State & Private Forestry
Forest Products Laboratory
The Forest Products Conservation & Recycling Review is assembled and edited monthly by Adele Olstad and John Zerbe of the FPC&R; Technology Marketing Unit at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL). Review contributions and correspondence may be sent to either Adele or John at the address below. For copies of FPL or North Central Forest Experiment Station publications,contact FPL Information Services at the same address.
The individual items included in the Review reflect the content and tone of the original articles. Inclusion of an item does not imply agreement nor endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of facts or opinions contained in any article. The Review does not evaluate the accuracy of the information reported. The use of trade or firm names in this issue is for reader information and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service.
USDA Forest Service
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National Forestry Heroism Award--STIHL®, a leading manufacturer of chain saws and portable hand-held cutoff machines, as well as outdoor power equipment for homeowners and professional users, is accepting nominations for its 2001 National Forestry Heroism Award. Created 4 years ago by STIHL, this award gives special recognition to anyone who works with or in the forestry industry or devotes a significant portion of time to forestry. Nominations are open to firefighters, loggers, forest and park rangers, botanists, scientists, and other individuals employed in the care and maintenance of our Nation's forests. Qualified candidates are those who have exhibited acts of bravery in putting the welfare of others ahead of their own. A panel of independent judges selects the winner who, along with a guest, is flown to a STIHL-sponsored event and presented with a plaque and an award of $1,000. STIHL also donates an additional $1,000 to the winning State Forestry Department's designated fund, as well as a $5,000 donation to a forestry school at a college or university of the winner's choice.
The winner of the 2000 Heroism Award is James Gibson, a Texas logger who spent 12-1/2 hours on a track loader dismantling and removing logs from the tragic Texas A&M; bonfire. Gibson is employed by Steely Lumber Co. in Huntsville, TX.
For further information or to request a nomination package, contact: Lynn Polizos, The Meridian Group, at 800-294-3840 or Debbie Thomas, STIHL Inc., at 800-467-8445. Deadline for entries is February 15.
Vote for National Tree--The United States has a national flower (the rose), and the National Arbor Day Foundation thinks it's time to name a national tree. Visit the Foundation's website (www.arborday.org) before April 26 and vote for one of the 21 candidate trees; information about each of these trees can be viewed by clicking on the name. You can also suggest a tree: write your name, address, and choice of tree on a 3 by 5 card and send it to the National Arbor Day Foundation, Dept. P, Nebraska City, NB 68410, by April 1. The results will be announced on Arbor Day, April 17.
According to the reference, every State has an official tree. In 11 States, the official tree is a type of pine; in 7, an oak; and in 5, a maple. Up to 8,000 species of trees are threatened with extinction worldwide. One of those dying in large numbers is Pennsylvania's State tree, the Eastern hemlock, which is under attack by an insect called the woolly adelgid. (Editor's Note: More information on the woolly adelgid can be found on the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station's website at www.fs.fed.us/ne or the Northeastern Area's website
(www.fs.fed.us/na/fhp).
[Source: Parade Magazine, December 31, 2000]
The 4th Jasper Area Wood Products Trade Show will be held May 8 in Jasper, IN. Exhibits will represent a wide range of products and services, including wood, veneer, and panel materials, laminates and laminating services, hardware, abrasives, adhesives, finishing materials and equipment, packaging materials, hand and power tools, and machinery. High-tech electrical and computerized control systems, software, and engineering services will also be exhibited. Information about exhibits is available from Dan Cassens of Purdue University by telephone (765-743-9697), Fax (765-743-9698), or e-mail (dcassens@gte.net).
