WEST FRASER is achieving ITS VISION WITH LHG
WEST FRASER is achieving ITS VISION WITH LHG
“ The accuracy, consistency and flexibility of the LHG system is very impressive. West Fraser has been pleased with our history with this system.”
A giant among wood processors, West Fraser chose USNR’ s LHG as its grade scanner of choice. It partnered with USNR to further develop the automated grading process, to the benefit of all producers.
West Fraser was an early believer in the Lineal High Grader( LHG) system’ s value, agreeing to beta several of the LHG’ s technology capabilities. After over a decade of experience with this system, the company remains a strong believer in the value the LHG has provided its operations.
The LHG is proven to produce excellent ongrade results for SYP with its unique defects. Like many other LHG customers, West Fraser chose to upgrade its systems at Augusta, Georgia and Huttig, Arkansas to add machine vision technology.
Vision upgrade
The LHG was originally installed at Augusta equipped with geometric scanning only, and subsequently received a major overhaul with a vision grading system and a retrofit to its feed frame. The LHG system at the Huttig mill was also installed with geometric scanning, and subsequently updated to add vision grading capability.
LHG vision upgrade components may include:
►►4 vision sensors with corresponding mounting and
LED lighting
►►X-ray source and detector
►►New computers and computer bay
►►LHG’ s latest software release
The vision module combines 4-face, multichannel vision data with density data from X-rays and geometric data from laser profile sensors. Through DataFusion™ the optimizer evaluates and compares all of the data, and accurately grades each board based on the mill’ s product parameters. The LHG evaluates dimension lumber from 1x3 to 4x12 and 6x6, and from 6’ to any length run in a batch process. Its processing power and intuitive interface make it easy to set up and configure even the most complex grade classifications. Today LHG systems are grading a variety of species in most regions of Canada and the US, as well as in Europe and Australia.
Jose Guthrie handles corporate process quality control for West Fraser’ s US divisions, based from the Huttig, Arkansas site. When asked about West Fraser’ s decision to upgrade these two sites, Jose commented.“ We’ re pleased with our past results. We would have liked to have done the upgrades sooner, but market conditions being what they were it didn’ t make sense until now.”
Accuracy, consistency, flexibility
West Fraser is well satisfied with the updated features and functionality the LHG provides. Jose said,“ We are pleased with the LHG and its vision capability.” All of West Fraser’ s LHG systems have been upgraded to vision, or are soon to be. Jose went on to relate,“ The accuracy, consistency and flexibility of the LHG system is very impressive. West Fraser has been pleased with our history with this system.”
Jose’ s response echoes what USNR has been hearing from other customers, including substantial increases in sales and reductions in labor. The LHG has proven to produce excellent results grading a wide variety of species in global regions. As defects and grade parameters vary USNR has fine-tuned the LHG accordingly. This affords customers the flexibility to adjust their products on-the-fly to meet fluctuating market conditions. Today LHG delivers the smallest distribution of above / below grade on a pack-by-pack basis. And customers are ramping up; in just over a year USNR sold or installed the LHG’ s vision component on 33 systems worldwide.
Jose commented that West Fraser is always looking for products to improve over time. USNR periodically releases new LHG software revisions that become available to benefit all LHG customers. When asked, Jose commented,“ The products coming from USNR just seem to continue to get better.”
Jose is also optimistic about the future of the industry.“ There is so much going on in the industry right now, and West Fraser wants to stay in the lead.” With all of its LHG’ s outfitted with the vision and software components, West Fraser is in an even stronger position.
ISSUE 3- 2013 | Millwide INSIDER 15