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.
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The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Annual Meeting will be held February 4-8 in Fort Worth, TX. Leaders in natural resource management and conservation will learn how to make conservation activities more successful, help others improve their effectiveness, and be a part of shaping NACD and district policies. For more information, contact NACD Headquarters by phone (202-547-6223), Fax (202-547-6450), or e-mail (Washington@nacdnet.org), or visit the NACD website (www.nacdnet.org).
The New Website of the National Association of RC&D; Councils is up and running
(www.rcdnet.org). The site has been expanded to include a search function,
a new "Meetings" page, and a section on agroforestry.
[Source: National Catalyst Newsletter, October 2000]
A Multiyear Calendar of Forestry Industry Events is available on the Hatton-Brown Publishers website
(www.hattonbrown.com). Meetings and tradeshows for various
associations, councils, and other groups are posted for the years 2000, 2001, and 2002. Corrections or additional
listings can be e-mailed to Hatton-Brown via the website. Hatton-Brown publishes seven magazines: Timber Processing, Panel World, Timber Harvesting, Southern Lumberman, Southern Loggin' Times, Power Equipment Trade, and IronWorks.
[Source: Timber Processing, September 2000]
The Pinchot Institute for Conservation is accepting applications for a Research Fellow within the Community-Based Forest Stewardship Program, a rapidly expanding focus area in the Institute. The Research Fellowship involves interaction with policymakers, Federal and State land management agencies, and community-based rural development practitioners to identify and address key policy issues that affect forest stewardship and sustainable rural development. Duties and responsibilities include providing research, analysis, and support to the program, with specific focus on projects related to restoration workforce issues, collaborative stewardship, and innovative contracting procedures; assisting with workshop design, logistics, and facilitation; responding to public requests for information and coordinating with program partners; and assisting with related literature/report development. Candidates should possess a Master's degree (or higher) in natural resources or a related field that has a relevant professional application to the natural resource subject area; excellent oral and written communication skills; the ability to synthesize information from diverse sources into concise written analyses; the ability to translate National and State-level policy developments for both broad public audiences and specific stakeholders; and experience with workshop facilitation.
For more information, visit the Pinchot Institute website at www.pinchot.org or contact Andrea Bedell Loucks by phone (202-939-3455) or Fax (202-9797-6583).
SmartWood and World Resources Institute (Forestry) Seek New Directors--Global Recruitment Specialists, an independent recruitment firm that specializes in positions with international not-for-profit organizations, has announced the following two senior-level forestry positions. For a complete announcement or more information, contact Jill Solomon by Telefax (973-379-7325) or e-mail (jillsolomo@aol.com).
Director, SmartWood--This position is responsible for the overall sustainability of the SmartWood Program, from financial, technical, and programmatic perspectives. The mission of SmartWood is to reduce the negative impacts of commercial forestry by awarding its seal of approval to responsible forest managers. SmartWood's regional experts work in tropical, temperate, and boreal forests to reduce the environmental damage caused by wood harvesting and to maximize the positive impacts of commercial forestry on local communities.The position requires a Master's degree in business administration or equivalent business management experience (at least 3 years, preferably in an environmental/natural resources industry). The candidate must possess strong financial skills and experience in managing multimillion dollar budgets; business strategy and implementation experience; consulting or service management experience; and experience in forestry, the forest industry, or forest-related businesses. Supervisory skills and the willingness to travel extensively are also required. Position responsibilities include fundraising and financial management, project management, development and implementation of a global strategy for the SmartWood certification program, public relations, and overall development of marketing materials (including a website and advertising materials).
