producing quality as well as reliability needed to be of the highest standard.
The line also needed to be suitable for
all species of wood and patch shapes as
well as various veneer thicknesses.
With regard to operational issues,
special attention was paid to the line’s
modular structure, limiting the required
floor surface area as well as low utilization costs in terms of energy and wear
parts. Also automatically adjusting cutting dies according to the control recipe
were made a requirement for the new
technology.
>>
THE WASTE OF THE PATCHING MATERIAL USED – STRIPS CUT FROM
VENEER – HAS BEEN MINIMIZED USING A NEW TECHNOLOGY.
PLYVISIONS
17
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
The changes made to the patching line have been substantial compared to the previous-generation technology.
Veneer to be patched is moved with vacuum gripper into
correct position according to coordinates received from
camera.The line has one or two fixed patching heads per
level which have improved capacity and operational reliability. The patching stations, called levels, are located one
on top of the other and there can be anywhere from one to
four levels. The cutting dies are made from durable solid tool
steel and they are sharpened by using just simple grinding.
The movement of the cutting dies is controlled electronically,
which also enables the electronic adjustment of the patch
height. The cutting blades are automatically calibrated after
sharpening. New conveyor solutions ensure that the patches
line up parallel to the veneer’s grain.
The waste of the patching material – strips cut from
veneer – has been minimized with a new technology.
The first fully-automatic Raute­Smart patching lines
have already been sold. Three line orders have been placed
to Russia and the first to Chile which will include the hot
melt gluing system and by-pass conveyor for an additional
grading feature. The first new generation patching line
installation was begun in April. This means that only a
year and a half have passed between idea and delivery!
PATCHING LINE PRODUCT FAMILIES
RautePro, RauteSelect and RauteSmart are Raute’s patching line product families.
RautePro also includes a new type of patching head,
including all the novelties such as electronic adjustment
properties integrated into the fixed C-frame. The actual
patching process is performed by the operator who moves
the veneer and aligns the defects manually. The typical line
capacity is 800–900 patches per hour.
With the RauteSelect line the veneer is fed either manually or by a feeder onto the camera conveyor. The patching
takes place automatically on one patching level. The stacking of veneers takes place mechanically either from the dry
chain or round table. The line requires two to four operators
and its typical capacity is 2 500 patches per hour.
On the RauteSmart line, veneer feeding and stacking as
well as base plate handling are automatic. The line has one
to four patching levels and can be used by a single operator.
Additionally the line can be equipped with a by-pass feeder,
enabling veneer grading without decreasing the patching
capacity. This maximizes the machine vision properties and
performance.
Also, for certain patch shapes and very thin veneer, the
line can be equipped with automatic taping or hot gluing
equipment in order to ensure the permanence of patches.
The typical line capacity is between 9 000 and 12 000
patches per hour. •
18
PLYVISIONS
NE
ES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Raute TwinPeel for
emerging markets
and plantation
wood peeling
Text: Jukka Siiriäinen
THE TWINPEEL PEELING STATION
AND TWINPEEL PEELING LINE ARE
THE LATEST PRODUCTS TO COME
OUT OF RAUTE’S R&D, WHICH
AIMS AT PROVIDING SOLUTIONS
FOR ALL CUSTOMER NEEDS.
THE MULTI-FUNCTION peeling station
contains block dosing, automatic centering, separate debarking, a round-up
knife carriage and a spindleless lathe
with rotary clipper – all in one package. Topping up the package with block
infeed and veneer stacking, it makes a
complete peeling line.
TwinPeel is the result of systematic
market studies, feasibility evaluations
and customer interviews which started
in early 2009. It was clear that there
were many customers whose needs in
peeling were different from what traditional peeling lines could offer. Some
had limited raw material supply, some
remote locations, some were just getting started peeling plantation logs and
some simply had a limited budget. At the
same time, all these customers required
higher quality and capacity of veneer
than what existing low-cost machinery
enabled. There was an obvious limit to
what the market could offer.
