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I N N O V A T I O N S SLP evolves in response to market demand Wood-Mizer developed the Small Log Processing (SLP) line to provide an efficient and economical way to process small logs while achieving good productivity and high yield of sawn boards. SLP lines are designed to customers' requirements from a choice of twin and single vertical bandsaws, multi-head horizontal resaws, and associated log handling and conveying systems. The addition of a Wood-Mizer edger or multirip offers customers the ability to add further value and productivity. These lines have been installed for customers around the world since they were introduced in 2007, and are used for cutting a variety of species and in a range of environments. Wood-Mizer has always encouraged feedback from all customers, so that the technical design team can enhance the performance of machinery and blades to meet the 6 WOOD-MIZER TODAY AUTUMN 2011 changing needs of sawmillers. For the SLP line, this has led to a number of innovations. One of these is the 'Spiky Chain' system for feeding logs through the TVS twin vertical bandsaw. This was initially developed in order to increase productivity. With the standard 'dogged' feed chain there will always be gaps between logs, as each one has to pause on the deck until the next dog (usually spaced about 170mm apart) on the chain arrives to feed the log through the sawblades. "The Spiky system is a continuous spiked feed chain with overhead spiked rollers before the saw", said Roman Frontczak, technical director at WoodMizer Industries. "These grip the log as soon as it is positioned on the special 'V'shaped loading table, which means logs can be fed butt to butt with no gaps between them. Depending on the length