Latvijas Finieris Richmond Plywood Schauman Wood Yord

PLYVISIONS
R A U T E C U S T O M E R M A G A Z I N E 1/ 2 0 0 3
Focus on services:
Latvijas Finieris
Richmond Plywood
Schauman Wood
Yord Chaiyapruck
Koskisen
Finnforest
contents
features
4
The Raute Service Team,
at your service.
8
LATVIJAS FINIERIS:
Plywood success story founded on
determination, targeted
consulting services and highperformance machinery.
12
14
16
18
Mr Juris Bikis, President of Latvijas Finieris
appreciates Raute’s consulting services.
RICHMOND PLYWOOD:
Customer values
Turnkey project.
Schauman Wood focuses
on operations and maintenance.
Plant Efficiency Program
started at Pellos-3 plywood mill.
Mr Olavi Mikkola, Production Director
of Schauman Wood: “I think that the preventive maintenance and systematic
approach to plywood manufacturing will
become more common in the future, thus
enabling plywood producers to more efficiently utilize their resources and eliminate bottlenecks from production.”
Yord Chaiyapruck has signed a
service agreement with Raute,
which is aimed at raising the overall
efficiency of the mill and improving raw material recovery.
Lathe upgrade raises
peeling efficiency and quality at
Schauman Wood Oy, Kuopio.
20
THAILAND:
Preventive maintenance
helps Yord Chaiyapruck be more
competitive.
22
24
28
32
KOSKISEN:
Plant Efficiency Service
the key to efficient production.
“The larger product dimensions provide the
Finnforest Punkaharju mill with completely
new opportunities for success”, says Mill
Manager Antti Termonen.
GIGANTIC LVL
by Finnforest Punkaharju
Versatile LVL finds new,
innovative applications.
Mecano the leader in
machine vision for ten years.
2
PLYVISIONS
Published by Raute OYJ, P.O. Box 69, 15551 Nastola
Finland. Tel: +358 3 82 911, Telefax +358 3 829 3200
Editor-In-Chief: Leena Färm. Editorial Group: Matti Aho, Jarmo Asp, Leena Färm,
Merja Hakala, Markku Korhonen, Rick Massey. Layout and art work: Non-Stop
Studiot Oy, Paul Hitchman.
Cover Photo: Voitto Niemelä
Copyright Raute OYJ, All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction permitted with permission from Raute OYJ.
ISSN 1459-3165
Dear Reader,
you are reading the first issue of
PlyVisions,Raute’s new customer magazine that replaces the long-serving
Raute News. PlyVisions will be published three times a year with each issue
concentrating on a different topic that
we believe will be of special interest to
our readers.
In 2003 we have chosen to focus
on the three core elements of our business: technology, automation and service. We believe that our strong commitment in these areas will, ultimately,
be of most benefit to you.
In this first issue of 2003, we are
pleased to introduce Raute services and
to share with you some of our customers’
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
experiences in this area. You’ll read about
our preventive maintenance programs
and plant efficiency services.Raute’s customer services has a staff of over 60 people involved in project commissioning
and follow-up services in Europe, Asia
and North America. You’ll also read
about our turnkey project capabilities
and extensive range of consulting services. Another area of focus for this issue
is LVL and its applications.
We are proud of our service initiatives and hope you will find reading
about them informative and interesting. We invite you to inform us how we
can be of continued service to you and
your mill.
Tapani Kiiski
Vice President, Sales and Technology
3
THE RAUTE
Service
Team
AT YOUR SERVICE
Higher productivity and increased competitiveness are chal-
lenges to every wood-based panel producer nowadays. These
challenges can be met through improved overall efficiency,
which means more efficient production and better end product quality. A prerequisite to the improvement is that the
equipment is well maintained and operating at its full production potential.
BY JP SALIMÄKI AND LEENA FÄRM
4
In order to eliminate
unexpected downtime, problems should be
predicted and eliminated before they occur.
Maintenance procedures have to be well timed
and executed rapidly, while shutdowns need to
be scheduled carefully. Raute service programs
are aimed at maximizing efficient production
time.
Raute service agreements are always
tailored to suit the needs of the customer. They
can range from a single service agreement to
mill-wide services and be built for a single production line or the entire plant. Every service
program has an appointed contact person at
Raute who is responsible for implementing the
program together with the customer’s personnel. The cooperation starts with a technical
audit, based on which a preventive maintenance or Plant Efficiency Services can be built.
Technical audit is the
foundation of a service program
The first stage in developing a program aimed
at improving overall efficiency is to study and
analyse the present level of raw material utilization and the maintenance procedures.
Another important task is to closely monitor
the type, frequency and effects of line disturbances that cause mechanical failure and
downtime. This is done by conducting a technical audit, during which the operational and
technical condition of the equipment, together with the mill’s maintenance procedures and
production indicators, are carefully tracked
and specified.
Preventive maintenance program combines expertise for maximized uptime
The preventive maintenance program will
combine the customer’s production knowhow and experience with Raute’s equipment
know-how and experience to achieve maximum uptime for the production equipment.
The program incorporates areas of responsibility for both parties. These include scheduled
5
PHOTO SEPPO KAKSONEN
PLANT EFFICIENCY
Preventive maintenance schedules not clearly defined
Annual service
Annual service
Maintenance = repairs
Typical practices in many industries:
- repairs in response to equipment breakdown
- no historical data collected
Preventive Maintenance Program – maintaining efficiency
Plant Efficiency Service aims for
optimal overall efficiency of the mill
Inspections 4 times/year:
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
3.
4.
3.
4.
3.
4.
Inspections 4 times/year + preventive maintenance by customer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
1.
2.
Plant Efficiency Services – improving efficiency
Inspections 4 times a year + in-house service and inspections:
1.
2.
3.
4.
- common indicators and failure monitoring
- division of responsibilities
- service and inspection reports
- analyzing , communication
- clean and debris-free lines
- long-term downtime planning and team work
- continuous improvement
6
1.
2.
preventive maintenance inspections carried
out by Raute, typically four to six times a year;
operations planning with respect to maintenance shutdowns, scheduled maintenance and
repairs, determining critical spare parts needs
and systematic reporting. The customer’s own
maintenance personnel and operators perform
regularly scheduled preventive maintenance as
agreed in the program.
The customer and Raute analyze the
regular inspection reports together, based on
which Raute makes recommendations to the
customer. A collection of history data is an
essential part of the program; it helps in determining the proper corrective measures that
need to be taken.
The Plant Efficiency Service goes a step further: it is a strategic decision to improve overall operating efficiency. It offers the customer
a measurable approach to maximizing available production time. This is done by measuring the performance of the equipment against
a set of variables that are observed over time
or which the customer may wish to implement.
Based on these performance data, Raute
Service personnel are then able to take appropriate actions.
The Plant Efficiency Service is started
by auditing both the operational and technical aspects of the mill. An operational audit is
carried out to determine the current situation
regarding operations as well as the mill’s maintenance processes, from strategic planning to
mill floor. The technical audit undertaken by
Raute deals with the performance of the production equipment and the ways in which the
equipment is operated. The goal is to continuously improve the overall efficiency of the mill
through long-term cooperation between the
customer’s personnel and Raute’s experts.
Wide range of services and resources
Raute services are based on a life cycle philosophy, which begins at the time we first sit down
to discuss the project with the customer and
continues long after commissioning. In addition to offering service agreements ranging
from preventive maintenance programs to
Plant Efficiency service, Raute offers a wide
range of consulting services.
At present we have a service staff of
over sixty people located in Europe, North
America and Asia. Our aim in having multiple
service locations is to be located sufficiently
close to our customers’ businesses so that we
are able to respond quickly to their service
needs. Further supporting Raute Service in the
Plant Efficiency Services
Preventive Maintenance Program
Unscheduled service calls
field are the 15 persons at our RWSEngineering division who provide services
ranging from assistance with investment planning to finding practical solutions to existing
production problems. Not only can RWS
advise you as to the proper investment decision, but also provide the professionals who
can help you realize success in your project and
operations.