Multi-functionality and space saving are obvious appealing aspects of
the machine, which still encompasses
all the core principles of profitable
veneer making. Automatic centering
maximizes the length of the continuous
veneer ribbon. The separate debarking and rounding up units do the dirty
job. A clean rounded block enters the
spindleless lathe, keeping the veneer
knife in serviceable condition much
longer, peeling veneer of good quality
and accurate thickness.
Productivity is maintained, even
though the processing speeds of individual machines remain below the traditional Raute speeds. There are four
blocks simultaneously in the process:
One in dosing, one in rounding up, one
waiting to be charged to the peeling and
one in peeling and clipping. Simultaneous operations add up in capacity, but
keep the required power consumption
low. In numbers, the peeling speed is 50
m/min and power consumption less than
20 kWh/m3.
The compact design allows mobility. TwinPeel can be made into a movable peeling station. This is particularly
interesting in the case of peeling logs
from plantation thinnings. The station
can be brought to the plantation and
only valuable veneer needs to be transported to the plywood mill. When one
plantation has been thinned, it is time
to move on to another. In a couple of
days, the TwinPeel station will be ready
to continue in the new location. •
PLYVISIONS
19
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
CLEAN EMISSIONS
AND ENERGY SAVINGS
with RauteGreen solutions
ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT ARE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT
CURRENT GLOBAL MEGATRENDS. ENERGY IS BECOMING ONE OF THE
MAJOR COMPONENTS OF PROFITABLE PLYWOOD/LVL MANUFACTURING.
Text: Marko Perttilä
GENERAL
In most other industries, pollution control is defined by law. In the plywood
industry, North America and Oceania
already have regulations in place which
require pollution control techniques,
and it is easy to predict that this will
also be the trend in the near future in
Europe and other parts of the world.
The utilization of pollution control equipment can be encouraged
in two ways: through legislation or
through economical benefits. In practice, the economical benefits of pollution control systems are clearly the
best way to increase the utilization of
such systems.
In plywood/LVL processes, veneer
drying is the most important process
phase in terms of both energy and environmental issues. Veneer drying involves
20
PLYVISIONS
THE SOLUTION
the greatest consumption of heat and
electrical energy. The energy consumption of drying can be minimized in a
number of ways, for example through
accurate controls, an effective drying
process, effective energy production, and
heat and energy recovery.
Veneer drying is also the process
phase that produces the most environmental emissions. These emissions are
either natural resins from the wood
(VOC = Volatile Organic Compounds) or
fine wood dust.
Raute has an excellent solution
for all these needs: we can supply an
emissions control system that minimizes energy consumption (=profitable),
reduces emissions (VOC and wood dust)
and fulfills even the most demanding
environmental laws.
The exhaust gas emissions from the
veneer dryer can be minimized with a
Regenerative Catalytic Oxidizer (RCO)
unit. At the same time, the RCO enables
the recovery of energy from the dryer
exhaust gases for various energy-consumption purposes (dryer make-up air
heating, log conditioning, building heating, fuel drying etc.).
The removal of VOC emissions is
based on the oxidation process in the
catalysts of the RCO unit, and the recovery of energy from the purified exhaust
gases is based on the following facts:
the VOC concentration in exhaust gases
increases the burning temperature and
enables the process to perform autothermally without external heating energy.
The VOC process also burns the woodbased resin away from the exhaust
RauteGre
uteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
RauteGreen
gases. This allows the energy from the
exhaust to be recovered without resin
build up either in the dryer or with different kinds of heat exchangers.
OPERATION
The VOC treatment is performed by
directing the dryer exhaust gases
through the catalysts and the heat
exchangers, which are the main components of the RCO unit. The gas flow
inside the RCO unit is regularly redirected to maintain correct temperatures
and process conditions. The chemical process oxidizes the harmful VOC
emissions to form less harmful carbon
dioxide and simultaneously discharges
additional heat energy. The RCO unit is
capable of handling the varying air flow
rates and VOC concentrations of different wood materials.
