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
Forest Products Industry Says Goodbye To Walter
Walter Jarck, whose career in the forest products industry spanned 65 years and ranged from logging machinery to engineered wood products, died January 3, surrounded by his children, in North Wilkesboro, NC. He was 92.
PELICE 2024 Will Cover Higher Level Focus On Markets & Technologies
The ninth Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) will feature 38 speakers, while nearly 100 exhibitor sponsors will fill the Grand Ballroom North of the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta, Ga. USA.
Oregon Truckers File Suit Against State
Rob Freres, president of Oregon-based Freres Engineered Wood, a manufacturer of lumber, veneer, plywood and mass timber, has thrown in his support for a lawsuit filed by the Oregon Trucking Assn. and three Oregon-based trucking companies against the state of Oregon for overcharging truckers under the weight-mile tax.
Hasslacher Enters North America
Austria-based Hasslacher group is acquiring a stake in Element5, a mass timber producer specializing in the design, manufacture and assembly of modern engineered timber buildings. Based near Toronto, Can., Element5 employs more than 100 and produces cross-laminated timber and glued laminated timber for the North American market.
Endowment Welcomes New Board Members
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announces that Fritz Mason, Paul Hossain and Anna Torma were elected as new directors at the organization’s fall board meeting. “Drawing upon diverse backgrounds, they each bring a distinctive perspective and unique vision. We look forward to collaborating with them to further the mission of the Endowment,” comments Pete Madden, President and CEO of the Endowment.
FPIC At Louisiana Tech Receives Donation
Martin Sustainable Resources LLC of Alexandria, La. has donated $1 million to Louisiana Tech as a leadership gift toward construction of the University’s new Forest Products Innovation Center (FPIC), with the assurance of another $1 million to be presented by this June. The Center will be on South Campus and provide space for a transdisciplinary approach to solving the challenges…
Kadant Completes Key Knife Acquisition
Kadant Inc. has completed its previously announced acquisition of Key Knife, Inc. and some of its affiliates for approximately $156 million in cash, subject to certain customary adjustments. The acquisition was financed primarily through borrowings under Kadant’s revolving credit facility. Key Knife, a global supplier of engineered knife systems for custom chipping, planing, and flaking solutions for wood product industries, is headquartered in Tualatin, Ore. with…
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!