3D machine vision and the sawmilling industry
The sawmilling industry is one of the most automated industries. It has incorporated 3D machine vision/scanning to help optimize lumber production since the ’90s. With 3D scanning, a mill will be able to measure the dimensions of an entire length of a tree, which was an imprecise task to perform with traditional methods. This has helped to reduce labor as well as improve lumber quality in the sawmill industry because it eliminates human errors.
Hermary’s machine vision in the sawmilling industry
Hermary’s 3D scanning technology has paved the way for the industry to a more efficient and accurate way to measure and produce lumber in a mill. One of the most well-known applications is measuring a log’s full length after it has been debarked. Hermary’s machine vision scanners are used to capture a 3D digitized model of a log’s shape and dimensions. The digitized model is used by system integrators to create a unique cutting solution for every log, ensuring lumber recovery is maximized and waste is minimized.
Product offerings for sawing optimization
Hermary offers three different products that can be used in a variety of similar applications and environments.
- SL-1880 for general applications and is best to be used indoors or with the use of a scanner enclosure.
- DPS-824S1 is used to produce grayscale and output geometric imaging that can be used for the detection of splits in logs. DPS-824S1 is also best for indoor applications or with the use of a scanner enclosure.
- DPS-4024HA can be used outdoors and in direct sunlight. This model comes with high ambient-light immunity and is designed where a scan enclosure is not practical.
A quick look at how primary breakdown optimization works in a sawmill
Watch this short video on how logs are processed in the sawmill for the best sawing pattern.
Primary Breakdown is the most critical process in a sawmill. It helps the sawmill decide the volume of sellable lumber in each log. Traditionally, this process involved manual guesswork and can be extremely subjective and imprecise. The use of 3D machine vision scanners was a breakthrough that helped propel them to become one of the most digitally advanced industries in the world.
“The reliability of Hermary’s scanners is head and shoulders above any other scanners that we have used in our mills. Precision has also been proven to be the best available – that’s why we love to use them.”
Weyerhaeuser Company
A debarked log is about to go through the scanning process, determining its rotation for an optimal cutting pattern.