Informative Sustainable Development Website--The website of Five E's Unlimited (www.eeeee.net) is touted as a "virtual library" for information on the many elements of sustainable development. According to Warren Flint, the firm's owner and principal consultant, "sustainable development is an intervention that allows us to simultaneously consider the multiple issues related to health of the environment, survival of all life, and the socio-economic well-being of humans. The Five E's site presents an easy to understand description of sustainability--the ability of humans to coexist in a manner that maintains wildlife, wildlands, and decent environments simultaneously with economic well-being and equality, today and for future generations. Ideas and concepts are presented in a way that decodes, de-mystifies, and puts into understandable terms the many elements of sustainable development."
[Source: Susan Odell, Cooperative Forestry Staff, Washington, DC]
The 8th Annual Workshop on Forest Products Marketing will be held at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on March 15-16. The basics of marketing will be introduced to new marketing and sales personnel, and current personnel will be updated as to the changing factors affecting the industry. Topics include forest products overview, definition of marketing, distribution, pricing, promotion, strategy, forest certification, international and domestic markets, marketing on the Internet, and E-commerce. For registration materials or additional information, contact Bob Smith, Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management, Virginia Tech. Tel: 540-231-5876; Fax: 540-231-8868; e-mail: rsmith4@vt.edu.
Export Publications Online--The Forest and Fishery Products Division of the USDA Foreign Agriculture Service (FAS) publishes quarterly circulars that offer a comprehensive overview of the world supply and demand situation for wood products. These circulars include extensive data tables of U.S. exports of logs, lumber, plywood, veneer, and a variety of other solid wood products, as well as species data for some products, articles, and trade highlights. The Third Quarter Trade Edition is now available online at
www.fas.usda.gov/ffpd/forestcirculars.htm. Also available at this address is the Trade Policy Edition, which is published every 2 years and features tariff information and recent policy developments for the top 10 U.S. markets. In addition, FAS publishes a monthly magazine, AgExporter, which is posted at www.fas.usda.gov/info/agexporter/agexport.html. The January issue is dedicated to U.S. wood products. To obtain a hard copy of AgExporter, send an e-mail message containing your name and complete mailing address to Rachel Hodgetts at
hodgettsr@fas.usda.gov.
[Source: Susan Odell, Cooperative Forestry Staff, Washington, DC]
Tax Tips for Forest Landowners for the 2000 Tax Year, by Larry Bishop, a forest management and taxation specialist with the USDA Forest Service Southern Region, Atlanta, GA, is available on the Internet through the Southern Research Station website (www.srs.fs.fed.us/).
Firewood Prices, and Demand, on the Rise--The prospect of much higher home heating fuel prices this winter, and the predictions for the return of "typical" cold winter weather, have combined to drive up both price and demand for firewood in most areas of the Northeast and Lake States. The Associated Press reports that in Massachusetts, a face cord of dry wood that sold for $85 two years ago is now commanding $130, while in Wisconsin, wood that sold for $65 to $75 is now fetching up to $90. [Note: 1 cord of wood = 128 ft³ of stacked logs or 3.62 m³. A face cord normally contains only one-third of the volume of a full cord.] In Maine, prices are up and supplies are scarce. According to one report, green wood deliveries were backed up to January 2001. One exception to this predictable National trend appears to be the Upper Peninsula (UP) of Michigan, where firewood dealers say that overproduction and a solid base of firewood consumers have kept supplies plentiful and prices stable. A dry face cord of hardwood firewood still goes for $40 (or $45 delivered) in the UP.
[Source: The Northern Logger and Timber Processor, November 2000]
Updated Software for Assessing Environmental Impact of Building Materials--The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released an updated software package for selecting cost-effective green building products. Aimed at designers, builders, and product managers, Building for Environmental and Economic Sustainability, or BEES 2.0, is based on standards developed by EPA, industry, and public interest groups. The package includes environmental and economic performance data for 65 building products. The system assesses environmental impacts including smog, ecological and human toxicity, indoor air quality, global warming, and solid waste. For more information, contact Martha Casey at 202-564-7842. To request a copy of the software (on CD) and the printed manual, call 202-260-1023 or send an e-mail to
ppic@epa.gov. The software is also available for downloading at
www.bfrl.nist.gov/oae/bees.html.
