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September/October 2022

DEERE’S NEW IBC-EQUIPPED TRACKED HARVESTER at work in Ontario

MISSION FOREST PRODUCTS On a mission to build a new sawmill

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FEATURES On the Cover: Adam Williams, owner of A.R. Williams Logging, of Englehart, Ontario, has been learning the ropes on some new, but also familiar, logging equipment, from John Deere, harvesting wood in northeastern Ontario, near the Timmins area. Over the past year, Williams has been demo’ing a John Deere 953MH Tracked Harvester with a Waratah 623C harvester head—and which features John Deere’s latest operator assistance control feature, Intelligent Boom Control (IBC), which the company has introduced for its 900 MH-Series Tracked Harvester. Read all about how IBC is working well for Williams beginning on page 22 of this issue. (Cover photo courtesy of John Deere).

September/October 2022 Volume 53 • No. 5 Editor Paul MacDonald Contributing Editors Jim Stirling, Tony Kryzanowski George Fullerton Tech Update Editor Tony Kryzanowski Publisher/CEO Anthony Robinson • (778) 991-3500 E-Mail: arobinson@forestnet.com Associate Publisher Hannah Rayment • (778) 688-9127 E-mail: hannah@forestnet.com Social Media: Kaitlin Davidson Digital Marketing: Diane Mettler Email: digitalmarketing@forestnet.com Subscription Enquiries (604) 990-9970 Fax: (705) 434-9052 E-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com Design & Art Production Manager Sheila Ringdahl E-mail: artwork@forestnet.com

4 Spotlight: Mercer

Accounting Manager Shelina Jessa • (604) 731-1535 E-mail: accounting@forestnet.com

moves into mass timber

Office P.O. Box 86670 North Vancouver, BC V7L 4L2 Phone: (604) 990-9970 Website: www.forestnet.com Subscriptions: Canada $58 a year; two years $70; three years, $85. Group accounts, six or more subscriptions, $25 per subscription per year. Outside Canada, $95 per year. Airmail $165. Single copy, Canada $6; elsewhere $10. Reproduction prohibited without permission of the publisher. ISSN 0226-7572. Back copies from 1996 onward are available through our website www.forestnet.com Publications Mail Agreement No. 40064045 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to CIRCULATION DEPT. PO Box 86670 Stn Main North Vancouver BC V7L 4L2 e-mail: SubscribeLSJ@forestnet.com POSTMASTER: Send US address changes to LSJ Publishing Ltd., PO Box 610, Edmonds, WA 98020-0610 Published September/October 2022 Printed in Canada on 20% recycled paper.

“We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada” Logging & Sawmilling Journal is a member/associate member of the following industry organizations:

In an interesting strategic move into the mass wood market, B.C.-based Mercer International has purchased the bankrupt Katerra Mass Timber Plant in neighbouring Washington State—which uses Canadian SPF lumber as feedstock.

On a Mission to build a new sawmill The new $160 million (U.S.) Mission Forest Products sawmill in Mississippi draws on a wide variety of suppliers for equipment, including a number of Canadian companies.

16 Forest management:

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Calendar...........................................8 Suppliernewsline............................38 Ad Index.........................................41 Classifieds......................................41 Subscriptions.................................41

Deere’s new Intelligent Boom Control (IBC)-equipped tracked harvester at work in Ontario Contractor Adam Williams is having solid success working with the new IBCequipped harvester, working in northern Ontario forests.

28 PAL Lumber is all fired up…

Ontario’s PAL Lumber is one busy operation these days, producing firewood for everyone from cottagers to large commercial customers, with the solid support of a tough Bells 4000 firewood processor.

Included in this edition of The Edge, Canada’s leading publication on research in the forest industry, are stories from the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) and FPInnovations.

42 The Last Word

B.C.’s Forest Practices Board is keeping tabs on spruce bark beetle harvesting, notes Jim Stirling.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

MERCER moves into spotlight

mass timber

By Tony Kryzanowski

n a move into the mass wood market, Vancouver, B.C.-based, Mercer International last year acquired the bankrupt Katerra Inc mass timber plant located in Washington State’s Spokane Valley, also reviving and rescuing a significant consumer of Canadian SPF lumber.

Relaunched as Mercer Mass Timber, this huge state-of-the-art plant represents one-third of all mass timber production capacity in the entire U.S. It houses America’s largest mass timber press and one of the largest in the world. Mercer International is a global producer of market pulp and dimensional lumber. In 2018, the company acquired

the massive Daishowa-Marubeni International (DMI) pulp mill in Peace River, Alberta, and operates Cariboo Pulp & Paper and Mercer Celgar in British Columbia. They also operate a number of pulp mills in Germany, as well as one of the largest sawmills in Europe in the German community of Thuringia. They plan to integrate a second sawmill with their German Mercer Stendal pulp plant. Mercer International was founded in 1968 by University of B.C. chemical engineering grad, Jimmy S.H. Lee, who serves as Chairman of the Board. The company has a long and storied history and was involved in a variety of business sectors before settling into forest products in Germany in the 1990’s, and later B.C. and Alberta. The Spokane mass timber plant’s former owner, Katerra Inc, announced in June 2021 that it was laying off staff, shutting down operations and filing for bankruptcy, claiming that it had fallen victim to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two months later on August 3, Mercer International announced that it had purchased the mass timber plant for $50 million (U.S.). The original construction price for the plant in 2017 was $150 million (U.S.). “We feel that we got a good deal,” says David Gandossi, who was Mercer International CEO until earlier this year, and recently retired from the company. He oversaw the acquisition. “It was a good opportunistic situation for us. We think that mass timber is going to be a very rapidly growing building solution. There are more projects in the design phase today than have been built in the past five to seven years alone. Our feeling is that it is really taking off. It’s a good space to be in with good growth potential.” Gandossi has been succeeded as CEO by Juan Carlos Bueno, whose past positions have included Executive Vice President for Finnish forest company, Stora Enso. The huge 277,000 square foot Katerra plant, situated on 54 acres, has the capability to produce 13 million square feet of five-ply panels annually on a five-day production schedule. The press is designed to produce a maximum of 12’ X 60’ long panels in three-ply, five-ply, and seven-ply thicknesses. The entire production process is fully automated including the use of artificial intelligence so that once the panels are manufactured, the plant can even cut

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spotlight from page 4 out door and window holes to match the building design. At full production capacity, just over 100 employees are required. The plant is not geared toward commodity production but it is driven by specific order fulfillment. “It will take a bit of time to build the pipeline but we understand that,” Gandossi says, adding that the operation also has the ability to market long-length 2 X 6 fingerjointed lumber, produced with Western Pneumatics equipment, at a good profit margin to generate immediate cash flow. Mass timbers, also known as CrossLaminated Timbers (CLT), are engineered wood products used primarily in multifamily residential, commercial and industrial building construction as a structural biological alternative to concrete and steel. It is produced using multiple layers of dimensional lumber and adhesive, with each layer laid up with its grain running perpendicular to the layer adjacent, and pressed under heat to create large, highstrength panels. At the time of the plant’s launch in 2017, Katerra announced that they’d be using primarily Canadian SPF lumber as their feedstock. Mass timbers have been manufactured in Europe for the past 30 years but only arrived in North America about 10 years ago as a new use for dimensional lumber, to challenge the dominant use of concrete and steel in taller, multi-family residential and commercial construction. It has even gotten approval for use in tall building construction. Gandossi says once they discovered that the Katerra mass timber plant was

Panels made at the former Katerra, now Mercer Mass Timber, plant (above). The Mercer Mass Timber plant can produce panels measuring up to 12’ X 60’ on the largest press in North America. available, they went to work immediately to make a bid, anticipating that they would be one of several bidders for the plant. The company was already welladvanced in its own plans to enter the mass timber market. Although their roots were in pulp and solid wood production in Canada and Germany, they recognized growing demand and considerable potential for mass timbers in North America. They were only interested in purchasing Katerra’s plant in the Spokane Valley. The company’s huge, 577,000 square foot cabinet and panel factory in California was eventually purchased by Volumetric Building Companies. After making their bid, Mercer was

Production process at Mercer’s CLT plant

s described in a previous story on the Katerra plant in Logging and Sawmilling Journal, the production process at the now Mercer-owned plant is fairly straightforward. The raw material first passes through a sorting line purchased from USNR in Woodland, Washington. The moisture sensors supplied by Finna Group from Denver, Colorado, determine which material is dry enough for processing. If the wood is dry enough, it is sent through the CLT production line. If not, it goes into a USNR kiln. The CLT line has three planers, all manufactured by Gilbert in Roberval, Quebec.

