How to improve the output and efficiency of glulam and finger-jointed timber?

Hello, Mr. Shen!

I'm a reader of Asian Wood Panels & Furniture. Our company produces three-ply glued laminated lumber, primarily made from 1-1/8" x 3-1/8" tropical red willow. Planed on all four sides, the lumber is 24mm thick and 72mm wide. The three layers must be of similar color and glued together to form a 72mm x 72mm square. The outer layers of these three-ply laminated lumber are free of insect holes, heartwood, or off-white sapwood. The minimum length is 90cm, and the maximum is 240cm, with 10cm gaps between each length. We used to be able to buy consistent, flawless red eucalyptus panels in bulk. Now, the quality and color of the material we receive are inconsistent, forcing us to spend twice as much time selecting materials. This has led to low efficiency and a significant drop in production. Our two semi-automatic finger-joining machines, which utilize short-cut lumber and leftover scraps from other production processes, are also producing finger-joined lumber, but the process is also not going smoothly. Could you please help me analyze the key considerations for producing three-ply glued laminated lumber and finger-joined lumber to improve efficiency and production? I hope you can provide some advice for reference.

I wish you good business!

Mr. Awang from Indonesia

Mr. Awang, thank you very much for your letter. Based on the information you provided several times over the phone, I have analyzed the reasons for the low production and efficiency of three-layer laminated lumber and finger-jointed lumber, and briefly summarized the suggested improvements as follows:

(1) Recheck the material quality before drying

1. Wood piling processing:

When stacking wood before drying, the panel wood and the middle board are strictly screened and stacked separately to facilitate the preliminary calculation of the number of panel wood and middle board, and they are sent to the drying kiln for drying in priority.

2. The ratio of panel to middle plate:

The ratio of panel material to middle plate material is based on 2:1. If the ratio of panel material to middle plate material does not reach 2:1, it is recommended to purchase additional materials as soon as possible.

(2) Improve material preparation efficiency, reduce material handling times, and recommend replanning and improving the material preparation process

1. Four-sided planer:

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

3. Jump saw:

4. Collect the board:

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

1. Unstable quality of raw materials:

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

2. Inadequate control of material quantity:

The quantity of each specification is small, and the finger jointing machine often needs to be shut down and reset due to specification changes, and other related work needs to be arranged, which affects production.

3. Suggested improvement plan:

It is recommended to refer to the conceptual basis of the process of preparing integrated materials in Figure 1, re-plan the process of preparing finger-jointed materials, confirm that the grade classification of finger-jointed materials is in place, and standardize, synchronize and quantify the supply of finger-jointed materials. This can reduce failures, avoid material selection at the feed table, or stop and reset time due to specification changes, thereby improving production efficiency and output.

4. Semi-finished product warehouse:

A semi-finished product warehouse is set up to store finger-jointed materials with planned specifications and grades. If the finger-jointing machine operates for less than 8 hours, it should be temporarily stored in the designated area of ​​the semi-finished product warehouse. The finger-jointing machine can be included in the production plan only when it has operated for more than 8 hours in total to ensure that the production line is not interrupted.

We hope that the above analysis and suggestions for improving the material preparation process for three-layer glued laminated timber and finger-jointed timber will help you to achieve your planned daily production volume stably.

Do you encounter any problems when manufacturing boards or processing wood? Don't hesitate to ask Mr. Shen Yuxin!

Mr. Shen Yuxin was born in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia in 1948. He graduated from the Forestry Department of 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 wood processing and wood-based panel industries in Malaysia, Singapore, and Kalimantan, serving as an engineer, production supervisor, production manager, and general production manager. In 1996, Mr. Shen joined the Asian Woodworking Group of a world-renowned chemical company as Regional Technical Service Director.