“The Rauma sawmill’s products will be particularly suit- able for end-use applications that require strength. Our target sectors are the component industry and the wood- working industry, such as the furniture manufacturing sector. We believe that demand for high-quality sawn timber products will grow. That’s our focus.” QUICK AND PRECISE MEASUREMENTS The most significant new technological features at the Rauma sawmill are the extensive use of artificial intelli- gence and the overall efficiency of the project. “Measurement and process monitoring will be be even faster and more accurate than before. The measuring de- vices are, in themselves, smart devices,” says Mikko Pel- tomäki , who is responsible for the technical concept and implementation of the sawmill. “We use the Timber FOX quality index for assessing the consistency of product quality. The index provides cus- tomers with more comprehensive information about the quality characteristics of sawn timber. They can then use them to further improve their own production process efficiency.”
Laser-based devices measure the shape of the log, while an X-ray machine ensures the internal quality of the log. Based on the measurement data, the logs will be sorted in accordance with the planned product selection and production. To achieve high sawing speeds, preliminary blades are used in preparation for the actual sawing phase. Machine vision and smart control ensure that the saw line runs smoothly. Operators control and monitor the sawing process from the control room with the help of cameras and measuring devices. After sawing, automatic devices using machine vision identify any bad pieces on the moving line and remove them from the process. “At the new sawmill, bad pieces will be eliminated using automation and machine vision. This will enable all opera- tions to be run from a central control room,” says Peltomäki. Sticker piles of 20 to 30 cubic metres will be prepared mechanically for drying. All transfers in the drying unit will also be made automatically, steered by the production system. In grade sorting, the sticker pile will be unloaded, and the pieces sorted and graded. Then the products will be packaged. An identifier will be attached to each package. Finally, the packages will be grouped and transferred auto- matically to the vehicle that will take them to the harbour. ONE CONTROL ROOM FOR THE WHOLE SAWMILL The overall steering of the production process will happen from the central control room. During each shift, ten op- erators at a time will work in the control room in teams of two or three. Each team is responsible for a specific phase of the process. The tasks to be performed during a shift range from con- trol room work to user maintenance and field rounds for quality assurance purposes, says Liisa-Maija Perävainio , Mill Manager at the Rauma sawmill. “The new working methods require the ability to manage and carry out a diverse range of tasks. Cooperation skills and the ability to take responsibility and make decisions are particularly important.”
All future operators will complete an 18-month training programme, which also includes training provided by the suppliers of equipment for the sawmill. “The equipment suppliers’ contribution makes the train- ing programme very special. They have the latest knowl- edge of state-of-the-art technology which is not available anywhere else.” WORK PROGRESSING ON SCHEDULE Construction work at the Rauma sawmill has progressed as planned. Excavation work and earthworks were com- pleted in summer 2020. The actual construction phase began in August. The construction work is progressing at a good speed. “The first pieces of equipment will be installed during the first half of 2021. By summer 2022, the buildings and production lines, as well as the process, will have reached a point where we can start test runs for the entire plant,” Haapaniemi explains. The first operators at the sawmill will start their work during the equipment installation phase. STRONG COMMITMENT TO SAWMILL BUSINESS OPERATIONS In its strategy, Metsä Fibre is strongly committed to the continuous and systematic development of the sawmill and pulp industries in the long term. The Rauma sawmill will be located next to the exist- ing pulp mill. Together they will form a highly efficient industrial integrated mill that uses wood raw material efficiently. The sawmill will use the log section of a trunk as a raw material for sawn timber. The chips, bark and sawdust generated during sawing will be conveyed to the pulp mill. The chips will be used as a raw material for pulp, and the bark and sawdust will be used to produce bioenergy. The pulp mill will provide the sawmill with all the energy it needs. In the future, this solution will enable both the Rauma sawmill and pulp mill to operate without using any fossil fuels. In addition, the sawmill will be compact, because it will not require a separate power plant and the related storage. •
RAUMA SAWMILL EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS • Sawline: Veisto Oy • Log sorting and the sawmill’s feed and bark pro- cessing equipment: Nordautomation Oy • Green sorting lines and sticking and stacking lines: Renholmen AB • Grade sorting and packaging equipment: C.Gunnarssons Verkstads AB • Drying unit equipment: Heinolan sahakoneet Oy • Sorting cameras: FinScan Oy • Debarkers: Valon Kone Oy • By-product conveyors, a new screening concept and automatic loading equipment: Raumaster Oy • Measuring devices and camera systems: Finnos Oy • Control room system: Roima Intelligence Oy • Conveyors for organising and creating loads of sawn timber packages, and an automatic loading system for vehicles: Raumaster Paper Oy • Production control system: Pinja Oy
• Earthworks: LM Suomiset Oy • Construction: Skanska Oy
“The Rauma sawmill’s products will be particularly suitable for end-use applications that require strength. We believe that demand for high-quality sawn timber products will grow. That is our focus.”
The first pillars were raised in October 2020.
LIVE WEB CAMS FROM THE RAUMA SAWMILL CONSTRUCTION SITE:
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