From the CLT press, the product then travels to one of three CNC machines. Two of the CNC machines were purchased from Uniteam (Biesse), of Thiene, Italy. The third came from Germany’s Hundegger AG. After the CNC work is complete, the material travels on to the sander, which the plant sourced from Costa in Archdale, North Carolina. From the sander, it continues on to a crane purchased from Galifco Oregon, out of Eugene. The crane offloads the finished CLT panels and prepares it for Quality Assurance/Quality Control certification.

surprised to learn that there wasn’t going to be any type of auction for Katerra’s mass timber asset and that their offer had been accepted. The sale progressed very quickly from that point. Gandossi says that they were familiar with the Katerra operation because they had been studying it as part of their own research. “We hadn’t figured out what our entry point should be and when we read about the bankruptcy, we reached out right away to the bankers to say we’d be very interested in the CLT facility in Spokane if it was going to be sold separately,” he says. “We understood what that facility was and sure enough, they were planning a quick sale.” Mercer has re-hired the former general manager, Jason Herman, who oversaw the construction, commissioning and operation of the mass timber plant. Gandossi says that Mercer International is approaching their operation of the plant much differently than the integrated model used by Katerra Inc. Their approach was not only to provide the mass timber panels but to also supply the related installation hardware as well as installation services right down to the plumbing and electrical. It presented many challenges. In its final months of operation, Katerra’s main issue became cash flow in the midst of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. A U.S. Securities and

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

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Exchange Commission investigation launched in 2020 regarding their accounting and reporting practices also didn’t help, making it more difficult to secure additional capital support. At the time of its bankruptcy announcement, the company owed $73 million (U.S.) to its contractors. Gandossi says that Mercer’s approach is focused solely on supplying building materials and technical support. “We will be providing products to general contractors as specified by their architects and engineers,” says Gandossi. “So we are working with those kinds of organizations to be a provider of the products that they specify and we will support them.” While they have not operated a mass timber production plant in North America or Europe previously, Mercer has staff in their European sawmill operations with considerable mass timber experience. Gandossi concludes that the CLT market is evolving. The initial focus was on use in large, custom-designed, architecturallyattractive buildings. While that market will continue to exist, he views mass timber moving more toward standardized building materials for residential low-cost housing and warehouses, almost as catalogue products. Mercer anticipates producing a broad range of products—using Canadian lumber—to serve both these needs.

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

On a MISSION to build a new sawmill millprofile

The new $160 million (U.S.) Mission Forest Products sawmill in Mississippi draws on a wide variety of suppliers for equipment, including a number of Canadian companies. By Paul MacDonald

he construction trucks have been rumbling across the site of the new Mission Forest Products sawmill site in Corinth, Mississippi, for more than a year—but later on this year, the trucks going into the site will be carrying logs in

and lumber out, when the U.S. $160 million project is completed, and running. Mission Forest Products will soon have a fully operating high tech sawmill, having drawn on lumber manufacturing equipment and services from a variety of suppliers. Sourcing from a variety of suppliers has allowed the company to get the

biggest bang for its capital spending. The Mission Forest Products sawmill will have an annual output capacity of 250 million board feet, making it one of the largest producers of dimensional pine lumber in the U.S. South. It will employ approximately 130 people, who will staff two daily shifts when the facility comes online.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

millprofile The Mississippi facility, one of the northernmost sawmills in the U.S. South, will have easy access to major growth markets like Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Huntsville, Birmingham and the Midwestern states by rail. Driven by the increase in demand for housing generally in the U.S. over the last several years, the demand for lumber in these markets has also increased. At times, record lumber prices have been the end result, though lumber markets have since cooled off considerably. Chris Mathis, Managing Director of Corporate Development for Mission Forest Products, says the sawmill is well on its way to being completed; he outlined what the company wanted to achieve with the new facility. “Our objective is for the Corinth mill to become one of the lowest-cost and most reliable suppliers of high-quality dimensional lumber products in North America,” he said. “We’re feeling positive about how things are going with construction of the sawmill, and the equipment we’ve selected for the mill. We’re not immune to the challenges everyone else in the industry has had due to COVID and supply chain issues, and we’ve had some delays with getting some equipment in—but, overall, things are going well,” Mathis said. With sawmill build projects over the past two years, companies and contractors have proven to be resilient, making adjustments along the way in receiving deliveries of mill equipment or construction schedules. And that was the case with the Mission Forest Products project. Owning a sawmill comes as something new for the company’s parent company, Timberland Investment Resources, LLC (TIR), which is a timberland manager, managing almost 850,000 acres valued at more than $1.75 billion in the U.S. Northeast, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and Southeast—including in the Corinth, Mississippi area. TIR is leading a consortium of current and new investors to build the state-ofthe-art, high-capacity sawmill. “With our timberlands in the region, we noticed that the price of sawlogs and chip ‘n saw timber was quite low,” explained Mathis. “We did some analysis of the growth and demand for trees—we formally discovered what we intuitively knew: that there is a not a lot of sawmill capacity in that market.” Big picture, Mississippi itself has abundant forestlands—some 20 million acres, state-wide, with ample opportunities for

Big picture, Mississippi has abundant forestlands for the new Mission Forest Products mill to draw upon—some 20 million acres, state-wide, with ample opportunities for forest industry growth. forest industry growth. “We started looking at how much it would cost to build a sawmill, and how we would run it, and where we would site it—and things came together from there,” he says. Mathis says Mission Forest Products targeted Corinth for the mill project for several reasons. The city is often described as the intersection of the upper South due to it being a commercial transportation hub, with the rail links (being served by Norfolk Southern and Kansas City Southern) and efficient trucking routes it offers to growing population centers in the South, and the U.S. Midwest—all areas where lumber demand is high. “We added it all up and we were pleasantly surprised by the number of housing starts just within a 200-mile radius of the sawmill,” says Mathis. “We’re excited about the cities we’re close to—within a day’s drive—and are

going to serve,” says Mathis, noting that being the northern-most sawmill in the U.S. South also provides opportunities to serve large lumber markets like St. Louis and Chicago. “With the rail connections, we think that gives us a lot of options to go into the Midwest markets. We’re also close enough to serve Atlanta.” Easy access to the Tennessee river system also will allow shipping lumber by barge should they decide to pursue those markets. The fact that lumber can be transported in a number of ways is a clear advantage these days, with the shortage of truck drivers and rail cars in North America. “That seems to be an issue everywhere, so having optionality with transportation is a good thing,” says Mathis. In addition, he said the area surrounding