Co-Director, World Resources Institute (WRI) Forests Program--WRI is an independent research and policy institute created in 1982 with a mission of moving human society to live in ways that protect the environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. The Institute focuses its work on four basic themes: (1) biological resource stewardship, (2) atmospheric protection, (3) sustainable enterprise, and (4) sustainable development paths. The Co-Director position requires considerable travel, collaboration within a multidisciplinary forest policy and information team, and a very strong entrepreneurial spirit. The candidate must have a strong background in forest issues, corporate engagement, fundraising, and policy analysis, along with 5 to 10 years of experience in a senior management position; an outstanding ability to communicate clearly, passionately, and in a compelling fashion (both orally and in written format) to a wide range of audiences; commitment to environmental issues and knowledge of forest issues; and excellent analytical, strategic management, and planning skills. Position responsibilities include working together with the other Forest Program Co-Director and playing a key role in management, strategic development, fundraising, and building of corporate relations for the Forests Program.Marketing and Feasibility
Manufactured Home Uses OSB/Foam Core Panels--A new effort to promote structural building panels with foam cores is underway. Last summer, researchers at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) monitored the potential energy efficiency of a special manufactured home built with oriented strandboard (OSB)/foam core panels that may reduce heating and cooling costs by as much as 50%. The manufactured home is the first to be constructed of structural insulated panels (SIPs). The home was built with technical support from DOE at a Champion Enterprises factory in Silverton, OR. Through DOE's Building America Program, PNNL researchers will analyze and report the energy efficiency, affordability, and structural integrity of this SIP home. For more information, see www.pnnl-sips.org/.
[Source: DOE This Month, December 2000]Editor's Note: The March 2000 issue of the Forest Products Journal featured a comprehensive article on structural insulated panels. The article, written by James M. Tracy, executive director and chief operation officer of SIPA-The Structural Insulated Panel Association located in Gig Harbor, WA, discusses why the SIP industry is growing and prospering. Topics include SIP construction, design principles, production challenges, energy efficiency, response to fire, and cost.
Economics and Financing
Improving Process Energy Efficiency Results in Fuel Cost Savings--In response to the high cost of purchased wood fuel, a Georgia-Pacific plywood plant in Madison, GA, looked for ways to conserve energy. Teaming up with representatives from the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA), the company discovered it was losing large amounts of energy because of uninsulated steam lines between the plant's boilers and four veneer dryers. The plywood manufacturing process produces a large amount of wood residue, which is used to fuel the boilers. At certain times of the year, however, not enough residue is available and extra fuel must be purchased. By reducing the amount of energy lost through uninsulated steam lines, the company hoped to eliminate outside fuel purchases.
Based on calculations by 3E Plus® software developed by NAIMA, the company installed 5-cm- (2-in.-) thick mineral fiber pipe insulation on all steam lines. The new insulation reduced annual steam usage by approximately 2,722 kg (6,000 lb) per hour, equivalent to saving 18 tons of fuel per day or US$52,560 per year (based on a fuel price of US$8 per ton). While installing the insulation, the team also replaced 70 old steam traps with new, more efficient ones. The new traps resulted in an additional 10,750-ton reduction in fuel consumption, or approximately US$86,000 per year. The total project costs amounted to approximately US$70,000 for the insulation and replacement of the steam traps, resulting in a simple payback period of 6 months.
This reduction in fuel consumption has allowed the plant to eliminate the purchase of additional fuel and has even made it possible to sell some excess wood residue to a nearby paper company. However, the benefits of the project have extended even further. The more efficient steam lines produce a hotter, more consistent temperature in the dryers, which results in a faster, more efficient plywood manufacturing process. The steam line surface temperatures also dropped from a high 204°C (400°F) to a much safer 29°C (85°F), reducing the risk of employee injury.
[Source: CADDET Energy Efficiency, March 2000]Western Biomass Grants Available--The passage of the Federal budget cleared the way for new Western Biomass grants in 2001. Based on early estimates, about $330,000 will be available for grants in the 13-state region next year. These grants are for projects that encourage the development and use of biomass energy resources for economic development and environmental sustainability. There is special emphasis on the primary goals to establish biomass power as an economically credible and attractive option for the electric power industry and to decrease the reliance on imported fuels by the transportation sector. Most projects selected for funding will be awarded $50,000 or less. Exceptional projects may be awarded up to $75,000. All projects will require at least dollar-for-dollar matching funds.
