“We want to be at the forefront of this industry and work in close cooperation with technology suppliers in the field.”
The bidirectional nature of the sawmill concept is also high lighted by Matti Toivonen , Senior Vice President, Technology of Metsä Fibre. New things have been constructed in Rauma, but the experiences accumulated and technology adopted at other sawmills are also being used. In turn, the solutions introduced in Rauma – many of which are firsts for the sawmill industry – will be phased in at the company’s other sawmills in the next few years. “For example, the logs arriving at the sawmill are measured using X-ray technology, and machine vision is used in grading and dry sorting. The goal is for us to collect more and more data throughout the production chain and devise ways to use them in close cooper- ation with our customers. We can make increasingly efficient use of raw material as the customer gets exactly the right parts of the log.” The data is also used in the development of Metsä Fibre’s Timber Fox quality index. This index provides customers with more com- prehensive information about the quality of sawn timber, and the data helps customers boost their industrial efficiency. A more efficient and precise production process also enhances raw material use, as it reduces wastage in both sawn timber pro- duction and customer processes. “The chips generated in the process are an important side stream. They will form an increasingly important part of the whole, as they are upgraded into pulp – ideally at the same inte- grated mill,” says Pehu-Lehtonen. Safety at work is an indication of quality The Future Sawmill is also a safer workplace. As duties are moved from the immediate vicinity of production to the control room, similar to the process industry, the proportion of accident-prone manual work will also decrease. All Metsä Fibre sawmills comply with the same safety-at-work processes as other Metsä Group production units. Among other things, the sawmills use the 5S operating model familiar from the Lean quality development approach, in which each employee
assumes responsibility for their own work environment and its safety, notes any shortcomings and reports them when necessary. “We have continued to improve the level of personal protection. Part of our daily work includes the use of protective clothing, safety gloves, shoes and goggles, as well as hearing protection. Safety-at-work also means taking good care of our machinery and equipment. We carry out regular rounds on the shop floor, even though the process is steered from the control room,” says Toivonen. He adds that safety-at-work is an important part of reliable deliveries, which serve as an indicator of the quality of operations. “Safety is very important to us. It is something that customers also ask about and follow, because it says a lot about the company’s operating culture. When matters related to safety-at-work are in order, production is efficient and quality is good.” Aiming for top position in the industry Increasing demand paves the way for new and more efficient sawn timber production. As the popularity of wood construction con- tinues to increase, more and more uses are being identified for sawn timber as an ecological construction material that stores carbon over a long period of time. Nordic slow-growing wood is seeing particularly strong de- mand, as it is suitable for both traditional construction and in- terior decoration. “With our new production model, we are seeking the best technologies in the field, which will help us achieve increasingly efficient, clean, material-efficient and consistent production. We want to be at the forefront of our branch of industry and work in close development cooperation with technology suppliers in the field,” says Pehu-Lehtonen. “At the end of the day, it is all about our customers. We want to listen to them and serve them better by delivering products that are ideally suited to their processes.” •
Kaija Pehu-Lehtonen SVP, Business Development of Metsä Fibre, is in charge of the development of products and production processes.
Matti Toivonen SVP, Technology of Metsä Fibre, is in charge of the development of technology used at company’s sawmills and pulp mills.
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