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millprofile from page 11 Corinth, which sits where the state lines of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi intersect, is also a prime timber-growing region. However, he said the area as a whole is currently under-served with sawmilling capacity given the plentiful inventory of high-quality timber growing in its vast forestlands, which are owned by local families, private individuals, and institutional investors, such as those TIR represents. Mathis also said the company was also attracted to the Corinth area because of its skilled forest products workforce—one that includes both field forestry professionals, like loggers, truckers and silvicultural contractors, as well as highly experienced manufacturing workers. Mathis said the company intends to capitalize on all of the above, and the low-cost, high-efficiency nature of the mill’s design. The mill anticipates purchasing its timber from local suppliers and timberland owners. The company itself, with its landholdings in the area, will supply about three per cent of the mill’s needs for timber. It will sell production residuals, including wood chips, bark and shavings, to various customers within the region. Besides Mathis, veteran lumber industry professional Joe Rodgers has overseen the construction and start-up effort with the new mill. Rodgers has more than 30 years of experience with sawmill construction and management having previously held senior level positions leading the lumber business for Temple-Inland, and more recently with Interfor. Prior to joining Mission Forest Products, he worked as an independent consultant on other high-

When it is completed and starts up, the Mission Forest Products sawmill will have an annual output capacity of 250 million board feet, making it one of the largest producers of dimensional pine lumber in the U.S. South. capacity sawmill projects elsewhere in the U.S. South. In addition to his position with TIR and Mission Forest Products, Mathis also has extensive experience with Temple-Inland. “Between Joe and I, we felt we understood what we needed in a sawmill to be successful—we had third parties confirm what we knew, that there was a lot of timber, and that it was a good place for a sawmill, and we used that to show to investors,” explained Mathis. The facility will employ state-of-the art

log scanning and optimization technology to ensure that each log that passes through its production line is milled to its fullest potential from both a wood utilization and financial standpoint. This will not only ensure that the facility is operating at the lowest possible cost, but that it is also making good and sustainable use of the timber resources it processes, says the company. to page 14

Mission Forest Products is working with Arkansas-based Mid-South Engineering on the new mill project and is sourcing equipment from a variety of suppliers. While the new mill will feature state-of-the-art equipment, the focus on equipment at the mill is on the “tried and true.” Equipment selection was made with an eye toward proven systems from vendors with a track record of successfully starting up those systems. 12

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

millprofile from page 12 Mission Forest Products is working with Arkansas-based Mid-South Engineering on the project and, as noted, is sourcing equipment from a variety of suppliers. The project is not turnkey: the company bid out the major machine centers for the mill. “We’re doing that work ourselves—Joe has a lot of experience with suppliers though the mills and projects he has worked on,” says Mathis. Among the equipment selected for the mill was a Fulghum log crane, Endurance Equipment for log processing (plus a Valon Kone dual ring debarker), and Porter Engineering for process controls and optimization from the stem infeed deck through the mill’s canter line. Optimil provided the primary breakdown equipment and USNR provided the edger system, all lumber optimization systems and dry kilns. MillTech provided both the green and dry lumber handling mechanical equipment and the associated controls by collaborating with Iron Code, and Gilbert supplied the planer. While the new mill will feature stateof-the-art equipment, the focus on equipment at the mill is on the “tried and true.”

“We wanted to take out complexity,” says Mathis. “We’re going to be a new mill with employees who have not run a sawmill before. The project has been managed to help facilitate a smooth start-up. Equipment selection was made with an eye toward proven systems from vendors with a track record of successfully starting those systems up. “We feel we’re already going to have a competitive advantage on the cost side— we just wanted to have the latest proven technology rather than getting involved in a technology development project. We’ll do well with that.” Some sawmills opting for so-called “bleeding edge” technology have found that this can easily create production problems, and technology headaches. As with all sawmill projects going ahead the last while, they had to factor in dealing with COVID-related issues. “We ran into problems with some of our suppliers, with their employees getting COVID—that was probably the biggest issue with COVID that we had,” says Mathis. “Joe and Mid-South did a really nice job of stitching that together, doing problem

solving, and getting the project built as quickly as we could. “We did not have any problems on site,” Mathis added. “The vaccines were ready and available when we started work on the project. It was more of a production equipment type issue with suppliers, than an on-site issue.” If there were equipment delivery delays, as noted, the company and its contractors were adept at pivoting, and switching efforts to another part of the project, if need be. “A mill build is really a big problemsolving exercise from start to finish,” says Mathis. “You’re addressing issues on a daily basis. You might expect things to go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, but they might go 1, 3, 5. 2. 4,” he says. The sawmill will have the ability to produce 2” dimensional lumber in 4” through 12” widths, along with 1x4’s and 4x4’s. The mill’s ultimate product mix will reflect log purchasing strategies and meeting the needs of the mill’s customers. When the trucks start moving on and off the 88-acre site, they should encounter a well-organized set up, says Mathis.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

millprofile

The Corinth, Mississippi Mission Forest Products facility, one of the northernmost sawmills in the U.S. South, is being welcomed in the region. This area of the U.S. South is currently under-served with sawmilling capacity given the plentiful inventory of highquality timber growing in its vast forestlands, which are owned by local families, private individuals, and institutional investors. They have a long entrance road, at one mile, to the mill site, with lots of storage, and room for trucks. “We put a lot of thought into that,” he says. “I think the people that will be bringing logs to the mill, and taking lumber from the mill, are going to be pleased with the logistics and the way the site was laid out.”

With the project approaching completion, there is a sense of excitement—and sense of pride, too. Mathis noted that the project is going to create mill jobs, purchase timber from local landowners, and create jobs in the forest. “It’s all good,” he says. The reception the company has received from the state and county has

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been very appreciated, says Mathis. “It’s nice to be wanted—and it also reinforces that we have made the right decision for our investors. We’re excited to transition from construction to operating and establishing a great business for the community, our employees and our investors.”

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

Silvacom President and CEO Tom Grabowski holds one of the company’s first tech tools used while working in the field in 1983.

FOREST MANAGEMENT: from planning to planting Silvacom’s comprehensive Forest Management System software seamlessly covers operations, from planning right through to planting.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

forestryplanning

By Tony Kryzanowski

orest industry software solutions provider Silvacom describes its Forest Management System (FMS) as the most comprehensive cloud-based forest management system software in the world. It has been decades in the making. “It’s one window into a forest company’s entire operation that essentially incorporates all of the woodlands department staff, all the way from the planners to the people who are doing the operational planning to silviculture forestry,” says Chris Lang, Vice-President of Business Development at Silvacom. “It essentially covers the full life cycle from planning to planting.” The Edmonton, Alberta-based company, established in 1983, develops products exclusively for use in forestry and has grown right along with the industry over the past four decades, back to the time when the first handhelds and software programs were becoming available. In fact, their new head office in southeast Edmonton features a display of many of the data collection and communication

tools they have developed over the years as technology evolved. And to a great extent, it is the story of the growth of sophistication in forest management planning and reporting in Canada. FMS is the culmination of working hand in hand with numerous forestry clients for years, understanding every aspect of their forest management needs, and packaging a variety of software tools into a single package or drop-in elements aimed at helping forest companies streamline operations. FMS is a subscription-based service with an annual fee, tailored and scaled to the number of users and what components the customer is using. One subscriber to Silvacom FMS is Mercer Peace River in northern Alberta. It harvests large quantities of wood fibre in the Peace River area to supply its pulp mill. “Silvacom FMS gives us the ability to move information seamlessly, to have access whenever we need it, and to be confident that the information is the most current,” says Stefan Szabo, Woodlands Manager. “It is a resource that you take with you everywhere to access critical

