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
LIGNA 2019: Showcases And Events For The Primary Wood Industry
Next year, from 27 to 31 May, the world's leading trade fair for woodworking and wood processing plant, machinery and tools will present a wealth of innovations and applications for the entire wood industry. LIGNA 2019 will occupy some 130,000 square meters (1.4...
Arauco Michigan Mill To Convert Low-Grade Wood Into Quality Particleboard
Dying, deformed and diseased trees will be key ingredients of particleboard manufactured at the new Arauco panel mill in northern Michigan. "All of these degraded trees need to be removed to better manage our forests," said Scott Robbins, director of the Michigan...
EPA Updates, Clarifies Formaldehyde Emission Standards For Composite Wood
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed technical amendments to its formaldehyde emissions standards for composite wood products. Published last week in the Federal Register, the proposed changes primarily address concerns over testing and certification...
Mass Timber Institute Officially Launched In Toronto
The Mass Timber Institute officially launched on October 30 with an industry leaders’ collaboration event held at their offices at 110 Yonge Street in Toronto. Key industry leaders from education and industry participated in this collaboration to help propel the mass...
Support For Tall Timber Reaches New Heights In ICC Building Code
Prescriptive requirements for wood structures up to 18 stories were among the additions preliminarily approved for the International Building Code following the work of the International Code Council's ad-hoc Tall Wood Buildings Committee. Wood is widely recognized as...
U.S. Forest Service Celebrates CLT During Forest Products Week
From October 21-27, 2018, we celebrate the value of America’s forests and recognize how vital they are to our well-being and national prosperity during National Forest Products Week. This week is recognized each year by a Presidential proclamation. At the USDA Forest...
The Martins Do It Again
Nearly ninety-five years after Roy Otis Martin purchased Creston Lumber Mill in Alexandria, Louisiana for $32,000 and renamed it Roy O. Martin Lumber Company, the Martins have started up a $280 million Greenfield oriented strandboard plant in Corrigan, Texas…
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!