plyvisions

Issue 11
Amazing birch, fascinating business
Great strides in veneer slicing and drying
Investing in Human Resources
Raute Customer Magazine – August 2008
Contents
From the CEO
Amazing birch
In good hands
Working the lathe
Murphy Engineered Wood
Product development high on agenda
Raute invests in know-how
New opportunities in China
Veneer slicing and drying technology
Wood Technology Show 2008
3
4
7
9
14
20
22
26
27
31
Birch plywood
– product suitable for almost
any application, pages 4–6
Murphy rises like a Phoenix
from the ashes, pages 14–19
On cover: John Murphy, President of Murphy Company (left),
and Raute’s Western Area Sales Manager, Arne Nordstrand
with the plaque presented by Raute to commemorate the
new LVL mill. Photo: Veli-Matti Lepistö
PlyVisions is Raute Corporation’s Customer Magazine.
Editor-In-Chief: Molli Nyman, [email protected]
Editorial Group: Matti Aho, Veli-Matti Lepistö, Tapani Kiiski
Layout: Onnion Oy Printing house: Libris Oy
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, www.raute.com
Copyright Raute Corporation. All rights reserved.
Reproduction permitted only with permission from Raute Corporation.
Photos by Raute if not mentioned otherwise.
ISSN 1459-3165
Compe
from the CEO
petitive and profitable
through difficult times
ALL OF US THAT WORK in the wood
products industry are facing interesting, yet challenging times. The economic
climate has taken a dramatic change for
the worse during recent months, a situation that possibly began with the subprime crisis in the United States and has
been made worse by the energy crisis.
This situation has directly affected the
engineered wood products industries,
leading to an economic slowdown. It has
negatively impacted Raute’s customer
base in North America and, as a result,
is beginning to affect Raute as well,
leading to a slowdown that appears to
be spreading to other parts of the world.
To this point, however, it has not been
felt as severely elsewhere. As difficult as
the situation is, Raute has been fortunate enough to benefit from quite lively
demand outside North America. Let’s
hope that the economic situation in
North America also improves soon and
that the rest of the world will only experience a mild slowdown.
Given this kind of challenging
market situation, the value of Raute’s
products and services are more important than ever. By offering our customers the means to achieve the best
possible recovery, both in terms of
raw material and other factors like energy and glue, as well as providing the
means to achieve the highest quality
with the least labor, Raute is helping
our customers to remain competitive
and profitable through difficult times.
We have been doing this for 100 years
now, an achievement that plays a main
role in this issue of PlyVisions.
As this year marks our 100th year
in business, we have decided to devote
more space than usual to our own activities and operations. This includes
updating our readers on the first year
of operation of Raute’s facility in China
and how we have spent our time actively searching for new ways to better
serve our customers.
There are two main themes in this
issue of PlyVisions. The first tells of
Raute’s technology for the production
of birch plywood, considered to be at
the heart of Raute’s technological development. It could be correctly stated
that the Raute story is rooted in birch,
and that without the success we have
enjoyed in birch processing technology,
Raute would not be the company it is
today.
The second is LVL technology, another major success story for Raute. We
have estimated that almost half of all
LVL production in the world is produced on Raute equipment. The most
recent, and very successful startup at
Murphy Engineered Wood’s LVL mill in
Sutherlin, Oregon, U.S.A. is an excellent example of how a fast and successful startup was achieved through open
and close co-operation between a committed and motivated customer and
Raute’s experienced and skilled staff.
We have rounded out this issue with
interesting stories about two of Raute’s
new, rapidly-developing business areas, technology services and decorative
veneer technology.
I hope that all who read this issue
of PlyVisions enjoy doing so and that
our readers in the Northern Hemisphere enjoy a long and sunny summer
and autumn while those in the Southern Hemisphere enjoy the fresh coolness of winter and the many pleasurable activities the season brings. Let’s
all keep fighting together through these
difficult times.
Tapani Kiiski
President and CEO
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
3
AMAZING BIRCH
text: Kimmo Suomalainen
photos: Raute, UPM and Finnforest
Can you name a material that is as suitable for use in concrete forming as it is for
making trailer boxes, traffic signs, the walls of ice hockey rinks or kitchen cabinets?
A durable material that lends itself equally to wall cladding, shipbuilding, furniture
framing, playground equipment and packaging?
4
IN FACT, a product that is suitable for
almost any application where a strong
and stiff panel is needed. The answer, of
course, is birch plywood.
Birch grows widely in the Eurasian
continent and in North America, particularly in the cool or temperate regions.
The harvesting of birch for the plywood
industry takes place mostly in the eastern and northern regions of Europe,
from the Ural Mountains to the Baltic
Sea and the Gulf of Bothnia. The most
commonly utilized sub-species of birch
in Europe are betula pendula and betula
pubescens (silver and black birch), and,
in North America, betula papyrifera (yellow birch). Collectively, these species are
typically referred to as silver birch, and
sub-species are seldom, if ever, separated into species sub-classes for the purpose of making plywood or for sale on
the open market.
Birch is a high-density, homogeneous and light-colored wood that is an
excellent material for producing strong,
rigid and hard-surfaced plywood panels. For over a century, birch has served
as the basic building element of the plywood industry in the Baltic countries,
Russia and Finland. During the early
days of the plywood industry, these
three regions were the major plywood
exporters in the world.
A century ago, birch veneer was
mainly used in products like tea boxes,
bed slats and furniture. Casein and al-
bumen were used to glue 4’ x 4’ veneers
together into plywood. During the years
since, Raute has grown from a reputable
sawmill machinery manufacturer into
the leading global supplier of plywood
machinery, having first entered the plywood machinery business in 1931.
Around the middle of the century,
Urea Formaldehyde (UF) glue was introduced and the quality of plywood
improved remarkably. During the early
1960’s, the introduction of weather-resistant and boil-proof Phenol Formaldehyde (PF) resins opened up exciting new
areas of application for birch plywood.
It then became possible for this versatile
panel to be used in exposed construction
applications, as a load-bearing material
and as panels for use in exposed venues
where its visual appeal could be utilized
to the fullest. Now that birch plywood
could be made weatherproof, it could be
overlaid with phenolic films and its application base could be further broadened. Panel size, too, was increasing,
from 4’x 4’ to 5’x 5’. Today, the standard
size for birch plywood is 5’x 10’ (1.5 m x
3.0 m), made possible by the introduction of veneer scarf-jointing machinery,
which Raute began manufacturing in
1939. Some companies have found niche
markets, producing panels up to 2 x 4 m
(6.5’ x 13’) and even 12 m (40’) long scarfjointed and overlaid panels.
Birch plywood is a multi-faceted
panel product. It is not, and never has
been, just one standard product. Open
the Web pages of any birch plywood
producer and you may find twenty different product lines, each containing
several panel thicknesses, sizes or overlay weights and mesh patterns. Add to
this the variety of glues used in birch
plywood’s construction, as well as the
wide range of face qualities and veneer
thicknesses and the result is an array of
hundreds, if not thousands, of products.
This versatility is one of the strengths of
birch, giving it the ability to constantly
find new applications and markets.
White panels cover a broad spectrum of quality grades, the most important feature being, typically, visual
appearance. The simplest product may
be an unsanded, small panel measuring 4’x 4’, most commonly used to make
packaging materials, such as crates. At
the other end of the spectrum there are
large-sized BB grade panels that retail
for over 2000 € per m³.
In many applications, tight peel and
a smooth surface are the most desirable
features of birch veneer. Both qualities can be achieved by using Optimum
Peeling Geometry (OPG) technology, an
integral element in Raute’s Smart Peel
lathe. From the veneer and plywood
producers’ points of view the main issues are value optimisation and face
veneer recovery. Raute’s laser curtain
XY block optimisation and charging
system, coupled with Mecano’s Veneer
>>
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
5
Defect Analyzer for grading dry veneer
are the tools that optimize veneer recovery and exploit the visual potential
of the raw material.
Another class of white panels is
LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) plywood,
used in the construction of ships used
to transport this material. It is the
plywood’s technical properties, rather
than its visual appearance, that are
important in the manufacture of this
plywood product. Defect rules and the
quality of the glue bond are critical.