A detailed request for proposals can be found online at www.westbioenergy.org/rfpc2001a.htm or a copy can be obtained from the administrative office of Western Biomass. Tel: 402-471-2867; Fax: 402-471-3064; e-mail: jgraef@mail.state.ne.us. The deadline for applications for 2001 funding is January 31.
[Source: Western Biomass Quarterly, November 2000]Waste Wood and Paper Recycling
Biomass Exchange Directory Available Online--The Renewable Fuels Development Program of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs recently announced the availability of the Biomass Exchange Directory, which is designed to assist in the development of trade and markets for wood byproducts by linking customers and suppliers of wood biomass residues. The directory allows producers of waste wood to enter company information about their waste on the website (www.biomass.state.al.us/), creating a profile of the wood supplied, including species, moisture content, particle size, and quantity available. Consumers, in turn, enter similar information about their wood waste needs, establishing search criteria. The search process returns a list of producers who meet the criteria, complete with contact names, e-mail links, and all wood waste information. The process also works in reverse, with consumers posting records of what type of wood waste they need and producers querying the database. For more information about the directory or about the Renewable Fuels Development Program, contact Clarence Mann at 334-242-5330.
Call for Presentations on Wood Waste Utilization--The National Arbor Day Foundation is soliciting presentation proposals for its Wood Waste Utilization National Conference on September 25-26, 2001. Potential topic areas include, but are not limited to, the following: innovative uses for wood wastes; recycling treated woods, pallets, furniture, and other previously used wood products; uses for wood debris from utility line clearance, construction, manufacturing, and other sources; characteristics of various species and viability for specific end uses (tree physiology); identification, exploration, and analysis of potential markets-traditional, forest products, energy, and other; cost analysis of utilization versus disposal-economic and environmental implications; design, implementation, and marketing of utilization programs; reduction of wood residue-avoiding excessive wood waste; local, State, and Federal governmental involvement, regulations, funding, etc.; gaining support of community leaders for utilization efforts; and ways for communities with smaller budgets to get involved in effective wood waste utilization programs. Proposals must be submitted by January 26, 2001. For more information on proposal requirements, contact June Parsons by phone (402-474-5655), Fax (402-474-0820), or e-mail (jparsons@arborday.org) or visit the conference website at www.arborday.org/programs/conferences.html.
The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center has developed and patented a recycled plastic composite material for use as railroad crossties to replace chemically treated wooden ties. For more information, contact Nicole Testa at 202-842-0555 or press@cerf.org.
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, October 2000]Bromley Pallet Recyclers Expands--Bromley Pallet Recyclers, the third largest pallet recycling and services business in the United States, with operations in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Arkansas, Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, and Tennessee, has been bought by IFCO Systems of Amsterdam, Netherlands. IFCO, already the largest pallet recycler in North America, now has 91 pallet and round-trip container systems and services facilities in 26 States and 7 Canadian provinces. For more information, contact Jennifer Daniels, IFCO, at 863-533-1148, ext. 1530.
[Source: Resource Recovery Report, October 2000]Environmental Issues and Protection
New Line of Borate-Treated Wood Products--Louisiana-Pacific's Specialty Products Division (Hunterville, NC) and Osmose (Griffin, GA) are introducing a whole new line of borate-treated building materials designed to combat structural damage caused by Formosan subterranean termites. The new family includes four new trademarked products: BarrierFloor, SmartSystem Siding, BarrierPanel (oriented strandboard and plywood sheeting), and TechShield (roof sheathing with a radiant-foil overlay).