Services up to the customer’s needs
Raute service agreements are a long-term tool
for optimizing the performance of our customer’s production line or, in their most extensive form, mill-wide operations, from the time
the log enters the mill until the finished product is loaded onto the truck. In all cases, the
goal of the service agreement is to increase the
process understanding and equipment performance knowledge of our customer’s maintenance personnel and equipment operators.
At Raute, we don’t believe that nice words and
smiles alone will get you a long way in customer service. That is why we are constantly
expanding and improving the range of our
service initiatives based on customer feedback.
We believe that by so doing, we will help our
customers improve their productivity and
competitiveness and that’ll be reason enough
to have everyone smiling.
In the following pages, we invite you
to read about the many and varied service solutions we have built together with our customers. ●
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
Raute business services
In addition to machinery, Raute provides business services to the wood products industry.
RWS-Engineering Oy (RWS), a subsidiary of
Raute, offers a wide selection of planning, project implementation and business support services. All RWS experts are professionals who
have long-term practical experience in the
wood products business, especially in plywood
production around the world. This experience
is made available for the benefit of our customers.
As natural forests give way to plantation forests as the major source of raw material, the wood products industry is being presented with both challenges and opportunities.
Raute is committed to providing solutions that
will assist customers in addressing those challenges while taking advantage of their opportunities.
The main services offered are:
Planning Services
- Pre-feasibility and feasibility studies
- Development and technical plans
- Wood raw material tests
- Market studies
Implementation Services
- Project engineering
- Project management
- Personnel training
- Installation supervision and
start-up assistance
Business Support Services
- Production assistance
- Maintenance assistance
- Product development
- Marketing consultancy
7
7
LATVIJAS FINIERIS
plywood
BY LEENA FÄRM
Latvijas Finieris, headquartered in Riga, Latvia, is one of Europe’s leading producers of birch plywood
and related products. Each year, the company processes over 500,000 m3 of birch logs, selling its products
under the highly regarded
‘Riga’ brand to over 40 countries. Mr. Juris Bikis, President of Latvijas
Finieris, appreciates the cooperation his company has built during the past decade with Raute and
RWS-Engineering, Raute’s consulting services company.
SUCCESS STORY
founded on determination, targeted consulting services and high-performance machinery
The plywood industry
in Latvia has a long history; Latvijas Bērzs mill
was built in 1873, followed by the opening of
the Furniers mill in 1923 and the Lignums mill
in 1929. From the time of their founding, the
combined output of these three mills made
them a major plywood producer and exporter.
It is impressive to note that in 1931, the small
Baltic country of Latvia was the third largest
exporter of plywood in the world, accounting
for 10% of world production.
In 1975, the Furniers, Latvijas Bērzs
and Lignums mills were merged into what
became the Plywood Production Union of
Latvia. When Latvia regained its independence in 1991, the enterprise had to be restruc-
tured due to radical changes in market conditions and the supply of raw materials from
Russia. In 1992 a joint stock company called
Latvijas Finieris was established. Due to the
lack of raw material, the Lignums mill, the
biggest plywood mill at that time, produced
only 15,000 m3 of birch plywood annually, 20%
of which was exported. With the economic recovery and stabilization, production has
risen since then, reaching 117,000 m3 in 2002,
90% of which was exported. Moreover, the
Furniers mill currently produces 50,000 m3
annually with production expected to reach
52,000 m3 in the near future. The Lignums
mill is targeting production of 137,000 m3 in
2003.
■ (From left) Mr. Juris Bikis,
President of Latvijas Finieris, Mr.
Martins Lacis, Sales Manager Plywood
and Mr. Andris Pucens, Senior
Manager of Technical Development
and Investments, are very satisfied with
Raute cooperation, both in consulting
services and machine deliveries.
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
9
Lignums mill produces a range of birch
plywood in a variety of constructions and sizes,
as well as overlaid panels. At the Furniers mill,
production is geared towards oversized panels
and laminated plywood, while the Latvijas
Bērzs mill produces plywood panels and plywood components that are used to make bed
slats, hockey sticks and furniture.
Looking for export markets
together with RWS
Latvijas Finieris has been a success story since
the beginning of the 90s. When it was created
in 1992, one of the company’s goals was to grow
its export business. To achieve this, management realized that they needed to achieve high
product quality, raise production and develop
a clear and attainable business strategy.
For that purpose, a cooperation agreement with RWS-Engineering was established in
1991. Mr. Juris Bikis, President of Latvijas
Finieris, says that the contract was divided into
two main parts; production consulting with the
Lignums mill and a trading contract for certain
Latvijas Finieris products. The goal was to create a new export oriented strategy for the company; including product and quality strategies,
efficiency and productivity development programs and an investment strategy focusing on
production increase. Latvijas Finieris created a
new product and sales organization together
with its partners, including RWS.
Export marketing and sales of certain
product volumes were started through RWS’s
channels in Western Europe. The cooperation
had good results - the export share to Western
European countries rose up to 90% in 1993
and has been on the same level till now. Since
then,Latvijas Finieris has been building its own
sales network in Western Europe and today has
offices in Sweden, Germany, U.K., Spain and
the USA. A new sales office is to be opened in
France this year. Latvijas Finieris now exports
its products to over 40 countries, with
Germany, UK, France, Sweden, Denmark and
Italy being the biggest customers.
According to Mr. Bikis, RWS and Raute
have been reliable cooperation partners, they
have been easy to work and have business relationships with. “Partners”, he stated, “must be
honest with one another, and Raute and RWS
have always lived up to their promises.”
A satisfied customer
■ The Latvijas Finieris products are sold under the highly regarded ‘Riga’ brand to over 40 countries.
10
In 1986-1988, the Lignums mill was modernised, mainly installing Raute machinery.
At the end of 1990s a major part of the
machinery was upgraded to meet new quality and productivity requirements. Today,
Raute is still an essential partner of Latvijas
Finieris in technical development. The latest
Raute deliveries include a veneer dryer, modernisation of two overlaying lines, three
veneer clippers and a core veneer composer
to the Lignums mill and a pressing line, an
overlaying line and a scarf-jointing line to the
Furniers mill. That mill also has lay-up lines
and plywood grading lines delivered by Jymet,
Raute’s panel handling unit.
According to Mr. Andris Pucens,
Senior Manager of Technical Development
and Investments, the machinery delivered has
a high level of engineering design and meets
all technological, quality and service requirements. Latvijas Finieris has been satisfied with
the level of cooperation received both during
and after commissioning.
■ The Latvijas Finieris headquarters.
Successful start
combined with training services
According to Mr. Bikis, Latvijas Finieris extended its cooperation with RWS to cover the training of qualified personnel in the early 90s. In
order to ensure that the company has continual
access to qualified and competent personnel,
Latvijas Finieris maintains close ties with the
Forestry Faculty of the Latvian Agricultural
University.Mr.Bikis has found this to be an effective way to train and recruit qualified personnel.
The future
When asked about the ‘secret’ behind the success of the company he leads, Mr. Bikis
answered with certainty: “The most important
things are to know what you want and to have
committed people and a long term strategy to
help you reach your goals. This is why we have
maintained our long-term relationship and
close cooperation with Raute and RWS.”
In the words of the President of Latvijas
Finieris, his company is determined to remain
competitive: “We work hard to offer our customers quality products and services. Constant
product development and investments are
needed to maintain and improve quality.
Today, the customers for our birch plywood
products are in the transportation, building
and furniture industries, but I believe that the
use of decorative plywood will increase in the
future. Plywood is a material with many possibilities and Latvijas Finieris will be part of
making those possibilities come true.” ●
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
■ Latvijas Finieris Lignums mill.
