2007 Editorial Index
Clippings
Industry Developments
Timber Products Co., Springfield, Ore., has introduced GreenT, a line of hardwood plywood that is available with a special no-added-urea formaldehyde resin and several core options produced with recycled wood fibers.
Feature
Biological Scrubber Reported To Guarantee MACT Compliance
Scheuch is one of the world’s leading suppliers of ventilation and environmental control technology. The company currently touts its patented processes for cleaning dryer and press exhaust gases in the wood-based panel industry, and reports approximately 40 of its exhaust gas cleaning plants in operation worldwide to the complete satisfaction of the operators.
Scheuch first developed its biological process for cleaning the exhaust gases generated by MDF dryers 10 years ago and the first large scale plant to use the technology began operating only a short time later. After only minor optimization, the plant was immediately able to achieve all desired goals and meet mandated emission limits.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Positioning Today For Future Regulations by Chad Darby and Danielle Lenzini
Climate change. Is it really happening? If so, is it a man-made problem? Whether you would answer “yes” to these questions or not, one thing is certain: Climate change has become a hot political topic. In the current absence of federal policy, many states have begun developing either voluntary or mandatory registries for facilities to report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The follow-up to the registries is expected to be policy that will require emission caps or reductions in greenhouse gas emissions based on verifiable accounting and reporting. If the U.S. adopts regulations similar to the European countries, in the next few years there may be a required market-based trading system in which emission reductions must be achieved or offsets must be purchased or created.
Masonite Selects New RTO System
Looking to complete its Plywood & Composite Wood Products MACT Compliance Program at the company’s Laurel, Miss. fiberboard and door components plant, Masonite officials considered both rotary valve units and the old style multiple chamber butterfly and/or poppet valve RTO systems.
After careful consideration the company choose the Environmental and Energy Systems division of Dürr Systems to install three RL rotary valve RTO systems.
Multi-Bin Automatic Dry Random Stacking
The North American softwood plywood industry continues to go through major changes as it strives to maintain its position among major structural panel products. Changes include a shift by many producers to industrial products and a concerted effort to upgrade, modernize and automate the various manufacturing processes.
One such process is random handling. Mills are at the mercy of random veneer, which makes up a significant percentage of core material. Unfortunately, due to the inconsistency of random dimensions, significant labor is required to ensure it is successfully recovered, dried and processed.
Panel World Conference Releases Agenda, Registration Information
The Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE), sponsored by Panel World magazine, has accumulated 90 speakers for its event to be held next February 7-9 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta.
The conference will be supported by an expo to be held in the Exhibit Hall of the Omni, and organizers expect a sellout of 70-80 equipment manufacturer and supplier companies.
Plum Creek Completes Robotic Veneer Plugging Line by Dan Shell
Plum Creek is moving ahead with robotic veneer plugging lines after the recent installation and complete startup of a new seven-cell line at its Evergreen softwood plywood plant here, following the successful installation last year of a four-cell line just up the road at the company’s Columbia Falls plant.
In automating what has traditionally been a manual process, the application uses a visual grade scanning system and robotic arms to replace the plugging machine operator’s “eyes” and “hands” by accurately moving each sheet of veneer under an existing plugging machine.
Timber Products Focuses On Constant Upgrades, Equipment Specialization by David Abbott
Stay up to date or die is the motto, according to Timber Products Regional Manager Mike Larsen, who oversees the company’s hardwood sawmill and veneer plant in the Lake States, based in Michigan’s upper peninsula near Lake Superior. Under Larsen’s leadership for over two decades, the plant’s management operates under a philosophy of constant improvement: “We’re good now, but we won’t be in five years if we stay where we’re at.” In the ongoing search for new competitive edges, the mill has upgrade projects planned in five-year increments going on indefinitely. Recent additions to the veneer side include a Reform knife grinder, a Montgomery hog system and a Tectronix metal detector installed in January 2007.
Veneer Tech Redesign At Newport Face Veneer Operation Goes Modular by Jennifer McCary
Last year, Veneer Technologies Inc. increased its footprint about 25% with the addition of a 50,000 sq. ft. plant expansion to house a completely redesigned and expanded face veneer production department. Previously, the layout was configured in a star pattern with four production spurs or zones feeding to a central location to facilitate time and motion efficiencies. The new layout incorporates a modular design and automates material handling to provide greater versatility, operating efficiency and quality controls.
“It’s a whole new splicing concept, ” states Vice President John Varner. “There are two main lines and the machines are interchangeable so we can easily pull machines in and out. That ensures better quality and since we’re automated from the double jointers through the glue applicators, it protects the integrity of our cut and ensures the glue is applied properly.”
Projects
Recent Mill Orders, Installations & Startups
Drying Technology, Inc. recently installed four new DELTA T veneer dryer control systems at Boise Wood Products, Oakdale, La., to replace DELTA T’s installed in 1987. In addition, two new DELTA T systems were installed at Hood Plywood, Wiggins, Miss., and a 2-n-1 DELTA T system was upgraded at Hood’s Beaumont, Miss. mill. Also, nine DELTA T moisture control systems were installed on MDF dryers with excellent results, according to the company: one at Flakeboard’s mill in Saul St. Marie, Ontario; two at Westpine’s mill, Quesnel, BC; and three at Plum Creek’s mill at Columbia Falls, Mont.
Supply Lines
Equipment & Supplier News
Coating Equipment Solutions Co. (CESCO) has been incorporated as an engineering house and equipment manufacturer for high-volume organic finishing. It has also been appointed an OEM distributor for Wagner liquid and powder coating systems. CESCO is based in Stallings, NC and provides sales, program management, and extensive technical support throughout the U.S. Canada and Mexico.
Taking Stock
A Robot In Your Future?
Please forgive the cheesy “Robots Attack!” headline on the Plum Creek story sidebar on page 14, but it’s not often the trade press in a mature, mostly rural industry gets to write about such science fiction developments. While robots haven’t been “fiction” for more than six decades now, they’ve only recently made appearances in the forest products industry.
Update
Breaking News
As of October 5, Composite Panel Assn. reported that EPA’s enforcement division had communicated with its regional directors in support of granting extensions to wood products facilities that can demonstrate a need for more time to comply with the Plywood and Composite Wood Products (PCWP) MACT deadline. EPA agrees with industry’s characterization that the deadline is infeasible for many PCWP operations, according to CPA.
What's New
New Products & Technologies
Pallmann defines the standard of OSB production technology with its fully automatic magazine knife change (MKC) system for its PZU-Strander together with the ring profile scan (RPS), which seamlessly fits into this innovation. The MKC-system works fully automatically and safely without the support of an operator when executing the exchange of blunt knives with a fresh set. Downtime is cut dramatically to the minimum, increasing productivity.