Metla Project 7054
Development of procurement and saw milling of Scots pine from thinnings
Duration: 2000-2003
Keywords: SME sector, mechanical further processing, saw milling, shortlog technique, small-dimensibred logs, thinniry wood, wood product industies
Research Program: Potentials for the utilisation of roundwood and wood raw materials in relation to the wood product markets
Objectives
Research consortium of Metla, Joensuu Research Station and VTT Building Technology Development of procurement and saw milling of Scots pine from thinnings, in which the sub-studies of Metla are organised under the title Log recovery, productivity of timber procurement and short-log technique in thinnings of Scots pine. The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry jointly finances this project, through the Finnish Forest Cluster Research Programme WoodWisdom, with the Finnish Forest Research Institute and five Finnish medium-scale saw mill enterprises. In addition, the Finnish Forest and Park Service, one forest machine manufacturing company and four manufacturers of machines and measurement devices for saw milling contribute to the project by material and labour input.
The main goal of the project is to provide information on the properties and technical and economic suitability of different thinning stands of Scots pine in Finland for sawn timber and, furthermore, for specific materials for further processed wood products (furniture, glulam beams, cut-to-length building materials with accurate dimensions). Procurement and processing of small-dimensioned logs, in addition to conventional logs, by using either conventional log lengths (3.1 to 4.3 m's) or short log lengths (2.4 to 3.0 m's) are compared. In the consortium, Metla is responsible for co-ordination and compiling the public research report as a synthesis on the studies of Metla and VTT.
Metla's own studies cover wood technological properties of conventional and small-dimensioned saw timber wood of Scots pine, log recovery and its dimension and grade distribution in the first and second thinning operations, internal quality, structure for knottiness and cross-cutting patterns of the trees (40 stands per company). In addition, productivity of thinning operation by cutting with one-grip harvester and subsequent forwarding and truck transport (4 to 6 stands) when using either short-log or conventional-log technique are studied. Fourty pine stems from thinnings per company are selected, measured, investigated and delivered to VTT for stembank analyses.
Final report of the consortium covers: 1) descriptions of saw mill lines and analyses on the profitability of investments for the improved cost-efficiency in utilising Scots pine from thinnings, when either short or conventional log lengths are used, 2) characteristics of (regeneration method, forest site type, speed of growth, spacing, dimensions of trees, etc.) and selection criteria for thinning stands of pine for profitable saw milling, 3) profitable and potential end-products, 4) synthesis on the analyses of productivity and profitability (incl. sensitivity analyses, particularly on the effects of price levels of raw materials and end-products.
Project leader:
Verkasalo, Erkki
The Finnish Forest Research Institute,
Joensuu Research Unit,
PL 68, 80101 Joensuu
Phone: +358 10 211 3020 Telefax: +358 10 211 3001
E-mail: erkki.verkasalo@metla.fi
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Updated 30.12.2006
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