[Source: Energy Design Update, October 2000]Green Spirit--Trees Are the Answer, by Dr. Patrick Moore, provides a positive message about forestry and the environment and can help change public opinion on forestry and tree harvesting. With logical argument based on facts and science, Dr. Moore demonstrates that rather than reducing our wood consumption, we should be using more wood and planting more trees to reduce our reliance on nonrenewable fuels and materials. Moore has been a leader in the international environmental field for over 25 years. In 1991, he co-founded Greenspirit, a consultancy providing advice to industry and government on sustainable development, environment, and public policy issues. For ordering information, visit the Greenspirit website (www.greenspirit.com) or contact Suzy Garber at 202-463-2795.
[Source: Forest Products Journal 50(10): 9, 2000]Chip Study Yields Positive Findings--A study recently released by the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Economic and Ecological Impacts Associated With Wood Chip Production in North Carolina, is under review and the Department will soon make policy recommendations based on the review. Among the study's positive findings-forests produce our cleanest water; impacts of timber harvesting are minor; there is high compliance with North Carolina's mandatory standards to protect water quality; and wood chip mills have largely replaced hundreds of satellite wood yards across the State. By providing improved markets for low-grade wood, wood chip facilities improve utilization and may reduce the total number of acres (hectares) necessary to meet demand. Projections in the study indicate that forest inventories of both pine and hardwood will decline slightly over the next 20 years, primarily as a result of forest loss to other uses. The greatest threat to forest productivity is conversion of forested lands to other uses.
[Source: Southern Lumberman, October 2000]DOE Predicts Lower Cost of Ethanol Made From Cellulose--According to the Energy Information Administration's Outlook for Biomass Ethanol Production and Demand, exploitation of technologies that replace corn with cellulosic feedstocks--agricultural and forestry wastes, grasses, and certain components of municipal waste, for example--could sharply reduce ethanol production costs. Cellulosic ethanol also has environmental advantages over corn-based ethanol because its energy balance (difference between the energy in a gallon (3.79 liter) of ethanol and the energy required to make that gallon) is significantly higher. On a fuel-cycle basis, this leads to a reduction in per-mile (kilometer) vehicle emissions of greenhouse gases when the ethanol is blended into vehicle fuel with gasoline.
The report discusses projections of potential biomass ethanol production under three scenarios: a reference case, a low-technology case, and a high-technology case. The reference case assumes use of countercurrent hydrolysis technology and savings of $0.30/gal by 2015 (1998 dollars). In the low-technology case, ethanol is produced from cellulose using sulfuric acid hydrolysis and process improvements are assumed to yield production cost savings of $0.16/gal by 2015. Enzymatic hydrolysis characterizes the high-technology case; cost savings are assumed to reach $0.60/gal.
If the Federal subsidy is extended through 2020, the reference case projects an annual increase in ethanol production of 1.4% from 2000 through 2020, with total production reaching 850 million gal (3,218 L) in 2020. In the low-technology case, production rises to only 347 million gal (1,313 L) by the end of the forecast period. The high-technology projection is for annual production growth of 30% and total production of 2.8 billion gal (10.6 L) in 2020.
Outlook for Biomass Ethanol Production and Demand is available via the DOE's Energy Information Administration website (www.eia.doe.gov); click "Forecasts" and "Special Analyses."
Wood in Transportation & Engineered Wood Products
Preference for Wood Pallets--According to the Report on Pallet Use and Applications 1999 by the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA), wood continues to dominate as the pallet material of choice. The report reveals that 91% of annual purchases by pallet users are solid wood pallets. For pallet users concerned about environmental impacts, the NWPCA brochure Pallets and the Environment describes the benefits of wood as the only pallet and container material that is reusable, repairable, recyclable, and derived from a renewable resource. The brochure tells how the pallet and container industry is committed to sound environmental practices, including proper forest management and aggressive reuse and recycling efforts. The brochure is free and can be requested from the NWPCA website (www.nwpca.com) or by contacting Tracy Libucha: Tel: 703-527-7667; Fax: 703-527-7717; e-mail: palletpds@aol.com.
