USNR named 2012 APA innovation award winner !
USNR named 2012 APA innovation award winner !
USNR was awarded as 2012 Innovator of the Year by EWTA / APA with the installation of this 6-deck jet veneer dryer at RoyOMartin , Chopin , Louisiana . This dryer will accomplish the equivalent production of two dryers , reducing labor costs by 50 %. It will also reduce thermal energy consumption by 10 %, and exhaust fugitive emissions by 15 %.
Expedited installation
The dryer was erected off-line , then towed into place and connected to all services under a projected expedited schedule . This gave the plant the advantage of choosing the optimum time to disrupt its production schedule to install the additional capacity , and allowed it to utilize the existing building structure to house the new dryer .
Once construction was completed , the huge new dryer was slid into position . It will process the equivalent of 2 conventional veneer dryers . With an expedited schedule , veneer producers can now install and commission a new dryer within a 3-week timeframe as opposed to the typical 20 weeks .
“ We have another identical 6-deck dryer going in in the fall , and it will be assembled off-line and towed into place just like the last one .”
outage was less than 3 weeks . “ In any production plant the cost of under capacity or lost production is huge , so anything that can be done to minimize taking machinery out of service is beneficial to us ,” said Jonathan , adding that about 95 % of the project went off without a hitch .
From USNR ’ s perspective , the biggest challenge was , in Alan Knokey ’ s words , “ Getting up the courage to make the first pull .” Dave Brown of BMI Contractors was contracted to erect the new dryer , demolish the existing dryer , and tow the new dryer into position .
Team effort
BMI Contractors , based at Salem , Oregon , has 30 years of history working with Coe Manufacturing and USNR . Dave Brown , president of BMI , said , “ The relationship between our companies has always been symbiotic in that we help each other succeed . BMI works to provide trouble-free installations , offering a depth of experience and knowledge of individual machines as well as overall production flow . For us a win is when everybody is happy and with USNR equipment we are confident every project will be a win .” He went on to explain that BMI has installed 2 new USNR veneer dryers at Chopin , and both projects were winners . He also commended the Chopin mill personnel , “ The RoyOMartin personnel are very knowledgeable and look for ways to improve the project . They have always treated us as part of the family .”
Dave commented that every project presents its own challenges . He said , “ USNR has always had support in place to reduce or eliminate the effects of these challenges . I have long believed that problems are part of the job ; it ’ s what we do with them that separates us from the crowd . Fortunately , we find this same attitude with USNR .”
Moving day
He went on to explain that the major differentiator with this project was simply the magnitude of the dryer to be moved . “ Other pieces we ’ ve moved rarely top 100,000 pounds . The new 6-deck dryer tipped the scales at nearly 1 million pounds .” After discussion with all parties involved he decided to opt for an abundance of horsepower ; they mounted a large winch to the floor of the mill to provide the moving force . He said they expected the dryer would take several hours to move the 300 feet into position , but the job was done in under 45 minutes .
Dave ’ s team has lots of experience erecting wood processing equipment . Besides the savings in outage time for the mill , he explained that this new construction process allows more time for quality checks and inspections with less timeline pressure . Improved safety is also a huge advantage .
“ When a dryer is demolished and a new one built in place , production is curtailed and so getting back to operation quickly is critical . When time pressure mounts the chance of injury increases .”
A new dryer project on the horizon
With the success of this project behind him , Jonathan has contracted with USNR for another dryer . “ We have another 6-deck dryer going in in the fall , and it will be assembled off-line and towed into place just like the last one .” Jonathan has a lot of experience with Coe equipment and working with USNR . “ It ’ s been a very fruitful working relationship . I ’ ve done business with USNR for sawmill equipment and plywood equipment for 40 years .” The ability to replace existing dryers by towing the fully preassembled new dryer into place significantly reduces the cost of a new dryer installation . This new process will undoubtedly change the face of many future veneer dryer projects , as other processors recognize the opportunity for savings in time and money . USNR is honored to have been entrusted with bringing Jonathan Martin ’ s vision from concept to reality .
http :// vimeo . com / 65912061
Scan the QR code with your smart phone to view a time lapse video of the dryer construction at the Chopin plant , or go to :
ISSUE 3 - 2013 | Millwide INSIDER 5