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
Wood Industry Trade Magazines Still On Schedule
Hatton-Brown Publishers, Inc. released a statement regarding its operations during the coronavirus crisis as follows: “As we all deal with personal, family and employee health concerns brought on by the coronavirus crisis, we realize it…
Wood Products Operations Now On A Mission
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Thursday, March 19 identified the wood products industry as an “essential critical infrastructure workforce” in the nation’s response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “This designation underscores the critical…
PELICE Draws Powerful Speakers In Atlanta
Eighty equipment exhibitors and 34 speakers were on site at the seventh Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo held March 12-13 at the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. Total on-site…
Xylexpo 2020 Shows Promise
The biennial Xylexpo show returns in 2020 to FieraMilano-Rho, May 26-29, in Milan, Italy, with what promises to be an exciting event! The 2018 edition closed with 37,000 visits by 17,781 industry operators, 2.1% more…
Custom Engineering Is A World Leader In Heated Platens
Custom Engineering is one of the world’s largest suppliers of precision machined controlled temperature platens. In addition to shipping to all 50 states, Custom Engineering ships to customers in South America, Europe, Japan, China and…
Pete Madden Is New President Of U.S. Endowment
U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities announced that Pete Madden has joined the staff as President. “Our Board and staff are excited to share with our partners and collaborators that Pete will be coming aboard,”…
Arauco Closing Eugene MDF
ARAUCO announced it is closing its medium density fiberboard (MDF) production facility in Eugene, Ore. as of May 1. ARAUCO states it will continue to support customers from its other facilities, and that the decision…
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!