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, August 2000]
Milwaukee-Area Contractors Launch Construction and Demolition Recycling Program. WasteCap Wisconsin, a nonprofit waste reduction business assistance center, coordinates an onsite recycling program for contractors and subcontractors for separating wood waste and corrugated material into specially marked containers on site. WasteCap notes that "the economics are in favor of recycling on this project," but the challenge is to keep contamination low. For more information, contact WasteCap by phone (414-961-1100) or e-mail (wastecap@envirolink.org).
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, August 2000]
Impacts of Land Management Practices on Drinking Water--The Forest Service, working with the EPA and the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, has compiled the latest scientific literature on the effects of forest and grassland management practices on drinking water sources. Although water from forests and grasslands is usually cleaner than water from more intensely used lands, such as urban and agricultural lands, management practices can still result in contaminants. The report, Drinking Water from Forests and Grasslands: A Synthesis of the Scientific Literature, describes potential sources of contamination, which include road construction and maintenance, timber harvesting, recreation, pest control and fertilizers, grazing, mining, oil and gas extraction, and accidental chemical spills. The report also identifies gaps in the scientific understanding of the effects of land use practices on drinking water sources, such as lack of knowledge about pathogens in wild animal populations and their transmission to source water, the risk of contamination from recreation in areas without developed sanitary facilities, and the difficulty of predicting the effects of multiple land uses that overlap in time and space across large watersheds.
Target audiences are managers of national forests, grasslands, and similar lands administered by Federal, State and tribal agencies, and managers of private lands. Regulators and operators of public drinking water utilities and citizens' groups concerned with drinking water may also find this report useful.
Drinking Water from Forests and Grasslands: A Synthesis of the Scientific Literature is available from the Southern Research Station, P.O. Box 2680, Asheville, NC 28802. Tel: 828-257-4832; Fax: 828-257-4313; e-mail:
pubrequst@srs.fs.fed.gov; or website:
www.srs.fs.fed.us/pubs/2001-01_publications.htm.
[Source: Cooperative Forestry Weekly Information Summary, January 8, 2001]
Risks of Exotic Forest Pests and Impact on Trade is an international online workshop scheduled for April 16-19, with primary funding provided by the USDA Forest Service and the American Phytopathological Society. The scope of the workshop will encompass solid wood packing material, logs, wood chips, unseasoned lumber, and propagative material. Participants will include policymakers, scientists, forest industry representatives, environmentalists, educators, and international shippers. Specific workshop objectives are
New Tool to Model Building Temperatures and Moisture Contents--New software may provide designers and researchers with a simple, accurate tool to evaluate the temperature and moisture conditions within any building enclosure over time. Thus, designers will be able to model different climatic conditions, materials, and assemblies to see how wind-driven rain might penetrate the envelope, how much condensation will form under what conditions, and where and when wood decay is likely to occur.
The new software, WUFI-ORNL/IBP, was released by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Germany's Fraunhofer Institute of Building Physics (IBP). It was developed by customizing the original European version of WUFI software for North America. Introduced in 1994, the European version has been accepted as a reliable research and design tool. Currently, more then 200 universities and research institutes, plus a growing number of private firms, use that version. John Straube of the University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, who has worked with WUFI for more than 5 years, says the software can accurately demonstrate the influence of wind-driven rain, solar radiation, and night sky radiation on the hygrothermal performance of wall systems. "I think WUFI-ORNL/IBP could well put an end to some of the controversies that have persisted in the building design community, such as when and where vapor retarders should be used." Straube notes that the software should also be of help in determining how the moisture contained in wet-blown cellulose, fresh concrete, and other materials could affect the performance or durability of surrounding materials.
