March 2024

Knowledge Inside

Cascade Hardwood boosts grade recovery and sawing consistency with new scanning system that reveals internal log quality.

Article by Dan Shell, Senior Editor, Timber Processing

CHEHALIS, Washington – Hardwood lumber producers in many cases can see their fortunes rise and fall on the strength of their skilled sawyers, who pull the value and grade out of each log through the experience of seeing thousands of cuts and logs and “knowing” what’s on the other side of each sawline. Such sawyers have traditionally been major contributors to a mill’s bottom line. But they’re getting harder to find.

Top hardwood lumber producer Cascade Hardwood, a major red alder and Pacific maple supplier, is meeting the grade sawing challenge with investment in state-of-the-art internal log defect scanning and optimization. Scanning and optimization that actually is enhancing headrig operators’ knowledge and helping develop people for this position in a fraction of the time, delivering a higher level of quality product and consistency across multiple sawyers.

At Cascade Hardwood’s Chehalis mill, the new MiCROTEC CT Log Scanner and optimization system paired with MiCROTEC’s Logeye Stereo scanning at two headrigs is providing highest value sawing solutions informed by internal defect scanning, and the sawing function is largely automated once the operator rotates the log into position on the carriage. The mill did extensive research in 2021, pulling the trigger on the project later in the year, with startup in 2023.

Mill Manager Larry Eck says thanks to Microtec’s x-ray and computed tomography scanning system, the big benefit is now the sawyers know—really know—the knots and grade characteristics inside each log. “A trained sawyer will look at an opening face and start looking for swirls and knot indicators, and based on experience will decide how thick to go. Now, we know exactly what’s on the backside, so we can cut more grade,” he explains.