Last year, Södra decided to invest in an additional CLT facility at Värö and aims to become a leader in the Nordic region. Project planning and procurement is ongoing and Södra has now selected Ledinek as the supplier of a new production line – from intake to pressing.

The new facility will be established at the combined plant in Värö, adjacent to the pulp mill, the sawmill and to Södra’s first CLT facility. Ledinek also supplied the production line for the first plant. “We selected Ledinek because it supplies a system solution that provides security for us and for our customers. Lessons learned from the existing production line have been taken into account in the procurement of the production line for the new and larger facility. The production line will feature state-of-the-art technology and a carefully planned layout to ensure an efficient process with high productivity,” said Krister Norberg, Head of Production.

A new CLT facility with a capacity of approximately 100,000 cubic metres is an important step in being competitive in an expanding market. Demand is substantial and interest in building with timber is growing considerably.

Södra offers building systems and products such as building components and fasteners, as well as new digital services to simplify and gain better control over the construction process. The focus is on driving the development of timber-based solutions in the construction and residential sectors, and thereby creating opportunities to make a climate-conscious choice in the housing market.

For more information, please contact:
Krister Norberg, Head of Production, Södra Building Systems,
Tel: +46 470-890 53
E-mail: krister.norberg@sodra.com

Founded in 1938, Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association, with 52,000 forest owners as its members. We conduct modern and responsible forestry, and operate state-of-the-art mills in which we process our raw material. In 2019, net sales amounted to SEK 23 billion and employees totalled 3,100. Through value-generating relationships and a long-term approach, Södra shows the way for the next generation of forestry.

After a trend of declining levels of areas notified for final felling in Sweden during last fall and winter, there was a clear turning up during March. The increase was 16% in comparison with the same month 2019. Region Central Sweden had the largest increase and in region Northern Sweden the levels reached the highest note since 2007, as Swedish Forest Agency reported.

The total area notified for final felling for the whole country was 20 932 hectares in March. In comparison with March 2019 the notified area increased in all parts of the country except in region Southern Sweden:

–     In region Northern Sweden the notified area increased by 28% to 3 116 hectares, which is highest level for March during the period 2007 – 2020.

–     In region South of Northern Sweden the notified area increased by 18% to 4 475 hectares compared to the same period 2019, which is about the average of 4 194 hectares for March during the period 2007 – 2020.

–     In region Central Sweden the notified area increased by 37% compared to March 2019 to 7 222 hectares. This is doubled the average level of 3 482 hectares in March for the period 2007 – 2020.

–     In region Southern Sweden the notified area decreased by 8% compared to March 2019 (6 111 hectares).
The increase in notified area for final felling in region Central Sweden is likely due to continuous high activity in the forest sector because of ongoing problems with damages caused by bark beetle.

The decline in notified area in region Southern Sweden compared to March 2019 may have several causes such as large areas were notified due to damages by bark beetle, forest owners adapting to falling timber prices, high levels of already contracted and standing stock in the forests, and in some parts rather large areas of beech forests were notified since 2019 was a so-called acorn year for the beechnuts.

The high notes of notified areas for final felling in February continued in March in counties Gävleborg and Dalarna. In County Gävleborg the notified area increased by 132% to 1 450 hectares compared to the level in March 2019. In County Dalarna the notified area increased by 72% to 1 403 hectares, and in County Uppsala the increase was 66  to 936 hectares compared to March last year.

In ten counties there were a decline in notifications for final felling in March compared to the same month 2019. County Blekinge had the largest decrease by 55 per cent to 172 hectares compared to 2019. In County Stockholm the decrease was 41 per cent and in County Halland 26 per cent compared to the same month last year.

Up to March this year 58 131 hectares have been notified for final felling, which is 6 per cent lower than in the first three months 2019.

A powerful new harvester head for processing eucalyptus trees is in the market. Finnish powerhouse Ponsse has released a new debarking head, the H8HD Euca harvester head, for eucalyptus sites.

The new powerful harvester head has been designed as a response to customer needs, and it further strengthens Ponsse’s strategy to be the leading global manufacturer of harvester heads.

The new harvester head has been designed for the Ponsse Bear harvester, but it is the “ideal” solution for track-based machines. The H8HD Euca is an effective tool in forests where the diameter of eucalyptus stems can be up to 50 cm. The geometry of the new harvester head’s debarking knives and feed rollers improves the efficiency of H8HD Euca in debarking and processing both smaller and larger stems.

Ponsse’s heavy-duty frame structure means that the new harvester head can withstand the extreme loads of track-based machines, according to Janne Loponen, Harvester Heads Product Manager.

