Engineered wood eases labour constraints for commercial building – Labour shortages are limiting growth in both commercial building, with the recent profit downgrades at Fletcher Challenge highlighting the depth of the problems. However, commercial wood solutions already being implemented by industry leaders in Australia, Canada and New Zealand and hold the key to removing labour constraints. Engineered wood building components using automated manufacture to reduce labour content and speed project completions. (Photo: The post connection at the heart of the Brock Commons timber structure)

The engineering of wood components for commercial building is growing fast in Australia. Local builders and developers, led by smart operators like Lendlease and Strongbuild, in Australia’s major cities, have worked out how to automate many of the large building jobs using factory prefabrication. Case studies of their recent successes feature in an engineered timber conference coming to Rotorua in September.

Conference director John Stulen says, “Right now there’s a surprising contrast – the leading builders and developers working with wood for commercial building are finishing projects on time, on budget, without the constraints or problems blamed by the very large construction companies like Fletcher Challenge for their profit shortfall.”

“In fact, the world’s tallest timber building, at 18 stories high, Brock Commons, in Vancouver, Canada was delivered ahead of schedule,” says Stulen, “and we’ve got their lead project manager as our keynote speaker coming to our conference.”

Local designers and architects are now rapidly realising that a range of the products offered by engineered wood manufacturers get around many potential problems with challenging builds – and labour is just one of the issues that are solved by using automated manufacturing for wood panel floors, walls and engineered beams to reduce labour content.

Stulen predicts, “The next big thing set for speeding up construction jobs is timber floor cassettes. Commercial builders, developers and designers will be seeing many more solutions with these systems soon. The overall project savings from wood solutions are obvious and being captured by leaders in this industry – our conference will be full of case studies showing how wood solves many problems that traditional commercial construction practices and materials can’t.”

The conference, “Changing Perceptions of Engineered Timber in Construction” is running on 28 September in Rotorua. It’s the second annual conference and attracts building owners, developers, architects, engineers, specifiers and many service and supply companies. The theme is “Advantages of Timber in Mid Rise Construction.”

The Rotorua Lakes Council are active event partners promoting their successful “Wood-First” policy. Rotorua is home to many wood manufacturing businesses including New Zealand’s largest solid wood producer – Red Stag Timber.

The conference is set to be part of a wood technology week of events coming to the city in September, including the FIEA WoodTECH 2017 two-day conference and trade expo.

Rise in total output value of China’s forestry industry – According to the State Forestry Administration (SFA), in the first half of 2017 the total output value of China’s forest industry rose 7.4% to RMB 2.77 trillion. The total value of China’s foreign trade in wood product rose 11% to US$71 billion.

The increase has been put down to recent policy changes which promoted the national forestry and forest industries. In the first half of 2017, in compliance with the 13th Five- Year Plan for Forest Industry Development, regional plans have been released by 11 national departments.

National policies promote optimising the structure and productive capacity of enterprises in the sector. In the forestry sector an emphasis has been placed on forest tourism. In the first half of 2017 the numbers of tourist visiting forest areas rose 17% to 700 million and this generated an income of around RMB550 billion. In the second half of 2017 the SFA will continue to accelerate the development of the wood processing industries through providing macro-economic guidance and support.

In addition, timber industry demonstration zones for leading enterprises will be further promoted. In terms of specific measures, the SFA will speed up the establishment of the national forestry industry investment fund and the so-called emerging forestry strategic industries development fund projects.

Source: ITTO Tropical Timber Market Report & Global Wood

NZ export log prices weaken as higher kiwi dollar bites – New Zealand export log prices generally declined over the past month as a gain in the New Zealand dollar made the country’s products less competitive.

Most grades of New Zealand unpruned logs weakened by between $1-to-$3 a tonne, with A-grade logs falling to $124 a tonne, from $127 a tonne the previous month, according to AgriHQ’s monthly survey of exporters, forest owners and saw millers.

Export pruned logs bucked the trend, edging up to $164 a tonne from $163 a tonne. Nearly all the weakness stemmed from the exchange rate swinging out of exporters’ favour, with the New Zealand dollar firming about 7 percent against the US dollar since mid-May, AgriHQ said.

Forest products are New Zealand’s third-largest commodity export group behind dairy and meat products, and the Ministry for Primary Industries expects annual log export revenue to slowly increase from $2.22 billion through 2016 to $3.1 billion in 2021 as more logs are harvested and sent overseas.

“Wharfgate log values took a slight backwards step on last month, but as far as exporters are concerned, there’s little to be worried about,” AgriHQ analyst Reece Brick said in his report. “Fortunately, the exchange rate is where the negative vibes end,” Brick said, noting that overseas demand, shipping rates and oil prices remained favourable.

“All factors considered, sentiment through the log export sector is optimistic,” Brick said. “Wharfgate values are anticipated to stabilise or strengthen a little as the year progresses, with only currency movements casting a little doubt over medium-term prospects.”

Brick said there appeared to be no slowing in Chinese demand for New Zealand logs. In-market prices in China firmed through June and July to their highest level in more than three years, and the usual decline in activity during the summer months hadn’t been noted this year, he said.

