managing wood quality variation: is segregation the solution?

23/05/2014

1

Managing Wood Quality Variation:

Is Segregation the Solution?

Scion Wood Quality Workshops – May 2014

Dr. Glen Murphy

Definitions of Quality


The characteristics of a product or service that bear on its ability to satisfy stated or implied needs.

American Society for Quality

Quality in a product or service is not what the supplier puts in. It is what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for.

Peter Drucker

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Why Segregate?


Segregation will lead to a greater financial net benefit for the party segregating the product than if it did not do so - the benefits outweigh the costs.

Segregate Don’t Segregate

Benefits

CostsCosts

Benefits

Roseburg Forest Products


2 km

LVL, engineered wood, plywood, composite panels, decorative laminate, lumber (structural and appearance), chip, wood fuel pellets, landscape timbers.

Sources logs from its own forest plus buys stumpage and logs from other suppliers.

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Why Segregate?


9%

19%

39%

10%

32%

6%

35%

45%

38%

39%

34%

31%

9%

4%

4%

11%

2%

15%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

A B C D E F

G3

G2

G1

$$$

Volu

me R

ecovery

Dryer Grade Veneer ResultsDryer Grade Veneer ResultsDryer Grade Veneer ResultsDryer Grade Veneer Results

Variability between Washington Douglas Fir sites

Measuring Stiffness with Acoustics


7 Stands, 1400 stems, > 3000 logs

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0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

G H I J K L M

Ven

eer

Rec

ove

ry %

G3

G2

G1

Why Segregate?

Variability between Oregon Douglas Fir sites

Veneer Recovery


G1G2% = 48.9V - 143.3

R² = 0.91

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.0 4.1

G1

/G2

Vo

lum

e R

eco

very

(%

)

Average acoustic velocity (km/sec)

G1/G2 Veneer Recovery vs Acoustic Velocity

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Return to Log Values


$/MBF = 327.17x - 188.42

R² = 0.62

950

1000

1050

1100

1150

1200

3.50 3.60 3.70 3.80 3.90 4.00 4.10

Tota

l Ne

t R

eve

nu

e (

$/m

bf)

Average acoustic velocity (km/sec)

Return to Log Value vs Acoustic Velocity

Logs sorted based on velocity


Dynamic MOE = f(density*velocity2)

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In-line acoustic segregation


In-line acoustic segregation


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Hitman PH330 on processor head


● Log segregation within stands can provide significant financial benefits.

● Segregation power is improved by using an index based on TOF acoustic velocity and stem parameters.

PH330 validation in Oregon


� Waratah 624 log-making on roadside trial site

� Single threshold study in 55 year old D fir stands

� Logs measured with PH330 and HM200 on site

� Results showed that a stand with average log velocity 3.72 km/sec could be upgraded by selecting the higher stiffness logs

Selected Equivalent to ‘Camp run’ with mean V

80% 3.78 km/sec

50% 3.84 km/sec

30% 3.90 km/sec ~$11/m3

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Segregate Where ?


● In forest� At stump� On landings

● At super skids● At central processing yard● At mill

Segregate When ?


● Prior to harvest● During harvest● After harvest● After delivery

Timing has implications for cost and market flexibility

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Who Segregates ?


● Seller● Buyer● Seller or buyer’s agent

Segregate What?


• Length

• Diameter

• Stiffness

• Stability

• Compression wood

• Spiral grain

• Propensity to check

• Sweep

• Knot size and location

• Resin pockets

• Density

• Juvenile wood content

• Ring width

Focus on actual performance propertiesFocus on actual performance propertiesFocus on actual performance propertiesFocus on actual performance properties

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Segregate How?


LengthLengthLengthLengthDiameter over barkDiameter over barkDiameter over barkDiameter over bark

Segregate How?


Branch size aids

Knot Size

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Segregate How?


Whorl location

detected by laser

scanning

Knots detected from scanning

of digital images

3D Sweep


Why DBH and height are not good enough metrics for some stands!