11
Turnkey
CUSTOMER VALUES
PROJECT
Richmond Plywood is an employee-owned
plywood mill located 10 miles from downtown
Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada. Of the
450+ employees at the mill, 282 are shareholders.
The mill is managed by a non-shareholder
management team reporting to a Board of
Directors comprised of working shareholders.
Annual production stands at 186,000 m3 with over
50% of output going to value-added products such
as Good One Side and MDO (medium density
overlaid) plywood. Annual log consumption is
based on 60% utilization of Douglas Fir, with the
balance being spruce, pine, balsam and hemlock.
Richmond Plywood was started in 1956.
BY RICK MASSEY
12
Turnkey fosters ownership
In August, 2002, Richmond Plywood turned
the key on the first 6-deck roller jet dryer to be
delivered by Raute in North America.
This installation was unique in that the
customer specifically requested a turnkey
delivery. As an OEM, Raute typically provides
supervisory staff for projects of this kind, with
the customer arranging installation through
sub-contractors. The turnkey nature of the
installation meant that Raute assumed on-site
responsibility for the project.
In electing to go turnkey, General
Manager, Doug Scott stated his belief that the
more that can be done by one company on a
large project like the installation of a dryer, the
better. Said Mr. Scott, “Buying from numerous
companies on a large-scale project like this creates ‘orphans’. Richply wanted to work with one
company that was both willing and capable of
taking ownership.”
Mr. Scott went on to say that, “When
mills undertake big projects, very often there
are a number of vendors involved. This
requires a lot of project management on the
mill’s part and a lot of staff that may not be
available. It also tends to tie up mill staff for
long periods and can lead to finger-pointing
among the vendors when issues arise. Without
project ownership, no single vendor is willing
to be responsible when a problem occurs.
Based on prior experience, RichPly believed in
Raute’s ability to manage the project and,
whenever an issue arose, we only had to deal
with one main vendor.”
Raute was the single-source supplier of
the dry end system, which included dryer
infeed and outfeed equipment, a 15 hot-, 2
cool-section dryer,a dual outfeed conveyor system, a sheet refeeder, a camera grader, a moisture meter and a 9-bin dry stacker.
■ Raute’s Project Manager,
Mary McDonald, stated that strict
adherence to the installation schedule was a critical success factor.
■ Raute’s Senior Installation
Supervisor, Ken Watkins, oversaw
installation of the dryer.
Vendor supervision
yields positive results
Mechanical installation of the dryer took six
weeks with the project coming in ahead of
schedule. Commissioning began on August 1st
with live steam being hooked up on August 6th.
Since that time, the dryer has reached stated
production and has shown a steady increase in
performance as the operators have become
familiar with the new equipment.
Mr. Scott was complimentary of the
Raute staff that participated in the project.
“Mature, specialized individuals handled this
project for Raute with positive results. The
installation supervisor was very supportive of
our needs. He kept a tight leash on the installation crew, making sure that the work was
done to specification. When problems arose,
he addressed them honestly with our management and made certain that they were resolved.
We were very pleased with the outcome.”
Raute’s Project Management department also played a key role in managing the
project and Mr. Scott was equally complimentary of their efforts. “Raute Project
Management did an excellent job, visiting the
installation often and kept us informed of
progress. They were particularly good about
adhering to the schedule, which is key to the
success of a project like this.” ●
■ The Richmond Plywood dryer was a turnkey supply and the first of its kind to be installed in North America.
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
13
focuses
SCHAUMAN WOOD
ON OPERATIONS
AND MAINTENANCE
BY LEENA FÄRM
With an annual capacity of 1.2 million m3, Schauman Wood is the largest producer of plywood
in Europe. The company’s range of WISA brand plywood and ready-to-install components are
widely used in the construction and transportation industries worldwide. All told, Schauman
operates 14 plywood and veneer mills in Finland, a veneer and plywood mill in Russia, a plywood
mill in France and a joint venture operation in Estonia.
History
The history of Schauman Wood dates back to
1883 when Wilhelm Schauman founded a
chicory mill in Pietarsaari on the west coast of
Finland. Twenty-nine years later, the company’s first plywood mill was started in Jyväskylä.
In 1985, the Schauman family sold the company to Oy Kaukas Ab. Since 1996, Schauman
Wood has been a part of the UPM-Kymmene
Group. Today, Schauman Wood concentrates
its efforts on veneer and plywood production
with special emphasis on product development.
Mill auditing - an operations and
maintenance development tool
According to Mr. Olavi Mikkola, Production
Director of Schauman Wood, the company
operates on the principle of continuous
improvement and development. For this reason, 7 of the Schauman plywood mills have
gone through audits in recent years. Similar
audits of the Lahti and Pellos mills will be completed during 2003.
The first audit was conducted in cooperation with Raute using the Scemm -auditing process (Scandinavian Center for
Maintenance Management Association).
Raute has been an active member of the
Scemm Association since 1998. To date, audits
have been conducted on both the operational
and technical aspects of mill operation. A
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
operational audit is carried out to determine
the current situation regarding operations, as
well as the mill’s maintenance processes, from
strategic planning to mill floor. The technical
audit deals with the performance of the production equipment and the ways in which the
equipment is operated.
Mr. Mikkola stated that the audits have
been very useful in providing new ideas and
perspectives. ”Our mills have different histories and models of operation and, therefore,
different needs.The audits have identified areas
that need to be further developed in each unit.
Benchmarking between mills has also proven
to be very useful.”
Process development and cooperation
Schauman Wood has integrated the functional audits program into their yearly operations
auditing process while Raute has been given
the responsibility for carrying out the technical audits. Mr. Mikkola sees Raute’s role as
essential in the auditing process.“Raute’s technical experts bring an outside view to our production process. This helps expose Schauman
to new ideas and provides Raute with a means
of improving their production equipment in
terms of availability and serviceability. “
Added Mr. Mikkola, “In recent years I
have got the impression that Raute is focusing
on the operations and maintenance issues as
part of total service. This goes beyond aftersales service. It is long-term cooperation where
both the customer and Raute are learning during the process. The audits have clearly shown
that the best result can be reached when our
production and maintenance personnel are
cooperating closely with the equipment manufacturer, in this case Raute.”
Schauman receives award for high
standards of operation and maintenance
The Schauman Wood mill in Heinola, Finland
received the Scemm-award for the high standards of its operations and maintenance practices in 2000-2001. Mr. Mikkola felt a great deal
of satisfaction upon receiving the award. “In
order to continuously improve, we must be
critical of our own operation, so it came as a
pleasant surprise that we were rated so high
from a source outside the company.”
When asked about the future of operations and maintenance, Mr. Mikkola stated,
“Every mill aims at raising its levels of efficiency and reliability, of streamlining maintenance and availability. So, I think that the
preventive maintenance and systematic
approach to plywood manufacturing will
become more common in the future, thus
enabling plywood producers to more efficiently utilize their resources and eliminate
bottlenecks from production.” ●
15
PLANT EFFICIENCY PROGRAM STARTED AT
Pellos-3
PLYWOOD MILL
BY KATRIINA NIKULA
PHOTOS KIMMO HÄKKINEN
AND KATRIINA NIKULA
A cooperative service agreement, which focuses on Operations and Maintenance Services to be undertaken
by Raute at Schauman’s new Pellos 3 plywood mill, was signed in May, 2002. The agreement, signed
immediately following start-up of the new mill, encompasses a systematic procedure aimed at improving and
maintaining the plant’s operational efficiency.