The RCO unit connects easily to an
air-to-air heat exchanger to produce
clean hot air for various purposes, such
as the pre-heating of dryer make-up air,
heating the building and drying wood
fuel. Depending on the dryer humidity
conditions, the humid and hot resinfree exhaust air can be utilized as preheated make-up air also directly from
the RCO.
cold air
Heat Recovery Unit
(Make up air heating)
hot air
hot + humid
RCO
(Exhaust gas VOC abatement)
energy
veneer
+ water
hot/humid
make-up
air
hot + humid
+ VOC
Veneer Dryer
(Veneer drying)
veneer
The operation of the RCO unit is
fully automatic and the components have
a long life expectancy, for example, a 10
year warranty for the catalysts. The units
are delivered in standard containers and
can be easily adapted to new or existing
veneer dryers. The VOC abatement units
by Ehovoc Oy are proven technology in a
number of industrial sectors. •
BENEFITS
• High VOC abatement rate,
up to 98%, and effective removal
of particulate emissions
• Autothermal process with low VOC
concentrations (0.6g/Nm3 upwards)
and low operating costs
• Meets the demands of all known
emission control regulations
• Minimal maintenance needed
• Tested and proven technology
(tested with softwood plywood mill)
PLYVISIONS
21
Sharp lens
boosts quality
ONE MAJOR CHARACTERISTIC THAT MAKES MECANO STAND OUT FROM THE REST
IS ITS STRONG INPUT IN R&D. TYPICALLY 40% OF THE UNIT-GENERATED TURNOVER
ENDS UP IN R&D. ONE COULD SAY THAT MECANO’S MAIN PRODUCT IS ACTUALLY
INNOVATIONS AND DEVELOPING THEM FURTHER INTO DEFINED PROCESSES.
Text: Jyrki Pesonen Photos: Veli-Matti Lepistö
22
PLYVISIONS
THE MECANO BUSINESS UNIT has
been around since 1994. The unit started
out as an independent company, Mecano
Group Oy, until Raute acquired all of its
shares in 2005 and merged the companies in 2008. Except for the very beginning of the company, Mecano’s core competence has always been machine vision
and applications built around the veneer
business.
From the outset, Mecano has served
its customers all around the world. This
tradition can be seen in the everyday
working environment, where separate
time zones fluently take their place in
conversation. People onsite as well as
remote-connected analyzers are tended
to naturally; after all, it’s always 2 pm
somewhere.
The third generation, the mighty
G3, was a huge leap forward. It was the
biggest R&D project in the company’s
history, measured in terms of both time
and investments. The initial phase took
three years of planning, coding and testing before the first pilot installations
were released. G3 introduced color analysis and more generic camera interfaces
to increase the variety of cameras that
were available.
Like G2, G3 also had several
upgrades made to it along the way. The
biggest was probably Release 19, when
3D imaging was introduced as a VDA-S
product. Release 19 is the current platform release supporting everything from
green end clipping control to plywood
finishing.
So traditionally it’s been five years
per generation, and the single-sheet
grader has grown like a sturdy red oak
tree with multiple strong branches.
Some examples are VCO for state-ofthe-art clipping optimization, VDA-S
panel for submillimeter accurate panel
grading and patching and all of the
smaller variations of VDA-S in veneer
>>
GENERATIONS OF VISION
The very first machine vision graders
lacked interactivity or were limited to
just a blinking pattern of leds. We called
it the G1 generation, built on several
dedicated and proprietary DSP units
and analog cameras of the time. Tuning
and controlling the system was limited
to professionals only, but it did the job
already better than humans, in a consistent way.
G2, the second generation, introduced PC-based analyzers and more
variety to the applications. The software
was no longer a single monolith piece,
but several individual components; the
solution made application development
more agile and significantly reduced
the response times to customer needs.
Service and adjustments based on local
needs has been one of the keys to success
on all continents.
More variety was introduced to the
user interface and an internal image
processing library, developed by Mecano,
began to grow from plywood needs.
G2 actually received one major
improvement, called G2V2, which made
tailoring defect recognition onsite possible without a software engineer.
