Article by Rich Donnell, Editor-in-Chief, Panel World September 2022

PART THREE: This is the third of a four-part series summarizing the presentations delivered during the Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) held this spring and hosted by Panel World in Atlanta March 31 to April 1. The first two parts appeared in the May and July issues of Panel World, and the fourth and final selection will be in the upcoming November issue.

ATLANTA, Ga. – Terry Liles, director of raw materials, Huber Engineered Woods, dug into the application of EVOP (Evolutionary Operation) and Taguchi Design. He defined EVOP as an ongoing mode of using an operating full-scale process so that information on how to improve the process is generated from a simple experimental design while production is underway.

He noted two methodologies for conducting EVOPs: Factorial Designs, a scientific experiment that determines the influence of multiple factors on the subject, while assuming the process is consistent or under control; and Robust Product Design (or Taguchi Design), a methodology to improve the quality of a product by minimizing the effect of variation without eliminating the causes, and with minimal sensitivity to variation in uncontrollable factors or noise.

With either design approach, it’s most important to understand and state the objective for the experiment. “If you can’t define the purpose, why are you doing it?” Have a general model of the process and understand the variation; that is, the total variation is the sum of the real product variation and the measurement system variation; and the measurement system variation is the sum of the variation due to repeatability and due to reproducibility.

The sampling strategy is of utmost importance, including the number of samples and tests; and data integrity is crucial. “Am I collecting the right data to answer the questions I’m asking?”

One of the advantages of EVOP is the inclusion of many team members, Liles said, and an effective means of communication is essential such as an information board with results, statistics, deviations, graphs, etc.

He noted that Taguchi design as an EVOP is most suitable with a larger number of factors and levels, and when fewer experiments are needed; when you’re able to measure the impact of uncontrolled variables; and when there’s a targeted response objective. Whereas Factorial Design is better when the number of factors and levels is small, experiments are not time-consuming and the costs for the experiments are low, and when a combination of factors could be significant contributors to the response.

Left to right, Tim Young, Justin Price, Terry Liles and Jeff Vaughn get into experimental methodology.

Jeff Vaughn, eastern regional technical and CI manager for Roseburg, also addressed Design of Experiment Methodology as compared to traditional model of experimentation. The current state of experiments and trials is mostly the “best guess” approach and “one factor at a time” approach, Vaughn said.

The best guess approach has advantages through the technical and theoretical knowledge and practical experiences of team members, but this approach is generally not very efficient and can exclude better solutions. The one factor at a time approach is a simple, baseline approach with simple analysis, but fails to consider possible interaction between the factors and doesn’t gain enough data to deliver statistical significance.

An alternative approach is statistical design of experiments, including Taguchi, which refers to the process of planning and executing an experiment so that the proper data will be collected an analyzed through statistical methods, resulting in effective and unbiased conclusions.

QUALITY CONTROL

A series of presentations addressed Quality Control, including one by Richard Lepine, general manager with Argos Solutions. He touched on automatic grading and surface defect inspection technology, initially showing its obvious benefits (speed, defect size and location, no labor issues, verification, etc.) compared to visual inspection.

He defined new standards for TFL surface defects (such as dirt, spots, fibers, scratches, and area size) and revealed Argo’s automated detection system for printed pattern TFL, including detection of hidden defects in complicated patterns, automatic adjustment for inaccuracies in paper, stretch/shrink, rotation; special illumination; and no learning mode required; and noted the Argos use of different light angles; and finally addressed Argos’ real time monitoring and database system and reporting for categorization and statistical analysis.

Keith Mays, president of EWS North America, addressed a range of quality control products from Electronic Wood Systems GmbH, Baumer Inspection Gmbh and Monitor Plus GmbH. He hit on spark detection/extinguishment and board scanning and measurement from EWS, and the SicoScan system in collaboration with Siempelkamp, and within SicoScan the EcoScan NEO – FBD (foreign body detector) and FLY area weight measurement.

He provided detail on Baumer’s ColourBrain 4.0 optical top and bottom inspection of raw board, including a new illumination module, running through a Q-Live server environment that provides database, networking and is user-friendly. He addressed Q-Brain, which classifies the defects while QLive provides full transparency to leverage process optimization.

He also spoke in detail on Monitor Plus, a system that monitors product quality and actives alarm signals or a production stop if quality specifications are not met. It features SMART camera technology and is designed for any kind of conveying system and entails the latest data processing for its numerous product scanning and detection tasks and functions ranging from bowing to cupping, twisting, curvature, to number of drill holes in wood components, particleboard edge porosity, laminate color and glossiness, profile and contour measurement, through multiple line laser thickness measurement.

Continuing with the theme of board scanning and quality control, Michael Spurgin, sales manager North America for Limab, spoke about the different building materials that Limab’s scanning and measurement system caters to. He said Limab’s thickness measurement eliminates the effects from vibrations and bumps.

