by Web Editor | Jul 6, 2018 | News
One of the best aspects of our industry is how open and inviting other producers are to visitors. It is a fact that in the wood products industry some of our fiercest competitors may also be our best customers, which encourages companies to be open and helpful. Visiting mills can often be the best way to build relationships, learn about new production processes and equipment, and develop partnerships. This is not only true for North American producers, but also foreign producers.
In January of this year, representatives of Freres Lumber learned this first-hand. Invited by Taihei, a Japanese equipment manufacturer, Freres Plant Manager Bill Childress, Chris Harpole our Plywood Maintenance Manager and myself traveled almost 24 hours to Japan for a whirlwind, five-day tour of manufacturing and equipment fabricating facilities. There was much to learn and much to see.
In a production line the magic is often in the small details, but we noticed some large differences between U.S. and Japanese production processes right away. From the start of the production, many of the blocks were conditioned in nominal 12’ lengths. A standard metric sheet of veneer or plywood is 1-meter x 2-meter, or about 3’ x 6’. Blocks this size would be difficult to handle, so they kept full length and cut in half at the lathe.
Japanese veneer processing lines are not unheard of in the States, and in fact Swanson Group, a local Oregon manufacturer has a Japanese Meinan lathe. These lathes are known for their precision and how few people are required to operate the line. They also have a substantially different philosophy in handling random veneer, which was not only evident on the veneer line, but also in the plywood workstations.
U.S. production on lines typically add the people they need to handle small, random pieces. Japanese producers crowd, stack, and compose the random veneer instead. It varies from plant to plant whether or not random veneer is composed green or dry.
Read more of this article from Kyle Freres at https://frereslumber.com/blog/2018/07/freres-lumber-representatives-visit-japanese-wood-products-manufacturers/?utm_source=Forest+Business+Network+email+newsletter&utm_campaign=7bbb0fdb95-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_07_04&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3a629cb392-7bbb0fdb95-111950185.
by Web Editor | Jun 25, 2018 | News
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new federal formaldehyde emissions regulations took effect on June 1st, 2018. As of this date all composite wood products must be certified as compliant with these regulations.The EPA defines composite wood products here as both domestic and imported particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and hardwood (decorative) plywood.
Structural engineered wood products made for construction applications are exempt from this regulation, including structural plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), wood I-joists, laminated veneer lumber, and glued-laminated timber. All of these products are manufactured with low-emitting, moisture-resistant adhesives in accordance with existing product standards and building codes, according to The Engineered Wood Association (APA).
For quick reference, structural engineered wood products marked with the APA Mark of Quality are considered exempt from the new regulations. If unmarked products from APA member mills are sold into applications that do not require a certification mark, the product invoice and an APA certificate of conformance can be used to identify the product as exempt.
The Formaldehyde Standards for Composite Wood Products Act was signed by President Barack Obama on July 7th, 2010, based on the Air Toxic Control Measure developed by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). The first phase of regulation rollout, now in effect, allows for compliance with either the CARB ATCM Phase II or the U.S. EPA TSCA Title VI. Starting March 22nd, 2019, only the U.S. EPA TSCA Title VI will be permitted as a path to compliance.
From Builder: https://www.builderonline.com/building/regulation-policy/structural-engineered-wood-products-exempt-from-new-epa-formaldehyde-regulations_o
by Web Editor | Jun 8, 2018 | News
As of Friday, June 1, it is illegal to manufacture or import composite wood products in the U.S. if they contain excessive amounts of formaldehyde.
An agreement has been reached in the case of Sierra Club v. Pruitt that sets new Formaldehyde Rule “manufactured by” dates for producers and fabricators of composite wood panels to June 1, 2018, for CARB Phase 2 or TSCA Title VI compliant materials, with only TSCA Title VI compliant and labeled products allowable after March 22, 2019.
“CPA and its members are pleased with the terms of the stipulated agreement, which, if accepted by the Court, will ensure that North American composite panel manufacturers and their customers can manage inventories and comply with TSCA Title VI in a timely manner. The settlement represents a remarkable example of cooperation between environmental groups, industry, and the government, which has characterized the efforts on this issue since 2008,” said Jackson Morrill, president of the Composite Panel Association.