”The commissioning of both MVAs at Pellos 2 was successful and as scheduled.
The accuracy of the Mecano MVA enables an even more precise optimizing of the
drying process up to the end product. The use of MVA means a long leap forward
in the moisture metering technology.”
Pasi Toivanen, Operation Engineer, UPM Pellos Mills
PLYVISIONS
23
>>
patching, composing, scarfing, lay-up,
etc. Concrete that was laid in early 2000
has proven to be solid enough to build a
number of new things on it.
The latest example of the performance of this platform is the VDA-F
analyzer that specially targets internal defects, micro cracks and the high
demands of hardwood species.
GENERATIONS OF MOISTURE
ANALYZING
EXPERIENCED PROFESSIONALS
HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH
CUSTOMERS ALL AROUND
THE WORLD. THERE’S ALWAYS
A FACE BEHIND A SYSTEM
FEATURE.
24
PLYVISIONS
The earliest moisture meters by Mecano
were launched in North America, when
Raute Wood Ltd. offered their technology to be further developed by Mecano
in the late 90s. Fairly quickly Mecano
introduced the very first integrated analyzer that not only combined two different analyses (moisture & visual), but also
took moisture analysis from measuring
to grading. Moisture mapping for optimized moisture control and improved
calculations to further increase the accuracy of conductivity-based measurement
turned this unit into a success story.
Mecano DMA was sold as a standalone analyzer for automatic high performance drying lines as well as for
manual cross-tipple lines. The best value
from this unit, however, came as a significant piece of integrated analyzer. For
the first time ever it was possible to create a single intelligent decision instead
of an overriding chain of non-communicating meters.
In mid-2000 Mecano started a huge
R&D project to take this moisture grading to the much-needed next step. A
project called LUSTO, targeting “the
most accurate moisture analyzer in the
world,” took almost three years in total
to finally release the very first Mecano
MVA analyzer. It was the very first measuring device to grade moisture content
more accurately than anything else,
from 0% up – something that none of
the current conductivity-based measuring units can ever reach. Not even close.
MVA has proved to be a success.
There have been multiple deliveries
since the launch and many satisfied customers high-revving their production
based on the accuracy and ability of
Mecano MVA.
THE PEOPLE BEHIND MECANO
As of today, there is a 22-person unit
located in Kajaani, Finland. Of that unit,
11 people are directly involved in R&D,
and the rest in service & support, manufacturing, sales & management.
The unit’s own processes concentrate on core technology and some parts
are subcontracted. Mecano also has a
strong connection to local universities
and research labs; for example, there are
three different active research projects
currently in place with multiple universities involved.
As a unit of Raute, Mecano is responsible for Raute’s Intelligent Analyzers,
including but not limited to, Machine
Vision applications and moisture and
density applications development, and
the manufacturing of these. Mecano also
offers related consulting and actual testing services in visual and moisture analyzing areas.
All this is taken care of by experienced professionals, most of whom have
been with the company since early 2000.
Also typical for them, most have direct
contact with customers all around the
world. There’s always a face behind a
system feature.
MECANO SOLUTIONS
FOR OTHER BRANDS
There are multiple examples of cases
where Mecano moisture analyzers or
vision graders have been installed or
delivered as part of third-party deliveries. For example, certain moisture
meters on the market can be modernized
fairly inexpensively from conventional
measuring units to up-to-date Mecano
DMA moisture grading analyzers.
Similar solutions are available for
vision systems and modernizations as
well as brand new installations as part
of any manufacturer’s line or process.
FUTURE ENDEAVORS OF MECANO
Mecano is currently working on new
things! Some are spectacular and mindblowing, some are really small and
“behind the scenes” kind of features. But
in all of them we are pushing the limits
further in all domains of analysis, not
to mention invading a few new domains
that we are researching.
However, Mecano has always been
very active when it comes to customer
demands, whether they are personal or
commonly usable ideas in the industry. Making the world a better place
demands creating and refining good
things. This strategy is still in place.