The H8HD has been optimised to debark trees. Its feed rollers and debarking knives guarantee first-rate debarking results from start to finish. The solid and robust tilt frame give the harvester head the durability needed in debarking. Automated functions control saw movements according to the tree diameter and saw-bar position and allow trees to be cut quickly.

All Ponsse harvester heads have been designed to withstand the toughest conditions. They are characterised by a simple and solid structure, which enables them to be used in various harvesting applications, ranging from harvesters to track-based solutions.

All Ponsse harvester heads are manufactured and designed at the Ponsse factory in Vierema. The design process is comprehensive and covers, in addition to mechanical parts, the electronic control system, controls and software.

The manufacturing process is highly automated to ensure high quality and measuring accuracy. Durable hoses and delimbing knives form an important part of and covers, in addition to mechanical parts, the electronic control system, controls and software.

The manufacturing process is highly automated to ensure high quality and measuring accuracy. Durable hoses and delimbing knives form an important part of the unit’s reliability.

UK based Stenner Ltd have a strong tradition in manufacturing heavy duty 36 inch Radial Arm Resaws. The original model was the VHM36 and more than 7000 have been sold worldwide with many of them still in operation today.

The ST range is the latest generation and includes 3 different models. The entry level ST100RB maintains the tradition of a heavy duty machine with Cast Iron pulleys driven by a 15kw main motor. The machine controls are relatively simple to use. Cast Iron Feed Rollers and a robust Multi Roller Fence ensure the accurate , high quality cutting performance that is to be expected from a resaw in the Stenner Stable

The ST100R is the main seller in the range with all of the features of the RB plus pneumatically operated in and out movement of the Radial Arm, PLC control of the main functions and a wide range of options to choose from.

Finally the ST100RS is the “ top of the range “ Resaw with Touch Screen Control of the main functions including the setting of the fence via electric motor actioned by the pressing of a single pre- programmed  button. An 18.5kw main motor is controlled via a frequency inverter giving the operator the option of controlling the pulley rotational speed such to provide optimal performance on a wide range of timber species and a surface finish to match customer requirements.

Stenner Resaws are being marketed in North America by Akhurst Machinery . Akhurst have been working with Stenner for a number of years. Director Graham Akhurst comments “ We have sold a number of the ST Resaws all with excellent results . They are robust and are well equipped to satisfy the demands of the North American lumber producer. We hold them in stock for a rapid response to a client requirement”. 

For more details contact Stenner Ltd , syd@stenner.co.uk , Tel ( 0044 ) 1884255700 or visit www.stenner.co.uk

Komatsu’s new 901XC (eXtreme Conditions) 8WD harvester excels in challenging steep, rough or soft harvesting environments. The 901XC has all of the market-leading features found in Komatsu’s proven 901-6WD harvester platform, including the innovative, 3PS threepump hydraulic system, best-inclass ergonomic cab, 4-way cab/ crane leveling, and }180° cab/crane rotation.

Unique Komatsu 8WD System Komatsu’s 901XC differs from other 8WD harvesters because of its unique drive system. Its exclusive “double Comfort Bogie” drive system provides excellent handling and follows the terrain more closely than competitors’ 8WD machines that have a fixed rear-axle design. The 8WD system generates 12% more tractive effort and significantly reduces rear ground pressure: 53% lower psi with tracks and 19% lower psi with tires, compared to the 901-6WD model.

Performance & Productivity
The 901XC shares all the same market-leading features as the Komatsu 901, 911, 931, 931XC and 951 harvesters, including Komatsu’s innovative, 3PS three pump hydraulic system, for higher hydraulic working flow at low engine speeds, while lowering fuel consumption. The system allows the operator to simultaneously slew, feed and maneuver. These hydraulic system interactions are all automatically controlled by Komatsu’s new MaxiXT control and information system The range of available Komatsu harvesting heads includes the S92, C93 and C124 designed to meet specific application needs. The 901XC is ideally suited for the rugged Komatsu C124 “carry-style” head, which has four powerful motors and four heavy-duty driven feed rollers.

Operator Comfort & Convenience
The premium, modern cab provides the operator with excellent upward and downward front lineof-sight visibility. Sixteen powerful LED working lights provide excellent illumination, for improved visibility in low light conditions. An air suspension, air-vented seat, fully adjustable ergonomic armrests and hand controls, and an automatic, 4-season climate control system, keep the operator comfortable in all working conditions.

Serviceability
All daily maintenance checks and fills can be performed at ground level or from inside the cab. The highly-functional machine design includes a one-piece hood that opens rearward to fully expose the entire engine compartment for easy service access.

An automatic central lubrication system and well-placed front, rear, cab and hydraulic tank service platforms further facilitate machine serviceability. All filters are vertically mounted to ease replacement and minimize the potential for spills.