[Source: Forest Products Journal 50(10): 9, 2000]Georgia-Pacific Corp. to Sell Plastic-Lumber Decking--Georgia-Pacific has entered into an agreement with US Plastic Lumber Corp. (USPL) to distribute SmartDeck composite deck system products. Deck components include planking, railings, and rail supports made with 90% recycled wood fiber and plastic materials. The product is moisture resistant and warranted for 10 years against rotting, splintering, checking, and termites. According to Kevin Paldino, national marketing manager for Georgia-Pacific, composite lumber, decking boards, and accessories manufactured from recycled plastic (HDPE) and wood fibers are one of the fastest growing segments in the decking industry. USPL manufactures a variety of products from recycled plastic, including decking products, railing systems, dimensional lumber, railroad ties, and outdoor furniture.
[Source: Wood Technology, March/April 2000]Composites From Wood and Other Agricultural Fibers Gain Markets--If you buy a car in the next few years, chances are good that the headliner, armrest, door panel, and many other interior parts will be made of wood or other agricultural fiber. According to a report by Kline & Company, a global market research firm, the market for natural fiber thermoplastic composites surpassed $200 million in 1999. Growth rates have been climbing by about 50% annually in the past several years, resulting in one of the fastest growing sectors of the composite materials market. The use of wood and agricultural fiber is predicted to grow 15% to 25% annually in automotive products and up to 60% in selected building products, such as decking and window/door molding.
The category "natural fiber" includes wood flour, often from residues; agricultural residues such as rice hulls and cereal straw; and bast and leaf fibers from flax, hemp, jute, kenaf, and sisal. Wood can be ground into wood flour or refined into elongated fiber bundles. The materials are used most often in the construction industry (for window and door molding, decking material, pallets, and even large cable reels used by utility companies) and the automotive industry (for interior car parts, including spare tire covers, package trays, and side door panels). Natural fiber fillers have weight and stiffening properties that are superior to those of most mineral fillers (like calcium carbonate and talc) and are also less costly than their traditional counterparts.
Automotive interior parts are often made from materials known as nonwovens. Nonwovens are fabrics consisting of an assembly of textile fibers (oriented in one direction or at random) held together by mechanical interlocking, by fusing of thermoplastic fibers, or by bonding with a rubber, starch, glue, casein, latex, or a cellulose derivative or synthetic resin. Nonwoven fabrics can be used sandwich fashion (layered with other materials), as with insulating foams encased within a headliner or underneath cloth fabric for a door panel. In making nonwoven products, the raw fibrous materials may be formed through air-laid techniques or carding. Air-laid processes tend to be simpler, use less expensive equipment, and retain a greater proportion of raw fiber. Carding systems, on the other hand, result in greater fiber orientation and higher performance. Needlepunching is a separate optional process that imparts greater fiber reinforcement integrity.
For applications other than nonwovens, the natural cellulosic material is frequently palletized, which densifies the natural fibers. These pellets are then combined with a resin, such as polypropylene, to bind the fibers together, and appropriate additives for resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light, coloring, insects, or moisture. The resulting material can be used in a variety of manufacturing processes such as compression molding, rotational molding, resin transfer molding (RTM), and more commonly employed extrusion and injection molding processes. This process is often used to make pallets, decking materials, and other alternatives to solid wood.
The proportion of agricultural fiber filler content in composite products varies widely (from 10% to 70%). The average for wood flour and other fillers is between 30% and 60%. The remainder of the composite is often polypropylene or polyethylene, but could also include polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyester, or nylon and additives such as UV inhibitors, fire retardants, and plasticizers. However, for automotive applications, where polypropylene is predominantly used, filler content proportions are about 50:50.
Kline & Company estimates the present North American market for natural fibers to be 400 million pounds (181 million kilograms). Wood fiber constitutes more than 95% of this total. Of the remaining natural fiber market, approximately 13 to 15 million pounds (5.9 to 6.8 million kilograms), or about 3.5%, is obtained from long agricultural fibers, including kenaf, flax, industrial hemp, jute, and sisal.