Raute machinery and plywood technology enables producers of this important product to achieve precise and
consistent quality. By using Raute’s vision technology, allowable veneer defect parameters can be set precisely at
the critical stages of production, at the
scarf-jointing phase, during composing and at the patching line, in order to
satisfy the demands of the ship builder.
On the other hand, it is not only these
huge ocean-going ships that utilize
plywood in their construction. There is
also a great variety of watercraft made
from plywood that provide many years
of pleasurable and reliable service to
their owners.
Another widespread use for birch
plywood is as a material for making
traffic signs and billboards. Paint-base
plywood is rigid and doesn’t require additional bracing. It is stable in the wind,
is weather resistant and readily accepts
paint. Any plywood that is to be sanded
and painted or overlaid must possess precise veneer thicknesses throughout the
panel in order to form a uniform base for
accepting overlay material. Once again,
Raute plywood technology, such as the
Smart Peel lathe and hot press equipped
with panel thickness control hydraulics
are the right solutions.
Overlaying is the most common
method of adding value to plywood panels. Finnish plywood mills overlay about
80% of their production, while Baltic producers, as well as Russian mills
producing large-sized panels, overlay
from 50 to 70% of their output. Concrete forming provides one of the biggest markets for overlaid birch panels.
Birch plywood’s high degree of stiffness
and strength minimizes the need for supporting members behind site shuttering,
while the overlay film allows the panels
to be used in multiple pours. Overlaid
panels ensure that the surface of the
concrete casting is straight and smooth,
requiring little or no finishing.
Another widely used application for
overlaid plywood is platforms and walkways. Many different screen and caul
plate patterns can be used to produce
sturdy, non-slip surfaces. Similarly, this
type of plywood is used in the construction of ramps and platforms used by
skateboarders and BMX bike riders.
Overlaid birch panels are used in
the manufacture of kitchen countertops,
as well as heavy-duty work benches. 30
mm thick birch plywood can take a lot
of physical punishment and it serves as a
solid base for a bench vise.
A multi-opening overlaying press
is the most efficient line for producing smooth or mesh pattern panels. The
press can be up to 24 openings, capable
of producing up to 80,000 m³ of overlaid panels annually. For mills producing small batches and a wide range of
surface patterns, a single-opening line is
more suitable, providing producers with
the flexibility required to meet customers
requirements.
Birch can also be found in wide
use throughout the furniture industry.
Volume-wise, framing consumes the
majority of the plywood used. In terms
of value, however, defect-free birch surface veneers are an important product.
For producing birch veneer of this kind,
a Raute lathe short-coupled to a Raute
screen dryer is the right solution.
The plywood industry is a fascinating business. Its products are used in
everything from crates and tea boxes
to construction members and furniture
found in the finest public interiors. Birch
plywood is a versatile, high-strength material that offers value-added opportunities to the producer. ●
Birch plywood is
a multi-faceted
panel product.
It is not, and
never has been,
just one standard
product.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
text: Minna Pajamies
In good hands
Earlier this year, the number of production lines included in
Raute’s growing portfolio of maintenance contracts exceeded
100, a clear indication of the growing need for maintenance
services of this kind.
AS A RESULT OF THIS GROWING DEMAND, plans are underway to increase
the number of local service outlets.
Raute has concluded maintenance contracts with some of the largest plywood
producers in the world. These so-called
group-level contracts also cover on-site
maintenance services. Raute’s aim in
the future is to provide expanded local
maintenance services where the needs
of the installed machine base require it.
Today, Raute has service outlets in North
America, Chile, Singapore and Indonesia. The company’s customers in Finland
are served through Raute facilities located in the towns of Nastola, Jyväskylä
and Kajaani. Three new service outlets
are currently being assessed.
THE SERVICE MECHANIC’S KEY POSITION
Service Mechanic, Risto Laurila, boasts more than 40 years’ experience in
servicing production lines. He joined Raute as a lathe mechanic in 1965.
His tasks initially consisted of testing lathes, then later servicing them. He
knows from experience how important it is for persons, such as himself, to
continually develop professional competence.
“Being a service mechanic is an interesting job. We call on plywood
mills, adjusting and tuning equipment so that it achieves its optimum operating level. Summer shut-downs are the busiest times for us when we often
work from dawn to dusk.”
“The job profile has changed over the years, partly as a result of
automation, but the basics of the job have remained the same - to address and solve our customers’ challenges and problems in a timely
manner.”
“The lines need to function well, which makes proactive maintenance
especially important. Reliable operation is part of the added value we create and an area in which we service mechanics demonstrate our expertise.
We really are in a key position when it comes to anticipating problems,”
says Mr. Laurila.
Raute focuses on transferring what is called ‘tacit experience’.
Communicating the expertise and experience of Mr. Laurila and his
experienced colleagues to younger service mechanics has been identified as a major part of Raute’s internal training program. ●
Greater speed and efficiency
From the point of view of maintenance, today’s advanced wood products
technology often presents a challenge.
Special technologies typically require
unique skills and, in most cases, specialized equipment. Raute’s customer cooperation with respect to equipment maintenance is intended to prevent problems
by proactively managing maintenance
and ensuring the availability of proper
expertise for both training and longterm development.
At its best, maintenance cooperation begins at the installation stage and
before the warranty period expires. Experience shows that close cooperation
and training after commissioning also
improves start-up efficiency because
>>
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
7
Modernizations have brought about excellent
results, both in Finland and abroad.
>>
SPECIAL EXPERTISE FOR BIRCH
Raute has a long and strong
track record in birch processing technology. The machinery and equipment used for
processing costly raw materials need to function flawlessly in order to achieve
the best possible yield with
the least possible loss of raw
materials.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
there are fewer problems after the start-up and the mill employees learn how to
manage the new technology and the new line more quickly.
Maintenance contracts are based on customers’ needs and range from daily
visits to equipment inspections performed a few times yearly. In most cases the
customers’ own maintenance personnel attend to daily maintenance of the production machinery, while long-term servicing and maintenance development are
entrusted to Raute. Equipment maintenance comprises mechanical work, hydraulics service, troubleshooting of automation systems and spare parts services. The
aim of this proactive approach to equipment service is to ensure an uninterrupted
and consistent production process, while minimizing the need for unplanned repairs and downtime.
Optimization through
modernization
One of Raute’s main objectives is to ensure the efficient operation of the machinery it sells throughout its entire life-cycle, which is generally from 10 to 30 years.
However, the requirements of the line may change during the early stages of its
life-cycle, such as the need to increase production capacity, improve quality or to
adapt to different working methods. The solution in such cases is to modernize or
upgrade the line.
The introduction of new technology to optimize the operation of the line is
aimed at attaining the optimal levels of operation with respect to line capacity,
product quality and operating efficiency for both single machines and entire production lines. Modernizations have brought about excellent results, both in Finland
and abroad. ●
A century of technical advances puts Raute on top of the world
Working the lathe
text: Ritva Varis
photos: Raute and Lahti historical museum
Raute Corporation, the international leading-edge supplier of machinery
for the wood products industry, celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.
The company has progressed by making major advances in technology
and by shifting production from steamships to scales and from frame
saws to plywood machinery. Today, investment in product development
accounts for some 3.5 percent of Raute’s annual net sales.
100 years of Raute
9
TO FINNISH PLYWOOD producers, the
name Raute is practically synonymous
with the word lathe. “Peeling technology is Raute’s main business sector.
Today, our focus is on manufacturing
technology for the wood panel and
parquet industries,” says President and
CEO Tapani Kiiski.
Frame saws were the first of the
company’s wood processing machines,
followed by veneer lathes in the early
1930’s. Lathe speeds have since risen remarkably, from a few thousand meters
per shift to more than 40 kilometers.
Gaining momentum
The first veneer lathes used by the Finnish plywood industry came from the
USA; Coe and Merritt being the bestknown brands. The first Finnish-made
lathes were manufactured in the 1920’s
by Onkilahti, which was later acquired
by Wärtsilä. Lahden Rautateollisuus
Oy, later Raute, manufactured its first
lathe in 1931, shortly after branching
into sanding machines, plywood saws
and veneer machinery.