Dempsey Wood Products at Orangeburg, SC has ordered optimization and controls to automate its bucking line. The mill has been investing to update its operation for several years, and now needs to increase log input to its sawmill – which this project will accomplish.

Dempsey’s bucking line has been a manual system, which is slower and far less precise than an optimized one. The new optimization and controls systems will automate the line, resulting in much improved throughput as well as far higher recovery from each log.

The new bucking system will be configured with 3 scan zones to accommodate the short infeed to the bucking saws, and utilize USNR’s BioLuma lineal laser profile technology to generate the bucking solution. The system will include the MillTrak 3D log gap control system which will monitor and control the gap between pieces to ensure smooth flow and maximize throughput.

The installation is scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2020, with full production before the end of the year.

Despite the emergency situation caused by the coronavirus, everyday life at Koskisen production plants is still close to normal. Logs are being bought to be sawn at the sawmill and peeled at the plywood mill. The chips from the process are used to manufacture chipboard, which is currently in high demand – people now have time for home improvement.

Customers worldwide are still ordering sawn timber, plywood and chipboard, although the prolonged uncertainty in the markets is starting to make its mark on the development of the order book. We hope that, in addition to the easing announced in the past few days, restrictions could be relaxed further in Europe, Asia and Koskisen’s other key market areas alike.

Eighty per cent of Koskisen’s personnel work at the mills, and the products cannot be manufactured remotely. Production has largely been running as usual, with the only difference being that careful attention is paid to preventing infection and increasing the safety distance. Close contact with colleagues is avoided. While people still greet one another with a smile, they talk less often face-to-face.

“At Koskisen we started preparing for the coronavirus well in advance at the end of February, immediately after the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK recommended it. That gave us a good head start,” says Minna Luomalahti, Koskisen’s HR and Communications Director.

The entire personnel have been very active and innovative in finding means to reduce the risk of infection during the workday. Enhancing cleaning, dividing shared control rooms into separate spaces, staggering shift changes and breaks, communicating electronically during shift changes – these are just a few examples of the creative and successful solutions that have been adopted.

“All this guarantees a safe work environment for personnel and deliveries to customers to keep the wheels of society turning. And by common agreement nobody comes to work sick,” Luomalahti says, adding that, thanks to a good hygiene level, the number of absences from work has been lower than normal since the beginning of April.

The shared control room in the chipboard mill has been temporarily divided into separate spaces.

High demand for wood products worldwide

Softwood sawing, plywood and chipboard manufacture at the Järvelä mills and the production of thin plywood at the Hirvensalmi mill have been running very well, sometimes to a point of nearing all-time production records.

“After the February strike, it was important that we managed to turn the company’s result upward, thus securing future investments and the development of the company,” says CEO Jukka Pahta.

“We still have work, but the order intake has declined. We are, of course, keeping a very close eye on the order book both daily and weekly. For the time being, operations will continue as planned, and there has been no need to plan for temporary lay-offs yet. If the situation changes, we will react accordingly,” Pahta says.

In an ever-evolving situation, Koskisen’s sales personnel are in daily contact with customers to hear their latest news and to know whether their production is running and how they are coping.

“Once the markets show the first positive signs, customers will want to have their products as soon as possible, which can lead to long delivery times. Close co-operation with customers is important especially now when it is quieter, so that our salespersons can make sure that our customers’ stocks are in order when the situation starts to normalise.”

Seventy summer workers to be hired

This year again, Koskisen will hire a high number of summer workers: 70 people will be needed for fire watch duties during the repair work carried out in summer and for shutdown work. The interviews with summer workers have already been started, also requiring some special arrangements.

“The interviews are easy to conduct in a large conference room, respecting the required safety distance. And one interview also took place via Teams,” says Panel Industry’s Process Manager Saija Korpela, who interviewed the future summer workers.

“This year, due to the restrictions concerning visits to our mills, we could not organise the mill tour normally included in the interview, but luckily, good presentations of Koskisen’s production plants can be found on YouTube and the young people had already watched them beforehand,” Korpela says.

Summer workers’ mill orientation will also be conducted through special arrangements, with a special focus on reviewing the coronavirus instructions and on keeping a sufficient safety distance. Hearing protection with radio will be worn during the orientation sessions, enabling the participants to keep a safe distance.

At Koskisen mills, summer workers have a great opportunity to get to know the many sides of the wood industry. The renewable and strong raw material that grows in Finnish forests and the products manufactured from it are in high demand worldwide.

Eco Log and Gremo are now planning for a common future as a strong and comprehensive operator in the forest machine business. A first step has been taken as an Intent of Merger has been signed to move the production of Gremo machines to the Eco Log Factory in Söderhamn – a move that is planned for Summer 2020.