“This initiative aims
at maximizing the efficiency of the Pellos 3 production facility”, stated Henrik Sjögrén,
Maintenance Manager of the Pellos mills,
adding that the decision to enter into the agreement was based on economics. “Schauman’s
expectations are very high with regard to the
mill’s available capacity and operating efficiency. The higher the efficiency, the higher the production figures. We believe that this agreement
between our two companies will result in the
best possible economic yield to Schauman.”
According to Mr. Sjögrén, implementation of the plant efficiency program during
the early stages of production made good sense
because at that point it was a simple matter to
determine the required efficiency level. ”As the
machinery progressively ages, we will have a
good basis for comparing productivity. Our
aim is to reach the ideal situation where the
production values of the new plant are incorporated into the machinery ID cards. This will
also facilitate efficiency comparisons between
machines in the future.”
Combined expertise
leads to higher efficiency
Mr. Sjögrén believes that the service agreement
will enhance the interaction between Schauman
and Raute.“The combined expertise of Schauman
and Raute will definitely make it easier to detect
problems and errors in our production system.
After all, four eyes are better than two,” he said,
adding that he plans to further develop mill operations and maintenance, with measurement and
monitoring systems being a priority.
A versatile skill set
Mr. Sjögrén emphasized that all mill personnel will participate in maintaining production
efficiency. In support of this, a training program was started to improve the skills of the
plant personnel. “Very few personnel know
how to correctly service a machine. This must
be taught. To ensure that proper in-house service and maintenance is carried out, mill personnel will become familiar with the construction of machinery and be able to dismantle and reassemble it, if necessary,”he said.
Mr. Sjögrén further stated that he has
set very high standards when it comes to the
operation of machinery. In his words, ”The
machinery must provide our mill with a competitive edge. For this to occur, modular concepts are not always sufficient. What is needed
is tailored R&D. This challenges the capabilities of the machinery supplier, not only from
the point of view of R&D, but also in the serviceability of the machinery,an especially important issue when machinery is custom-built.”
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
Improved communication
and follow-up
In today’s competitive market, flexibility and
partnering are becoming more important
issues and Raute has worked particularly hard
in this regard. With the Plant Efficiency
Program, the person in charge can be reached
when needed to ensure the proper execution
of the agreement.
Another important aspect of the program is the monitoring of plant operations in
remote locations via modem. In this way, Raute
maintenance staff are able to assess the performance of machinery and advise mill personnel on the best way to deal with the situation.In cases involving software or control malfunctions, Raute staff may be able to correct
the problem ‘over the phone’.
An unconventional innovator
The ambitious goals of Schauman Wood, combined with Raute’s expertise, have already led
to several innovations at the Pellos 3 mill. “If
we do things in the same old way, we will not
stay on the top ten list. We want to be unconventional in developing new technologies and
be the best in the world”, said Mr. Sjögrén.
The Pellos 3 mill includes numerous
examples of new technology, the most striking
of which is the 8x8 concept upon which production at the mill is based. This involves laying up and pressing 8x8 panels, which are then
center sawn into 8x4 or 4x8 panels, eliminating significant trim loss and enabling greater
manufacturing efficiencies. To facilitate drying
of the large-sized sheets, a six-deck dryer measuring 6.2 metres (20 ft.) wide was constructed, together with a fully automatic lay-up line
based on foam glue. ●
■ The Plant Efficiency Program undertaken
at the Pellos 3 mill is aimed at achieving optimum
plant efficiency. Seen here are Raute’s Customer
Manager, Mr. Hannu Ruotsalainen (left) and
Schauman Wood Pellos Maintenance Manager,
Mr. Henrik Sjögrén.
■ “A successful operation does not allow emergency situations to develop. Problems have to be
anticipated systematically”, emphasized Mr. Sjögrén.
17
Lathe
upgrade
RAISES PEELING
EFFICIENCY
AND QUALITY AT
SCHAUMAN WOOD OY,
KUOPIO
BY LEENA FÄRM
PHOTOS KIMMO HÄKKINEN AND LEENA FÄRM
Schauman’s mill in
Kuopio, Finland specializes in the production
of birch-faced WISA plywood used in the
transportation and construction industries.
The mill opened in 1923 producing matches,
converting to plywood production in 1937.
Annually, the mill produces 50,000 m3 of product, 90% of which is exported. Together with
several other Schauman mills, the Kuopio mill
undertook an operations and maintenance
audit in the latter half of 2000.
■ Digital knife carriage feed, KCF.
Upgrade proves to
be the right solution
In early 2000, Schauman Kuopio upgraded a
lathe that had been supplied by Raute in 1989.
“Over the years, the need to upgrade became
evident because the overall efficiency of the
lathe was slowly deteriorating”, stated Mill
Manager, Mr.Kimmo Wilska. “When Raute
proposed an upgrade to the knife feed carriage,
we felt this was the right solution for us. It was
also important to know that this technology
had already been field-proven in other deliveries made by Raute,” he added.
According to Mr. Wilska, there were
clear goals in undertaking the upgrade. “ We
expected an improvement in the quality of the
veneer, as well as higher production that would
result from increased up-time. Increased
veneer recovery was also an important goal.”
Improvements in peeling technology
are part of Raute’s ongoing product development, a process that not only benefits mills that
install new machinery, but which also has led
to the development of upgrade packages for
existing machinery. Mill management has the
option of undertaking a number of upgrades
simultaneously or on a step-by-step basis with
minimal stoppages to production.
This step-by-step approach begins
with a technical inspection of the production
machinery. Depending on the technical status
of the machinery involved, the upgrade might
range from, for example, a knife carriage feed
upgrade, to a complete manufacturing information system (MIS). An example of this stepby-step approach to upgrading machinery is
shown in Figure 1. All upgrade programs
undertaken by Raute are tailored to suit the
customers’ scheduling requirements.
Upgrade yields positive results
Upgrading of the lathe was accomplished during
a one-week shutdown in February, 2002.
According to Mr. Wilska, cooperation between
Raute’s service staff and the mill’s personnel was
excellent and contributed to the success of the project. He also cited the mill’s skilled electronics and
automation personnel who contributed greatly to
the successful implementation of the project.
Mr. Wilska has stated his satisfaction
with the step-by-step approach taken to
upgrading the lathe and the positive results that
were achieved.“By undertaking the upgrade in
this manner, we have been able to follow our
own schedule while still having a clear plan for
any future upgrades”.
Improvements were apparent immediately following the upgrade. Standard thickness
deviation of the veneer coming off the lathe fell
by 30% and recovery rose 5%. The number of
linear meters of veneer also increased, by 24%.
Efficiency of the peeling line was based on an
increase in the overall efficiency of the lathe,
which the upgrade made possible. It was also
noted that maintenance and set-up were made
easier following the upgrade.
Lathe operator, Paavo Eskelinen,
was positive in his comments one year after
the upgrade had been carried out. ” The
upgrade has increased the reliability of the
lathe considerably. We get more production,
higher accuracy and better veneer quality.
Also, the strength of the green veneer has
improved. I would say it has been a very successful project.” ●
■ Kimmo Wilska, Mill Manager of
Schauman Kuopio and Lathe Operator, Paavo
Eskelinen agree that the results of the lathe modernization have been very positive.
The step-by-step approach
Make your own technology development plan
Quality capacity
Management information system (MIS)
Hydraulic pitch angle adjustments (HPS)
Controls + knife gap adjustment (GAS)
Digital knife carriage feed (KCF)
Technical inspection
Time
■ Figure 1. An example of step-by-step lathe modernization
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
19
THAILAND:
Preventive
Maintenance
HELPS YORD CHAIYAPRUCK
BE MORE COMPETITIVE
BY JARI VALLIUS AND LEENA FÄRM
PHOTOS ANTERO VELLING
The Yord Chaiyapruck plywood mill in Samut Sakorn, Thailand
produces 40,000 m3 of plywood annually, making it one of the
largest producers in that country. Rubberwood and mixed tropical
wood are used to make products that are sold primarily within
Thailand to the construction and furniture industries. In 1994, a
Raute peeling line, dryer and scarfing line were installed at the mill.