The principle of veneer peeling has,
essentially, remained unchanged. As the
peeler block rotates against the knife,
it is peeled into veneer. Veneer thickness
is determined by the blade stroke length
10
per revolution. Veneer quality is achieved
through the interplay of cutting angles,
the compression ratio between the knife
and counter-knife and the support provided for the block by pressure rolls. Finally, yield is based on block diameter
and shape, block rounding and the diameter of the core after peeling.
Lathe speeds have increased 20-fold
since the 1930’s. “In the 1950’s, peeling
speeds were 60–70 m/min. Today they
reach 400 m/min,” Kiiski says. Spindle
speeds were 200–250 revolutions per minute in the 1950’s. When Raute introduced
the 5V lathe in the 1970s, it boasted spindle speed of 330 rpm and peeling speed
of 300 m/min. Lathe motors today often
reach over 1,000 rpm as spindle speed increases towards core drop.
The spindles used for mounting
the block in the correct peeling position were initially operated mechanically. Raute developed a double spindle
system to reduce core diameter further.
Hydraulically-operated spindles were
subsequently introduced by Raute in the
mid-1950’s, enabling core diameter to be
set at around 50 mm. According to Kiiski, it is technically possible to reach 30
mm core diameter, however, the gain in
yield would be negligible both in terms
of quantity and quality.
In the 1980’s Raute developed a spindleless lathe, which used three driven rolls
to drive the block during peeling. Raute’s
subsidiary, Durand-Raute, sought a patent for this concept in North America.
An objective of spindleless peeling was
to reduce block changeover times and
eliminate spin-out, which occurs when
the core of the block is decayed, causing
the spindles to lose their grip. The spindleless lathe was introduced at the Ligna
Fair in 1989. Although spindleless peeling failed to catch on, several lathes were
sold and the peeling principle involving
three driven rolls was later applied to
Raute spindle peeling technology with
great success.
Optimized block centering
Peeler block centering accuracy has also
improved greatly and has evolved from a
manual operation to an automated one.
Before WWII, as many as five people were
needed to perform the peeling operation,
which consisted of centering and peeling the block and reeling or clipping the
veneer ribbon. Around 20 m³/shift only
were produced on a 60 inch lathe.“Today,
throughput is as high as 20 cycles/minute
and each of the peeling, drying and grading lines is supervised by just one person,”
says Kiiski.
100 years of Raute
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
During the early decades of plywood
production, peeler blocks were manually
placed in the lathe by operators using
their knees to support the block. The first
mechanical block charger, introduced by
Raute in 1958, made this task easier and
reduced charging time. It also improved
veneer yield by optimally centering the
block. If the block had a protruding knot
or butt swell, for example, an experienced lathe operator could reposition the
block.
The next significant development
was the XY charger in the mid-1980’s.
This computer-controlled charger optimizes block centering based on the geometrical shape of the block. Today, the
block rotates under a laser curtain and
the measurement data calculates the
largest available cylinder. Optimum block
centering is the most important factor influencing raw materials savings.
Heavy-duty iron
There is a basic element in machinery
manufacturing that has remained unchanged – the importance of iron. Wood
processing requires durable, heavy-duty
machines. “With reference to the drawings of the moving parts of our frame
saws and the weight indications sent earlier, we hereby declare that we make the
crankshafts from the best Swedish shaft
steel,” wrote company owner and Managing Director Henrik Schwartzberg in
1930 to Artturi Käpy, Professor of Sawing Technology at the Helsinki University
of Technology, who conducted durability
comparisons and strength calculations
for equipment from various manufacturers. Weight data was valued in machinery
parts catalogues. The more heavy-duty
the machine, the better it was seen to be.
Durability has always been a mainstay of
Raute machinery. A frame saw, one of the
first by Raute, is still in operation at Rautalammin Koivujaloste Oy, Finland.
Lathes, too, have become more robust and heavy-duty. Their weight has
gone from a few metric tons to the latest 30 ton-models from Raute. This development has partly been dictated by
the characteristics of wood in different
markets. In Finland, for example, peeler
blocks have always been rather small
compared to those in North America,
which has led to the introduction of more
robust lathes for that market.
Tapani Kiiski identifies his four
technology premises: capacity, automation, yield and quality.“Raute needs to be
number one in all these areas,” he stresses. “There are many things to be proud
of in Raute’s veneer lathes, such as their
dimensional accuracy, which is superior
to what is customary in conventional
metalworking. The thickness tolerance
for peeled veneer is plus/minus one onehundredth of a millimeter.”
From stand-alone machines
to entire lines
Increasing automation has enabled the
development of more process-driven plywood manufacturing technology. Production stages that previously required human eyes and hands, are now controlled
by vision technology. The first photoelectric devices were fitted to veneer clippers
in the 1950’s.
Stand-alone machines gradually
gave way to integrated lines. Raute’s first
peeling, drying, clipping and grading line
was delivered by to Pellos Oy’s plywood
mill in Ristiina, Finland in 1968. Since
then, the Pellos mills have been a major
technological reference for Raute for the
manufacture of birch plywood and, since
the mid-1990’s, softwood plywood.
Raute took the next step towards
supplying mill-scale production lines in
the early 1970’s with the introduction of
hydraulic plywood presses. The acquisition of Infor and Enwe further strengthened the company’s ability to provide
turnkey deliveries.
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is
a major innovation of the Finnish wood
products industry. Raute’s first LVL line
was delivered to Metsäliitto’s Lohja mill
in 1980. The continuous ANRA line developed for the blockboard industry in
the 1960’s can be considered the first
step towards LVL production. LVL is
To Finnish plywood
producers, the name
Raute is practically
synonymous with
the word lathe.
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
11
>>
related to plywood, except that plywood
uses cross-banded veneers while LVL is
made by gluing the veneers in a parallel
direction.
The production of softwood plywood
began in Finland in the mid-1990’s in
Ristiina and Suolahti. Raute benefited
from know-how gained in North America in starting up the Finnish softwood
plywood industry. In addition to Finland,
Raute has delivered softwood plywood
Several talented designers and engineers achieved
almost legendary status within Raute due to their
persistent and intense devotion to the company.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
lines to South America and New Zealand, among others.
Softwood plywood technology uses
state-of-the-art process automation. The
capacity of softwood plywood mills is
many times that of traditional birch plywood mills. High capacity and continuous
operation have called for new applications and innovations. Softwood plywood
technology would not be possible in its
current form without the rotary clipper,
for example. Lay-up and gluing automation has been a further challenge in softwood plywood lines. The Pellos mill also
manufactures jumbo-sized 8’x 8’ panels.
Alongside Nordic birch and softwood, Raute focuses on the manufacturing technology for wood panels made
from tropical softwood and poplar.
Raute’s technological progress over
the past hundred years is extensive and
includes veneer clipping and grading
technology, drying technology, stacking,
scarfing, press thickness control, overlaying, automated veneer patching and
panel patching. A recent innovation is a
lay-up line based on foam-gluing, while
Raute’s latest acquisition is the purchase
of sliced veneer technology from the Italian company Intercomer.
“Markets globally have what it takes
in technological and operational terms,”
says Kiiski when asked about the feasibility of automation in various markets.
“However”, he adds, “maintenance skills
and expertise might not yet be available
in all of the countries and it is a fact that,
in many countries, human labour still
delivers practically the same result as
automation. Automation isn’t typically
bought where manual labour is cheap.”
At the forefront of innovation
Raute’s position at the forefront of technology is partly explained by events
following World War II. War reparations put such a strain on Raute that
the owners are said to have been dumbstruck when they first heard about the
volumes involved. Nevertheless, Raute’s
part in repaying reparations had a profound effect by raining the standard of
technology and quality control. Raute’s
contribution included 120 frame saws,
170 edgers, 55 veneer lathes, 265 planers, 60 band saws, 160 veneer clippers,
20 veneer patching machines, and much
more. At one point, 80% of the company’s output went to war reparations,
eventually accounting for over 3% of
Finland’s total debt.
In Kiiski’s view, the owners’ belief
in technology is behind Raute’s success.