Eco Log CEO, Anders Gustafson, sees big potential in a merger that is completely in line with the company‘s strategy of growth and, above all, a positive development for existing as well as new customers to both Eco Log and Gremo.

– Our customers are what is most important to us and I am certain they will benefit from this merger. We will be able to offer a complete range of forwarders and harvesters, from small to big, with capacity and benefits suited for any job or any terrain that our customers work in daily. The extended machine range and a more efficient After-Sales organization, with an even higher service level than before, will be a positive development to both Eco Log and Gremo customers, says Mr. Anders Gustafson.

A merger of the two companies results in a range of forwarders from 7.5 to 20 tonnes which meets the varied demands and needs of the market. Also, the already wide range of Eco Log harvesters are now complemented with a smaller 8-wheeled harvester that enables an environmently friendly and sustainable forestry – even in highly sensitive terrain.

The collaboration of Eco Log and Gremo is no news and to Martin Bredenfeldt, Gremo CEO, the upcoming merger is a natural development going forward.

– Our two companies have good prerequisites for becoming stronger and more efficient together as we complement each other in both range as well as working manner. Gremo and Eco Log also have had a well-working collaboration since many years back in different areas – procurement as one example. To be a part of the same organization is therefore very positive, says Mr. Martin Bredenfeldt.

 Facts of the merger

– An Intent of Merger has been signed by Eco Log and Gremo.

– From Summer 2020 all machines will be produced in the Eco Log Factory in Söderhamn.

– All sales will be handled by the Eco Log organization from Summer 2020.

– Gremo Maskin Service (GMS) will continue as a service provider in the Gremo Factory in Ätran.

Contact

Anders Gustafson Martin Bredenfeldt
Tel.: +46703207510 Tel.: +467344252221
CEO Eco Log Sweden AB

Martin Bredenfeldt
Tel.: +46703207510 Tel.: +467344252221
CEO Gremo

Photo: Anders Gustafson CEO of Eco Log Group.

Metsä Group is to invest €200m and build the world’s most modern sawmill in Rauma. It will be Finland’s largest ever sawmill investment. Investing €200m in the Rauma project, Metsä’s newest sawmill will have a projected capacity of 750,000 m3 of sawn pine timber per year.

The new sawmill will utilise machine vision and artificial intelligence in different stages of the sawing process which Metsä states “Is not yet in use anywhere in the sawmill industry”.

“The next-generation sawmill to be constructed in Rauma is a significant leap forward for the whole industry. The new technology allows for the transition from workstations to control room monitoring and continuous operation. The key elements of the Rauma sawmill’s operating model include employees’ in-depth expertise and multiple skills as well as user maintenance,” said Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre. “The demand for high-quality sawn timber will increase globally, especially in the demanding component and woodworking industries.”

The new sawmill will employ around 100 people directly and around 500 people across its supply chain. The total annual log consumption, sourced entirely from Finland, is estimated to be around 1.5 million m3. Sawn timber produced by the Rauma sawmill will be sold mainly to Europe and Asia.

The location of the new sawmill was chosen for its easy integration into the pulp mill and logistics through the Port of Rauma. Metsä Fibre has made an agreement with Veisto on the delivery of the new sawline.

Pictured:  Ismo Nousiainen, CEO of Metsä Fibre

The only thing that is constant is change … and isn’t that the truth. Not only do we face uncertainty with our businesses linked to COVID-19 at the moment but changes for our own wood products industry over the last 12 months have been significant.

Every two years Australasia’s wood processing and manufacturing industry is detailed in an eagerly awaited Forest Products Industry Mill Map that’s produced for this region. The new 2020 mill map has just been printed. We covered the printing and production a couple of weeks ago and orders have been flowing in.

This is the fourth edition of a full colour 980mm wide x 680mm tall map produced by the Forest Industry Engineering Association combining major wood processing and manufacturing plants in both Australia and New Zealand.

It features 171 wood processing operations including over 65 sawmills cutting in excess of 25,000m3 sawn lumber per annum (with sawn production levels), all fibreboard, particleboard, plywood, pulp & paper, veneer/LVL/CLT, paperboard and chip export operations along with major wood manufacturing operations.

Since the last edition produced in early 2018 there have been over 50 major updates to mill locations, ownership and production. Changes in the last two years have indeed been significant. The new map is now the most up-to-date industry reference providing an essential mapping resource for New Zealand and Australian forest products companies.

A folded copy of the map will be inserted into two industry magazines in April/May. If you wish to purchase your own folded or flat laminated copies of the new map, orders can now be made from the FIEA website (www.fiea.org.nz) or by clicking here

Note: Orders are being taken now and the maps will be posted as soon as we can.