Seven years later,
management of Yord Chaiyapruck made the
decision to invest in a preventive maintenance
program in order to raise production efficiency. Raute was asked to undertake a technical inspection of the machinery in the latter
part of 2001 and, based on the results of the
inspection, the necessary spare parts and
maintenance required to raise the level of efficiency were defined. Mr. Charungkiat
Yordchaiyapruck, Maintenance Manager, stated that mill management were well satisfied
with the professional approach of the Raute
service personnel who undertook the maintenance evaluation and the measures subsequently taken.
Service agreement with Raute
Since the inspection and evaluation were done,
Yord Chaiyapruck has signed a service agreement with Raute, which is aimed at raising the
overall efficiency of the mill and improving raw
material recovery. Preventive maintenance
inspections are conducted four times a year at
the mill in order to keep downtime to a minimum and to identify potential failures in the
machinery that could lead to unexpected production losses. With this new organized
approach to maintenance, management of the
Yord Chaiyapruck plywood mill believe they are
well prepared for what they see as the toughening competition in the Thai plywood market. ●
■ Mr. Charungkiat Yordchaiyapruck, Maintenance Manager and Mr. Chok-Arun Yordchaiyapruck,
Production Manager, have been well satisfied with the professionalism and know-how of Raute’s service personnel.
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
21
KOSKISEN:
Plant
Efficiency
Service
THE KEY TO EFFICIENT PRODUCTION
Koskisen Oy, founded in 1931, is a family-owned Finnish
company. Originally focused on sawmilling, Koskisen began
making plywood in the 1960’s. Today, Koskisen produces
sawn lumber, particleboard and plywood and is renowned for
its special plywoods. Customization and ongoing product
development have been key factors in the company’s success
in the European and North American markets.
BY LEENA FÄRM PHOTOS SOILE SILTANEN
22
Koskisen currently
produces 80,000 m3 of plywood annually for use
in the transportation, construction and furniture industries. Export accounts for 85% of
production, while 80% of plywood is overlaid.
Koskisen has always invested in stateof-the art technology. In 2000, Raute supplied
a new birch plywood production line to the plywood plant; this was the third line of the mill.
Millwide audit in 2000
At Koskisen they recognize that well-maintained production equipment improves production efficiency. Maintenance cooperation
with Raute started already in the late 1980’s. In
2000, Koskisen undertook a mill-wide audit that
consisted of a functional and a technical review
of operations.Raute was responsible for the technical audit. According to Mr. Seppo Villanen,
■ Seppo Villanen, Maintenance
Manager of the Koskisen plywood mill: “By
combining the expertise of our production and
maintenance personnel with Raute’s know-how
we can reach the best possible results.”
■ View from peeling line control room at Koskisen plywood mill.
Maintenance Manager of the Koskisen plywood mill, the audit provided a very useful picture of the situation that existed at the mill.
Based on the results of the audit,
Koskisen began to further develop their internal maintenance and daily production operations, part of which included the strengthening of their cooperation with Raute.Since 2001,
Koskisen has had an inspection and preventive
maintenance agreement with Raute. The
agreement presently covers seven machine
lines, all of which are key production elements.
Achieving results together
Following the audit, Koskisen management
took actions aimed at increasing the efficient
running time. This means minimizing of unexpected downtimes.Explained Mr.Villanen,“We
have had preventive maintenance systems since
the beginning of the 1990’s, but this new service agreement has provided a clear division of
responsibility between our production and
maintenance personnel and the Raute people.
Raute conducts four to six inspections each year
and we receive a report based on their obser-
■ Automatic patching line by Raute.
vations.In line with Raute’s activities,our maintenance and production personnel carry out
their own regular duties. I believe that by combining the expertise of these three parties,
Koskisen is able to reach the best possible results
at a reasonable cost. This systematic inspection
program provides us with an excellent opportunity to improve recovery and product quality and also to reduce unexpected downtime. At
the moment we are considering further extending our cooperation with Raute.” ●
23
IGANTIC
Finnforest, a member of Finland’s Metsäliitto Group, is
Europe’s largest company in the wood products industry
forest industry. With annual sales of 1.7 billion euros,
the company’s two business areas, Engineered Wood and
Solid Wood, serve a wide range of end users, including
DIY stores, lumber merchants, home improvement
stores, as well as contractors and designers. At the
Punkaharju mill in Finland, Finnforest produces
plywood and LVL, the production of which started at
the end of 2001 in the footsteps of the company’s earlier
investment at Lohja.
LVL BY FINNFOREST
PUNKAHARJU
BY JUSSI TOIVIO PHOTOS SEPPO KAKSONEN AND JUSSI TOIVIO
the loss from edge trimming is reduced. The
width of the product also makes it possible to
supply a variety of customer-specified sizes,
such as large, compact construction elements.
Beams with wider webs can be made of LVL to
satisfy long span requirements, replacing gluelaminated beams in such applications.
Large veneer sheets from
large diameter spruce
■ “The larger product dimensions provide
the Finnforest Punkaharju mill with completely
new opportunities for success”, says Mill Manager
Antti Termonen.
The 2500-mm (8 ft)
wide LVL line is already running at full speed
at Finnforest’s Punkaharju Kerto mill producing 5000 m3 of LVL a month. This line is the
first of its kind in the world. Mill Manager
Antti Termonen speaks highly of the line’s reliability. “The starting point for this investment
was that it should produce saleable products
on a continuous basis. For this reason we chose
Raute’s reliable and proven pressing concept,
which is by far the most advantageous with
regard to investment and operating costs. We
know from experience that these lines do work
and that they will secure our future.”
The capacity of the new line is 100%
higher than existing 4 ft. lines and the investment costs per cubic meter of production is
lower. Raw material yield is improved because
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
The main raw material used at the Punkaharju
mill is spruce with about 10% of veneer being
produced from pine. The wood is supplied by
Metsäliitto, the parent group of Finnforest.
According to Mr. Termonen, wood quality is
suitable and the supply of raw material has proceeded without difficulty. With an average
block diameter of around 29 cm, the logs are
very suitable for peeling the 8x8 sheets required
for production.
Logs are debarked, cut into peeler
block lengths and soaked in 40 Cº water for
about 24 hours to achieve a block temperature
of 35 Cº. Proper conditioning and debarking
ensures that all blocks are peeled at the same
temperature. This produces optimum peeling
results and ensures that the pond is free of bark
waste.
The peeling line operates on three
shifts, five days a week. Although lathe capacity would allow higher output, the mill prefers
to maintain a balance between the lathe and
dryer instead of storing green veneers. Face and
inner plies are graded and stacked and cut into
8 ft. and 4 ft. sheets. Narrow strip is chipped
for pulp.
Production of one cubic meter of LVL
requires 2.5 m3 (bark included) of spruce logs
on average with part of the by-products being
25
used as fuel. The balance, about 1 m of readymade pulp chips, is sold to the Joutseno mill,
which is owned by Metsä-Botnia (part of the
M-Real, UPM-Kymmene and Metsäliitto
cooperative).
3
Machine vision provides
intelligent veneer grading
Veneer is dried in a steam heated, 21-section,
6-deck roller dryer, which can handle either
8 ft. and 4 ft. veneers in parallel or three parallel 4 ft. veneers. Exhaust air is vented to a
scrubbing tower and the thermal energy recovered is used to heat the log pond and the mill.
Veneer is graded according to moisture, quality and strength. The line incorporates a
Mecano Visual Defect Analyzer (VDA G2) for
quality grading and a Mecano moisture meter
for moisture grading. There is also a
Metriguard Vitka measuring system for stress
grading. The stacker has 7 bins for 8 ft. veneers
and 5 bins for 4 ft. veneers. Veneer grading is
important in LVL production to ensure that
the correct quality of veneer is used in each ply.