He noted several benefits with in-line measurement, from consistency to reduced downtime and increased yield; and the benefits of non-contact versus contact roller systems, including measurement on soft material like insulation to thin board to high speed and rough surfaces, while measurement starts immediately at the front edge of panels.

He pointed to multiple locations for Limab installation in a typical board processing line, including after the press, either before or after the sander (verifying that the final product is within tolerances), and with double effectiveness if measurement scanners are located both before and after the sander while using one PC; as well as a three point sander configuration including between the heads.

Jason Kovacik, sales manager with Finna Sensors, spoke on production enhancements and profitability by using IoT data-driven moisture control measurement sensors. He reviewed why IoT sensors are trending, including real-time process data, visibility of process trends and conditions, and more focused analysis. Compared to non-enabled sensors, IoT sensors enable cloud-based updates, remote diagnostics, and monitoring of sensor health and performance.

Kovacik spoke on the criteria for integrating IoT-enabled sensors into your process, including partnering with the right organization and having a strategy for adoption. More technology-specific, he focused on Finna’s OMNIR noncontact, non-destructive, real-time moisture control measurement, which features white light, near-infrared energy filtering and resonance frequency of water molecules, and with advantages built into the associated and minimized system hardware.

Kovacik talked about the company’s RF technology including an in-line meter that delivers a full moisture map of boards/pieces; and he addressed their in-line acoustic technology for strength grading.

Finna’s products can be implemented and provide value throughout the process, from incoming raw material to drying, energy production and final product quality.

The biennial Timber Processing & Energy Expo, following a pandemic-induced cancellation in 2020, returns this September 28-30 to the Portland Exposition Center in Portland, Ore. Hatton-Brown Expositions, an affiliate of Panel World magazine, has hosed the event since 2010.

“It’s hard to believe it has been four years since TP&EE was held, and what a strange trip it has been,” comments Rich Donnell, TP&EE Show Director and Editor-in-Chief of Panel World. “The important thing is that we’re back face-to-face. ‘Virtual’ is okay, but it’s not like being there.”

About 150 equipment and technology exhibitors will be located in Hall E at the Expo Center. “There’s no question the event has always been heavier to the sawmill sector, but there are a significant number of exhibitors who cater to the panel industry as well,” Donnell says. “And especially when you cross over into engineered wood products, as this event does, you get the best of the primary wood products manufacturing world.”

See pages 46-60 in Panel World September 2022 for a list of exhibitors, the exhibitors floor plan and a preview section of exhibitors for the panel industry and write-ups on their technologies.

TP&EE will include a conference entitled “From Forest to Frame: Mass Timber Developments.” It will be held during the first day of the show, Wednesday, September 28. A second conference, “Sawmill Productivity & Efficiency,” will be held on Thursday, September 29.

“The mass timber movement is truly taking shape on the ground with innovative building construction and environmental appeal,” Donnell comments. Representatives from the leading manufacturers of mass timber (producers and equipment suppliers) and from mass timber supporting organizations will address this remarkable growth and its unlimited potential that could entice panel mills and sawmills to turn up the production volume.

Presenters thus far for the Mass Timber Developments conference include:

● Allan Czinger, Senior Account Manager, USNR: “Optimizing Sawmills for Mass Timber Production”

● Kyle Freres, Vice President of Operations, Freres Engineered Wood: “Evolution of Wood Products: Past and Future of Freres Engineered Wood”

● Justin Harries, Senior Director, Business Development Manager USA, Binderholz Mass Timber: “Bringing Binderholz Expertise To North America”

● Janelle Leafblad, Senior Director, Western Division, WoodWorks: “Growing Market Demand for Wood Products”

● Derek Ratchford, CEO, SmartLam: “U.S. South Mass Timber Growth”

● Russ Vaagen, Founder & CEO, Vaagen Timbers: “Mass Timber: From Early Adopter To Mainstream Buildings”

More presenters will be announced in the coming weeks.

Cost to attend the conference is $115 and you can register at timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com. Admission to the expo floor is free if you register now.

MASS TIMBER TOUR

An optional Mass Timber Tour will be conducted on Thursday, September 29. The full-day tour schedule includes:

—Bus leaves Portland Expo Center 8:30 a.m.

—Travel to and tour Freres Engineered Wood, Lyons, Ore.

—Travel to mass timber structure sites

—Travel to TallWood Institute, Corvallis, Ore. (lunch included)

—Return to Portland Expo Center

Cost for the tour is $95, and you can register at timberprocessingandenergyexpo.com.

RoyOMartin has named Natalie Martin Monroe Vice President of Environmental, Safety, and Sustainability Operations. She will also serve as a member of the Strategic Action Leadership Team (SALT) and the Corporate Secretary for the Martin Sustainable Resources (MSR) Board of Directors.

