Logs to Lumber' A Glimpse at AFPC's New Plant in Action

f \ l.\lil.\ Jl \f l,tt'1. \rrr, ri,.rrrr l..r.r..l lrr alrqrriring tlrr'\hltt'll plant. Al"l'(i exccrrtivt,s t'rlrlilirrcrl tlrat "tht' atl<litiorr of tht'sr' flt iliti,'s iln(l r'('s()t:r'( ('s t() our' lrIt'sIrrl Irolrlirrgs irr (.alilolniir. ,r[Icr'. nrarrr arlr urrlitg( s lo lltt' r'tttlllrltttt'> lt,ttg-r'ltrtgt' l)fogt'ilrIl oI st'ltclivt' tilnl,t'r- r'trllinu arrrl lorrst'rvatiorr.'"'flrtr also sllllrl llrtrt tlrl salt's lrrrl tlistrilrrrliorr rif tlrt' lrrrnirtl arrrl lrrrrrl,t'r lrlorlirlt:, rt ill l,r' lrarrrllctl lrv llrt, r'ornlnnr's wclI krr,ru rr sll,'s olglrrrizltiorr - 'l'alt('r. \\iclrstt'r arttl Jolrnson.

I l)1,'rl1r'l- (.ut'l'. ;r,,l1itlrl llr,.irs:r'l: 1[ lltr. \\'irrtorr (ionrJranr in \lrrrtt'll. (.ali[.. u r-ast conrplt'r that irrclrrclt's ir sarlnrill. tinrlr,'rIarrrls. lunrlrt'r far'Iorit's irntl a plvrlootl plarrt.

'lo give (,'/, 11 rearlt'rs a glirnpse of the inclustrv frorn the nrarruflt iulirrg t'nd. rve Jrr('s('rrt lht.ston'<,f this l,ustlirrg |larrl in olrt'la tiorr.

I)ul,licti tltr' -{nrrrrlol I)ir ision. tlrt' \lar'tt'll olrt'r'atiorr arlrls 6?t.725 at lcs oI lrlirrir. titrtlrt'r'larrds r,,f .,\l'l'(.'. or nt,rslrilr irr thc t't'ttlral Sit'r'rtr courrtics ol Arnarlor" Calar t'ras ancl [-l l)oratlo. 'l'he neu dir ision n ilI han'cst alrprorinratt'lr. [J(] nrillion lroald ft.t't of tirnbel annuallr'. sirlrsttrntiallr- all of r,rhich rtill l,e prc,ces.,,d through thc Vartell {acilities.

'l'lrt' .A rrrarlo r- rrrarrrr I'ar.t trri rr !: firl iIitie. ar.t' Lrcalctl at Ilaltt'll. Tlre plairt sitr' {.o\ ('rs llJ5 utres irrclrrdirrg a largt' slrrinkLrr.r'rl

Iog dt't'kirru ilreii \\ ith a slor-ag't, r.aPat,itr,rI l() milliorr l,oard ft'r,t ol lons. flrt: logs a rt' movt,cl br- log stackers onto the clrr. in[,'e,l rlr','k. lifl",l l,r r','lr\p\r,r' irrt,, lh,, m, , lritni, ul rlel,ark,'r' Jrrrl orr l'\ r.r,rr\ {,\ or irrl,, llt,' slrr rrrill llrr',,11gf1 I .l,.lrrrr rlrrrg :urr u ht'rt: tht,r a[(' ( ul to lt'rrgth.

Aflt-r passirrg tlrrou:rh thc sarr nrill. rr ht,r't' ihe where AFPC is conducting a long-range selective timber cutting program. The new Amador operation will harvest annually approximately 80 million board feet of timber. stolk is cttl-lo-sizt'. llrt'lrrnrl,r.r is rrrovt'rl tlrlotrglr tlrt, <li1r tarrk lo l[rt' gn'r,rr llrain. Iironr tht' grt'r'rr clrlirr lrrrrrlr,'r is nt,r t,rl itt rrrrits lo lro sluckcrs rrlrt,rt'it is stilkclcrl irr lrrt'lraration [or- kilrr rllr irrg. A trarrs[t,r' sls[('in thtn rno\ r's tht' lrrrn],t'r' irrto I lorrg lr:rnk of \Ioorc l)r'r'Kilrrs lhiclr Irtrt,a total capar:ily 6f 1ra nrillion lroalrl ftt't t,f lrrnrlrt'r 1rt'r chargr'. Aftr,r lhr'lrrrnlrcl is kiln tlrictl it is again harrtllt'rl lrl tht' transft'r slstetn inlo thc t'rrrling sirerls. tlrerr lo the unsta<'kt'rs. arrd frorn hert, 1-rlocecds to the rlrv gradirrg deyrartment.