Please contact Mecano for your process needs. It doesn’t matter if the need
has nothing to do with machine vision
primarily. There are other technologies
that we utilize using similar core tools,
whether the signal stems from a camera
or something else.
Intelligent analyzing it is. •
Mecano News 2012
Latest News on MVA
Multiple repeat orders have pushed delivery options slightly longer than normally.
Recently, two new individual customers have noticed unbeatable payback potential
thanks to the unique accuracy of MVA moisture analyzers, thus triggering additional investments in this technology. The Kajaani unit will continue to support
customers and tighten up manufacturing to respond to the increased demand.
If you are interested in scheduling your next MVA delivery, please contact
Mecano.
Latest news on VDA-S
Three success stories can now be attributed to the unbeatable performance of VDAS. All customers on two continents have been very satisfied with the increased
defect recognition accuracy not to mention the additional 3D defect recognition on
overlaps, splits and roughness.
VDA-S is now also available as a simple and refined upgrade package. Please
contact us for further details.
R&D and TechCenter at your service
The Kajaani TechCenter was given a facelift in summer 2011. The testing facility
recently received the latest upgrades in illumination as well as camera technology.
Sample storage was revised and more space has been allocated in response to the
increased demand for customer sample testing as well as hectic R&D testing sessions. All this was done to strengthen our capability to serve customers, both new
and old, and their needs in auditing their samples.
The TechCenter is now capable of testing visual samples of typical veneer sheets
as well as smaller scale 50cm x 50cm samples for accurate moisture definition. The
absolute maximum size for visual inspection samples is now 3000mm x 3000mm
and thicknesses from 0mm to 200mm.
If you are interested in having your challenge defined and refined into real
application, settings or something else, do not hesitate to contact us and we’ll schedule time for you in our TechCenter.
PLYVISIONS
25
Lohja mill manufactures
KERTO-LVL WITH
MODERNIZED PEELING LINE
AFTER A DECADE OF NON-STOP PRODUCTION AND 2.5 MILLION
PEELED BLOCKS, THE PEELING LINE AT METSÄ WOOD’S LOHJA MILL
WAS FULLY MODERNIZED.
Text: Olli Havo Photos: Veli-Matti Lepistö
METSÄ WOOD’S, formerly Finnforest,
mill in Lohja, Finland, manufactures
KERTO-LVL products. The softwood
plywood used for the products is peeled
on a peeling line delivered by Raute in
1998.
Over the years the requirements for
production volumes and efficiency have
increased. As a result of various product development projects, Raute had the
perfect modernization solution for the
peeling line which would ensure that
modern production requirements, both
productivity and quality-wise, would
be met.
Based on a feasibility study, the
customer decided to upgrade the peeling line to meet modern requirements in
2009. Prior to the modernization some
26
PLYVISIONS
2.5 million cubic meters of plywood logs
had already been peeled on the line.
The modernizations were carried out in
2010 and 2011 during production shutdowns.
The goal of the modernizations was
to improve the operational reliability
and utilization ratio, as well as improve
the quality of the veneer used.
THE MAINTENANCE HISTORY
OF THE LINE
The customer has relied on Raute’s
maintenance know-how for years.
The life-cycle maintenance and
development of the peeling line has
been supported by the maintenance contract in place between the customer and
Raute, which includes planned inspec-
tion and maintenance visits at regular intervals. The aim of the
contract is to maintain the high productivity of the equipment
and the utilization ratio of the raw materials.
Excellent results have been achieved through cooperation, to which the personnel of the Kerto mill have brought
their strong process expertise and Raute its technology knowhow in terms of the maintenance of the line. The condition
of the line has been assessed by function and the findings,
including the measures to be taken, required adjustments,
spare parts that need changing etc., have been reported to the
customer. Maintenance has been based on inspection reports
and been implemented at agreed times together with the
mill’s own personnel.
MODERNIZATION OF THE PEELING LINE
The modernization of the peeling line in Lohja was performed
during shut-downs. The work was implemented so that production could continue without disruption following the
downtime. The modernizations were completed in three separate phases.