The North American version (WUFI-ORNL/IBP) will soon be available free of charge via the ORNL website (www.ornl.gov/btc/moisture) to anyone living in the United States or Canada. The current model has a somewhat limited database of material properties, but more materials will be added in the months ahead. This model will also be included in Moisture Analysis for Buildings, a manual to be published by the American Society for Testing and Materials.
For more information on WUFI-ORNL/IBP, contact Achilles Karagiozis at 865-576-3924 or
karagiozisan@ornl.gov.
[Source: Energy Design Update, October 2000]
Irish National Standards Authority (NSAI) Issues Warning About Pinus elliotti Plywood from Brazil. According to the NSAI timber standards consultative committee, ambrosia beetle infestation has led to problems with veneer quality and delamination of plywood panels. The committee claims that Brazilian producers manufacture to local unregulated requirements and that the plywood in question does not have certification that conforms to international standards. [Source: Wood Based Panels International, October/November 2000]
Assistant/Associate Professor in Wood Composites--The Department of Forest Products at the University of Idaho, and the Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory at Washington State University are soliciting applications for a tenure-track, teaching, research, and service position. Principle teaching responsibilities at the University of Idaho include courses in wood composites and wood technology. The successful candidate will develop a funded research and graduate education program in collaboration with Washington State University's Wood Materials and Engineering Laboratory. This position requires a Ph.D. degree (or near completion) in forest products, materials engineering, or a related field; demonstrated success in publishing research findings in refereed journals; and coursework in wood composites and wood technology. For more information, contact Dr. Thomas Gorman, Department Chair, Department of Forest Products, University of Idaho. Tel: 208-885-9663; Fax: 208-885-6226; e-mail: forprod@uidaho.edu. The deadline for applications is February 28, or until a suitable candidate is found.
New Strengthening Technique for Structural Components--A new technique developed at the University of Maine's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites (AEWC) Center may be just the tool for strengthening existing floors, roofs, and other structural components. Habib J. Dagher, the Center's president, and Benjamin Foster, a graduate student, have developed a fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite strip for strengthening structural components. Although this strip is not yet commercially available, arrangements can be made with the Center to use it on a limited trial basis. Dagher notes that increasing structural strength may be particularly important when insulation is added to components to reduce energy costs.
This research recently received national recognition at the Composite Fabricator's Association annual conference in Las Vegas. Dagher received the Best Technical Paper Award for his description of an efficient method of repairing or strengthening in-service wooden beams with FRP strips.
"There is an increasingly common problem as much of our building infrastructure continues to age, including schools and municipal buildings," says Dagher. "Owners and policy makers are often faced with the choice of tearing out a structure or finding an efficient and safe way to repair it." On a cautionary note, Dagher adds, "adding insulation above a ceiling or renovating a structure to accommodate a new use can mean that beams must carry a heavier load. There are known occasions in Maine and other northern states where roofs of older buildings have collapsed in a major snowstorm soon after they have been insulated."
Dagher and Foster conducted full-scale tests showing that beams sawn almost in half can be restored to full strength. The researchers bonded FRP strips to the undersides of 30 beams intentionally damaged by sawing through three-quarters of their depth. The beams were then structurally tested in the laboratory to the breaking point. Test results showed that the reinforcing strips restored the beams to their initial strength.
The FRP strip typically extends twice the depth of the beam to either side of the damaged area. Dagher notes, "this technology presents a practical, efficient way to save a roof or floor rather than replace it."
[Source: SWST Newsletter, November-December 2000]
The International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE) is sponsoring a conference in Lahti, Finland, on August 29-31. The conference will provide an international forum for engineers and other professionals to present good examples of wooden structures (houses, buildings, bridges, and other types of structures) and to exchange ideas related to innovative use of wood in structural engineering and architecture. Another objective is to bring together scientists and material experts to discuss the latest test results, analytical methods, and code provisions that enhance or obstruct innovation in wooden structures.