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Terrestrial laser scanning


Stand Value

$$$

Log Product Yields

Return to Log Values


Value based on lumber plus chip sales minus mill costs.Value based on lumber plus chip sales minus mill costs.Value based on lumber plus chip sales minus mill costs.Value based on lumber plus chip sales minus mill costs.

Sweep reduced value by 10 to 30%

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Segregate How ?


Finnish Forestrix Finnish Forestrix Finnish Forestrix Finnish Forestrix Project Project Project Project tested GPS, IMU, and 2D and 3D laser sensors for determining where “harvester” and trees are, tree size and tree

form.

Also provide some measures of tree quality ?

Real-time sorting with NIR


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NIR Principle


Density measurement with NIR


350 400 450 500

NIR basic density (kg/m3)

350

400

450

Mea

sure

d ba

sic

dens

ity (

kg/m

3)

Green ChipsGreen ChipsGreen ChipsGreen Chips

Density predicted from Density predicted from Density predicted from Density predicted from NIR measurements of NIR measurements of NIR measurements of NIR measurements of green chainsaw chipsgreen chainsaw chipsgreen chainsaw chipsgreen chainsaw chips

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Chips are internal wood sample!


Segregate How ?


0° 10° 20° 30° 40°

Mean microfibril angle M

Stif

fnes

s of

the

cell

wal

l, G

Pa

50

40

30

20

10

14

11.2

8.4

5.6

2.8 Stif

fnes

s (G

Pa)

of w

ood

of d

ensi

ty 4

20 k

g m

-3

Good wood

Poor wood

0° 10° 20° 30° 40°


Stif

fnes

s of

the

cell

wal

l, G

Pa

50

40

30

20

10

0° 10° 20° 30° 40°

Mean microfibril angle M0° 10° 20° 30° 40°


Stif

fnes

s of

the

cell

wal

l, G

Pa

50

40

30

20

10

14

11.2

8.4

5.6

2.8 Stif

fnes

s (G

Pa)

of w

ood

of d

ensi

ty 4

20 k

g m

-3

14

11.2

8.4

5.6

2.8 Stif

fnes

s (G

Pa)

of w

ood

of d

ensi

ty 4

20 k

g m

-3

Good wood

Poor wood

Longitudinal shrinkage vs MoE

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16

Bending MOE, GPa

Leng

thw

ise

shrin

kage

, %

Unstablewood

Stablewood

■Crook

○ Bow

X Twist

Acoustic velocity and MOE are indicators of STABILITY

– strong correlations with microfibril angle, longitudinal shrinkage, and distortion

Speed (ft/s)

Board

warp

(in

)

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Segregate How ?


• Internal� heart wood / sapwood� internal pruned knot whorls

(internal checks?)� stiffness and strength� density� moisture content� stability� resin blemishes� propensity to check

Radar, CT Radar, CT Radar, CT Radar, CT log scannerslog scannerslog scannerslog scanners

NIR, NIR, NIR, NIR, AcousticsAcousticsAcousticsAcoustics

Visual Visual Visual Visual (external)(external)(external)(external)

Increment coresIncrement coresIncrement coresIncrement cores

Staying Segregated


Radio FrequencyRadio FrequencyRadio FrequencyRadio Frequency

ID tagsID tagsID tagsID tags

Source: Korten & Kaul 2008

Tracking logs through the supply chain

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Staying Segregated


Concluding Comments


● Segregation will occur when the financial benefits outweigh the costs.

● When, where, and who segregates stems and logs will affect what is segregated and how segregation occurs.

● What qualities need to be segregated is likely to be customer dependent.

● New sensor technologies are providing a range of new tools for determining how segregation is done.

● The earlier in the supply chain segregation is carried out the greater is the need for standardised tools and procedures – one or a few tools will have to do it all.

● Significant research is required to answer these who, what, why, when, where and how questions.

managing wood quality variation: is segregation the solution?

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