“In this family-owned company, R&D
was high on the agenda, even in bad
times.” The company’s founder, Henrik
Schwartzberg (later Mustakallio), and
his sons Pauli, Aarne and Heikki, and
daughter Kaija, have been strongly involved in managing the company over the
years. Third and fourth generations of the
Mustakallio family are still represented
on the Board of Directors. Shareholders
include Henrik Schwartzberg’s descendants from seven different branches of
the family.
Several talented designers and engineers achieved almost legendary status
within Raute due to their persistent and
intense devotion to the company. Among
the experts in peeling technology, Kiiski
cites Pentti Lahtinen, Matti Paakki and
Kari Sintonen.
In 1986 Raute, together with Oy
Wilhelm Schauman Ab, founded RWSEngineering to provide consulting and
technology development services worldwide. Today, RWS is 100% owned by
Raute.
“If not for our customers, we’d never
have created all of these innovations. R&D
is a symbiotic process between our customer and our engineering office where
solutions are sought to the benefit of both
parties. Finnish plywood professionals
and research institutes have also contributed to the innovation process, helping us
to achieve international market leadership,” says Kiiski. At present, investment
is flowing strongly towards Russia. Finnish plywood mills will need to modernize
in coming years, according to Kiiski. Automation, capacity, quality and yield will
continue to be top priorities. ●
Raute’s globalization
RAUTE WAS ESTABLISHED in 1908 while Finland was still
part of the Russian Empire. Machinery was exported to Russia
and North America during the company’s early years. During
World War I, armaments were exported in large volumes to
Russia, and the huge war reparations that needed to be paid
after World War II paved the way for extensive trade with the
Soviet Union.
In the 1950’s, exports accounted for 35–55%, rising
to over 50% in the 1960’s. New trading partners included
Czechoslovakia, GDR, China, Poland and Hungary. In the
1970’s, trade with the Soviet Union accounted for up to 85%
of all exports. The North and South American markets began
to grow.
In the 1980’s, exports exceeded 80% and the Soviet Union
remained the main export destination. New export areas included S.E. Asia and Europe. When trade with the Soviet Union
collapsed in the early 1990’s, the Far East and North America
became the main partners. Russia once again become a trading
partner in the 2000’s.
Market fluctuations strongly affect the world economy and
politics. Wars have provided both a threat and an opportunity.
Subsidies to developing countries were something of an opportunity for Finnish know-how. “What we are experiencing
today is the third wave of globalization. We are facing genuine
competition in an international business setting,” says Raute
Corporation’s President and CEO Tapani Kiiski.
100 years of Raute
13
text: Rick Massey
Murphy Engineered
Wood
Rising like a Phoenix from the ashes
The US Pacific Northwest is the birthplace of North America’s
softwood plywood industry. For decades, communities in the
region have relied on the mills for their livelihoods.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
Over the past 20 years, however, a decline in available timber, coupled with
environmental pressures and the dramatic growth in OSB, has seen a decline
in plywood production and the closure
of mills. Those mills that remain have
shifted their focus onto value-added
products, such as specialty plywood and
engineered lumber.
Given this situation, it was no surprise that the destruction of Murphy
Plywood’s mill by fire on July 5, 2005
had potentially dire consequences. Located in Sutherlin, Oregon, Murphy
Plywood employed 300 people produc-
ing 4 x 8 softwood plywood. In a town
of 7,000 this sudden loss of jobs weighed
heavily on the community and on the
President of Murphy Company, John
Murphy. Suddenly, an entire town focused its attention on the future of the
devastated plywood mill. Would it be rebuilt or would the owners acknowledge
that the economics and logistics were
against doing so?
Fortunately, for the folk of Sutherlin, the Murphy Company announced
in mid-2006 that it would build a new
wood products facility on the site of the
old. This decision was arrived at following the successful conclusion of negotiations with the insurance carriers and
with the Sutherlin city management.
During the period between the fire
and the decision to rebuild, Murphy
concluded agreements with local mills
that enabled Murphy Plywood to meet
its order commitments while ensuring
that the Murphy brand stayed alive.
Murphy moved quickly in other directions as well, acquiring a hardwood
plywood mill in Eugene, Oregon. Describing the mill as ‘facing challenges
caused by the onslaught of Chinese
imports’, Murphy set about bolstering
production expertise and upgrading
machinery. Raute participated by modernizing the dry veneer stacking system,
including the upgrading of controls and
the installation of automatic grade scanning. Shortly after, Murphy also acquired
a veneer operation in Elma, Washington.
At the same time as the newly-acquired hardwood mill was being upgraded, Murphy was in discussion with
Raute concerning the supply of a new
LVL mill, a drying and stacking line
and a billet handling system. After undertaking appropriate due diligence,
which included benchmarking the LVL
production technology available from
Raute and our competitors, a deal was
struck in August, 2006 and construction
of the Pacific Northwest’s newest LVL
facility was announced.
The official opening
of Murphy Engineered
Wood took place on
St. Patrick’s Day, March 17
of this year. In 2009,
Murphy Company will
celebrate its centennial.
Precise drying control
LVL is made from multiple layers of
veneer aligned in the same direction
and produced in long lengths. Two of
the critical production factors are the
strength of the veneer sheets and the
moisture content of the veneer after
drying.
Precise control of the latter is important for several reasons. First, if the
veneer is overdried it becomes weak and
will break during processing. Second,
overdried veneer requires a high glue
spread and, third, too much moisture
causes delaminations during pressing.
Murphy benchmarked dryer performance within the industry and chose
Raute’s 6-deck roller jet dryer and dry
stacking system. The successful startup
of a similar drying system in Oregon
just prior to his placing the order was
reinforced by Raute having delivered
seven similar systems in the previous
five years, all of which were performing
above specification.
The drying line supplied by Raute
comprises a 20-section roller dryer
complete with 3 cooling sections, a combination VDA camera grader and DMA
moisture analyzer, and a 12-bin automatic dry veneer stacker. It is equipped
with a vacuum feeder, humidity sensing,
automatic sheet unloading and transfer,
and moisture analyzers that enable automatic speed control. Tight construc-
>>
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
15
>>
tion prevents smoke from escaping into
the mill and ensuring that the dryer retains a high degree of thermal integrity.
Other features include high-velocity jet
boxes and individual drives on each of
the six decks. The dryer is heated by
thermal oil.
The combination defect grading
and moisture analyzing unit has a HIS
lighting system that is unaffected by
ambient temperature. It was customized in accordance with the customer’s
grading requirements and the grade
standards of the finished product.
Special features
Particular attention was paid to the
layup process to ensure that it didn’t
become a bottleneck in the production
process. Raute supplied a fully-automatic fork layup, which lays up face,
center and core plies at the same speed
with a placement accuracy of +/- ¼” (6
mm). Its modular design also allows for
the future increase in capacity and provides access in case of manual veneer
reject. The layup has proven to be highly
efficient and is currently operating at up
to 40% over rated capacity with a high
percentage of uptime.
Pre-pressing of the LVL billet is required so that the glue lines don’t dry
out prior to hot pressing and to further
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
ensure that the billet can withstand a
prolonged stand time, should there be a
stoppage at the hot press. Productivity
of the line has been greatly increased by
laying up and pre-pressing two billets
simultaneously. This is done by preparing a double layup and excluding a single glue line separating the two billets.
Once the double layup has been prepressed, it is conveyed out of the press,
cross-cut to length and the upper billet
is separated from the bottom billet by a
drag arm. By doubling up on the volume
of LVL going through the pre-press, the
productivity of the line is increased significantly.
The line has a MIS or mill-wide
data collection and production control
system. All machines are connected
to an Ethernet that provides access at
multiple points throughout the mill.
This includes access at the machine level through HMI screens and elsewhere
via PC stations. Operator screens are
informative and each machine displays
actual images of the operating equipment, making it a simple and intuitive
system for mill personnel to work with.
The dry end MIS, for example, collects data from the dryer PLC, stacker
PLC, VDA camera grader, moisture analyzers and Metriguard unit. It then issues reports concerning such operating
parameters as run-time, downtime and
causes, the number of sheets dried, the
number of reject sheets, dryer speed,
veneer moisture content, humidity and
temperature per zone, as well as the
maximum, minimum and average values for each drying recipe and shift.