The IABSE conference provides an opportunity to exchange information and to discuss not only state-of-the-art technologies and science of wood structures but also future trends. It is also meant to be a meeting point for practicing engineers, scientists, architects, and other professionals from government, universities, research institutes, consulting firms, construction companies, wood industry, and other organizations who are interested in the innovative use of wood in structures in general.
For additional information, visit the conference website (
www.iabse.ethz.ch/conferences/lahti/lahti_f.html) or contact IABSE. Tel: +41-1-633-2647; Fax: +1-41-1-633-1241; e-mail: secretariat@iabse.ethz.ch.
[Source: Crossings, Summer 2000]
Juice From the Fruit of Morinda citrifolia Linn, a tree in the Philippines known locally as the noni tree, is finding favor as a medicinal. Said to be taking the Philippine market by storm, noni juice is used as a dietary supplement. In addition to alleviating or curing diseases, the juice is claimed to relieve pain, increase energy, build body muscles, and increase well-being, alertness, and mental acuity. The pitchmen at medicine shows of the past were probably conservative in comparison to the public relations hype for noni juice. The leaves, the sap of the leaves, the fruit itself, and the roots of the tree are also finding medicinal uses.
[Source: The Philippine Lumberman, September/October 1999--Note: Issue received by FPL Library 9/00]
Special Species for Wood Wool Board--The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources is considering planting a specialized tree to be used in the manufacture of bonded wood wool board. Piper arborescens is being studied to determine guidelines for maintenance and management of plantation growth of the species.
[Source: Wood Based Panels International, October/November 2000]
Access to Nonwood Forest Products in the Czech Republic, Finland, and Lithuania--In the Czech Republic, individuals are entitled to enter forests at their own risk to collect forest berries and dry waste wood for their own needs, under the condition that they do not damage the forest or interfere with the forest environment and that they follow the instructions of the owner or tenant and forest managers. All forest stands are accessible; nonwood forest products (NWFPs) can be picked freely, and free of charge, irrespective of forest ownership.
One problem with the Forest Act of 1995 is that it does not mention mushrooms and medicinal plants explicitly, which can cause some confusion and misunderstanding. These products are widely collected and treated in the same way as are forest berries. Another problem is that the expression "for their own needs" could be interpreted to mean that NWFPs collected free of charge by forest visitors cannot be sold. In practice, NWFPs are sold freely (with the exception of mushrooms, for which sales must be licensed), although only a comparatively small portion of NWFPs is marketed in the Czech Republic. The greater portion is collected by forest visitors and consumed within their own households.
The importance of NWFPs can be expressed in terms of nonmarket (recreational) and market (production) functions. The total average yearly value of collected NWFPs reached about 2,700 million koruny (CK)[CK 1 = US$0.028] from 1994 to 1996. This is a surprisingly high value, equivalent to between one-third and one-fourth of the value of timber sold annually in Czech markets in recent years. In the Czech Republic, NWFPs are still not commercially produced, harvested, or marketed by forest owners, tenants, or entrepreneurs on a large scale. Nevertheless, the prospects for planned cultivation of some NWFPs (especially medicinal plants and certain berries) are very good.
In Finland, in a good year, the biological yield of wild berries in forests and peat lands is about 1 billion kg (2.2 billion lb). In a poor year, the yield of berries might be about 500 million kg (1.1 billion lb). Collectable yield can be estimated to be about 30% of the biological yield. In recent years, however, only about 5% to 10% of the biological yield of wild berries has been collected. In many parts of the country, picking for sale is very important. Cloudberry is Finland's most valuable wild berry and, in recent years, its price has been 40 markkaa (Fmk) per kilogram [Fmk 1 = US$0.17]. This "orange of the north" has been an important source of vitamin C for centuries.
