New developments. Among the most relevant novelties is RuScan lumber quality and geometrical parameters scanner with trimming optimization function. This system is designed for lumber sorting lines operating at speeds from 60 to 180 boards per minute.
All of the medium or large capacity (with producing of 5 or more cubic meter of lumber per month) sawmills of Russian Federation can’t allow themselves to sort such a big amount of produced lumber by hand due to economical or logistical reasons. As a result, the growth of demand in mechanical board sorting lines, that started about 15-20 years ago, and continues today. The used equipment and morally and technologically out-of-date equipment is generally supplied. Lumber quality control, optimization and end-cutting on the lines manufactured in the 90-s or in the beginning of 2000 are provided by 1 or several operators. Such solution is not effective under conditions of growing competition in lumber market, production quality is prevailed. Lumber overload in the market causes inflated requirements of clients, price cutting on a low quality product. The product quality and, finally, its price are determined at dry sorting. Dependence on human factor is inappropriate. Mistakes made by operators reduce profit of the whole mill. Important is every percent, every part of percent of yield. Automatic lumber scanners are used very often for solutions of this task. Thanks this equipment has been achieved considerable progress in sorting quality terms and in crosscutting optimization in price. Consequently have increased demands of clients.
“RuScan” made by “AVTOMATIKA-VEKTOR” is all-in-one system which functions as lumber scanner, searching and measuring device of geometry of defects, sort use, species of wood determination, crosscutting optimization. Scanner has been successfully operating for a very long time in different regions of country from Karelia to Eastern Siberia, were sorted millions cubic meters of lumber supplied to different markets with different kinds of specific requirements. In addition to this, this scanner is able to collaborate with the program controlled crosscutting mechanisms and pockets ordering by using of general parameters and settings system. Both of these programs have advanced reporting system based on MS SQL, what is very convenient for analytics and export to other accounting systems. Clients also appreciated the convenience of reporting viewing by using the usual browser.
In March 2020 AVTOMATIKA-VEKTOR patented a method for determining lumber defects, which formed the basis for the second generation lumber quality scanner RuScan 2.0.
Main advantages of RuScan:
The construction designed by using of solutions and components, which allow operating equipment for many years, without repairing or modernizing.
The most advanced searching and analysis technologies
Detailed examination of the edge and face of the board on from both sides simultaneously. At the same time, the board is photographed from each side under four different light sources, simulating the rotation of the board when viewed. As a result, each board is photographed 16 times + 2 times from the edge. This is very important especially by analyzing of splits, steps and breakouts.
End-to-end integration with other accounting and optimization software designed by “AVTOMATIKA-VEKTOR”.
On-line technical support, intensive training of operating staff.
Technical capabilities
System detects geometric and visible defects. Geometric defects are defects of machining: wane, chipping, breaking, twist, bow, crook. Visible defects detected by this system are rot, blue stain, knots, splits, bark, pitch pockets. Defect detection is performed on the basis of GOST 2140-81 "Visible defects of wood, classification, terms and definitions, methods of measurement." Sorting and trimming are based on GOST 26002-83 "Coniferous sawn timber of Northern grading supplied for export", with the possibility to set all parameters. RuScan software has a clear and intuitive interface, comfortable and flexible configurations, which greatly facilitates personnel training and work with it. Introduction of automatic scanner on sorting line is destined to increase productivity of the line, to ensure growth of value of finished products due to optimized decisions, to reduce influence of human factor, to provide a more stable product quality.
Visible defects:
Knots: the following characteristics can be defined:
Type (displacements, connections, rotten)
Location
Size (ellipse – by the small diameter, by the edge - if it crosses the edge)
Number (per 1 m of the board, on the whole length)
Pass-through knot or not
Splits (type: layer’s split, edge’s split, penetrating / not penetrating, penetration in the butt end ).
Defects of structure (bark ringed knot, pitch pockets). Theirs dimensions (length, width), number, position (at the edge or on the layer) influences on the choice of quality.
Fungal lesions (rottenness, blue stain) The choice of sort is done according to the type of lesion, size of the segments relative to the length and width of the board, the percentage of the total area of lesions in regard to the layer of boards, going to the butt end, penetrating character (the transition from one layer to another).
Detection of defects on the face and on the edges of boards (according to the technical requirements of GOST 26002-83 and GOST 24454-80.):
Knots: not adnate sound, decayed, rotten
Holes of the fallen not adnate knots,
Fungus heartwood spots and stripes
Sapwood rot: hard / soft
Heartwood rot: brown fissured / particoloured solid
External soft rot
Wormholes, pitch pockets
Splits: face, edge, end
Warp: bow, crook, and twist (on the edge or on the face).
Sorting accuracy of dry sawn timber of spruce and pine is not worse than 90%
To detect defects the system use two or three ramps with cameras and pinspots. Cameras can be on top of the conveyor as well as at both sides. It permits to go without turn of the board and significantly reduce the length of the conveyor required to install the scanner.
To measure thickness and wane the boards use high-speed laser sensors located in 30 or 15 cm along board. They transfer information to the host computer via a digital network without loss of accuracy.
In 2024, work on training the RuScan scanner to assess the quality of lumber made of deciduous trees (aspen, linden, birch) was completed. Now our clients can order an additional software module "RuScan BIRCH LINDEN ASPEN" for sorting lumber made of these species.