Northwest Panel Industry Comes Together 

The 2024 version of the Timber Processing & Energy Expo (TP&EE), held September 25-27 at the Portland Expo Center in Portland, Ore., while as usual heavier to lumber manufacturing, once again drew significant players from the veneer, plywood and engineered wood products industries.

Nearly 1,200 attendees (non-exhibitors) registered for the event, which featured 180 exhibitors on 45,000 sq. ft. of booth space. The biennial event was the sixth TP&EE produced by Hatton-Brown Expositions, an affiliate of Panel World magazine, which served as a media host along with Timber Processing and Wood Bioenergy magazines.

The event included a mini-conference on “Panel Manufacturing Today.”

“Making Wood Matter: Automation Advancements Driving the Mill of the Future” was presented by Connor Eaton, account manager at Raute. Eaton reviewed the company’s versatile R-Series technologies integrated into Raute’s compact layup line and panel repairing stations, with customized options.

How do EWP producers gain an edge? “The answer is clear: embrace automation, AI, and deep data analytics to increase speed, efficiency, output and unit cost,” Eaton said, adding that AI solves two key pressure points for mills—data and manpower.

Eaton said the mill of the future is happening today, and pointed to Raute’s $93 million (Euro) contract for the technology delivery to a new LVL mill for Metsä Wood in Aänekoski, Finland.

George Harmati, Technical Sales Manager, Westmill, spoke on “Advancements in Dryer Technology,” and noted that recent projects for Westmill included the installation last summer of the world’s longest jet dryer at Roseburg in Coquille, Ore., and two new jet dryers for Hood Industries in Beaumont, Miss. with “dual heat” technology; and a new 400 ft. long, 10-deck fiberboard dryer for Huebert Fiberboard in Missouri.

Harmati reviewed the evolution of dryer technology, and pointed to more recent Westmill innovations in dryer design and material handling, including Westmill’s WestVac capture technology, now standard on new Westmill dryers; humidity control enhancements; and Westmill’s electrically actuated tipple.

The next TP&EE is scheduled for September 23-25, 2026 at the Portland Expo Center.

Latest News

Element5 Chooses Pinomatic For Glulam Expansion

Element5 Chooses Pinomatic For Glulam ExpansionPinomatic is delivering a glulam line and sorting line infeed to the Element5 mass timber facility in St. Thomas, Ontario. The project delivery in North American market represents yet another big step for Pinomatic, which...

Weyerhaeuser Names Brian Chaney To Lead Wood Products

Weyerhaeuser Co. has appointed Brian Chaney as senior vice president of Wood Products. Chaney recently served as vice president of Engineered Wood Products and Innovation for the company, and will take over for Keith O’Rear, who retired June 3 and will serve as a strategic advisor to the company through the end of 2024.

German Firm Debuts Wooden Turbine Blades

German Firm Debuts Wooden Turbine Blades Wind turbine blade manufacturer Voodin Blade Technology GmbH recently announced the first prototype installation of its 19.3 m wooden wind turbine blades on an existing wind turbine in Breuna, Germany. Most existing wind...

Number Nine Was Very Fine

Number Nine Was Very Fine Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, Panel World May 2024 Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, Panel World Everybody seemed to have a really good time at the recent Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo...

Hood Industries Goes With Con-Vey For Plywood Finishing Line

Hood Industries Goes With Con-Vey For Plywood Finishing Line Con-Vey, a leading provider of innovative automation and material handling solutions, has announced its collaboration with Hood Industries on the development of a cutting-edge plywood finishing line at...

Roseburg Names Tony Ramm Senior VP Of Manufacturing

Roseburg Names Tony Ramm Senior VP Of Manufacturing Roseburg is pleased to announce that Tony Ramm has accepted the role of Senior Vice President of Manufacturing, effective April 8, 2024. Ramm will drive an increased emphasis on the sustainable, long-term success of...

Find Us On Social

Newsletter

The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.

Subscribe/Renew

Panel World is delivered six times per year to North American and international professionals, who represent primary panel production operations. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.

Advertise

Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!