Weyerhaeuser’s Grande Prairie, Alberta operation is a Silvacom FMS customer, and depends on the data provided by this cloudbased forest management system software to keep tabs on their fibre supply (Photos courtesy Weyerhaeuser Canada).

information any time of day or night.” Forestry has changed a lot in the past four decades, and for many forest companies risk management is at the forefront of many of their activities these days. FMS is a powerful tool in helping to manage risk. “There’s more inherent risk on the environmental and social side now than we’ve ever seen before,” says Lang. “So having a platform like FMS that enables our clients to connect the dots better and to have transparency with stakeholders on the land base is only going to benefit them by demonstrating sustainable forest management in a responsible way.” He adds that forest companies working, for example, with Indigenous communities are able to use FMS to manage engagement and consultation efforts. In fact, FMS is already being used by stakeholders living on the periphery of the forestry sector, as some Indigenous communities and government agencies have discovered its value. Silvacom describes FMS as, “made by forestry professionals for forestry professionals”. Lang says what differentiates Silvacom FMS from its competitors is the level of after-sales customer support offered by the company, given its focus specifically on the forestry sector. This Esri-based geospatial forestry software solution, hosted in the cloud, offers sophisticated, powerful and easyto-use workflows. Its integrated system of geospatial forest management applications gives forestry companies powerful tools to easily plan harvesting activities, track operations, manage silviculture, generate geo-referenced maps and much more. It consists of a specific planning module, operations module, silviculture module, mapping module and data management module. Esri (Environmental Systems Research Institute) is an international supplier of geographic information system (GIS) software, web GIS and geodatabase management applications. At present, forest management planning tools being used by forest companies are often in-house or based off of complex geospatial platforms that are difficult to manage. “Likely companies are using some type of GIS software, whether or not it is desktop or cloud-based, open source or proprietary,” says Zachary Cole, Product Manager for FMS at Silvacom. “They are likely using these tools with some sort of

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forestryplanning from page 17 database. It could be something as simple as Excel or MS Access, right through to something more complex that is more code-intensive.” It was because of this variety of approaches and their experience working with the industry that Silvacom recognized an opportunity to help companies streamline operations, leading to the development of FMS. “There are a lot of benefits for an organization to have standardization across all of their woodlands divisions if they are a large company,” says Lang. “It reduces corporate risk. With people coming and going in the workforce, having that standardized system provides a lot of value. Once you have it in the cloud and once it is digital, then it is stored and backed up.” Lang adds that forest companies of all sizes would benefit from some or all aspects of FMS. And being cloud-based, companies avoid IT annoyances such as expensive software upgrades, trying to facilitate communication across different platforms, and security. Employees simply log in with their browsers and Silvacom takes care of the rest, including staying up-to-date with regulatory compliance requirements across various jurisdictions. FMS is gaining attention throughout the world based on the number of inquiries that the company receives every week and the number of demonstrations it hosts for jurisdictions around the globe. The program is adaptable and customizable to other forest environments outside of Canada and to the individual needs of clients. It helps companies put their strategic plans into operation, such as planning cutblocks, roads, stakeholder buy-in, and stakeholder sign-off. Then it assists with streamlining government submissions by

The above drone image was captured at the Weyerhaeuser Drayton Valley facility and is stored and accessed by company personnel using Silvacom FMS. (Courtesy Weyerhaeuser Canada). generating geo-referenced map products while also meeting internal reporting requirements. FMS data is used in the field so that supervisors and contractors have what they need to ensure harvesting activities comply with the approved plan, with their activities migrating back into the FMS dataset so that silviculture planners can generate the proper reforestation prescription that meets regulatory requirements. Cole explains who specifically within a forest company’s woodlands department would typically use and benefit from the product:

• The Woodlands Manager would use FMS to evaluate what the company has permitted for harvesting and delivery to the production facility. • The Environmental Superintendent would use FMS to ensure that forest cutblocks are in compliance with all environmental regulations and encroachment notations. • Further down the ladder, Planning Foresters would use FMS to focus on more specific forest management issues, such

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E H T D N O BEY

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forestryplanning from page 18 as managing risk around the greater liability of such activities as planning roads for steep slope logging. • Contract Administrators would use FMS in their interactions with logging contractors, and finally, Silviculture Foresters would tap into FMS for planning and implementing their reforestation activities. Essentially, it covers off woodlands planning from a 200-year horizon, down to day-to-day operations, and then planning for the future with site reforestation. Not only is FMS a tool to manage woodlands operations internally but it also provides the data required for reporting to regulatory agencies to ensure that all activities are in compliance. Customers using FMS save a considerable amount of money by streamlining operations while also improving staff morale by removing mundane tasks like simply keeping databases up-to-date. The functioning of the FMS software does that for the company, meaning that staff can focus on more strategic planning and execution of actual operations. “It just happens within this system,” says Lang. “We have access to all this information and we do it for everyone once a month. All those processes are standardized and all our clients benefit from it.” For example, on the mapping side, companies currently employ GIS specialists whose main job is simply to keep maps up-to-date. FMS automates and streamlines that process in an area where many companies are having difficulty finding employees. Redundant and repetitive

Forestry has changed a lot in the past four decades, and for many forest companies risk management is at the forefront of many of their activities these days. Silvacom’s FMS is a powerful tool in helping to manage risk.

workflows have been automated within FMS as much as possible. Enforcement of topography rules have also been automated and are updated regularly within FMS through combining regulatory datasets with operational planning geo-referencing maps to avoid trespass and encroachment issues. “If you can use computers to help take that function, standardize it and make it better, you need to do that to stay ahead right now because that’s the way the world is going,” says Lang. “You are further ahead by trying to embrace it rather than fight it.” Silvacom has recognized that companies are struggling with retirements as well as hiring and keeping employees. So many

are leaning more heavily toward using contractors for some functions. With the confidence of an intact cloud-based, digital database, companies can simply provide access to those contractors to fill employee gaps within their organization. “That hybrid approach lends itself well to this technology,” Lang says. For forest companies, it is critical that budget planning and spending happen in tandem with forest management activities. FMS allows for that to occur. Managers are able to track the cost of activities against funds set aside for those functions, streamlining financial monitoring and reporting.

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’ DEERE s logginginnovations

new IBC-equipped tracked harvester gets Ontario workout Contractor Adam Williams is having solid success working with John Deere’s new Intelligent Boom Control (IBC) equipped harvester, working in northern Ontario forests. Over the past year, Adam Williams has been demo’ing a John Deere 953MH Tracked Harvester—which features IBC—equipped with a Waratah 623C harvester head.