The installation work for the first phase was begun in
March 2010, when the PCLH block charger and veneer lathe
were modernized. The charger was modernized by renewing its
rotation mechanism, replacing the old single-head travelling
lasers with a state-of-the-art laser curtain and installing an
auto-calibration system in the charger. The lathe was modernized by renewing its knife carriage, and the knife carriage feed
and support frame. The entire control system of the line was
revamped and the line was equipped with an MIS data collection system.
The second phase was completed at the end of 2010 and
beginning of 2011. During this shut-down, the veneer trash
gate was renewed as were the veneer lathe spindle drives and
spindles.
The third phase, implemented during fall 2011, involved
the modernization of the camera system guiding the peeling
line rotary clipper.
Preparations for the project and its implementation were
achieved through intensive cooperation with the Kerto mill
project team from Lohja, which included Marika Saarinen,
Risto Sinervä and Petri Nevalainen. •
RAUTE HAD THE PERFECT
MODERNIZATION SOLUTION
FOR THE PEELING LINE WHICH
WOULD ENSURE THAT MODERN
PRODUCTION REQUIREMENTS
WOULD BE MET.
Ilkka Satta, Production Manager,
Metsä Wood Lohja’s KERTO-LVL mill
What was the objective for the peeling line
modernization?
We wanted to improve the quality and utilization ratio
of our veneer. Also the operational reliability of the
peeling line was an important aspect.
How successful was the implementation?
The installations and start-up took place as agreed,
the run-in phase and finding the right settings to suit
our production took some time for us to work out.
How did the cooperation with Raute function during
the modernization?
It worked well.
What about timetables?
The project was implemented according to agreed
timetables.
Did the modernization achieve the set quality
and production goals?
After the learning process we reached the set goals.
PLYVISIONS
27
Get benefits from
RAUTE CHARGER UPGRADE
AN OUTDATED LOG CHARGER IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CAUSES OF RECOVERY LOSS IN QUALITY FACE
VENEER. FOR EXAMPLE, LOG-CENTERING ERRORS UP
TO 20MM CAN LEAD TO LOSSES OF HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF US DOLLARS PER YEAR, THEREBY
LOWERING PROFITS EVEN FURTHER.
THE RAUTE CHARGER UPGRADE increases green veneer
recovery through improved accuracy in block centering. At
the same time, production capacity increases as the automatic
log centering improves the block cycle time when compared to
manual block centering.
Many mills in South East Asia use 20 year old technology,
which more often than not, exhibit mechanical problems that
cannot be rectified. The older chargers are difficult to repair
as there are no spare parts available from the original manufacturers.
The recovery of logs is of the utmost importance in the
plywood business, as it determines most of the plywood costs.
Ignoring these factors will cause the mill to incur losses in
revenue for plywood production each year.
28
PLYVISIONS
RESPONDING TO MARKET DEMAND
As a consequence of the current economic downturn in the
U.S. and Europe, combined with the low prices of plywood and
the uncertainty and irregular supply of raw materials, plywood
mill owners are reluctant to inject investments to rejuvenate
their production lines. In fact, many mills are either closing
down or losing profits.
At Raute, we believe in “profitable solutions for all customer needs” to provide a solution for every budget. Under-
PLYWOOD MANUFACTURING COSTS
Heat energy 5%
Electrical energy 5%
Glue 10%
Labor 15%
Wood 65%
standing the dilemma faced by plywood
mill owners, Raute has responded by
developing several affordable and effective modernization solutions to help mill
owners rejuvenate their ageing mills.
The Raute Charger Upgrade is one
of the solutions designed to address
these problems. This modernization
package offers flexible upgrade options
that enable mill owners to upgrade
their machines at their own pace, allowing them to retain and modernize their
existing production lines without the
need for huge investments.
A typical hydraulic system of an
existing charger can be very difficult to
control. Issues with worn out valves, cylinders and leaking piping, can create a
“jerking” mechanical movement. Make
it next to impossible to control the block
position.