In a good year, the biological yield of mushrooms in Finland is about 2 billion kg (4.4 billion lb); in a very poor year, it is about 400 million (882 million lb). In recent years, the amount of wild mushrooms collected in Finland has been about 5 to 10 million kg (11 to 22 million lb). In the early 1980s, the annual value of herbs collected was estimated as Fmk 1 million to Fmk 3 million (US$170,000 to US$510,000); 10 years later, the value dropped to an estimated Fmk 20 million (US$3.4 million). According to the report, between one-tenth and one-third of the edible NWFP harvest is sold and therefore generates income.
Less important NWFPs in Finland include birch sap, beekeeping, tar, ant eggs, and tree parts. A resurgence of interest in birch sap occurred in the 1980s. Traditionally used as a health drink, birch sap is rich in sugar, amino acids, vitamin C, and minerals. Beekeeping has increased considerably, and part of that activity occurs on forest lands. The burning of tar-one of the oldest forest products-continues on a small scale, but resin tapping has ceased. Ant eggs, once used for a specific export product, are now collected on only a very small scale. Finally, various tree components are harvested-bark from willow, birch, and conifers; tree fungi and knots; and twigs.
Reindeer husbandry is the only important form of forest grazing in Finland. In recent years, reindeer meat production has varied between 2.7 and 3.5 million kg (5.9 to 7.7 million lb) annually, and its value has ranged from Fmk 70 million to Fmk 100 million (US$11.9 to US$17 million) annually.
In Lithuania, income from 1 hectare (2.47 acres) of forest area amounts to 240 litai (Lt) (US$60). Income from nonwood products makes up 13% of the total amount earned from forest activities. Especially significant is the harvest of mushrooms. Currently, about 70% to 80% of mushrooms and berries collected are used to satisfy personal needs, and 20% to 30% of these respective products are intended for sale. Large areas of Lithuanian forests are covered by bilberry, raspberry, and cowberry. Not all bilberries are collected, whereas the demand for cowberry and cranberry exceeds supply. The greatest demand on domestic and foreign markets is for cowberries, cranberries, bilberries, and ashberries. Wild strawberries and raspberries are in demand on the domestic market; bog whortleberries are collected only to satisfy personal needs.
Although nearly 100 mushroom species grow in Lithuanian forests, only 15 to 25 species are collected. From 1970 to 1979, approximately 450 tons of mushrooms were sold for export and processing, and from 1980 to 1989, 288 tons. The annual exploitable mushroom yield is 15 to 30 kg/hectare (13 to 26 lb/acre). It is thought that about 30% to 40% of the exploitable harvest is collected. Potential mushroom production in Lithuanian forests amounts to 24,000 tons and industrial production to about 8,000 tons. Since 1993, mushroom production has been greatly increasing with the growth of the private sector. Approximately 20 to 30 species of herbs are collected in Lithuanian forests. The greatest demand is for juniper berries, bearberry leaves, and black alder bark. Resources of medicinal herbs are limited and insufficient to meet the demand.
Ungulate animals (moose, red deer, roe deer, and wild boar) and fine fauna (hare, wild duck, and gallinaceous birds) are hunted for meat in Lithuania. From 1994 to 1996, an average of 545,000 kg (1.2 million lb) of wild animal meat was produced per year, including 505,000 kg (1.1 million lb) from ungulates and 40,000 kg (88,184 lb) from fine fauna. Toward the latter part of this period, about 62,000 kg (136,685 lb) or 12% of meat from ungulates was exported.
In conclusion, the NWFP sector makes an important contribution to the economies of the Czech Republic, Finland, and Lithuania. In some regions (e.g., Finnish Lapland), the sector is of crucial importance to the livelihoods of local populations. The fact that some form of free public access to forests prevails in each of these countries-and that collection of NWFPs for various purposes is permitted-implies that some NWFPs collected do not enter formal markets, although they represent an important contribution (in terms of consumption) to households in these countries.