By Paul MacDonald

t’s not really an old saying, but it sure could apply to a lot of people involved in the logging industry who try something else: you can take the logger out of the bush, but you can’t take the bush out of the logger. And it seems to apply to logger Adam Williams, owner of A.R. Williams Logging, of Englehart, Ontario. It’s plain and simple: “I really enjoy working in the woods,” says Williams. Back in 2002 after doing some logging and construction work around Englehart, Williams decided to try his hand at working in the construction industry in Ottawa. While he certainly enjoyed his time doing construction, he moved back to Englehart in 2014—and is very happy to be back in the woods, operating his own machine, harvesting wood in northeastern Ontario, near the Timmins area. “I enjoyed doing the infrastructure projects in Ottawa,” he says. “I was learning something new. But I like the woods more. It’s so quiet out here, very peaceful. And I’m always learning something new out here, too.” These days, Williams and his operator, Benji Demarce, have been learning the ropes on some new, but also familiar, logging equipment, from John Deere. Earlier this year, Deere introduced its latest operator assistance control feature, Intelligent Boom Control (IBC), for the 900 MH-Series Tracked Harvester. The development of this model is a result of global collaboration between the John Deere Wheeled Cut-to-Length and Full-Tree Forestry teams, aiming to implement IBC’s field-proven technology into

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

logginginnovations

Since logging contractor Adam Williams is working with two 953 machines, it allows Deere to kind of compare apples with apples, with how the 953 with IBC performs vs. its non-IBC sibling.

the MH-series of tracked harvesters. With IBC, operators no longer need to control each independent boom function separately. One joystick moves the boom tip horizontally, while a second guides it vertically, for faster cycle times and more precise control. Deere says IBC’s smooth and fluid motion actively dampens functional change of directions, protecting boom structures and increasing wear life. IBC also automatically controls swing speed based on the overall position of the attachment. Over the past year, Williams has been demo’ing a John Deere 953MH Tracked Harvester with a Waratah 623C harvester head—and which features IBC. “IBC is absolutely what you want for harvesting at the stump,” says Williams. “It makes boom operations much more precise and efficient compared to our 953MH machine, which doesn’t have IBC.” IBC makes it easier to maneuver the harvesting head by reducing the operator inputs controlling the boom. “Without IBC you have to control the boom and stick functions separately,” says Williams. “Using IBC, you just position the boom tip where you want it using a single joystick. It makes everything more predictable so you don’t overcompensate movements. “It’s so much smoother and easier,” he added. “And I’m not getting shaken around as much, so I feel less fatigued at the end of the day.” The IBC helps to make operation of the machine more intuitive, from the operator’s perspective.

Plus, IBC is easy to learn, which makes it great for training new operators, according to Williams. “You catch on quick. It just comes so naturally.” The technology has also helped his company’s bottom line. “IBC makes my work faster. Cycle times have increased compared to my 953MH without it, so I’m more productive. And I noticed a fuel savings right away compared to the other machine.”

He also noted that when he lets go of the joystick, or extends the boom fully, there is not an abrupt stop. “With the IBC, there is a cushion. It senses where the cylinder is, and reduces the pressure. “If I boom out at full speed, it will go fast, fast, fast—and then the cylinder pressure will be reduced. That is a really nice feature, and I noticed the difference right way, compared to my machine.” Deere says that improved productivity, compared to the same machine without IBC, was a strong focus with the new machine. IBC allows the operator to focus on controlling the attachment, helping improve efficiency. The controls used for reaching and securing trees for harvest intuitively mirror how the equipment might function—almost as if it were the operator’s arm, it says. Williams has a great deal of experience operating equipment. He first started working in construction after high school when he took a job with a local company in Englehart. “During the winter, though, we’d haul logs. It was my first time doing anything with logging, and I really enjoyed it,” he says. When he returned home in 2014 and purchased his first feller buncher, Williams was off and running. But because the contractors often had their own bunchers, he was usually the last one brought on. “I could make a good living with the buncher, but I was always on the bottom of the list.”

Intelligent Boom Control’s smooth and fluid motion actively dampens functional change of directions, protecting boom structures and increasing wear life. One big benefit of the IBC is that it helps to steady the harvesting head, as the boom is extended, says Williams. “With some machines, the speed can vary as the boom goes out, going fast and slow. But with the IBC, the boom is moving at one steady speed throughout, and the harvesting head is much more steady, and moving around a lot less—overall, it’s much easier to control. “It really adds to the smooth operation of the machine and head. With the head more steady, you can more easily do what you want to do, grab a tree or pick up a tree. “You really don’t notice it, it’s running so smooth,” he said. “It makes it easier to keep the processing head under control, and easier to run.”

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

to page 24 23

logginginnovations from page 23 By 2017, the company for which he was contracting desperately needed cutto-length machines. “Many loggers in the area were afraid to run harvesters because of the higher investment cost and lack of experience working on them,” he recalls. Williams took the plunge in 2017 and bought a John Deere 903MH tracked harvester with a Waratah 623C harvester head. In 2019, he traded in the 903MH for a 953MH, and bought the same head, a 623C Waratah. “I liked the way the 953MH opened up, and is easy to work on, which is one of the big reasons I chose to buy it. That really appealed to me because as an owner/operator, I’m the one doing any repairs on the equipment. “It has been very reliable, so I’ve really only replaced normal wear parts. The head is solidly built, too. I just don’t have many problems with this combination.” Reliability and uptime are top of the list when it comes to equipment for loggers like Williams, as is dealer support. Williams noted that the sales and service people at Ontario Deere dealer, Brandt Tractor Ltd., are very good to work with. The nearest Brandt branch, in Timmins, is

about 90 minutes away from where he is operating. “That definitely played into the equipment purchase—we need to have that support.” Without enough harvesters to go around in the region, Williams soon became one very busy guy. Before long he was running 24/7, so he hired another operator. In this part of northern Ontario, Williams is working in some very up and down topography—with rocky and hilly terrain. “It may not be like B.C. and the mountains out west, but the slopes can get so steep in some areas that you can’t climb them.” Fortunately, there is still plenty of land in between those very steep slopes where Williams and his operator do just fine. “But we still get every type of ground,” he says. In terms of the wood his Deere machine is harvesting, it’s usually around 40 cm and under at the butt, though he noted the white spruce can get larger. “It can get 80 cm at the butt, easy,” he says. “In hardwood, with poplar, it is usually 40 to 60 cm at the butt, but there is lots of smaller wood, too, mixed in with it.” Williams gave a lot of thought to the

size of the head on his machine. “I know the area where we are operating quite well,” he explained. “The one thing I struggled with when I chose the processing head was if you go too small with the head, what do you do when you get into an area with a run of larger trees? “If you get too small of a processing head, or too small of a machine, it’s not going to be able to do the job.” Fortunately, the Deere 953MH/Waratah 623C head fits the bill, with the range of wood sizes. “The 953 with that Waratah head really shines when we get into the bigger wood. It doesn’t slow down at all—it’s not a struggle with the larger timber. “Sometimes we get into spruce swamp areas in the winter. And it’s not really big wood, so you might feel that the machine is a bit of overkill. But then you’re on to the next job, and we’re working with 80 cm spruce, and those are big trees to wrestle with.” But the machine, and head, very ably handle the big timber. The softwood he harvests goes to the EACOM sawmill in Timmins, while the hardwood goes to the Georgia-Pacific OSB mill in Englehart. to page 26

IBC makes it easier to maneuver the harvesting head by reducing the operator inputs controlling the boom. “Without IBC you have to control the boom and stick functions separately,” says contractor Adam Williams. “Using IBC, you just position the boom tip where you want it using a single joystick.” 24

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

More brains to leverage the brawn. Intelligent Boom Control. Only from John Deere.

IN THE WOODS

logginginnovations

In this part of northern Ontario, contractor Adam Williams’ Deere equipment is usually harvesting timber around 40 cm and under at the butt, though he noted the white spruce can get larger. “It can get 80 cm at the butt, easy,” he says. from page 24 Williams says he was happy to participate in the demo for the new Deere 953MH Tracked Harvester with IBC, and Deere has certainly appreciated having his insight into the performance of the new machine. He has taken the time to provide extensive feedback on the machine’s performance, and provide them with important, in-the-bush, performance details. And it’s worked out quite a bit longer than either party originally planned. “Deere said I would probably have the new machine for two or three weeks— and it’s going on a year now. The Deere people are very appreciative of the information and feedback I give them.” Williams is already very familiar with the machine family, since he already has a 953MH, so if there are any minor issues with the prototype, he can easily fix them. Williams is really an ideal prototype partner for Deere because he likes a challenge. “I like learning, and figuring out problems. I like figuring out things, why and how equipment works.

