SAWLINES
An Opticom CC04 camera was speared by a board and still works
Best Practices for Sawline Video Monitoring Video monitoring has become an essential tool in modern sawmill operations. By leveraging advanced camera technology and data analytics, sawmill managers can improve safety, optimize production, and enhance overall efficiency.
By: Heidi Schmidt, Global Sales Manager, Opticom Tech
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owever, when you put sensitive electronic equipment—like cameras—in a dusty, highvibration environment, that equipment needs to be able to stand up to the harsh sawmill environment. Three Reasons You Need Sawline Video Monitoring Sawline video monitoring goes far beyond security. Per our clients’ feedback, the number one reason to invest in a good system is the safety of your staff. Sawline equipment can be very hazardous, especially when misused or without the proper safeguards. A video monitoring system can help you notice these issues remotely and address them before they turn into big problems. Second, a remote operator watching your sawline feed can help prevent costly downtime. If a machine slows down or acts erratically, this can be spotted by someone with a bird’s-eyeview if they have the right monitoring equipment.
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Third, a video monitoring system can help you improve operational efficiency. You can spot improper procedures or processes by watching the feed and analyzing what happens on your sawline. You can then use this information to enhance your training, improve your procedures, and overall streamline your operations. Video monitoring is akin to the machinery in your sawline: used properly, it’s a productivity and safety enhancer. Best Practices Get the Right Cameras Cameras are everywhere, so it’s very easy to think you can just
grab an off-the-shelf kit from a big box store, install it in 30 minutes and that’s it. However, regular cameras cannot withstand the debris, dust, humidity, splinters, and vibrations in a sawline. At best, you can expect them to last for a month until they need replacing. Ruggedized cameras, on the other hand, can last for years in the harshest of environments. Opticom cameras, for instance, can even continue working after being hit by a log. I mean this quite literally: several of our CC02 cameras have been hit by a log in a sawmill and kept working just fine. In the long run, ruggedized cameras have a lower cost of ownership. Since you don’t have to replace them so often, you won’t keep paying for new cameras and shutting down the line to install them.