26
Composing helps balance the load
The Kerto mill has two composing lines, which
operate three shifts, seven days a week.
According to Mr. Termonen, the composers are
important to the performance of the mill.
When large sheets are produced,the composers
play a decisive role by equalizing the veneer
production so that sheets of the right type are
available when needed.
Fully-automatic, continuous lay-up
On the lay-up and pressing line, veneers are
conveyed via an automatic vacuum feeder
through the scarfing saw. By having the scarfing saw as part of the lay-up line, some process
stages and intermediate storage can be eliminated. This results in less handling, improving
the integrity of the veneer and resulting in a
higher yield.
Melamine glue is applied to the scarf
joints. After being transferred to the crosstransfer station, the veneer sheets are edge
clipped with a guillotine clipper. Inner ply
veneer sheets are conveyed through an extruder-type glue applicator. The glue formula and
the spread are dependent on the end product.
Two successive applicators allow the use of two
different types of glue in one lay-up.
The manufacture of a wide range of
end products is possible with this system. For
this reason, production is determined by customer orders. The thickness of the product and
the lay-up recipe can be changed quickly,which
means that a variety of different products can
be made during a single shift. Products of the
same type from different orders are often combined in order to optimize production.
Glued veneers are conveyed on a telescoping conveyor and are placed automatically against a backstop, which steps forward after
each sheet. This type of stepped lay-up is constructed in accordance with the lay-up recipe.
The process is fully automatic, however, at this
stage of the lay-up it is still possible to ensure
that faulty inner plies or face sheets do not end
up in the lay-up. The line can be stopped
momentarily to allow replacement of faulty
veneers so that the high quality of the end product is ensured and reject panels are eliminated.
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
Versatile product mix
The line also enables the production of crossbanded, plywood-type products. Cross bands
are fed onto the line from their own stack by
an automatic feeder. The ability of the line to
produce large panel sizes opens up new possibilities for these types of products on the market. With maximum product width of 2.5 m
and length only limited by logistical factors, it
is possible to transport these large-sized panels to site. To date, most of the large panels produced have been delivered in 12-meter lengths.
High productivity
Pre-pressing of the continuous LVL billet
ensures the adhesion of the veneers and minimizes open time of the hot press. The billet is
cut to the required lengths and is charged into
the two decks of the 8x80 ft, two-opening hot
press. This pressing arrangement results in the
efficient manufacture of customized panels,
even in single lots. After pressing, the product
is rip sawn into customer-specified dimensions. The product can even be sanded in a twohead sander to ensure precise thickness or a
more finished surface. Ready products are then
stacked and shrink-wrapped.
According to Mr. Termonen, the startup went smoothly,despite the presence of problems that are normally associated with a project of this type and scope. The product’s exceptional width created the need for a more automated process than is typical because the large,
heavy sheets cannot be handled manually.
Automation has lead to higher productivity
and the amount of labor required by the mill
workers has been reduced, resulting in an
improvement in working conditions.
Although the line has only been running for just over a year, production efficiency
has reached a surprisingly high level.According
to Mr. Termonen, LVL is a specialty product
and the mill’s product mix is so versatile that
it is impossible to reach quite the same production figures as a plywood mill producing
commodity products. The larger product
dimensions, however, provide the Finnforest
Punkaharju mill with completely new opportunities for success. ●
27
PHOTO VOITTO NIEMELÄ
VERSATILE LVL FINDS NEW
Innovative
applications
BY JUSSI TOIVIO
Rising global demand for LVL
Continuing investments globally are evidence
of LVL’s growing demand. In addition to the
traditionally strong North American market,
where investments in LVL continue, mills have
been built in Oceania, Japan, and Russia.
Finland’s Finnforest company, the biggest LVL
producer in Europe, also brought additional
capacity online recently. According to projections, demand for LVL is expected to grow by
30% between 2001 and 2004 (BIS Shrapnel
Forestry Group). The underlying reasons for
this growth are the diminishing availability of
large-dimension lumber, LVL’s superior technical properties and the fact that long-length,
wide-dimensioned LVL can be made from
small diameter logs. Thanks to its superior
engineered properties and the fact that LVL is
in the early stages of its life cycle, industry is
discovering new and increasingly innovative
applications for this product.
LVL lends itself to innovation
Architects, engineers and interior designers are
finding new and innovative uses for LVL. This
exceptional product utilizes combinations of
graded veneers to achieve superior engineered
properties. Present production technology and
growing market demand are enticing producers to offer a wider range of dimensions than
previously, resulting in a more versatile range
of applications that have increased LVL’s competitiveness as a building product. In applications requiring wide spans, for example, LVL is
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
particularly suitable. With its precise design
properties, LVL can be manufactured to the
specifications of the design engineer without
any waste at the job site. LVL’s visual appearance, too, can be enhanced with the application
of decorative veneers, enabling it to function as
both a load-bearing member and as a stylish
interior or façade element. LVL possesses high
structural integrity and, in many cases, is more
economical than competing products.
Beginning of a new
era in wood construction
Sibelius Hall, built in Lahti, Finland in 2000 is
an excellent example of the architectural and
structural utilization of wood in major construction projects. The project was initiated by
the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, with acoustic
attributes being a major consideration in the
building’s design. However, no specific design
data covering wooden concert halls of this kind
were available. In order to marry the proper
selection of materials with the design, thorough research and development had to be
undertaken.
The company selected for this task was
Artec Consultants Inc. of the United States, an
acoustics design company that had participated in several world-renowned concert hall
design projects elsewhere in the World. Artec’s
concept was to create an open space on either
side of the hall and to use these ‘echo chambers’ to regulate acoustic properties.
29
■ The Sibelius Halls transparent lobby forms a transition between the concert hall and the old brick building.
PHOTO COURTESY OF WOODFOCUS
required. By carefully grading the face veneers,
the Finnforest Lohja LVL mill was able to produce the specially-faced panels used to form
the double-construction walls that were filled
with sand to attain the required rigidity. The
exterior walls elements are constructed of
glass/aluminum/wood, an air space and a
wooden element wall.
To compliment the relatively simple
architecture of the hall proper, the main floor
and galleries incorporate a strong, dynamic
shape. Curved LVL railings are provided with
birch face panels, which have a light, translucent finish.
The panels that make up all the large
wall surfaces were ready-dimensioned and factory-machined prior to delivery to speed up
installation. The LVL elements were similarly
machined and pre-assembled. Only the sand
that was used to fill the exterior walls was handled on site.
Research and development
Combining the old with the new
Special challenges arose when it was determined that part of the old red brick building
occupying the construction site was to be
incorporated into the new wooden building.
The solution was to build a transparent lobby
that forms a transition between the concert hall
and the old brick building.This beautiful structure blends the old with the new and is the core
of the entire complex. Insulated LVL elements
form the roof, which rests upon a load-equalizing grate made of glue-laminated beams supported by massive wooden pylons.
Horizontal beams run between the
pylons, supporting the LVL lobby decks like
lightweight bridges. The bearing structure of
the concert hall is made up of a freestanding
cross work of massive glue-laminated frames
with acoustic LVL wall elements positioned in
between. LVL proved to be the best material
for the leaning walls elements of the echo
chambers as it possessed the required bending
strength and could cover the 9 meter span
30
New Savonlinna Hall
follows in wake of Sibelius Hall
A new, 800 seat concert hall, inaugurated in
summer, 2002 at Savonlinna in eastern
Finland, is a bold example of how the experience gained from the Sibelius Hall project has
been successfully applied. The primary construction material is LVL, used for both its load
bearing qualities and as an interior design
material. LVL elements are used in the construction of the walls and roof. Here, too, the
wall elements are filled with sand to improve
the acoustics. The frame is constructed from 9
circular LVL elements placed on columns.