Dry stacker performance is also reported in actual run time, the number
of sheets stacked, the number of refeed
sheets, moisture content percentages,
and a tally of all graded sheets.
Data provided on the VDA camera
grader includes the width, length and
squareness of each sheet.
All data is provided in real-time
and is refreshed at adjustable intervals.
Variables are trended every minute.
A solid strategic vision
Mill Manager, Greg Gassner and Site
Engineer, Bill Thompson are responsible
for the day-to-day operations of Murphy Engineered Wood. Both men have
extensive backgrounds in wood products; Gassner in plywood, including several years managing Murphy’s Sutherlin
mill and Thompson in multiple roles, including participation in three LVL projects prior to joining Murphy. Both men
stated that the opportunity to be part of
Murphy Engineered Wood was an easy
buy-in.
“I first saw LVL during a Raute Wood Safari to Finland in
the early 80’s”, said Bill Thompson. “I thought it was an interesting product, seeing that plywood was already established and
OSB was beginning to emerge. From that point on I followed its
progress with growing interest and have since been involved in
four major LVL projects, including the Murphy one.”
Both Thompson and Gassner saw the inevitability of a
product like LVL developing in lieu of solid sawn lumber. They
cited the withdrawal of old growth, high-strength fiber in the
Pacific Northwest as a driving force along with the general
trend towards second-growth utilization. This caused wood
industry watchdog agencies to begin derating lumber in terms
of span capabilities, which saw the need for a replacement. To
Thompson and Gassner, LVL was a good fit.
They were equally complimentary of the work done by
LVL producers, such as Louisiana Pacific, in promoting LVL,
stating that they have created product literature and span
tables that are valuable tools for architects and designers,
while creating products like I-joists that utilize LVL flanges
and OSB webs. Further, they saw the work of APA – The Engineered Wood Association as being just as effective through
their preparation of testing procedures and their promotion of
LVL to markets both inside and outside North America.
Bill Thompson pointed to dual layup as being a particularly innovative feature of the new LVL line. “It is simple and
optimizes the operation of the prepress”, he stated. “The fork
layup is mechanically sound and performs at a rate that exceeds our stated requirements. It started up on Day One and
hasn’t looked back.”
Gassner believes Murphy Engineered Wood is well placed
for the future. “Murphy has a solid strategic vision. We are in
control of our own veneer, which is very important because
you cannot make high-quality LVL from poor quality veneer.
Veneer preparation is the key to success. We are well located
and have trained staff who are enthusiastic and willing to
learn. They understand veneer handling, grading, gluing and
pressing and are encouraged to speak up about process issues
they observe during shifts. And, we are allied with Louisiana
Pacific, one of North America’s leading producers and distributors of LVL, who have done everything possible to ensure
that both our companies succeed in this new venture.”
>>
Left: A special feature of the Murphy LVL line is its ability to layup
and pre-press two 15-ply billets simultaneously. This has significantly improved throughput.
Right from the top:
Sheets of graded veneer are transported on the layup conveyor
ahead of the curtain coater stations. The line has feeders that automatically insert face sheets and replacement sheets.
Operator screens are highly informative and easy to read. This
screen shows important information concerning the Raute veneer
dryer.
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
17
>>
As to the performance of Raute as
a major vendor in the project, the comments from both Thompson and Gassner
were positive. Said Bill Thompson, “The
experience in working with Raute in this
project has been very good. Their solutions have been innovative and their people have been very willing to listen and
work with Murphy’s people. They have
been able to fulfill their role in Murphy’s
business plan. It has been a good project
for Raute and Murphy Company. How the
equipment was built and installed; how it
was started up and how the product has
gone out the door is a positive reflection
of how well the project went.”
Acceptance testing was carried out
during March, 2008. Results exceeded
Testing of the LVL layup and pressing line showed the
system to be performing at 122% of guaranteed value.
Cut-to-length LVL billets are stacked ahead of the sawing line. They are then
sawn to required widths and finished with a weatherproof coating.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
guaranteed capacities in each case. Dryer
production on full sheet sap was at 20%
above guaranteed capacity, while heart
has run as high as 60 sheets/minute. The
VDA camera grading has been at 95%
on-grade and better since startup.
Testing of the LVL layup and pressing
line showed the system to be performing
at 122% of guaranteed value. The billet
handling line, too, performed exceptionally well at 140% of guaranteed value.
With these results, and the dedication and enthusiasm of their staff, Murphy Engineered Wood can look forward
to the successful operation of their new
LVL business in Sutherlin. ●
The forested hills of western Oregon provide a scenic
backdrop to packages of LVL produced by Murphy
Engineered Wood at their new facility in Sutherlin.
text: Rick Massey
Lengths and strengths
Murphy Engineered Wood ”mousetrap”
comes on-line in grand style
PRIOR TO BEING destroyed by fire,
Murphy Company’s Sutherlin plywood
mill had been a Pacific Northwest success story. “We hadn’t had a losing
month since 1992”, said company President John Murphy, adding that the decision to rebuild was not made lightly.
“Murphy is a family company and the
family members are the shareholders.
The decision had to be made whether to
return insurance funds to the owners or
to build a new mill.”
As a group, the family explored its
options before deciding to construct an
LVL mill that gave them entry into the
engineered wood business. “We saw
many advantages to entering the LVL
business”, said John Murphy.“Our site in
Sutherlin is well located, our displaced
workforce already had extensive veneer
experience and we had plenty of support
from local government. When people
heard the term ‘engineered wood’, interest in our intentions definitely grew.”
Murphy went on to extol what he
sees as the virtues of LVL. “It is a hightech but simple product that makes the
most of its lengths and strengths. Layup
recipes are easy to manage and set up,
the mill environment is clean and it’s
made of veneer and glue. No big mysteries. And, it can be produced efficiently
with a reduced workforce.” Murphy further believes that the “white-floor” approach to manufacturing LVL makes it
more appealing to potential employees.
According to John Murphy, survival in the PNW wood basket is a challenge. Located in the middle of Douglas fir country, Murphy must compete
with sawmills, plymills and other LVL
and specialty plants, all of which need
to high grade their wood for such products as MSR lumber and G1/2/3 grade
veneer. “In a way, our new LVL mill is
a kind of mousetrap, centrally located
and able to capture wood locally. We
are able to high-grade veneer from our
mills in White City, Oregon and Elma,
Washington and supplement it with locally procured wood.Veneer that doesn’t
make grade finds a home elsewhere.”
Having made the decision to build
the new LVL mill, Murphy next faced
what is, perhaps, the most difficult issue
facing any new start-up project – how to
sell the product? Said John Murphy, “We
were confident in our ability to make the
product, but we had no experience in
selling LVL.”To meet their needs, Murphy
Engineered Wood turned to Louisiana
Pacific. “LP, we felt, possessed the expertise and market penetration necessary to
take our LVL to market, while we are a
very competent company located on the
West Coast right off Interstate 5 in the
middle of the Douglas fir region. Murphy
and LP were made for each other.”
To date, Murphy management has
expressed great satisfaction with the
exclusive sales agreement signed between the two companies. “For us, it has
meant achieving national market coverage through LP’s office in Nashville,
Tennessee while, for LP, they have expressed their satisfaction with having
access to some of the best product the
LVL industry has ever seen.”
Murphy also likes having the ability to view inventories on a daily basis,
which enables the mill to make quick
adjustments to production. “Communication between our two companies
is excellent and we have been able to
get to market much faster than if we’d
had to rely on our own devices. This relationship gives LP access to first-class
product, while enabling a small company, like Murphy Engineered Wood, to
have a strong market presence.”
As to Murphy’s choosing of Raute as
the primary vendor of LVL equipment,
the Murphy Company President cited a
number of reasons. “First, it was important to Murphy Company that we worked
with a single vendor so that responsibility was focused. Second, I had made earlier visits to Raute in Finland and I was
impressed with what I saw and Raute’s
reputation. Third, Raute’s LVL technology is simple, proven and economical and
we wanted to be in production within the
period required under the terms of our
insurance settlement. And, fourth, our
engineering contractor, Evergreen Engineering, as well as our in-house engineer,
Bill Thompson, already had previous
positive experience with Raute.”