The transition to a market economy appears to be creating opportunities in Lithuania and the Czech Republic. In Finland, changes in taxation policies and regulations may lead to increases in the collection of NWFPs. Utilization appears to have been adopted as a goal in rural development initiatives that aim to increase income-earning opportunities while maintaining environmental quality.
[Source: The Philippine Lumberman, November/December 1999--Note: Issue received by FPL Library 9/00]
The Hardwood Manufacturers Association 2000 Buyer's Guide & Directory is now available. This comprehensive catalog of hardwood species, products, and capabilities is divided into three sections: an alphabetical listing of companies, a listing of manufactured specialties by State, and a listing of manufactured species by State. To obtain a copy, call the Hardwood Manufacturers Association at 412-829-0844 or send e-mail to
info@hardwood.org. The directory is also online as a searchable database at
www.hardwood.org/members or as a PDF document for viewing/printing.
[Source: Crossties, November/December 2000]
New Rotary Plywood Peeling Technology From Italy--In 1997, Angelo Cremona & Figlio of Cremona, Italy, patented an innovation for plywood veneer peeling. Known as the Twin Rotax twin blade rotary clipper, it was first used in Thailand and the Philippines. An 11-ft- (3.3-m-) long version went into operation on the Ivory Coast in 2000.
The principle of the Twin Rotax is to maximize veneer yield by adjusting the clipper blades to the veneer width. The clipper can be electronically transformed to act as one blade or two so that it spans the width of the veneer sheet as it leaves the peeler, reducing the amount of waste. This is particularly useful when rounding a tapered log. The veneer produced from the two blades acting independently can be used as core and/or random width veneer or discarded as waste, and the veneer produced from the joined blades may be suitable for face or back veneer. As the core of the log is approached, and quality decreases, the two knives can be readjusted to act independently.
Cremona has also patented and launched a new bar dryer, the ET Dryer, that has been described as a revolution in rotary-cut veneer drying. The average veneer dryer is around 24 m (79 ft) long. As 24 m (79 ft) of thin veneer from a reel feeds through the dryer, shrinkage of 5% to 10% occurs. If the veneer is securely gripped by a top and bottom screen (or mesh), it will slip or crack. Camillo Botti, chief executive of Angelo Cremona, describes the ET Dryer as a modified screen dryer. In place of the screens are stainless steel bars at the top and bottom, specially designed so they won't bend. There is an adjustable gap between top and bottom bars that is set according to the thickness of veneer to be dried. The bars move together through the press on a chain and the veneer travels along between them. However, the bars do not grip the veneer, so it can shrink and move freely within the pre-set gap. The veneer is fed into the dryer in panel-size pieces, which is a disadvantage because of the large amount of shrinkage that accompanies long pieces. Small-diameter logs also have a steep moisture gradient from the inside to the outside, which leads to differential shrinkage in a long ribbon of veneer.
Cremona has installed or is in the process of installing 10 lines in Africa; these are primarily complete lines for dry rotary veneer production. These lines, said to be the first high-tech installations in Africa in many years, are located in Gabon, the Cameroons, Ivory Coast, Congo, Ghana, and Equatorial Guinea. Africans have been reluctant to use electronic equipment, but computerized x-y centering is enabling utilization of lower quality logs. In addition, there is apparently a movement away from secondhand machinery towards new high-technology equipment.
[Source: Wood Based Panels International, October/November 2000]
The 16th Annual WMI Workshop on Design, Operation, and Maintenance of Circular and Band Saws will be held March 12-13 in Portland, OR. This workshop is sponsored by the Wood Machining Institute. For more information, contact Dr. R. Szymani at 925-943-5240, by Fax (925-945-0947), or by e-mail (szymani@woodmachining.com).
Contents
Forest Products Laboratory |
Forest Service |
USDA
Please send any questions or comments to
aolstad@fs.fed.us.
Contact-Name: Adele Olstad
Contact-Phone: 608/231-9329
Document-Date: 2001 February 6
Abstract: January 2001 Issue of FPC&R; Review