In many cases, old hydraulic systems
do not have enough power to drive both
the charger and charging arm. Hence
mechanical errors occur. This leads to
centering errors which will increase
recovery losses in green veneers, not
to mention time lost due to the slower
charging of logs, which, in turn, lowers
production capacity.
Manual centering often relies on
the operators’ judgments to determine
the best centering position of the logs
by employing a conventional target projector lamp. Such methods contribute to
time losses, and the accuracy of the centering is solely dependent on the operators’ physical and mental state. Such a
method is not only inefficient, but very
costly.
The Raute Charger modernization solution for the log charger can
be installed in any brand of lathe. This
Raute system allows for the centering of
logs with diameter ranges from 350mm
to 1300mm. Other limits are determined
by the ability of the existing transfer
arm. The modernization concept can
be upgraded in stages and future modernization products and integration
are possible. There are four stages of
upgrades currently available:
Lifting Yokes: Replace the old worn out yokes with
Raute new heavy duty and accurate lifting yokes to
abate mechanical inaccuracy.
IN STAGE 1, modernization involves replacing the
old mechanical charging yokes with Raute Lifting V-Yokes. These heavy-duty V-Yokes feature an
enclosed design, which protects the crucial components against external damage.
The V-Yokes are individually driven by hydraulic cylinders within the yokes and the
base. This upgrade will be integrated with the mill’s existing hydraulic system and
no modification to the existing hydraulic system is required.
Hydraulics & Controls:
Hydraulic system with electronical controls for integration into the Stage 1 V yokes. Rectify movement
and positioning errors of old hydraylic system centering controls.
THE STAGE 2 upgrade consists of a new hydraulic
power system coupled with electronic stepless joy-stick controls, integrated with
the existing Raute Stage 1 V-yokes. The new hydraulic power system is dedicated
to power the V-Yokes only, thus enabling the old hydraulic system to operate the
charging arms smoothly.
Automatic Round Log Centering: Transform the Stage
1 & Stage 2 manual centering system into automatic
round log charger. PLC sensors and software programs to achieve 6 point centering.
THE STAGE 3 upgrades will automate the round
log centering for improved recovery of veneer and
increase in production output. This upgrade consists
of a new installation of touch screen control and light beam measuring devices, with
an advanced software program to achieve accurate 6 point measurement of the log
diameter. Automated log centering will be integrated with the stage 2 upgrade. The
stage 3 upgrade will eliminate human errors, improve production efficiency and
increase productivity.
Automatic Natural Log Centering: Precision optimizing of natural log automatic centering systems with
log end camera scanning and optimizing software to
improve recovery of veneer and increase productivity.
STAGE 4 will automate the natural log centering
process based on the center point of the log ends.
This upgrade consists of new installations of log-end
cameras with scanning and optimizing centering software, integrated with the existing Raute Stage 3 automatic log centering system to achieve precise log end diameter
analysis. The centering is based on optimizing the log end position to its geometrical
center point. Similar in principle to manual optical centering, but eliminates human
errors. •
Text: Roy Chua
PLYVISIONS
29
Raute eStore
– always at your service!
WHAT IF YOU COULD FORGET
YOUR OLD SPARE PARTS FOLDERS AND BROWSE RAUTE’S
SPARE PARTS MANUALS EASILY
ON THE INTERNET AND ORDER
ALL THE SPARE PARTS YOU NEED
EFFORTLESSLY THROUGH THE
ONLINE WEB SHOP – WHEN IT
SUITS YOU BEST? IN FACT, THIS
IS ALREADY POSSIBLE ON THE
RAUTE eStore!
THE RAUTE eStore serves you at www.
raute.com/estore 24/7 and from any
location. Please register, log in and
enjoy the ease of our service. eStore is
intended for all Raute customers and it’s
a great help, especially for spare parts
buyers and maintenance personnel.
