270 million seedlings in ten years Metsä Group and forest owners planted 270 million seedlings in Finnish forests between 2010 and 2020. In 2021, the figure will increase by more than 35 million seedlings. Under the Finnish Forest Act, a new forest must always be established after felling. This can be done through natural regeneration, by sowing seeds or by planting seedlings. Planting is the fastest and surest way to create a new forest. To secure biodiversity, individu- al trees from the previous generation are always left in the forest. Forest owners themselves plant around half the seed- lings they acquire through Metsä Group. Metsä Group’s contract entrepreneurs plant the rest. Forest owners are supplied with species that occur naturally in Finland – pine, spruce and silver birch – for use in forest regeneration. Depending on the tree species and the forest owner’s goals, the number of seedlings planted per hectare ranges from 1,600 to 2,200. Spruce and pine seedling are the most popular for forest regeneration. They produce the greatest volume of logs and therefore generate the greatest economic value for forest owners. Metsä Group aims to secure rapid regeneration after felling. The goal is not to miss a single growing season. The sooner we have a vigorous new seedling stand in place, the faster and better the new growing stock can sequester carbon from the atmosphere. Metsä Fibre is part of the Metsä Group. Most of the wood used by Metsä Fibre is purchased from Finnish forest owners.
Reliable information on wood products Puuinfo.fi is a Finnish online service with a focus on wood. It contains the newest facts and science on Finnish wood products, including information and guidance on the use of wood, products, solutions, and their suppliers. The service is intended for construction professionals as well as consumers. Puuinfo.fi is available in ten languages: as well as in Finnish and English, you can read it in German, Spanish, Russian, French, Chinese, Turkish, Japanese and Arabic. The website is maintained by Puuinfo Oy, which works to increase the demand for and use of Finnish wood. Metsä Fibre is a member of the Finnish Timber Council, Puuinfo. More information www.puuinfo.fi
Machine learning combined with X-ray scanning at Rauma sawmill
All Metsä Fibre’s Finnish sawmills have log scanners that incorporate advanced laser and X-ray technolo- gies. Laser measurement determines the exact surface shape of the log, while the X-ray reveals internal factors that affect the quality of the final product such as branches, the thickness of the annual growth rings, and the density of the wood. Based on the measurement data, the logs are graded for the purpose for which they suit best. Along with the log scanner and other measuring devices, the new Rauma sawmill will have an infor- mation system that uses machine learning to assist production planning. Together, they will optimise the sawing process to a previously unattainable precision. The equipment is being supplied by a Finnish company, Finnos Oy. After measurement, the control system divides the logs into sawing batches and allocates them to end products. The system compares the data generated during sawing and the quality of the end product. In this way, it can verify whether the targets set in the grading were achieved in production. The system will also begin to optimise the process through machine learning. “The decisions made in log grading will be steadily refined. The consistency of end product quality and the yield of raw material can continuously improve and remain optimal,” says Jere Heikkinen , the CEO of Finnos.
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