“The Deere people have been great to work with. And I’m gaining from it, too—I figure more knowledge is a good thing.” Since he has had the two Deere machines, he has been operating them each on daily 12-hour shifts, with his operator and himself, rather than the 24 hours he was operating his single machine. Williams working with the two 953 machines allows Deere to kind of compare apples with apples, with how the 953 with IBC performs vs. its non-IBC sibling. “Anything I’ve mentioned on it, they’ve acted on,” says Williams. “They are very interested in refining it and making it a better machine.” Some computer updating was done on the machine, and it was done quickly and easily. “Deere sends it via cell phone, and I accept it, and the computer program is updated. “There really has been nothing major,” he added. “I think the structure and set-up of the 953 is very sound. It’s really just refining the IBC since this is the first one—and they are refining it, but I

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think they’ve got it pretty right with this machine.” Williams is encouraged by the way manufacturers like Deere are continuing to work on improvements, to help equipment operators and owners like himself be able to be more efficient. For Deere, product improvement seems to be part of the company’s DNA. “The continuous product development, new features and the updating of systems and solutions are integral parts of John Deere’s way of operating,” said Jim O’Halloran, product marketing manager of John Deere. “Intelligent Boom Control is an example of an important operator assistance feature that we will continue to evolve throughout full tree forestry,” said O’Halloran. “Developing solutions for our customers’ needs is our number one priority, and investing in innovation, like IBC, is an example that helps the overall productivity and profitability for the whole machine life cycle.” And this approach work well for Deere’s dealers, as well. “We’re excited to see this technology coming to tracked machines,” says Allain Santerre, director of sales for Ontario and Eastern Canada at Brandt Tractor Ltd. “Deere has had the technology on wheeled forestry machines for a few years now, and it’s changed how operators do their work. IBC is intelligent, so it makes the operator’s task easier.” Santerre and Brandt salesmen have been spreading the word about IBC on tracked machines and offering demos. “Everyone I speak with who tries IBC feels they are better at their job and less tired at the end of the day,” says Santerre. “We want customers to know their options. Like our TimberMatic Maps and TimberManager, IBC is another step ahead to help our customers succeed.”

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PAL

Lumber is all fired up…

Ontario’s PAL Lumber is one busy operation these days, producing firewood for everyone from cottagers to large commercial customers, with the solid support of a tough Bells 4000 firewood processor.

PAL Lumber run a Bells 4000 processor with a 80 h.p. Cat engine and a 44-inch circular cut-off blade.

By Dave Boyt

ete Lemiski is the owner of PAL Lumber, near Acton, Ontario, about 45 minutes northwest of Toronto—and he’s one company owner that knows all about being nimble and flexible. “We started out doing lumber and logging,” Lemiski explained. “I had five guys working for me, logging in the winter and cutting hardwood grade lumber for the U.S. market in the spring, summer, and fall. When the 2008/2009 recession hit, I lost a lot of my lumber contracts, so I sold the sawmill, shifted gears, and went into the firewood business.” About that time, Kevin Cullingham (a.k.a. “Skidder Kev” on Youtube) was also shifting gears. “When I got laid off from my job at General Electric, I had a choice of working in a plant or changing careers.” As it turns out, the gears meshed, and Cullingham has been working with Lemiski full-time to page 30

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

addedvalue from page 28 for the last nine years. “I had started out skidding, but since it was the two of us, I started cutting, too. I grew up on a farm, so I was familiar with firewood,” says Cullingham. “We used to run a cable skidder, but we switched to track skid steers,” Cullingham explained. “They’re ideal for small sawlogs and firewood, and make it profitable to take jobs that other loggers would pass up. They’re easy to move to a job site, cheaper to run, lighter, and more nimble in the bush than full-size skidders.” The 5,000-kg Kubota skid steers leave a light footprint and can work without leaving ruts pretty much any place there isn’t standing water. This makes them ideal for salvaging ash and thinning woodlots without damaging the remaining stand. Lemiski and Cullingham do most of their logging in the winter, harvesting in soft maple swamps after they have frozen over. In the mornings, Lemiski fells trees with a feller/buncher head on his machine while Cullingham limbs, cuts the logs to length, and skids. In the afternoons, Lemiski puts a grapple on his machine and skids logs. The front-mounted log grapples work like mini-grapple skidders, pulling hitches of a half-dozen firewood logs backwards and stacking at the landing. “I’ve gotten to where I can run that skid steer in reverse as easily as forward,” laughed Cullingham. They use Martatch LG-72HS 72” grapples. The feller/ buncher head is a BaumaLight FBS752. From the landing, the logs go to a yarding area where firewood material is stacked and merchantable sawlogs are

sorted out to go to area sawmills, though Lemiski does some custom cutting on a Wood-Mizer LT40. “That helps us get the most value out of each log, as opposed to just cutting everything for firewood,” Lemiski noted. The rest of the year, Lemiski and Cullingham run a Bells 4000 processor with a 80 h.p. Cat engine and a 44-inch circular cut-off blade. “It’s just amazing how fast the blade goes through the wood. It will rip through a 20” piece of ash without slowing down,” Cullingham exclaimed. They have no complaints at all about the machine, he added. With all that experience, operating the processor is second nature to Cullingham. “There is a bit of a learning curve to get the logs to fall straight into the splitting chamber,” he admitted. “It’s just little things that you pick up along the way.” The single lever joystick control has

four-direction movement for direct hydraulic control of the cutterhead and the infeed conveyor. “That lets me control how fast the blade comes down in the log,” Cullingham explained. “If there’s a big knot or it’s the last piece being held by the clamp, I can cut a little slower, or back the blade out of a cut if I need to.” A trigger and two pairs of buttons control the rest of the hydraulic functions. A squeeze on the trigger activates the splitting cycle. One pair of buttons raises and lowers the 8-way splitting wedge, and a second pair of buttons controls the threestrand live deck. Cullingham says that the infeed conveyor has an aggressive feed that handles most crooked logs with no problem. “When you’re cutting firewood out of the tops, you get the crooked logs. We can get 90 per cent of them through the processor, and the others, we cut shorter to straighten them out. We’ve cut and split maybe 800 cords this year, and I’ve had to set aside maybe a couple of cords that I didn’t think the splitter could handle.” Anything questionable is set aside to sell to weekend woodcutters. The Simonds slashing saw blade holds 30 inserted carbide teeth. Cullingham inspects the blade daily, and can replace a damaged tooth in a matter of minutes. “I’ve gone through nails, screws, and wire, and you just carry on,” he said. After about 1,000 hours of operation, however, Cullingham and the blade finally met their match. “I was processing a log from a tree service,” he recalled. “I cut through a steel gate hanger and threw out every single tooth!” Lemiski had an operator’s cab installed to keep sawdust from blowing back on the operator, and keep the controls out

With decent-size logs, PAL Lumber can average three cords per hour with their Bells firewood processor. 30