“This has been a collaborative effort between Sierra Club, EPA, KCMA and a number of other trade associations,” said Betsy Natz, CEO of the Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association (KCMA). “Our collective associations were able to provide EPA and the Sierra Club with critical information on the practical implications of setting a compliance date that would be unworkable to our respective industries.”
The agreement results from a lawsuit between the Louisiana non-profit Sierra Club and the EPA, in which Sierra Club challenged the EPA’s delay of the formaldehyde limits. Many Sierra members are survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Formaldehyde was used to treat wood products in FEMA trailers deployed shortly after the hurricane struck in 2005.
Read more on this from Woodworking Network at https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/formaldehyde-enforcement-begins-now?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news.
by Web Editor | May 22, 2018 | News
USDA Forest Service Interim Chief Vicki Christiansen recently announced the award of almost $8 million to expand and accelerate wood products and wood energy markets. The Wood Innovation Grants will stimulate the removal of hazardous fuels from national forests and other forest lands to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, promote forest health, and reduce the cost of forest management. The investment of federal funds will leverage over $13 million in matching funds from 33 business, university, nonprofit, and tribal partners in 20 states for a total investment of over $21 million.
“These Wood Innovation grants advance state-of-the-art solutions to reducing wildfire risk and making our forests healthier and more resilient,” said Forest Service Interim Chief Christiansen. “The public-private partnerships leveraged with these grants also foster increased economic development in rural communities.”
Previous grants supported successful blast testing of cross-laminated timber (CLT) that directly resulted in the Department of Defense using CLT on its on-base hotels; and the funding of a feasibility analysis for a new CLT manufacturing facility to increase the amount of U.S.-made CLT.
This year the Forest Service received 119 proposals, demonstrating the expanding interest in using wood in both traditional and unconventional ways, such as an innovative building material and as a renewable energy source. Since 2005 more than 260 grants have been awarded to improve forest health, create jobs, invest in renewable energy, and support healthy communities.
Of the 34 projects funded in 2018, 28 focus upon expanding markets for wood products, and six seek to increase markets for wood energy. Some examples include utilizing small-diameter woody material in cross laminated timber (CLT) panels, addressing affordable housing in the northeast building market with mass timber, converting woody debris to renewable natural gas for transportation fuel, and using juniper biomass and biochar to filter heavy metals and manage storm water.
Read more on this from the USDA Forest Service at https://www.fs.fed.us/news/releases/usda-forest-service-awards-wood-innovation-grants-expand-and-accelerate-wood-products.
by Web Editor | Apr 20, 2018 | News
First Full CLT Building In California Opens
The ribbon cutting ceremony by the Plumas County Health and Humans Services Department for its new Biomass Boiler Building in Quincy, CA on April 6, marked the opening of the first building in California made entirely of cross-laminated timber (CLT). CLT is establishing itself as a sustainable building material with a reduced carbon footprint and an inviting, natural aesthetic. Whereas limited uses of CLT were previously implemented across the state of California in buildings as a roof or floor system, the Biomass Boiler Building was constructed using CLT panels for the complete structural system to resist gravity and lateral forces, such as wind or a seismic event.
Owned by Plumas County, the industrial Biomass Boiler Building located adjacent to the Health and Human Services Department in Quincy, CA, includes approximately 2,000 SF of space. It houses an innovative biomass system using organic and sustainable waste material to generate heat for the Health and Human Services Building as an alternative to fossil fuels. The boiler is only the second of its kind in the U.S.; it is a community-scale, biomass boiler unit that runs on hog fuel, a coarse woody material generated as a byproduct directly from forest restoration and management activities.
Camille Swezy, Wood Utilization Program Lead of Sierra Institute, remarked, “The community of Quincy and Plumas County officials are very pleased with the new Biomass Boiler Building constructed entirely of CLT, now housing an innovative biomass heating system. Timber and wood products development is deeply engrained in Quincy’s roots, and the community is now thrilled to have a demonstration of wood utilization in a practical small-scale application.”
Originally, the Biomass Boiler Building structure was planned to be constructed with a prefabricated metal building system. Plumas County officials and the Sierra Institute decided to take the project in another direction to demonstrate the strengths and benefits of building with timber while also incorporating Plumas County’s most abundant natural timber resources. Plumas County officials worked with the design team to integrate mass timber into the building’s design.
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