Brunson Case Study - Sawmill Alignment

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Case Study

Saw Mill Applies Precision Optics to Improve Operations The Teal-Jones Group uses precision optical alignment to lower deviation from 0.140 inch to .040 inch, improve recovery by 2%, and eliminate wedge.

COMPANY PROFILE The Teal-Jones Group is a Canadian, Integrated Forest Products company based in British Columbia which specializes in quality Western Red Cedar and Whitewood lumber products. Their products are exported throughout the world and have earned them a reputation as being one of North America’s premier producers, manufacturers and distributors.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY TEAL-JONES GROUP • Integrated forest products company • British Columbia, Canada • Over 1,200 employees BUSINESS CHALLENGE

Teal-Jones has four corporate divisions: Forestry and Log Supply, Whitewood Lumber, Red Cedar Lumber and Red Cedar Shakes, Shingles and Sidewalls. The company employs well over 1200 people, and owns and manages renewable timber resources, sustainable logging operations, specialty saw and planer mill as well as state-of-the-art manufacturing plants that support a global sales and supply net.

• Increase profitability • Improve recovery

THE CHALLENGE

• Reduce downtime

Like many mills, the economic downturn has challenged the company to increase profitability levels while volumes waned. Noel Segarty, Maintenance Manager, recognized “good enough is no longer good enough” and began looking for ways to improve recovery.

SOLUTION • On-site assessment and training • Precision measuring instruments BUSINESS RESULTS • Deviation reduced from 0.140 inch to .040 inch • Recovery improved by 2% • Wedge on cants eliminated

Traditional mechanical means such as wire, mechanic levels and feeler gauges were first utilized and some improvement was realized. However Teal-Jones was not satisfied with downtimes and recovery.

Brunson Instrument Company • 8000 E 23rd ST • Kansas City, MO USA • 64129 USA Toll-Free: 877-MEASURE • Tel: 816-483-3187 • Fax: 816-241-1945 Email: sales@brunson.us • Web: www.brunson.us

THE SOLUTION In late 2011 Head Saw Filer, Bryce Finlayson learned of a Brunson solution that had been field proven for industrial precision alignment problems. The solution offered by Brunson included not only precision instruments, but also the knowledge and training of its application in saw mills.

Although Teal-Jones considered their current machine center alignments as “good enough”, there was strong interest about the Brunson solution and what it could provide.

An on-site assessment by the Brunson team revealed “good enough” was actually contributing to deviations in excess of 0.100”, bad bearings, wobbling infeed rolls in the primary breakdown, straight edge feeds misaligned to the board edger as well as other machine centers needing attention.

As a result, Brunson was contracted for an extended engagement to work with the Teal-Jones team to confirm the moves and assess additional machine centers. Teal-Jones provided skilled craftsmen in the disciplines of saw filer, electrician and millwrights. Also Brunson provided training, a custom saw mill precision measuring kit and additional support to ensure precision alignment would become a standard practice.

THE RESULTS Naturally any new technology is met with some skepticism, but through bringing together a team of dedicated TealJones technicians and Brunson experience in precision measurements, a new alignment norm was established.

The team at Teal-Jones, lead by Noel Segarty and Head Saw Filer, Bryce Finlayson, embraced a new alignment strategy.

With this engagement, the definition of center line went from a “good enough” piano wire accuracy to optical lines and planes accurate to ±0.002 inch at 34 feet.

It is because of the abilities to sweep precise vertical or horizontal planes, the Brunson solution slashed deviation from 0.140 inch to .040 inch, improved recovery by a staggering 2% and eliminated wedge on cants.

TEAL-JONES RESPONSE Dick Jones, Teal-Jones co-owner, “this solution has already paid for itself (after 4 days) ... the Brunson team was very thorough, competent and the team included timber industry professionals with significant industry experience ....”

Jones also commented, “... we expect substantially more improvement (2%) in recovery once all machine centers are aligned.”

Noel Segarty, Teal-Jones Maintenance Manager, stated “the Brunson solution is easy to use, extremely accurate and affordable ... we purchased the tool so that we can now regularly align our machine centers with confidence to assure continued productivity levels while lowering production costs and avoiding extended emergency maintenance downtime ….” Out of a rating from 1 (low) to 10 (high), Noel said “11!

There is no substitute for the accuracy of the measuring system and the total hands-on training and knowledge that Brunson provides.”

Bryce Finlayson, Teal-Jones Head Saw Filer, stated “We believed we had a winner when fewer saw changes were needed and the deviations improved. Even our software provider stated they never seen this mill run so smoothly.”

WHAT’S NEXT Teal-Jones is committed to utilizing the Brunson solution throughout the mill. Its ease of use, speed to measure, high precision and the ability to sweep planes made it easy to adopt. Noel Sagerty commented “in the period of 8 weeks after the first engagement, our staff had checked out the gear four times.” Since his mill runs almost continuously 6 days a week, frequent, scheduled line-ups are critical.

Noel expects the usage to continue to climb as they move to a plan to align at least one machine center each month.

“These line-ups not only increase recovery, but also minimize unscheduled downtimes, bearing wear, power consumption and extend saw life. As we learn, we’ll increase our spot checks when questions arise.” The Brunson solution will be used throughout the mill when precise alignment is required.

Saw Mill Alignment Kit Brunson offers a complete kit to align your entire mill.

Kit Includes: • • • • • •

Jig transit 10” scale 20” scale V-block scale holder Cross slide Hard, rolling case

ABOUT BRUNSON Brunson Instrument Company was founded in 1927 and has been providing innovative precision alignment tools and solutions for over 85 years. Based in Kansas City, Missouri, Brunson instructs, manufactures, repairs and calibrates precision measuring instruments for paper/converting/printing, lumber, military, power generation, aerospace, primary metals, marine, and other industries.

Brunson Instrument Company • 8000 E 23rd ST • Kansas City, MO USA • 64129 USA Toll-Free: 877-MEASURE • Tel: 816-483-3187 • Fax: 816-241-1945 Email: sales@brunson.us • Web: www.brunson.us