Meanwhile in India, the implementation of a goods and service tax on July 1 temporarily hurt demand, but Indian ports appeared to be short on log volumes and the market is expected to settle back to its normal routine after a period of adjustment, he said.

In the New Zealand domestic market, values for all log grades reported by AgriHQ were either steady or slightly firmer.

“The pull of export markets is still too strong for mills to be able to bargain the market lower,” Brick said. “Many sellers are still finding a premium selling logs through the wharfgate, and it’ll take a solid correction in this area to for any reprieve to come to the market.”

Source: BusinessDesk via Scoop News

Tigercat is pleased to announce the launch of RemoteLogTM, the company’s new telematics solution. RemoteLog was designed after extensive field research that included feedback from customers from around the world. The result is a simple, robust telematics solution that works even in the most remote locations.

Now loggers can track key machine performance metrics from their desktop or tablet to maximize machine productivity and reduce operating costs. Telematics project engineer Rob Archibald comments, “RemoteLog is a valuable new tool for loggers to optimize productivity and minimize downtime by having data that matters right at your fingertips.”

Logging sites are often well out of range of cellular phone service providers so RemoteLog uses a satellite data connection that provides global coverage. Data is automatically updated to secure servers on a regular basis. Data includes:

1. Machine location and movements
2. Activity timeline to identify when a machine is idle, operating, shutdown or refuelling
3. Fuel levels and consumption
4. Mechanical performance parameters
5. Critical machine messages

The data is presented in a simple, easy-to-navigate web portal that runs on all major desktop and tablet browsers so it is available from anywhere with an internet connection. No special operator training is required. The system collects and sends data automatically. Extensive reporting and analytics built into RemoteLog mean owners can see at-a-glance when the machine is working or if there are potential problems developing.

Users can also set up alerts to notify service personnel. Dealers can see error codes and other important mechanical information to help get the right service and parts on the first visit. Are hydraulic fluid temperatures higher than they should be? Is the pressure drop too high across the fuel filter? RemoteLog helps owners address simple things such as filter changes before they become major headaches and lets dealers offer proactive service for spare parts and consumables.

The hardware components of RemoteLog consist of a satellite antenna on top of the machine that is wellprotected by a polycarbonate housing. A telematics computer module is located in the cab. The computer module connects to the machine data bus to read maintenance information and to the satellite antenna for data upload. The computer module goes into low power mode when the machine is turned off. The module will shut down automatically after three days with no key-on cycle to conserve the machine battery.

RemoteLog is now available as a factory installed option on all Tigercat machines. The initial purchase includes the required hardware and the first year of data usage (running in sync with the machine’s warranty period).

After the first year, annual subscriptions can be purchased from your Tigercat dealer. Contact your dealer to see if a retrofit kit is available for your existing Tigercat machine. The RemoteLog satellite antenna enclosure is made of tough polycarbonate.

WoodTECH 2017, will be attracting again scanning and sawing technology leaders, innovators and practitioners from around the world. This events has the objective to be an independent platform to showcase the very latest in wood scanning, sawmilling, and mill optimization technologies best suited to local sawmilling companies as well as providing a series of practical workshops for production and operational staff on how to extract the best performance out of their existing sawing operations.

Armin von Grebmer, CSO Microtec, will give a presentation on both WoodTECH venues in Melbourne and Rotorua with the title

“Yield optimization: Volume vs. Quality. Case studies – improving lumber recoveries – from log breakdown to rip and cross cut optimization.” This scientific presentation will contain data from real installations and best practice solutions for sawmills and planer mills.

As a global leader in providing solutions for sawmills, planer mills and secondary wood processing industries, Microtec delivers custom designed mechanical, electrical and automation solutions.

Our quality grading scanner series are all of latest and most reliable technology. Our customer related solutions cover the whole production chain from the log yard, the sawmill to the production of final products.

FIEA’s WoodTECH conference series has earned great success two years ago. Over 350 delegates from all major sawmilinfg companies in the region and throughout Australasia, North America and Europe came to Melbourne, Australia and Rotorua, New Zealand.

For further information, take a look at the conference program.

http://www.fiea.org.nz/woodtech/

The opportunity for Scottish forestry to provide more low-carbon housing is the central theme for the latest in Confor’s popular policy conferences in Scotland.

Forestry in Scotland: From Trees to Timber Homes will include a range of businesses, industry experts and a keynote address from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy, Fergus Ewing, as well as a political panel.

The conference, to be held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh in George Street, on Wednesday September 27, is sponsored by Wood for Good.

Christiane Lellig, Campaign Director of Wood for Good, will lead the second session of the event, which focuses on the practical opportunities of building with Scottish timber. Neil Sutherland of Makar Homes will also speak during this session.

This will be preceded by a session setting the context for the event, with Fergus Ewing followed by speakers including Confor CEO Stuart Goodall and Robert Hairstans of Edinburgh Napier University.

The event will end with a political panel, with confirmed participants already including Peter Chapman MSP (Conservative), Rhoda Grant MSP (Labour) and Mike Rumbles MSP (Lib Dem).