Walls are made of birch-faced Finnforest
Kerto-Q LVL panels. About 400 m3 of LVL was
used in the concert hall project.
‘Silva’ stands developed
for public arenas
Finnforest has developed a new family of LVL
products intended for use in public arenas, such
PHOTO COURTESY OF FINNFOREST
According to the architects, Hannu
Tikka and Kimmo Lintula, reverberation time
within the structure can be shortened or prolonged to suit the requirements of the performance. By combining wooden elements in
a new and innovative way, the architects have
been able to satisfy the strict acoustic requirements and create this architecturally versatile
building complex where the inherent properties of wood are fully utilized.
Research undertaken by M.Sc. Jouni
Hakkarainen was used in the design of the concert hall galleries. It was the first research of its
kind dealing with the vibration properties of
wood. Sibelius Hall has a completely new form
of gallery construction using ribbed LVL box
elements and surface panels. Research focused
on the vibration created by human-generated
loading with respect to the lightness of the LVL
elements and the distances they had to span.
To simulate this effect, a box element was built
and tested at the structural engineering laboratory of the VTT Technical Research Center
of Finland. Results proved that the LVL box
construction was well suited for the purpose.
Construction of Sibelius Hall presented a considerable challenge to the companies
that participated in the project. Considerable
research was undertaken, the results of which
are available to assist in the future marketing
and design possibilities of LVL and LVL-related products.
■ The Savonlinna Hall.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF FINNFOREST
of LVL can be fully utilized. LVL’s relatively low
weight and strength, combined with its ability
to span wide distances, make it competitive in
this application. Hollow boards and load-bearing beam structures made from LVL are costefficient. Beams can be produced with varying
veneer constructions to provide high degrees
of twisting and bending strength. In constructing bridge decks, cross-laminated paneltype slabs made from LVL can be used to cover
large areas. For the construction of load-bearing beams, veneers laminated in the lengthwise
direction achieve the best possible bending
strength. Properly protected by pressure
impregnation, these bridges have a long service life.
Specialty applications
At the Heide Amusement Park in Soltau,
Germany massive 200 x 400 mm LVL elements
have been used as rail supports in the Colossos
roller coaster. Cross-glued, pressure impregnated beams, machined to a high degree of precision, are combined with steel plate elements.
The rails of the roller coaster in the Liseberg
amusement park in Gothenburg, Sweden, have
the same construction. The rigid and stable
LVL beams provide a smooth and safe run.
■ The Pohjola Stadium in Vantaa, Finland was built using modular Silva stands.
as stadiums and sports centers.These‘Silva’modular stands are manufactured from LVL, gluelaminated beams and plywood. This modular
concept offers a wide range of design possibilities aimed at improving spectator comfort and
services at sporting facilities. Savings can be realized in planning costs and each project can have
its own architectural identity. Modular ‘Silva’
stands offer an open view to the field of play and
are built in several phases. They possesses good
fire resistance and acoustic properties and are
well suited to varying weather climates.
From concert halls
to single-family housing
An expression of the versatility of LVL is its use
as large supporting members in major construction projects as well as joinery components in single-family homes. Factors common
to LVL-based construction projects are the
overall economy of construction and the high
structural and architectural properties of LVL.
In the construction of large, open venues, such
as concert halls, it is LVL’s wide span capability and its strength and rigidity, combined with
its light weight and machinability that make it
so attractive. Pre-fabricated, high-precision
elements speed up construction on site while,
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
in the case of single-family homes, precise
dimensioning, stable construction and minimal material loss are considered important features. LVL can be used in all bearing members,
such as roofs, ceilings, floors and walls. In fact,
the entire frame can be made of LVL. Large
panels of LVL can also be used as wall, roof,
ceiling and façade structures. All elements can
be pre-cut at the factory to eliminate material
waste at site and to speed up construction.
Containers, trailers,
caravans and rail wagons
The transportation industry utilizes lightweight, durable and large-sized panels for
which LVL is ideally suited. Container walls,
roofs and floors can be made from one-piece,
solid LVL panels. Due to the large size of the
panels, joints can be eliminated, less support
members are required and assembly is fast.
Panels can be ordered in pre-fabricated installation sizes so that material waste is minimized. ●
Suitable for making fixtures
Strength and rigidity are important factors in
load-bearing construction, whereas the stability and homogeneity of LVL are the most
important qualities when making fixtures like
windows, doors, furniture frames, slide guides,
tabletops, stairs and wall studs. LVL containing cross-bands is free from bending, cupping
and twisting. It has excellent machinability and
can be overlaid with wood veneer, melamine
or high-pressure laminate. Furniture constructed from LVL has been most popular in
Japan but is gaining popularity elsewhere.
Constructing bridges from LVL
Presently, there is a worldwide boom in wooden bridge construction, where the properties
31
mecano
THE LEADER IN MACHINE VISION
32
■ Mecano VDA G2 and Markku Korhonen, Managing Director of Mecano Group.
Mecano Group Oy, today a member of Raute
group, was founded by Markku Korhonen in
1992. Mecano is now one of a select group of
companies engaged in the development of
machine vision applications for veneer-based
panel production. The company started up as a
consultancy and engineering office in Kajaani,
Finland but soon began developing its own line
of vision products,the first of which was installed
in 1994. Growth of Mecano has been in the order
of 25 - 30% annually.
BY MERJA HAKALA PHOTO SEPPO KAKSONEN
Mecano
FOR 10 YEARS
manufactures veneer grading systems (VDA
- Visual Defect Analyzer), veneer moisture meters (DMM - Dry Veneer
Moisture Meter), and automatic veneer patching machines
(Patchman). In the Patchman application, a camera is used to detect
defects in the veneer, which are then automatically removed and
replaced with a veneer patch. One Patchman replaces from two to
four manual-operated patching machines with a single patch head
capable of delivering 14,000 patches in an eight-hour shift.
Mr. Korhonen, Managing Director owns slightly over 50% of
Mecano, while Raute owns the balance. Raute’s participation has
helped Mecano to support its customer service needs as well as helping Mecano to realize its global marketing potential.
To date, Mecano has delivered over 50 machine vision applications in Finland, Sweden, France, Canada, U.S.A., and Russia.
What was originally a staff of three now stands at eighteen.
R&D accounts for 60% of personnel costs, as new products are continually being developed. Camera grading of green veneer is one such
interesting application under development.
We congratulate Mecano on its ten-year anniversary. ●
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
33
appointments at raute wood
Tapani Kiiski
Kimmo Ahonen
Bruce Alexander
Antero Hyvönen
Leena Färm
Jyrki Ollikka
Jarmo Asp
Kimmo Suomalainen
Hannu Sippus
Jussi Toivio
34
Marko Torppala
Mr. Tapani Kiiski has
assumed the position of Vice
President, Sales, following the
departure of Jouni Tulokas.
The appointment became
effective on December 13,
2002. In addition, Mr. Kiiski
will continue in his capacity as
Vice President, Technology.
Mr. Bruce Alexander,
President of Raute Wood Ltd.,
Canada, has taken over the
responsibilities of managing
Raute Wood’s OSB technology
business, following the departure of Mr. Garry Bemister.
Ms. Leena Färm has
been appointed Marketing
Manager. Prior to joining
Raute Ms. Färm held the position of Marketing Manager at
Metso Paper Roll Finishing
Systems.
Mr. Jarmo Asp has
joined Raute Wood’s Russia
sales team. Mr. Asp has long
experience in the Russian market, dating back to his previous
employment with Neste Oyj
and Kuusakoski Oyj. Mr. Asp
has lived in Russia for 20 years.
Mr. Hannu Sippus has
been appointed Sales Manager
for selected key accounts. Mr.
