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Industries
Sawmills

Progress Engineering has extensive experience in the forest products industries, especially the automation of sawmills. Several of our professionals have previously worked for lumber producers and sawmill machinery OEMs. With this background Progress Engineering has designed and implemented advanced controls on many applications, including:

  • Log row management
  • Scale integration
  • Debarker controls, including conversion from Rosser head to ring, and log scaling at the debarker
  • Machine-vision based, log merchandising systems, with post-slasher auto-sorting
  • Headrig controls, including multiple Silvatech system replacements; optimized primary breakdown via 2D and 3D scanners; Minimum Opening Face (MOF) systems; new controls projects interfaced to USNR scanning systems; Maxi Mill controls upgrades. (See our latest article from International Forest Industries magazine on controlling 23 axes of motion on a MaxiMill overhead carriage)
  • Optimized Resaw controls – wherever possible we incorporate the latest control concepts such as feed rate management based on kW (infeed speed profiling); “gap” management (end-to-end feeds); cant scanning and display; saw guide control and saw tip speed control.
  • Fully Value Optimized Edger Systems – for random and nominal width hardwoods. Our system uses industry standard scanners and hardware to provide value based optimization, and can adjust tolerances based on grade wane rules for maximum yield, at a surprisingly reasonable cost.
  • Gangs, Bull Edgers, and Sash Gang control upgrades
  • Our Trimmer control software includes rules for green and dry lumber, allowing them to be trimmed concurrently on the same production line. Also included is automatic equalized end trim to override ergonomic end trim requests, and display of grade rule errors.
  • Progress Engineering has supplied over 30 Sorter Control and Tally systems across the country. Our sorter software allows for sorts on any measured parameter and we routinely interface to LIMS and other databases. Our Green Chain solution prints on the boards to allow a sort to be divided over multiple carts thus distributing manpower effort.
  • Progress Engineering’s optimized Stacker control package provides width management for your packs. We’ve also designed a robotic cant stacker – ask us about how this can reduce the risk of injuries to your employees.
  • Our Kiln control software improves drying time while providing significant energy savings.
  • Waste management at the Chipper is a maintenance headache – ask us how to improve this with kW control.

From the wood yard to your finished goods inventory, our knowledge of sawmill operations will give you faster throughput, increased fiber yield and improved grade performance.