[Source: The Carbohydrate Economy, Fall 2000]Special Forest Products
Seed Oil for Native Medicines Proposed in Guyana--Crabwood (Carapa guianensis), commonly known as andiroba, is one of the most common tree species in Guyana. It produces seeds that fall mainly during the May-July rainy season. The seeds are collected and processed to make crab oil. To extract the oil, the seeds are boiled and left to decompose for 1 to 2 weeks. The seeds are then cut, and the core of the seed is extracted and placed on sheets of zinc exposed to the sun. As the sun heats the zinc and seed pulp, the crab oil trickles out. Some crab oil producers use a matapee (a long, woven, sieve-like device most commonly used to process raw cassava) to squeeze the oil from the pulp. It takes 36 lb (16 kg) of fresh seed to yield roughly 1 gal (3.8 L) of oil.
Mixed with honey, or taken in concentrate, crab oil is said to ease coughs due to colds and to soothe asthmatic passages. The oil can be used to strengthen brittle hair. When rubbed on the skin, crab oil is thought to soothe bruises, swollen and sore muscles, arthritic joints, and minor skin irritations. It also acts as an insect repellent. A research team is assessing the ecological, social, and economic aspects of crab oil production in Guyana. This research is underway in several regions of Guyana and may be expanded if crab oil production is proven feasible.
[Source: Iwokrama Bulletin, August 2000]Bamboo Plywood--The Bang Corporation in Tokyo has announced a method for the mass production of high-performance bamboo plywood. The company describes bamboo as a highly ecological and environmental raw material because of its fast growth rate. According to Bang, the new product will guarantee the same performances and features as does traditional plywood and will be resistant to breaks and cracks. Bamboo plywood will be marketed for packing applications and then launched in the building sector. Expected production for the first year is 1 million sheets.
[Source: Forest Products Journal 50(3): 7, 2000]Pulping Acacia mangium--This fast-growing tropical species is used extensively as a reforestation and plantation species. For reforestation, Acacia and Eucalyptus appear to be favorites because of their growth performance, disease resistance, and adaptability to various site conditions. Mangium is moderately dense and it is used for lumber and plywood as well as other glued products. It has been proposed for papermaking to meet the growing demand for paper in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, and Thailand.
Pulping characteristics of young plantation-grown mangium were investigated in a cooperative project of the University of Quebec and the Malaysia School of Industrial Technology using alkaline sulfite chemimechanical pulping (CMP) and chemithermomechanical pulping (CTMP). Results were compared with those obtained from Canadian aspen, birch, and maple pulped under similar conditions. In general, mangium produced pulps that were comparatively inferior in physical and optical properties compared to those made from Canadian hardwoods. The CMP effluent from mangium was particularly high in solids content, total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, and toxicity with respect to the Canadian hardwoods.
The pulp produced from mangium requires a reinforcement component of long fibers to improve its mechanical properties. Relatively high bulk value makes mangium suitable for products where this quality is important, such as in paperboard. The researchers recommended that extensive studies be conducted on pulping of mangium, using trees from different sources, to identify the possible influences of growth environment and that efforts on tree improvement using genetic engineering also be made to produce clones more suitable for papermaking; e.g., producing trees with low lignin and extractives content.
[Source: TAPPI Journal 83(7): 61, 2000]Improved Utilization of Solid Wood
New Patent Provides Specs for Small-Diameter Sawmill--A mill that is approximately 17 ft (5 m) long can process logs with a minimum diameter of approximately 2 in. (5 cm) and a minimum length of approximately 42 in. (107 cm). A number of power-driven feed and guide rolls propel logs along a fixed path. The processing components are two pairs of chipper canter units with novel chipper heads; a pair of rabbet units, each with a pair of cutterheads on concentric telescopic shafts, and power-driven rolls for off-feeding pieces of lumber of differing widths. The log feedspeed and/or chipper head speed can be varied to provide chips of selected lengths. A programmed processor unit controls positioning of the processing units.