As to his satisfaction in working with Raute, John Murphy was very
complimentary. “This was a major undertaking for both Murphy Company
and Raute. I found that, although Raute
is a company with global status, they
acted as a local vendor and were able
to quickly make decisions that affected
the project. I felt, also, that Raute’s engineering and project management people
acted with Murphy Company’s best interests at heart. When issues arose, they
were discussed and courses of action
were arrived at. All in all, I would have
to say that we have enjoyed an excellent
working relationship.”
The official opening of Murphy
Engineered Wood took place on St.
Patrick’s Day, March 17 of this year. In
2009, Murphy Company will celebrate
its centennial. ●
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
19
text: Sane Keskiaho
Product development
high on agenda
Raute believes that true product development should
be based on the continual development of existing
products, not simply the designing of new products.
IT IS DUE TO THIS focus that processing
lines are able to do more with less – more
production and better recovery with less
energy and materials.
During its long history, Raute has
brought to market many innovative
products and manufacturing methods,
which have played important roles in
shaping the plywood and veneer indus-
tries. This same innovative thinking continues today.
Says Raute’s Vice President, Technology and Operations, Petri Strengell,“Success in our business cannot be achieved
without constant product development.
Raute strives to positively affect environmental values through responsible product development. We do this by improving
wood yield, reducing glue consumption,
minimizing waste and, effectively, reducing where we can any negative environmental impact caused by the process of
manufacturing plywood.”
“We don’t concentrate solely on improving our own quality standards at
Raute. Our product development team
is always trying to find ways that would
enable customers to achieve optimum
results in their business operations as
well,” adds Strengell, stating further that
environmental values and the preservation of natural resources are a central
part of Raute’s policy.
“Success in our business cannot be achieved without constant product development”, says Petri Strengell.
20
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
“It should be noted that stringent
laws exist in Finland to regulate industrial emissions. Raute has worked hard to be
a development leader in this area as well,
aiming always to operate at levels that are
well within the statutory limits of industry”, said Strengell. Raute achieves this,
in part, by systematically developing the
environmental soundness of its products
and services.
Hannu Keskiväli, Manager, Development Projects, explained, “Raute’s production facilities in the Finnish towns of
Nastola and Jyväskylä have achieved ISO
9001 and ISO 14001 quality and environmental management certificates. Inspections audits are carried out twice a year
at both sites during which the Facility
Maintenance Officer, insurance company
representative, the Industrial Safety Officer and I participate. During the inspection the entire plant is audited from a
safety and environmental perspective.”
Small changes lead
to big results
Raute’s environmental issues are divided
into two areas. The first deals with products and services from the customer’s
point of view. In other words, how much
more finished plywood can be manufactured while minimizing the use of energy
and glue and achieving higher recovery?
The second issue involves Raute’s operations at its own industrial sites. Here, the
central issue is the reduction of waste.
Says Keskiväli “At both our Nastola
and Jyväskylä plants, the proportion of
recycling in production is 90%. Our continuing goal is to increase the volume of
recyclable material annually, and thus to
reduce the amount of waste that finds itself in the landfill.”
At Raute, special attention has been
paid to energy and water consumption.
Investments needn’t always be costly
or broad-reaching. Excellent results
have also been achieved through small
changes.
“Our factories have large doors that
are opened regularly. On cold winter days
the amount of heat loss used to be immense,”Strengell said, adding that the so-
lution for reducing energy consumption
was somewhat surprising and simple – air
curtains installed on the doors.
“An air curtain is simply warm air
blown between the doors with pin-point
accuracy. You can walk through it in a
normal fashion, but warm air cannot
flow out. We have also reduced water
waste in the plant by exchanging conventional taps with spring-activated
water dispensers.
Now, everyone can enjoy a refreshingly cold drink of water without having
to let the tap run. This has enabled us to
minimize water consumption and associated costs.”
Every year, Raute focuses on selected
areas of product development, from the
standpoints of both production and process. This year, Raute undertook a survey
of the chemicals used in the production of
plywood. The aim of the survey is to reduce chemical consumption by 30%.
Said Hannu Keskiväli,“The chemical
survey was carried out in order to eliminate any unnecessary chemical utilization or overlapping of their use. Plywood
products have developed over the years,
so there are many chemicals around today
that can be used for multiple purposes.”
Expertise around the clock
Raute’s believes that its strengths, compared to those of its competitors, are its
broad technology offering and its fullservice concept.
“We serve the interests of our customers throughout the entire life-cycles
of the products they purchase from us,
from planning through to after-sales
services. A long product life-cycle is in
the best interests of Raute and our customers. We maintain their machinery
and, when necessary, modernize all or
part of their machines or production
lines,” says Strengell.
Approximately fifty major projects,
together with numerous modernization
projects, pass through Raute’s Nastola
factory every year. Work is performed in
one, two or three shifts, depending on the
workload. Some of the production equipment operates around the clock.
Raute strives to
positively affect
environmental
values through
responsible product
development.
“Production lines are designed, assembled and test run at Nastola, after
which they are delivered to their destinations. Customizing each customer’s product to suit their requirements, whether it
be a whole mill, production line or standalone machine is part of our key knowhow. Key technology is manufactured at
our own production facility, however, certain other parts are purchased from subcontractors,” says Strengell.
For a long time Raute’s head office
was situated in Lahti, an industrial city
located one hundred kilometers north
of Helsinki. When the factory grew too
small, operations were gradually moved
to Nastola, twenty kilometers to the east.
The first manufacturing hall was built on
that site in the 1960s with several more
being added over the years.
Today, the Nastola site includes a sixstorey administration and engineering
building, a 12,500 m² production facility,
a 2,200 m² press manufacturing facility, a
1,700 m² test facility, as well as warehousing facilities and a staff canteen.
Raute’s Jyväskylä plant, located two
hours’ drive north, focuses on the design,
assembly and testing of panel handling
and overlaying machinery.
In addition, Raute recently opened
a production unit in China. “Our unit in
China concentrates on manufacturing
machinery parts, parts assembly, various
conveyor solutions and products that we
used to purchase from subcontractors,”
says Strengell, adding that Raute’s China
unit was set up in order to improve the
cost effectiveness of simpler equipment,
like conveyors. ●
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
21
text: Sane Keskiaho
INVESTING
in know-how, development and the transfer
success is due to our staff of skilled, committed profesof expertise Raute’s
sionals. This resource has been appreciated and nurtured throughout our hundred-year history.
Antti Taavila came to Raute straight from high school and is studying for a vocational qualification in maintenance.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
NEW HUMAN RESOURCE challenges in Finland, where the company’s main production facilities are located, have arisen due to
the aging of personnel and the labour shortage that threatens the
industry.
The retirement of installation staff in the near future and
the forthcoming labour shortage have been addressed by systematically surveying the skills of employees and developing their
know-how.
“We have surveyed the skills of each installation technician
and, at the same time, assessed those areas of technology where
we believe the lack of know-how will most likely occur in the
future. By so doing we have been able to train new installation
staff to perform the tasks they will need to perform,” says Anne
Aaltonen, Raute’s HR Development Manager.
The aging of personnel is a problem for many Finnish companies. The post World War II baby-boomers are now beginning to
retire and it is difficult to find new employees to take their place.
“Luckily, vocational training is highly valued by today’s
youth. This assists us in finding skilled employees. The challenge
is to transfer the knowledge gained through the experience of senior staff to new employees.”
Learning at work
Personnel training is nothing new at Raute. Know-how and skills
have always been highly valued by the company.
“Apprenticeships are an excellent way for us to attract new professionals.Vocational training can provide the basic skills needed for
the job, however, working at Raute requires certain skills that can’t
be learned at school. Every project undertaken by the company is
different, so learning is a long-term process. We have top professionals in the field who mentor younger employees and act as their work
partners, imparting their own knowledge and experience to these future professionals. Apprenticeships are complemented by, for example, internal training, language studies and further education at educational institutions. Raute employees working at customers’ mills,
whether in Finland or abroad, are required to have language, social
and networking skills, in addition to their professional skills,” said
Aaltonen.
To counterbalance the demands of the job, Raute offers challenging and interesting work opportunities in an international climate.