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

to page 32

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addedvalue from page 30 of the weather. Cullingham says he likes the working conditions inside the cab. It has heat and, with the 38-degree C (100 degrees F) summer heat in Ontario, he persuaded Lemiski to add air conditioning. “It also has a radio so I can listen to podcasts while I work.” Cullingham observed that the cab affords a good view of the splitting chamber and that, with a bit of experience, it is easy to gauge the height of the wedge to give even-sized pieces of firewood. An optional firewood tumbler at the top of the conveyor separates the bark and dirt from the firewood. According to Cullingham, maintenance on the Bells 4000 is similar to that of any hydraulic equipment. “It’s a matter of keeping the filters clean, blowing sawdust off the motor, greasing bearings, and changing the oil—nothing really unusual.” The 40 gallons of hydraulic oil needs changing every 1500 hours. “It’s cheap insurance,” he noted. Bells designs its equipment to operate in the cold Ontario winters. “We have run the processor down to about -20 degrees C (-4 degrees F) and I’m sure you can run it in colder weather,” Cullingham said. “We try to give it a good fifteen to twenty minutes and run the conveyors and blade to warm up the engine and hydraulics.” While Cullingham runs the Bells 4000 from the comfort of the cab, Lemiski is busy on the skid steer, loading logs on the deck, removing debris from under the tumbler and clearing sawdust from under the cut-off saw. “When you have decent-size logs on it, you can average three cords per hour, no problem,” says Cullingham. “With bigger logs, you can get up to four full cords per hour.” He cuts most of the wood to 16inch lengths, but says there is a growing demand for bagged 12-inch lengths for convenience stores. “We do 5,000 bags of firewood for gas stations and convenience stores,” he said. “There’s more money in the shorter firewood, but more labour in filling the bags.” Lemiski and Cullingham also make use of the processor’s easy portability, taking it to customers who yard up firewood throughout the year. Lemiski estimates that they custom process 400 cords per year— about a third of their total production. “We contract to cut by the cord,” Lemiski explained. “One of our bigger custom jobs this past summer was around 300 cords for a customer that does land clearing.” 32

PAL Lumber employs Kubota skid steers in the bush—they leave a light footprint and can work without leaving ruts pretty much any place there isn’t standing water. This makes them ideal for salvaging ash and thinning woodlots without damaging the remaining stand. According to Lemiski, breaking down the machine for transport is quick and easy. “The live deck and conveyor fold up with hydraulics. Kev and I can have it road ready in about 15 minutes.” Once folded for transport, the processor is road legal without requiring a wide load permit. On site, the machine folds out and is ready to go to work in another 15 minutes. Wholesale buyers usually bring in their own truck and trailer, and Lemiski or Cullingham load it with the skid steer and conveyor. When not logging or running the firewood processor, they deliver wood to retail customers with a GM TopKick dump truck that holds two cords, and a dump trailer that holds another cord. “We only sell in quantities of full cords—or ‘bush cords’ as we say here,” Cullingham explained. “We don’t stack wood for customers, so they have to have a place where we can dump it. We’ve managed to squeeze into some pretty tight places,” he laughed. “In April and May, we cut and split right into the dump truck and haul it straight to the customer. That way, the customer saves a few bucks and we don’t have to handle it again. That’s about half of our sales,” Cullingham explained. “The rest, we season in the yard and sell in the fall. We have a decent size yard, but you can use up a ton of space when you have four or five hundred cords. We put about 50 cords under cover for the winter so we don’t have to dig through the snow to load it.” Lemiski is always looking for ways to be more productive and increase the value of his product. When asked about plans for the future he replied: “Our long term plan is to build a kiln out of an

insulated shipping container, then heat it with an outdoor wood boiler. I can dry firewood as I need it for customers who don’t think ahead and buy their firewood in the middle of the winter.” Not one to burn his inventory, he added that he will fuel it with scraps from the tumbler and softwood slabs from the sawmill. For those who are interested in going into the firewood business, Cullingham offers this advice: “First thing is to find a source for logs. You can’t have a firewood business without logs. Find out what land clearing companies are doing with their logs, and find local loggers who have pole-size logs for sale. Tree services are another source, but you can wind up with a lot of trash wood. “Start small and work your way up, and get word out by word of mouth. We just placed one Facebook ad at the very start, and it’s been word of mouth ever since.” To follow Cullingham’s adventures in logging, firewood processing, and other outdoor activities—including the results of cutting into that steel gate hanger—check his Youtube channel “Skidder Kev”. Note: Bells was bought last year by Eastonmade (all in the family). According to CEO Andrew Easton, the firewood processors will be basically the same. In addition to a new colour, Easton says that the new machines will feature an offset splitting chamber and a fly-by-wire joystick control system that is more responsive to inputs. Easton also emphasized that Eastonmade will support Bells firewood processors already in use. For more information, visit www.eastonmadewoodsplitters.com.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

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Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

THE

ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION

Prognostic maintenance: the approach to machine learning and asset integrity

he Canadian sawmill industry has been challenged during the recent global pandemic; hence they must constantly improve their competitiveness through operational performance and process sustainability through asset integrity and cost reduction. Therefore, prognostic maintenance becomes a major alternative for fast growing operations and asset healthcare. Prognostic maintenance is part of the proactive asset management strategy based on the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) approach. The IIoT approach involves condition-based monitoring for equipment data collection, and the development of an advanced algorithm to predict early-stage component degradation, therefore avoiding unplanned breakages and maintenance cost.

components’ behaviour based on the various sources. Lastly, results are generated through failure modeling using machine learning techniques based on advanced statistical data analytical. SOLID RESULTS FOR ALL TYPES OF MILLS In the example of the member mill whose capacity is of the order of 150,000 MFB annually, gains arising from the prognostic maintenance are also significant. These gains can be summarized as follows: • Operational performance (OEE): achieved 2.20 per cent improvement with an annual economic benefit of $430,000. • Condition-based monitoring: additional

saving of $160,000 during three months of application. • Prognostic model: an estimated daily average productivity gain of 1 per cent (0.8287 MFB/hrs) or $500,000 benefit. • Stock material management: economic saving of $120,000 in overall spare parts management. Proactive (prognostic) maintenance can be an effective and lucrative approach for many mills in the wood processing or pulp and paper sectors. For more information, please contact Khalil Elhadaoui, Senior Researcher, Primary Wood Manufacturing Group, FPInnovations, at Khalil.Elhadaoui@fpinnovations.ca.

AN EFFECTIVE METHODOLOGY During recent work at a member company, FPInnovations deployed the prognostic maintenance methodology to anticipate irregularities on a sawmill line. The goal was to measure online degradation in critical equipment’s components. To reach operational performance objectives, the method is structured and sequenced time-based through: • The development of a standardized operational performance level in the sawing process to monitor improvement; • The development of an appropriate maintenance plan to ensure that preventive maintenance is performed based on equipment design; • The development and implementation of condition-based monitoring for critical equipment; • The development of the prognostic model to predict the components’ degradation and the residual useful life of the life cycle of the equipment. In the prognostic maintenance domain, understanding trends of anomalies affecting equipment reliability is very important. The methodology therefore provides deep exposure to equipment Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

Adopting high yield afforestation on not requirements under Canada's Two Billion

oth private industry and Indigenous private industry are beginning to deploy technologies developed over the past 20 years by the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre (CWFC) and Canadian Forest Service (CFS) that are focused on establishing fast-growing, high yield plantations on non-forested land. The aim of these plantations is carbon sequestration and producing alternate sources of biomass for the pulp, pro-

cessed wood and bioenergy industries. Endeavors like these are good examples of projects that could be considered for support under the $3.24 billion committed to Canada's Two Billion Tree Program, which will operate for 10 years, from 2021 to 2031. The primary goal of the program is to address climate change through carbon capture by incrementally planting and growing trees to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 12

million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year by 2050. Trees are natural carbon sinks.