Raute opened its first online store
two years ago, but the new eStore was
launched in the autumn 2011, as part
of the revamped www.raute.com. The
online shop includes more than 4,000
items divided into both original Raute
30
PLYVISIONS
parts and vendor parts, with a wide
selection of components, from hydraulics to pneumatics, as well as components for mechanical and automation
purposes. The latest addition is nearly
200 items for Mecano products. You can
find the price and delivery time for each
component, as well as images of some
of them.
On the eStore you can simply check
out the prices and delivery times of spare
parts or you can place an order. You can
search for parts in different parts groups
or use a very simple search tool. Then
just add the right items to your shopping cart and send it to us. After we have
received your order, our sales team takes
over and sends you an official order confirmation.
We are currently offering a 5% discount on all online orders. So, in addition to easy online ordering, you also
save money!
On our eStore you can also find a
link to custom-made electronic spare
parts books, which makes it very easy to
find the right parts for Raute’s lines and
machines. This service can be accessed
directly also at http://eparts.raute.com
after registration. If you are interested
in this service, please contact your
account manager or send an email to
[email protected].
We already have more than 100
registered eStore users worldwide and
many of our customers now exclusively
use the eStore for all their spare parts
orders. That’s because it’s easy, fast and
convenient, and it saves them money.
Please register at www.raute.com. •
Text: Markus Halmetoja
APPOINTMENTS APPOINTMENTS APPOINTMENTS APPOINTMENTS APPOINTMENTS
APPOINTMENTS
Raute systematically executes a dedicated strategy for extending global service and customer
focus in different market areas. Strengthening operations in emerging markets and continuous
work towards improved technology are key issues for future success. The following appointments and re-organizations in responsibility areas have been made to support the strategy:
JANI ROIVAINEN has been
PETRI LAKKA started as
appointed General Manager of
Raute’s Mecano business unit
located in Kajaani, Finland.
Mr. Roivainen previously
worked in several sales and
project manager positions
at Elektrobit.
Group Vice President, Business Development, at Raute in
September 2011 and has now
been appointed Group Vice
President, Technology Services.
He is also a member of Raute
Group’s Executive Board. Prior
to starting at Raute, Mr. Lakka
worked in various positions in
a number of companies, such
as the engineering and consulting company Ramboll Finland
Oy, heading the Industry and
Energy Division, and Metso
Paper Service, holding several
senior management positions
both in Finland and the U.S.
JUHA-PEKKA SALIMÄKI has been
appointed Vice President, Sales
and Technology, Raute Shanghai,
with responsibility for local R&D
and sales in China, Korea and
Japan. Mr. Salimäki previously
held the position of Vice President,
EMEA, and has worked in several
sales and technology service
management tasks at Raute.
JUKKA LAHTINEN
has been appointed
Manager, Global
Technology. His
previous position
at Raute was General
Manager, Mecano
business.
TIMO KANGAS has been
appointed Group Vice President,
EMEA. His previous position
was Group Vice President,
Technology Services.
Mr. Kangas continues as
a member of Raute Group’s
Executive Board.
ROUMIANA VASSILEVA
MARKO PERTTILÄ
has been appointed Technology Manager, Raute
Green. Mr. Perttilä previously held the position of
Technology Manager, R&D,
at Raute.
has been appointed Business
Development Director, EWP.
Ms. Vassileva previously held
various management, marketing
and business development positions with leading EWP manufacturers such as Trus Joist,
Weyerhaeuser and Finnforest.
PLYVISIONS
31
EXPERTISE IN PLYWOOD AND LVL TECHNOLOGY
www.raute.com
PROFITABLE
SOLUTIONS
FOR YOUR NEEDS
Raute provides the correct technology along with top
quality services to meet the needs of each customer.
Our proven track record comes from over 100 years of
experience and expertise in the veneer, plywood and
LVL industries. Our technology solutions are tailored
for each market area of the world. Our solutions provide improved line operation while adding value for
the entire life cycle of the investment. The right solution, every time.
Find out more about our range of products by visiting
our website at www.raute.com
TECHNOLOGY
}
UPGRADES
}
MODERNIZATIONS
}
SPARE PARTS
}
MAINTENANCE
}
TRAINING