Natalie will oversee corporate safety programs, employees, and training. Her additional responsibilities include reviewing and evaluating operations and company practices for all sustainability initiatives. She will also be a liaison to stakeholders, shareholders, and customers.

“Safety and environmental compliance are top priorities at RoyOMartin,” Monroe says about the company founded by her great-grandfather, Roy O. Martin, Sr., in 1923. “In my new role, I will keep the focus on safety and environmentally-conscious practices while also incorporating sustainability efforts to ensure that my family’s business is a viable part of the central Louisiana community for generations to come.”

Monroe began her career at RoyOMartin when she worked as an intern during the construction of the company’s plywood facility in 1995-1996. She later joined the organization as the Corporate Environmental Manager in July 2003. She is a 1998 graduate of Vanderbilt University and holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree specializing in civil and environmental engineering. She also earned a Master of Business Administration from Louisiana State University in 2002.

Working early in her career as a project engineer with C-K Associates and Providence Engineering consulting firms, Monroe was involved in preparing environmental site assessments and permit applications. Through her work as a consultant, she also served as a contractor at Exxon Mobil Chemical Company where she specialized in waste management and permitting.

“With Natalie’s 18 years of environmental management, she has many experiences and skills to draw upon that make her a solid fit for the new Vice President of Environmental, Safety, and Sustainability Operations role,” adds Terry Secrest, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing and Sales. “She will lead our safety journey to zero accidents and zero environmental incidents while showcasing our company’s exemplary leadership in sustainability.”

In her day-to-day work at RoyOMartin, she stays abreast of all new and upcoming environmental regulatory requirements that may impact the wood-products industry, while also working closely with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on multi-media permits and reporting requirements. Monroe will oversee environmental work at all RoyOMartin’s manufacturing and forestry sites. She also serves as Treasurer of the Martin Foundation, where she manages employee and dependent scholarships to colleges and universities across Louisiana and Texas.

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ROYOMARTIN ADDS PRODUCTION LINE IN CORRIGAN

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service recently awarded $2 million total to six projects that highlight innovative architectural design and mass timber’s significant role in carbon reduction. According to SLB officials, lessons learned from each project will be shared with the construction community to help support future projects, including cost analyses, life cycle assessments and other research results.

Here are the buildings:

• New medical center in Vancouver, Wash.: 176,000 sq. ft., four-story mass timber over steel structure uses CLT and glulam.

• High-rise multifamily in downtown Denver: 12-story building with nine levels of mass timber. Features glulam columns and beams and CLT decks.

• Low income charter school, Long Island, NY: a five-story hybrid CLT building uses more than 36,000 cubic feet of CLT.

• New 42,456 sq. ft. industrial warehouse in Kent, Wash., features CLT panels and glulam beams and columns.

• Intro Cleveland Phase 2: Massive 750,000 sq. ft. mixed use development is the largest mass timber project in the U.S. Phase 2 will build a 16-story mass timber building with mass timber tower consisting of glulam columns and girders with CLT floor slabs. The team projects wood to comprise about 50% of the total structure.

• Three-story 18,780 sq. ft. office space building in Portland, Ore., with major goal of proving out the rocking shear wall system and showing how this advanced technology can exceed code and provide a cost-effective seismic solution for three to 12 story buildings.

Burlington, Wash.-based Pacific Woodtech announced the acquisition of Louisiana-Pacific Corp.’s EWP (I-Joist and LVL) division for $210 million. The acquisition includes LP laminated veneer lumber and I-Joist manufacturing facilities in Wilmington, NC; Red Bluff, Calif.; and Golden, British Columbia, associated timber license assets, and the SolidStart laminated strand lumber brand. The sale is targeted to close in early August.

The acquisition comes as PWT expands its North American engineered wood product offerings. “Adding Golden, Wilmington, and Red Bluff to PWT’s existing EWP business will propel the company into new growth,” comments President and CEO Jim Enright. “PWT continues to drive positive change at the cutting edge of engineered wood products, and this acquisition will provide a more streamlined and focused resource for the industry. We are working hard to make this a seamless transition, one that allows for the retention and care of current employees and clients and strengthens PWT’s position as a leading force in the EWP market going forward.”

PWT has experienced impressive growth in the industry since its inception in 1998, a result of its commitment to innovation and its sole focus on engineered wood products for more than 20 years.

“We believe that Pacific Woodtech is well positioned to invest in and grow the SolidStart brand, and its acquisition of LP’s EWP business marks another important step in LP’s ongoing strategic transformation,” says LP Chair and CEO Brad Southern. “We will work with Pacific Woodtech to ensure a smooth transition for our EWP employees, customers, and suppliers. I want to express my sincere thanks to the entire EWP team for their patience and professionalism throughout this process. I wish them all the best moving forward.”