Automation in Lumber Milling

Advantages of greater automation in lumber milling include: 1) Maximum utilization of manpower, 2) accuracy, 3) absence of fatigue or mental disturbance, 4) elimination of mistakes, and 5) safety. Because of the variability in the raw material, automated processes are scarce in sawmills. Logs and boards vary in size, density, and moisture content. But further along the manufacturing process, ending up at the planer and the grading table, it is increasingly less difficult to make possible automatic processes. The following are some examples where automation can be applied successfully in a sawmill or planing mill: 1) A riderless carriage instead of a carriage that has a rider, 2) automatic pre-setting set works for resaws, 3) pre-setting remote control shifters for edgers, 4) automatic stackers and unstackers, 5) knot boring and plugging machines, and 6) lumber end and edge glue machines. Advantages of automation are that it makes possible the maximum productivity and it improves quality control and safety. But automation demands investment in equipment, more maintenance and more maintenance personnel as well.

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