During the past hundred years, Raute has become a global leader in
its field and the company intends to stay on the cutting edge of development for the next one hundred years as well. This will require
recruitment of competent, innovative and motivated people. That is
why Raute is also investing in physical well-being of its personnel by
organizing various recreational activities, as well as by performing
fitness surveys.
“Being in good physical shape is an important part of coping
with the demands of the job. We encourage our employees to keep in
shape by providing various planned fitness activities, and by making access to fitness clubs available as well as supporting the fitness
activities of individuals.”
“Vocational training is highly valued by today’s youth. This assists us in finding skilled employees ,” says Anne Aaltonen, HR
Development Manager.
Raute has a typical age profile
for the metal industry. New
professionals are needed to replace
those retiring, but most importantly,
the know-how accumulated over
the years by the older employees
needs to be transferred to the
younger generation.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
23
>>
Job profile changes with age
and experience
“Working as a mentor has also given me a lot.
Raute has been an excellent employer and by
passing along my knowledge, I am giving back
to the company,” explains Erkki Lindqvist, with
40-year career at Raute.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
Raute has a typical age profile for the
metal industry. New professionals are
needed to replace those retiring, but most
importantly, the know-how accumulated
over the years by the older employees
needs to be transferred to the younger
generation. Securing long-term expertise
is valued at Raute and is in part secured
by adapting employees’ job profiles in accordance with their life situations.
One of Raute’s long-term employees and a mentor to younger employees is Erkki Lindqvist. Lindqvist, who
celebrates his 40-year career at Raute
next year, has travelled the world installing Raute machinery for 22 years. A
little over ten years ago his job profile
changed.
“I got tired of the constant travelling. When I got the feeling that I’d done
everything and seen everything for the
thousandth time, I knew it was time for a
change,” says Lindqvist reflecting on his
career.
Lindqvist’s change came when
Matti Paakki, Raute’s Product Development Manager at the time, decided he
needed a skilled mechanic to assist in
product development, a position Erkki
Lindqvist was able to fill.
Adapting a long career according to an employee’s life circumstances
and physical condition enhances the
efficiency of that employee’s work performance. Erkki Linqvist’s long experience and expertise in the installation of
Raute machinery is now an invaluable
addition to product development.
“I know what the product does and
what’s required of it, so the customer
will also appreciate it,” Lindqvst says.
He is also happy that he now has
more time for himself, his family and
for his spare time activities. In addition,
he no longer feels burdened by the demands put on installers in the field.
“Schedules are tight. Keeping to them requires installers
to work long hours and have a very diverse knowledge base.
However, at some point we all need to slow down. I’m now on
a part-time pension which has provided me with a new enthusiasm for my job,” Lindqvist says.
A comprehensive approach to
the development of expertise
From master to apprentice
THE TRANSFER OF KNOW-HOW is required in or-
In addition to having enjoyed many wonderful experiences,
the years spent travelling the world have gained for Erkki
Lindqvist an immense amount of experience that cannot be
found in books. He is now passing on this valuable knowledge
by mentoring the much younger Antti Taavila. Mentoring is a
tradition that has been reawakened at Raute. It has been identified as an efficient way to operate from both the employer’s
and employees’ points of view. “It’s great that I can pass on
my knowledge to a young, enthusiastic and receptive person.
Antti and I agreed from the beginning that everything can and
should be called into question. There is never just one way of
doing things,” explains Lindqvist.
Antti Taavila came to Raute straight from high school. At
present he is studying for a vocational qualification in maintenance through his apprenticeship. Antti wishes to achieve a
specialist vocational qualification in the future.
“Raute’s support of its employees’ education and competence development is versatile. It was an important factor for
me when applying for this job. I want to develop myself and my
work skills,” Taavila says, adding that it is easy working with
Erkki.“He advises me and assists me whenever I need help. It’s
great to be learning from one of the best. Erkki’s broad experience has enhanced my personal learning,” says Taavila.
Reflects Erkki Lindqvist, “Working as a mentor has also
given me a lot. Raute has been an excellent employer and by
passing along my knowledge, I am giving back to the company.”
Working on the road as an installation technician is demanding. Installation times are usually long and installers
often have to live in foreign countries for months at a time.
For a young installation technician, every new factory and
every new country is a challenge.
“In this work being able to present yourself socially is
important, second only to your professional installation skills.
At customer sites you must interact with different people and
different cultures on a regular basis,” says Lindqvist.
Antti’s first long trip abroad is behind him. It was an experience that he would not change for anything.
“You have to make it on your own when you’re abroad.
I couldn’t turn to Erkki when the first problem came up, but
had to solve it myself. In addition to learning new things, I
also learned to speak Swedish fluently.”
der to improve and develop internal expertise. On
its own, however, it is not enough. Internal expertise
also needs to be constantly developed in a variety
of ways. The ongoing development of expertise is
among Raute’s core strategic policies, guaranteeing that we will have skilled professionals in the
future.
The basis for this development is the identification of important areas of expertise and anticipating
the types of skills that will be needed in the future.
Based on this understanding, courses of action can
be planned and, if necessary, new work methods and
models can be created for putting the development
work into practice. Analyzing the current situation
on a regular basis guarantees that the areas under
focus remain on course.
The motivation of company personnel is key to
developing the expertise of the company as a whole.
At Raute, the progress and career development of
every employee is supported and advanced using
a number of initiatives. These include conducting
skills surveys, monitoring the personal development
of employees, recruiting and training new professionals, in-house learning, mentoring, internal and
outsourced training, as well as the undertaking of
various educational degrees.
Lindqvist explains that new installers learn the most
when a new line is started up. They are able to observe, in
real terms, the manufacture of the product. That is when
they gain insight, which helps them to develop and learn.
“Monitoring an installation cannot be compared to working
at the factory. That is where I receive vital knowledge about
machines and how they’re built. Monitoring installations is
very different,” Antti says, adding that, for an installer, there
is no experience better than seeing how logs are turned into
veneer. ●
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
25
text: Molli Nyman
New opportunities
IN CHINA
In September, 2006 Raute Corporation’s subsidiary in
China, Raute (Shanghai) Machinery Co. Ltd., obtained
the permits necessary to conduct business. Now, less
than two years later, the operation has more than
doubled in size.
RAUTE’S BUSINESS OPERATIONS comprise project deliveries and technology
services for the wood products industry.
As the wood products industry is sensitive to changes in the global economy,
particularly those affecting construction and transportation, many companies have been forced to seek alternative
production sources in order to maintain
a healthy cost structure. This is enabling
such companies to benefit from flexible
factory loading while maintaining ontime delivery and quality. When Raute
began considering China as a possibility for both procurement and production
operations, the main goal was to reduce
Raute’s vulnerability to economic fluctuations.
Raute began making structural
changes to its production process in
2005. Now, the company concentrates
on maintaining its core competence inhouse while outsourcing those activities
not requiring a high level of technology
and expertise.
“From the start it was clear that we
wanted to be able to maintain the high
quality of our operations. We knew that
China was the place to go when considering our opportunities, but we wanted
to keep matters in our own hands. By
starting our operation in Shanghai, we
could still get all the benefits, however,
control of delivery times and the quality of the operation was still in our own
hands. We also wanted to be close to
the Chinese market in order to be able
to serve local customers”, says Tapani
Kiiski, President and CEO of Raute
Corporation.
The Shanghai facility began as a
trading operation employing three persons. It has since developed into a fullscale plant employing 40 people. Floor
area has more than doubled to 3,800 m2.
Equipment manufactured in Shanghai
is shipped to Raute’s factories in either
Finland or Canada for further processing or delivered directly to the customers’ sites.
We are interested in expanding
our international operations by localized procurement and production. The
Shanghai operation has exceeded all
our expectations, and are convinced
that this model can work well also in
other places. ●
The official opening ceremony of the new
premises was held on 28 February 2008.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
Automatic direct veneer slicing
and drying line
text: Matti Aho
Raute makes
great
strides
in veneer slicing and drying technology
Those involved in the veneer industry will be familiar with the expression
– hurry up and wait. This situation occurs when the auxiliary functions
are not synchronized with the main production process, resulting in
non-productive operating time and less-than-optimal performance.