IJefore entering the drv chain. luml,er procceds bv t:onvelor through arr accuLate elcctrical tlcvir:c u'hich measurcs the moisture colltel)l oI eat:h board. Anv lumlrer lltrtl rlots uol rn( ('l 'l'\\ SJ'. .lrtrt,lur,ls i. automaticallv rnar rkr,rl to lrc rt'rnor e'rl arr rl < onditionctl t(i nt(.()l lhtsr. stanrlards. ,'\ftt'r passirrg lht st'rrtrr'. a \\'\\-P ccrtifit'rl gratler sratlts ctr< h l,oalrl. 'l-ht, grarlt'tl lxrar<ls urt' lrullt'<l Ironr lhc rllv cont tvor' :ttt,l 1,1:t,,',1 irr th,.il ri.:l'r.r'lir,. l,il,,. 1,, 1,,' ln()\ ('(l o\'(,r lravcrl rolrls inlo ont of the sir pirvt'rl attrl r'or ctt'<l ltttttl,t'r storilg(' sht'tls. or to tht'lrlatrirrg rnill to lrt'rrrlrrttfacttrlt'rl lo crrstorrrt'rs orrltrs. ol to tlrt' rnorrlrlirrg urrtl lrirn rnill to l,r'rnirnrrflltrrrt'rl irrlo starrrlulrl \\tWl) l.ratlt'rns ()r' ('ust()nr('rs spt'r'ial l)ltl('rns ul irrto valious itt'rns of lrrt stock.

.{t the lrrrnl,t'r ('r)tl-iln( r' lo tlrt' plurrirrg rnill. lrrnrl't'r r':trr ptotct'tl in t'itlrt'r ,,f luo rlirtr:lir-,ns. ir( ('(,rdir1g to thr. r'rrstomer's ,rrrlt,r' anrl rt'quirt'ntents. Ihrough orrt' ,,f lrr,.r lilanr'r's. one o{ trvo l-rand -"alrs. anrl one of tno trimmt'rs. From the end o{ t:ithcr ,rf tht'se (()ontinued Ot trlru j) lntroducing an advanced concept, projected to 1980, to meet the everchanging and complex needs ot the progressive Southern Calitornia economy, Functional plant design and the use ol automation have established newsworthy comment to its high degree ot operating efficiency , . . look to the luture with BAUGH, associated with industry leadership, since .1938.

Iogs To Lumber

((.ontinued

lrom Page l2)

ol)eralions llrt' lumlrt'r is loaded dire<.tly into tht' r'ars spotlt,tl on a slllr trar,'k inside tht'lruiirlin!:..{s nrurrl as sir cars carr be Ioatlt,rl at ortt'.

Sen'ice is furtht'r cxpt,ditt'd h.r. the companv orrnctl railroa<I.

The moulding and trim fat.tory has various band rip sau-s. gang rip san's. finger jointing mac'hines. r'ut-off strws. a dorrble end tenoncr. resarvs and forrr morrlders to handle any remanufacturing ortft'r in that department. Again morrlding anrl t rrt stot'k is carloadt'd on inside doc,ks urrdcr lhe same conditions stated for the pltrning mill.

Annually. 32 milliorr feet of lhitt' {ir logs are earmarked in the woods as lreelcr logs to be used in the plvrvood l)lant in \{artt'll. At thc t.ntrance to the pllu'ood plant thest' pcelrr logs go through a del,u rkt'r trrr,l r r(' mu\ r,rl into a :team ro{,m, A[tt'r ]rcing stt'trmed until ther- are thororrghlv soft tht'r' alt' rlelilered to the lathe bv a lift truck.

Tht' almost corrtinuous sheet of \'(.neer leaving the latht' is diret'ted onto a three dt'ck lrank of sir t'onvcvors .rvhich mor,es it trrlard a triple lt'r'el tlippcr torver. Three clipper opt'ralors rvorking rvith a shadow lint- guidc antl prrsh button console set the clippcr ac'tivating mcr,hanism for 27 inc'hes, 5-1, inchcs. anrl random lvidtlrs. (ilippt'r operators are also graders. and anv dcfr'< ts in the reneer that worrl<l rnakt it unusnhlc ar:'r'li1;1rpfl orrl al lhis |oirrl.

After lea'r'ing thc clippers lht' r'erret'r is sorted as to sizc and procet'ds [o tu'o sttamht'ated tlrr-ing oven-s.

Leaving the dryers tht'r'enet'r passes undt'r a moisture sentn- {or a drvness lt st. Arrr r,.nccr n lriclr docs nol mer:t tht lorv moistttrtr ('ontent requirements is marked v;ilir rctl dve. rejected and redried. Here lho rlrv \'('nr'('r'is graded and anr- pieces shon,ing tlt'fe<'ts or small voids are sent to a Irtrttt'rv of pluggtrs. In the nert step the \'('nr'('r is nrn throtrgh the glue spreader and laid-up.

'l'he rrcrt olreration. preprt'ssing the veneer arrd gluc sandu'ith. is another quality corttr-ol featurt' of this plant. A i'harge is inscrted into thc pr('press and pressure is applied. This is a grrard again-*t trnv delamination of thc finished product that could possilrlv lre causcd bv r,vaiting too long hefore it goes into the hot Jrress.

In the hot press prcssur(' arrd hcat are applicd. When the sandrvich is rernovcd Irom the hot press it emcrges trs a formctl pan el.

{FP(.'s Amatlor plant t'mplols 55() pt'ople rvith a payroll of $3 million. contrilruting sulrstantiallr. to the healthv economy of California's ''tall timber" countr\'.