Logeye optimizes scanning and sorting at the log yard
Vaagen Brothers Lumber is increasing the value of their final products through their investment in a new Logeye 3D log scanner with bark detection in the sorting yard
The scanner operates in combination with Maxicut, the Microtec software used to create the optimized cutting pattern and Winlog, the data management software for optimized log sorting.
Vaagen Brothers is a third generation family-owned company with three mills operating in the Western U.S. and Canada. This continuity of management, vision and leadership has helped guide the company for more than half a century — creating a culture of innovation, integrity and cooperation that has fueled Vaagen’s advancement, evolution and growth over the years.
Guided by a corporate program known as “Fibervision”, they are industry leaders in incorporating the best utilization of small diameter logs. Because Vaagen Brothers focus on small log sawmilling, recovery of lumber from the log is not as high as in sawmill operations with larger logs. To maximize the value from these logs, the log yard at the Colville sawmill was recently upgraded with a Logeye 3D + Color measurement scanner from Microtec, combined with Maxicut pattern optimization and Microtec’s Winlog log yard control suite.
Wood species at the Colville facility consist mainly of Douglas fir, Larch, Lodgepole Pine, and mixed Hem-Fir. The sorting line - equipped with Logeye high-performance 3D quality scanner - processes about 10,000 blocks per day. As debarking is only done immediately before sawing, the logs being scanned in the log yard contain bark. To ensure accurate under bark measurement, the scanner is equipped with high-speed color cameras for bark detection. The under bark shape begins with the measured 3D shape over bark. Using the color cameras, each individual point containing bark is identified and reduced either by bark reduction formulas or tables.
Once scanned, the measured under bark log shape is passed to Maxicut, Microtec’s full 3D cutting pattern optimizer. Maxicut determines the highest value cutting pattern based on the wane rules and prices for each sawn product. Maxicut typically optimizes the log in <0.75 seconds depending on the active product list.