A GOOD ANALOGY is a motorist who
pulls up next to you at a red light and
speeds off when it turns green, only to be
sitting and waiting at the next red light
when you pull up next to him. Steady
progress wins the race!
Raute’s engineers considered this
scenario when designing our new horizontal veneer slicer. The design philosophy focused on maximizing productivity by looking beyond the maximum
operating speed of the machine to a system that performs on a continuous and
reliable basis, from one shift to the next,
day after day. In this way the goal of
minimizing non-productive downtime
would be met and optimal operating
time would be realized.
By operating the slicer at its optimal,
not necessarily maximum, speed, slicing
operations would realize several important benefits, among them precise control
of slicing parameters, the best sliced veneer quality possible, and less equipment
wear resulting in reduced maintenance.
Raute’s credentials as a technology
provider to the decorative veneer business are our extensive experience in the
wood products industry, globally, and
the important development work we
have undertaken since 2005 based on
the proprietary slicing and drying technology acquired by Raute previously.
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Formula for success
A proven formula does exist for the
profitable production of wood products,
including decorative veneer.
When slicing and drying technology performs at the level necessary to
ensure profitable production, the following success parameters are being
met. This applies to:
• recovery – maximizing the volume
of usable veneer obtained from each
flitch,
• quality – producing veneer of
uniform thickness that is free from
cracks,
• productivity – optimizing veneer
output per shift, and
• capacity – potential volume that
the line can produce.
With the knowledge that these performance standards are being met, mill
personnel will perform their tasks with
greater confidence, while buyers will be
assured of receiving product that performs to specification and represents
value for money.
Technology
and safety combined
The following performance parameters
can be considered the preferred qualities in a modern veneer slicer:
• it produces high-quality veneer
on a consistent basis,
• it maximizes recovery and
productivity,
• it is safe to operate for the operator
and maintenance personnel, and
• it follows the flow-through principle; i.e., it fits seamlessly into an
automatic direct veneer slicing and
drying line, when required.
Raute viewed the horizontal slicing method as offering the best solution
for satisfying these design criteria. After consulting with users and reviewing alternative slicing techniques, it
was determined that horizontal slicing provides optimal performance with
respect to veneer quality and smooth
operation. The gravity minimizes automatically the play in the movements of
both the flitch table and the knife carriage, and as a result, the tolerances re-
Raute veneer press dryer at UPM’s Lohja veneer mill.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
main constant and within specification
over time.
Safety is also a relevant factor in
horizontal slicing. At no time is the operator required to put himself between
the knife and the flitch and the flitch
cannot fall off the horizontal table. The
noise level of the unit while operating
is also low.
Operation
Flitches are positioned on the flitch table by a traveling carriage charger and
held in position by clamping dogs or
optional vacuum table. When required,
the carriage charger will turn the flitch
automatically.
The flitch table then moves horizontally under the knife carriage in a back
and forth motion. With each pass of the
flitch across the knife, the carriage adjusts vertically in increments equal to
the thickness of the cut. Immediately after the veneer is sliced from the flitch it
is automatically conveyed to a crowding
conveyor installed between the slicer
and dryer. When required, veneer can
also be stacked manually after slicing.
Dry veneer moisture analyzer at the press dryer exit.
The conveying speed of the discharging device is synchronized with
the cutting speed of the flitch table. The
handling of the veneer is achieved without damage to the surface of the veneer
and at high speed. Each piece of veneer
is discharged with the finished surface
right-side-up, which eliminates the
need to turn the veneers. The backing
board is discharged automatically.
Maintaining
quality through the dryer
It is essential that the quality of the
green sliced veneer isn’t compromised
during drying. To ensure this, Raute’s
screen press drying system has several
unique features that result in:
• veneer with a smooth surface and no
cracks,
• veneer that is flat with no buckling,
• veneer that has uniform final moisture content, and
• veneer that does not undergo color
degradation.
In addition, the drying system enables mills to remain competitive by delivering high productivity, measured in
sheets per minute, low energy consumption, low labor requirements, and easy
control over the process variables.
These results are achieved through
a high level of automation, tight and
leak-free dryer construction, the use
of energy-efficient, inverter-controlled
fans and optimized humidity control.
A multi-tiered MIS reporting system is
also available.
Veneer is transported through the
dryer between high-quality stainless
steel mesh belts in a curved multiple
omega path. The difference in peripheral velocity between the outer and inner
belts in turns creates an ironing effect
on the veneer to enhance its smoothness.
The belts are driven, guided and supported by precision-made rollers. Belt
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
29
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tensioning and tracking is controlled
pneumatically.
Veneer is stacked manually after
the dryer. If it exits the dryer too hot, it
will absorb moisture from the air and
may buckle. For this reason the temperature of the veneer coming out of
the dryer must be as close to the mill
ambient temperature as possible. An
efficient cooling section ensures that
the veneer is at the proper temperature
after drying.
Advanced control
A highly-accurate dry veneer moisture
analyzer (DMA) is used to measure the
moisture content of the dry veneer. This
moisture data together with the moisture data collected on the green veneer
is then used to automatically control the
dryer belt speed.
The control system has pre-programmed drying recipes that are written
according to the species, veneer thickness and the length of the veneer sheet.
Each recipe has default values that are
programmed in accordance with air
temperature, air velocity, air humidity
and belt speed.
An optional Management Information System (MIS) provides on-line
information concerning operating parameters, including production levels
and downtime fault data. This information is downloaded directly to the mill’s
ERP system and may be accessed from
anywhere in the mill or from a remote
location, enabling troubleshooting to
be carried out without the presence of a
Raute service technician.
Modern technology meets
long traditions
The first Raute made horizontal veneer
slicer will be installed at UPM’s veneer
mill in Lohja, Finland. It will be connected to an 8-section Raute veneer
press dryer to form an automatic direct
veneer slicing and drying line. This mill
has long traditions as the leading manufacturer of decorative birch veneer in
Europe. ●
The Raute horizontal veneer slicer at Raute’s R&D center.
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PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
Wood Technology Show 2008
12–14 March, Portland, Oregon
text: Rick Massey
photos: Mikko Pajamies
GIVEN THE CURRENT situation of the
North American wood products industry,
all exhibitors at this year’s show were understandably concerned about the level
of attendance.
During downturns in our industry,
it is usual for corporations to limit the
number of people they allow to attend
trade shows. Such was the case at this
year’s show.
However, while the number of attendees may have been down, many of those
who did attend were corporate decisionmakers, responsible for capital purchases.
At this year’s event, Raute chose to
showcase two technologies that are very
much at the forefront of our technology
offering to the North American plywood
industry – robotic panel patching and
XY block optimization.
Using a static display and video,
visitors were introduced to Raute’s
panel repair technology that combines
the precise defect recognition capabilities of our VDA camera scanning system
with the precise positioning accuracy
and reliable operation of industrial robots.
Advantages of using this new technology are many. They include the ability to easily define the grade and patch
count, to make proprietary products according to recipe-driven grades and the
certainty that the quality of the patched
panels will be consistent.
One operator only is required for
monitoring purposes. Other benefits include the elimination of the demanding physical labor associated with panel
patching and the elimination of the risk
of injury to mill personnel.
To demonstrate how our XY block
optimization works, a simulation was
used. It consisted of three curtain lasers
positioned above a rotating block. Video
of the system in operation was shown,
while an animation demonstrated the
finer details of this technology we call
Smart Scan.
The data generated by the Smart
Scan block optimization system is used
to automatically position the lathe’s
knife carriage. Its 8,000 plus data points
per block provide a true 3D image to ensure precise scanning.
Other “hot” topics included the recent start-up of the Murphy Engineered
Wood LVL line in Sutherlin, Oregon in
which Raute was the primary equipment supplier and the vigorous business
activity Raute is experiencing, especially in Russia and South America.
Thanks to all who visited our booth
at this year’s show. ●
PLYVISIONS – Raute Customer Magazine
31
A century of
global expertise
Raute is the leading technology company in its sector serving the wood products
industry worldwide by adding value to its customers’ businesses. The core of operations comprises the manufacturing processes for veneer-based products.
The company was founded in 1908.
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www.raute.com