How to improve the output and efficiency of engineered wood and finger-jointed wood?

Hello Mr. Shen!

I am a reader of *Asian Panel & Furniture*. Our company produces three-layer laminated timber, primarily using tropical red willow with dimensions of 1-1/8” x 3-1/8”. After planing on all four sides, the dimensions are 24mm thick x 72mm wide. The three layers of boards must be similar in color and glued together to form 72mm x 72mm square laminated timber. The outer layer of the three-layer laminated timber must be free of insect holes, heartwood, or off-white sapwood. The shortest length is 90cm, and the longest is 240cm, with each length spaced 10cm apart. Previously, we could purchase uniform, flawless red willow panels in bulk. Now, the quality and color of the materials we receive are inconsistent, requiring double the time spent on material selection, leading to low efficiency and a sharp drop in output. Our two semi-automatic finger-jointing machines can use the secondary short pieces screened from laminated timber production and leftover scraps from other products to produce finger-jointed timber, but the production process is also not smooth. Please help analyze what aspects need attention in producing three-layer laminated timber and finger-jointed timber to improve efficiency and output? I hope you can provide some suggestions for reference.

Best wishes for your business!

Mr. Awang from Indonesia

Mr. Awang, thank you very much for your letter. Based on the information you provided over the phone, the reasons for the low production volume and efficiency of three-layer engineered wood and finger-jointed wood, and suggestions for improvement, are briefly summarized below:

(a) Re-inspect the quality of materials before drying.

1. Material handling:

Before drying, the panel wood and the medium board are strictly screened and stacked separately to facilitate the preliminary calculation of the quantity of panel wood and medium board, and to prioritize their placement in the drying kiln for drying.

2. Ratio of panel to intermediate panel:

The ratio of veneer to middle veneer should be 2:1. If the ratio of veneer to middle veneer is less than 2:1, it is recommended that the purchasing department replenish the materials as soon as possible.

(ii) Improve material preparation efficiency and reduce the number of material handling operations. It is recommended to redesign and improve the material preparation process.

1. Four-sided planer:

2. Re-inspect the quality of the wood panels:

3. Jump saw:

4. Closing the board:

(III) Reasons for unsatisfactory output of finger-jointed material production line and suggested improvement plans

1. Unstable quality of raw materials:

The specifications and quality screening of finger-jointed materials are not strict enough. Operators on the finger-jointed material production line have to spend time re-inspecting the materials during feeding to confirm that the quality and specifications are in place, which leads to production line interruptions and affects output.

2. Inadequate control over material quantity:

The quantity of each specification is small, and changes in specifications often require shutdown to reset the finger-jointing machine and arrange other related work, which affects production output.

3. Suggested improvement measures:

It is recommended to refer to the process concept of laminated timber preparation in Figure 1 and re-plan the finger joint material preparation process. Ensure that the grade classification of finger joint materials is in place and that the supply of finger joint materials is standardized, simultaneous, and quantified. This can reduce failures, avoid material selection at the feeding station, or stop the machine to reset the time due to changing specifications, thereby improving production efficiency and output.

4. Semi-finished product warehouse:

The semi-finished product warehouse is set up to store finger-jointing materials with pre-defined specifications and grades. If the finger-jointing machine has been operating for less than 8 hours, it should be temporarily stored in the designated area of ​​the semi-finished product warehouse. Only when the cumulative operating time of the finger-jointing machine exceeds 8 hours can it be included in the production plan to ensure that the production line is not interrupted.

Hopefully, the above analysis and suggestions for improving the preparation process of three-layer glued laminated timber and finger-jointed timber will help you consistently achieve your planned daily production volume.

Have you encountered various problems when manufacturing boards or processing wood? Don't hesitate to consult Mr. Shen Yuxin immediately!

Mr. Shen Yuxin was born in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia in 1948. He graduated from the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan in 1974 and subsequently worked for the Taiwan Forestry Bureau. From 1975 to 1995, Mr. Shen worked in the timber processing and engineered wood products industry in Malaysia, Singapore, and Borneo, holding positions such as engineering technician, production supervisor, production manager, and general manager. In 1996, Mr. Shen also joined the Asia Woodworking Group of a globally renowned chemical company as Regional Technical Service Director.