Sippus will also provide technical support to customers in his
area.
Mr. Kimmo Ahonen
has been appointed Area Sales
Manager for Central and
Eastern Europe. The operations
of Raute Wood’s German office
in Ibbenbueren have been
transferred over to Raute’s head
office in Nastola, Finland.
Mr. Antero Hyvönen
has been appointed Head of
the Quotations Team in
Finland. This follows Mr.
Hyvönen’s return to Finland
from Singapore where he
worked as an Area Sales
Manager for three years.
Mr. Jyrki Ollikka has
been appointed Engineering
Manager for Raute Wood’s
operations in Nastola, Finland.
Mr. Kimmo Suomalainen has returned to Nastola
after a three-year period with
Raute Wood, Canada. His new
position as Technology
Manager gives him responsibility for plywood manufacturing
and mill related technology
issues.
Mr. Jussi Toivio has
been appointed Design
Manager at Raute’s engineering
department in Nastola,
Finland.
Mr. Marko Torppala
has been appointed Logistics
Manager at Raute Wood Ltd
Canada.
FINLAND
ITALY
Raute Wood Inc.
INDONESIA
Raute Oyj
Raute Wood
Rautetie 2
P.O.Box 69
FIN-15551 Nastola
Tel: +358-3-82911
Fax: +358-3-829 3511
[email protected]
Intercomer S.R.L.
Via Paracelso 14
20041 Agrate Brianza
Milan
Tel: +39-039-605 8057
Fax: +39-039-605 6462
[email protected]
Renzo Orbolato
Luigi Gaviraghi
10240 SW nimbus, Suite 1-11
Tigard, OR 97223
Tel: +1-503-684-1166
Fax: +1-503-620-7954
[email protected]
Raute Wood Indonesia
Rep.Office
Jl. Kelapa Tiga/Joe No. 75
Jagakarsa, Jakarta 12620
Tel: +62-21-788 86461
Fax: +62-21-788 89867
CHILE
Raute Wood Santiago
Hernando de Aguirre 162
Raute Wood
Of. 704
TURKEY
Customer service
Providencia, Santiago
Yentür Ticaret
P.O.Box 69
Tel: +56-2-233 4812
General Nekmi Öktem Sok 4/1 Fax: +56-2-233 4748
FIN-15551 Nastola
Erenköy
[email protected]
Tel: +358-3-829 11
81060 Istanbul
24 h: +358-3-829 3600
ARGENTINA
Tel: +90-216-368 3573
Fax: +358-3-829 3345
Fax: +90-216-368 4756
Oscar E. Bruschstein
[email protected]
[email protected]
Demaria 336
Yentür
Mehmet
RWS-Engineering Oy
(1846) Adrogué
Tuhkamäentie 2
SLOVAK REPUBLIC
Tel: +54-11-4294 1488
FIN-15540 Villähde
Fax: +54-11- 4293 5997
Association
of
Wood
Tel: +358-3-829 61
[email protected]
Processing Manufacturers
Fax: +358-3-762 2378
T.G. Masaryka 24
BRAZIL
[email protected]
96053 Zvolen
Indumec Indústria
Tel: +421-45 5330 278
Jymet-Engineering Oy
Mecánica Ltda
Fax: +421-45 5330 278
Hakkutie 3
Rue General Potiguara 1115
[email protected]
FIN-40320 Jyväskylä
Fazendinha, PR Curitiba
Roman Reh
Tel: +358-14-445 4400
81050-500
Fax: +358-14-445 4429
RUSSIA
Tel: +55-41-347 2412
[email protected]
Fax: +55-41-347 4545
Raute Oyj
[email protected]
Arhangelsky per., 1
Mecano Group Oy
Eduardo Koller
101934 Moscow
Syväojankatu 8
Stefano Koller
Tel: +7-095-207 8794
FIN-87700 Kajaani
Fax:
+7-095-207
8794
Tel: +358-8-877 6700
MEXICO
Fax: +358-8-612 1982
CANADA
Equipos Interpulp
firstname.lastname@
S.A. DE C.V.
Raute Wood Ltd
mecanogroup.com
Eugenio Sue 35,
5 Capilano Way
COL. POLANCO
New Westminster, B.C.
FRANCE
C.P. 11560 Mexico
CANADA V3L 5G3
Finnso Bois S.A.R.L.
D.F., MEXICO
Tel: +1-604-524-6611
18, quai Louis Blériot
Fax: +1-604-521-4035
Tel: +52-5-5279 0540
F-75016 Paris
[email protected] Fax : +52-5-281 0689
Tel: +33-1-452 773 40
[email protected]
Customer Service
Fax:+33-1-452 773 41
Eurico de Faria Amaro
USA and Canada
Rodolfo Velazguez
[email protected]
Spare parts
Christian Lallia
SINGAPORE
Toll free: +1-877-297-2787
SPAIN
Fax: +1-866-615-1379
Raute Group Asia Pte Ltd
24-hour emergency pager:
35 Jalan Pemimpin # 06-02
Adecor Consulting S.L.
+1-604-640-8311
Wedge Mount Industrial
Calle Azalea 88-3-1
[email protected]
Building
28109 El Soto
SINGAPORE 577 176
Equipment Service
Alcobendas, Madrid
Tel: +65-6250 4322
Toll free: +1-877-728-8373
Tel: +34-91-650 1130
Fax: +65-6250 5322
Fax: +1-866-517-6811
Fax: 34-91-650 6093
[email protected]
24-hour
emergency
pager:
[email protected]
+1-604-667-0482
Hannu Vainio
CHINA
[email protected]
Raute Wood Beijing
POLAND
USA
Rep.Office
Kauko Metex Ltd.
Office 969 Poly Plaza
Raute Wood Inc.
Sloneczna 35
14 Dongzhimen Nandajie
50 Commercial Loop Way,
00-789 Warsaw
Dongcheng District
Suite A
Tel: +48-22-330 1200
Beijing 100027
Rossville, TN 38066
Fax: +48-22-330 1212
Tel: +86-10-650 116 98
Tel : +1-901-853 7290
[email protected] Fax: +1-901-853 4765
Fax: +86-10-650 117 98
[email protected] [email protected]
Artur Kozohorski
PLYVISIONS RAUTE CUSTOMER MAGAZINE 1/2003
PT Wooil Indonesia
Jl Raya Pasarkemis, Desa
Sindang Sari
Tangerang
Tel: +62-21-593 50101
Fax: +62-21-593 50123
Um Soo Eui
AUSTRALIA
Nicholson Manufacturing
Pty. Ltd
P.O.Box 339
Englands Road
Coffs Harbour
N.S.W. AUSTRALIA 2450
Tel: +61-2-6652 2066
Fax: +61-2-6652 3650
[email protected]
Bernard Streblow
NEW ZEALAND
Nicholson Akarana
Engineering Ltd
P.O.Box 58403, Greenmount
13 Newark Place, East Tamaki
Auckland
Tel : +64-9-274 9160
Fax : +64-9-274 5216
[email protected]
Phil Wood
KOREA
J & C Corporation
RM 922 You One Golden
Tower
474-80 Bujeon 1 Dong,
Pusanjin-Gu
Pusan
Tel: +82-51-803 6586
Fax: +82-51-803 6588
[email protected]
PHILIPPINES
Nicky Yao
12 Katherine St.
Parkway Village
Balintawak, Quezon City
Metro Manila
Tel: +63-2-414 5747
Fax: +63-2-362 2320
[email protected]
THAILAND
S.W.D. Machinery Co. Ltd
35/172 Moo 4 Soi Yuviju,
Banga-Trad Rd km 1
Bagna, Bangkok 10260
Tel: +66-2-399 2113
Fax: +66-2-399 2119
Santhiti Siricheowsakul
35