Stuart Goodall, Confor CEO, said: “Scotland has an ambition to use more wood in buildings and to expand its forestry sector. This conference pulls those strands together, exploring how we can lock up carbon and create attractive, high quality buildings all at a time when governments are thinking about the future of rural areas, post-Brexit”.

Wood pellet imports to Asia reached an all-time-high in the 4Q/16 when Japan and South Korea together imported 630,000 tons of pellets. Although import volumes were down slightly in the 1Q/17, they were still over 40% higher than in the 1Q/16, as reported in the latest issue of the Wood Resource Quarterly (WRQ).

South Korea is by far the main destination for pellets in Asia, and in 2016, the country was the world’s third largest importer of pellets, trailing only the United Kingdom and Denmark. Although import volumes to Japan have tripled from 2014 to 2016, the usage of pellets is still at a relatively low level (see WRQ for detailed trade data).

Consumption of pellets in Japan and South Korea has increased quite rapidly the past four years because of new government requirements which favor reducing carbon emissions and increasing the usage of renewable energy. The recent trend in pellet usageis likely to continue in the future and is driven both by incentives (subsidies) and regulations (renewable energy portfolio standards). With an urgent need to replace nuclear energy and generous feed-in-tariffs, it is expected that Japan will increase importation of wood pellets quite substantially over the next five years.

Vietnam has been the major supplier of pellets to the Asian market for the past three years, accounting for almost two-thirds of the shipments to Japan and South Korea in 2016. Canada was an early supplier to the Asian market, but its market share dropped from 22% in 2014 to 14% in 2016. However, in the 1Q/17, Canada increased shipments to Asia to the second the highest quarterly level on record and the market share was up to 21%.

Import prices for pellets to South Korea fell dramatically from early 2014 to the summer of 2016, according to a recent WRQ Trade Snapshot report. The two-year long price decline ended in the 3Q/16, when prices slowly started to recover. The import prices continued their upward trend during the first four months of 2017 with Malaysian pellets increasing the most.

Global demand for Swedish wood is constantly rising. Södra delivered to 17 countries in 2005 and the figure has increased to 38 countries to date this year, ranging from the US in the west to Japan in the east.

“This is a very positive trend that we can also see on a global scale. Timber construction is by far the most environmentally friendly alternative and a condition for the global change to a more sustainable society,” said Andreas Jonasson, Marketing Manager at Södra Wood.

Sweden is experiencing a strong trend in construction timber and Södra has increased its sales for three consecutive years. Demand from Asia, where most new markets are located, is also rising in parallel with this trend. Södra’s core markets for sawn timber are the UK, the Netherlands and Sweden, but it is China – where Södra has been making deliveries since 2010 – that is the fastest growing market. Sales have risen every year and in 2016 were up 32% year-on-year.

“Swedish wood is becoming increasingly sought-after in Asia. Drivers include high delivery reliability and high product quality, as well as Swedish raw materials coming from certified and sustainable forests with extensive consideration of nature conservation,” said Andreas Jonasson

Pictured: Andreas Jonasson, Marketing Manager at Södra Wood.

To expand production capacities at its Portugese Mangualde location, Sonae Arauco decided to order a MDF/HDF plant from Siempelkamp. The scope of supply includes a forming and press line with a complex handling system for different board lengths and widths and an interface to the existing storage system and the sanding and packing lines.

The new production line for Mangualde will replace a multi-daylight press and will allow Sonae Arauco material and energy efficient production of MDF and HDF with a wide thickness range. The order comprises of the forming and press line with all pneumatic and mechanical conveyors including the automation technology.

The press line with a ContiRoll® press of the latest design will be equipped with cutting-edge and energy-efficient synchronous motor drive technology. The press will be 28.8 m long and 8’ wide. It will produce MDF and HDF with a thickness ranging from 2 – 37.8 mm.

The concept of sequential thickness changeovers will allow the operator to change the production automatically to new order-specific parameters and thus make the production of smaller batches possible. In this way product and quality variations as well as material losses will be minimized.

Sonae Arauco S.A. is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of wood-based materials and operates in Europe, Canada, South America, and South Africa.

Through its partner network in Europe, Metsä Wood is increasing the amount of Kerto® LVL-based element construction.

Metsä Wood has been making long-term efforts to find permanent partners for industrial wood construction. The aim is to develop an ecosystem based on Metsä Wood’s Kerto LVL (laminated veneer lumber) products.

“We are aiming to build a wood-based ecosystem in Europe – a network of specialists, each of whom focuses on their core business,” says Juha Kasslin, Vice President, Central Europe and Sales Development at Metsä Wood.

“Metsä Wood’s core business will be industrial-scale LVL manufacturing, and our partner network will carry out a lot of product development based on our products. This arrangement will benefit the growth of the entire ecosystem. Cooperation is an important step in expanding the wood construction sector – including urban construction, where the greatest potential is,” Kasslin adds.

Metsä Wood has long-term supply and cooperation agreements with LVL element builders. The Finnish operators Lapwall and Sisco are good examples of such companies. Metsä Wood supplies fixed-length Kerto LVL products from which its partners manufacture roof, floor and wall elements, as well as complete modules.