A copy of Patent No. 591542 may be purchased from Rapid Patents, an international patent documentation service. Tel: 800-336-5010, Fax: 800-457-0850 (United States) or Tel: 703-706-4220, Fax: 703-838-0450 (all other countries). Prices vary according to the size of the order and the delivery speed requested.
[Source: Forest Products Journal 50(10): 10, 2000]Michigan Company Uses Canadian Technology for More Efficient Small-Log Utilization--A Greenfield studmill that utilizes small logs more effectively has been developed at Sawyer Lumber Co. in the Upper Peninsula. In a sense, owners Dave Holli and Ed Nagel were inspired by the Quebec government's mandate to the Province's wood processors: stop chipping whole trees-extract lumber from the trees and use residual chips to make pulp. Since Quebec changed its policies several years ago, its lumber business has boomed, while its pulpmills have managed quite well on residuals and logs unsuitable for sawmills. Given the similarities between Quebec and Upper Peninsula timber, Nagel and Holli figured the concept ought to work in Michigan too.
One byproduct of the change in Quebec's policies was a big boost to local designers and manufacturers of sawmill equipment. With guaranteed demand for software and machinery to process small logs, suppliers responded. Quebec now boasts a significant coterie of well-known small-log specialists who are increasingly present in American markets as well. Their products are the backbone of Sawyer Lumber, where the majority of machinery is Canadian. "What we do here is foreign to the usual way [U.S. sawmills] operate," Holli explains. "We buy the whole tree, then scan and sort the logs to find the proper home for each one. We have 11 log classes, plus one for pulp logs, one for stems rejected at the metal detector, and a bin that feeds the log reverser. When we find logs with flared butts, we turn them around and saw the tops first." Logs range from 3.5 to 20 in. (8.9 to 50.8 cm) in diameter.
Log sorts are designed to accommodate the current sawing pattern and to feed the two sawlines most efficiently. Two loaders feed the mill's two unscramblers and infeed decks and two debarkers remove bark, which fuels a pair of 600-hp boilers. In the winter, logs are debarked and sawn frozen. In warmer months, balsam and pine logs are sprinkled to slow staining and rotting. Clean logs then pass through a metal detector; those logs with metal are kicked out. Usable bolts are conveyed through a four-camera scanning system, which feeds true-shape data to a computer that decides sawing patterns based on log shape, diameter, maximum yield, and prices for lumber and chips. These data are used to sort logs into 11 bins: 5 bins feed the small side line and 6 feed the big line. The small side features a four-head curve-sawing canter that feeds an edger. On the big side, a twin curve-sawing canter feeds pieces to a second canter, yielding a four-sided, curve-sawn cant. Cants then go to one of two edgers, depending on their size. Lumber from both lines is trimmed and then passed through a moisture detector before going to a sorter. This permits sorting by moisture content as well as size, which improves kiln efficiency. This is important at Sawyer Lumber because two of its species, balsam (10%) and red pine (15%), require long drying times. The main species sawn is Jack pine (65%); the remainder (10%) is spruce.
The mill uses 1 by 3 and 1 by 4 lumber for kiln stickers. Sawdust is sold to a medium-density fiberboard plant in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; and a company based in Kenosha, WI, buys the planer shavings, bagging them for retail sale at the mill site.
[Source: Wood Technology, July/August 2000]Post Frame Building Design--A recent publication of the National Frame Builders Association (NFBA), this manual advocates the use of pressure-treated wood posts for building foundations and wall supports with lightweight metal sheeting for curtain walls. Contact NFBA at 785-843-2444 for details on the manual and post frame building design.
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 January 3
Abstract: November/December 2000 Issue of FPC&R; Review