For more information about the potential application of fast-growing high yield afforestation technology, contact Derek Sidders at derek.sidders@nrcan-rncan. gc.ca or Tim Keddy at tim.keddy@nrcanrncan.gc.ca.

Indigenous company FIND Biomass becomes key player as plantation service and supply provider

good example of an adopter of CWFC/CFS high yield afforestation practices is the private Indigenous majority-owned company, FIND Biomass, based in Kinuso, Alberta. The company is lead by CEO Melissa Minks (a Swan River Band member) and COO, Albert Klyne (Metis), working in partnership with Swan River Nation Band Members. "I am proud that over 50 per cent of our harvesting, planting, and maintenance crews are Indigenous women. FIND Biomass will continue to support local Indigenous families with employment opportunities," says CEO Minks. "They started by participating in harvesting and demonstration activities of afforestation plantation management practices hosted by the CWFC," says Derek Sidders, Program Manager, Technology Development and Transfer at CWFC. "That evolved into harvesting of plant materials to establish stool beds or nursery beds, which involved recovery of

plant materials from research and development sites established by CWFC and its partners." He adds that the stool beds established by FIND Biomass on a four-hectare site near Kinuso feature growing stock of hybrid poplar clonal varieties proven suitable for planting in central Alberta and Saskatchewan. "Their experience includes harvesting and processing one-year-old vegetative cuttings into whips in winter, which is when they are dormant," Sidders says. The whips were processed into cuttings that are 10 cm. for a greenhouse container or 20 cm. to 25 cm. for direct field planting. Each cutting hosts at least three active vegetative buds. So FIND Biomass has experience harvesting whips, processing them into smaller planting material, packaging them into bundles of 25, and then storing them wrapped in plastic-lined wax craft boxes in their cold storage facility at approxi-

Over 150,000 cuttings or rooted cuttings of various types of fastgrowing hybrid poplar clones were planted on the four-hectare nursery site near Kinuso. FIND Biomass also has experience in vegetative management using mechanical cultivators, as well as hand tools to remove competition from the establishing whips in the stool beds, giving them the opportunity to establish and vigorously grow. Harvest and processing of the whips will supply cuttings for future new plantations, with the harvested stumps and roots producing the next coppice crop for harvest from each growing season, thus maintaining a sustainable supply of vegetative cuttings.

mately -5 degrees Celsius. "Their work over the past three years has established 20 to 25 employees that now have experience in harvesting and processing the cuttings," says Sidders. "Beyond that, their follow-up experience has consisted of planting actual cuttings and root cuttings in their stool field or nursery beds. These are propagation beds to supply vegetative cuttings for use in plantation establishment within Canada's Two Billion Tree Program or other initiatives. A workforce of between 20 and 100 employees is not out of the question in terms of annual employment." The goal is to establish a new industry that develops moderate to skilled employment involving management of plantations, as well as supply of a labour force to manage nurseries, manage plantation sites, and in the long term, possibly recover the plant materials for final uses that go beyond just growing fast-growing trees and cuttings on the sites.

FIND Biomass has a training crew working in conjunction with some of the largest forestry nursery producers in Western Canada. Four employees are being trained to plant and manage greenhouse growing crops at one of their commercial greenhouses, the first crop being their own crop, which will be rooted cuttings available for spring planting in 2023.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

forested land to meet carbon sink Tree Program Here is an example of what the planting stock provided by FIND Biomass could become, featuring an established hybrid poplar afforestation plantation planted in 2005 on a site located near Linaria, Alberta and owned by a large forest company. The site features Walker, Green Giant and Northwest fast-growing hybrid poplar clonal varieties. All are now in year 18 since planting. The Walker clone (right) is averaging 17 cm. DBH, and with the average being 18 m. measured in September 2022. CO2e capture is estimated at 224 tonnes/hectare over 18 years strictly in tree biomass. The site was previously agricultural land used for grain and oilseed production, and was converted to a fast-growing hybrid poplar plantation to sequester carbon and as an alternative feedstock source for pulp, OSB and bioenergy. The site has achieved an 82 per cent survival rate, with 88 per cent survival of the Walker clone. Management of the site at present is minimal with only peripheral disking to discourage rodents. During the first four years of the plantation from 2005 to 2009, there were one to three cultivations completed annually, initially straddling the trees, and then between the tree rows to control surface competition, to mulch it, drop it to the ground and to sequester some of that biomass into the soil for nutrients and moisture holding capacity.

Alberta's Fenton Farms is another early adopter of CWFC/CFS afforestation technology

enton Farms is another early adopter of CWFC/CFS high yield afforestation practices that are well-suited for those interested in participating in Canada's Two Billion Tree Program and who are searching for a growing stock supplier with experience. Located west of Edmonton, Fenton Farms is a private company that has established its own fast-growing hybrid poplar plantations on property it owns. The plantations are being used for both the demonstration of fast-growing hybrid poplar alternatives, being located across from hundreds of hectares of reclaimable land situated adjacent to several fossil fuel power plants in the Wabamun Lake area, as well as a technical development site to train their operators and develop their practices. Fenton Farms has a three-year-old plantation that was established in 2020 in partnership with CWFC. Since then, they have refined their practices and managed their demonstration site to promote

suitable clones for afforestation establishment. The larger trees are already 3.5 m. and taller. They have also established stool bed material over the past two years, which has diversified the company. They anticipate continued establishment of new

plantations under afforestation scenarios using this fast-growing high yield afforestation design, having established a diversity of clonal varieties suitable for all three Prairie provinces. They will be harvested this fall, processed, and then stored in cold storage for deployment in 2023.

Fenton Farms’ 1.5 year-old Assiniboine hybrid poplar afforestation plantation measuring 1.3 m. to 1.8 m. tall in July 2021.

Fenton Farms’ 3 year-old Assiniboine hybrid poplar afforestation plantation measuring 3.65 m. to 4.5 m. in height.

Afforestation of softwood species are also eligible for participation in Canada's Two Billion Tree program, considering that white spruce is the primary softwood species in the boreal plains region, and is quite well adapted to the open plain. Private forest products companies in Alberta have established successful examples of this application to bolster their fibre supply in close proximity to their processing facilities. This plantation, which is comprised of Class 3 agricultural soil, is relatively flat and approximately 7 hectares in size. It is a pure white spruce stand planted 30 years ago with 2,200 to 2,400 stems planted per hectare. Now, their average diameter is 17 cm. at 1.3 DBH. The average height is 10.2 m., with a range of 7.8 m. to 11 m. in height. There is no vegetation in the understorey and the stand is vigorous and healthy. CO2e capture is estimated at 154 tonnes/ hectare over 30 years strictly in tree biomass.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

SUPPLIERNEWSLINE

Tigercat 635H swing boom skidder aimed at steep terrain and cableassist logging

Tigercat says that the capabilities of its six-wheel drive 635H skidder in steep terrain and cable assist applications takes the ability to succeed in these operations to the next level. It features the integration of a Tigercatdesigned and built swing boom system initially introduced on the 635G series skidder. The additional working envelope and ability to position the grapple well outside of the working track of the machine increases productivity in applications where skidder travel is restricted or limited by terrain characteristics. With the ability to lock the seat and operate the machine from any position with full drive controls, the Tigercat Turnaround 220-degree seat is an important advantage for swing boom skidding applications, says the company. It allows the operator to position the seat at any rearward-facing angle, to align the field of view to the working area of the grapple. The slew system at the base of the boom is field-proven, using components that are common to Tigercat track machines. In addition to the increased working envelope, the boom has a more powerful lifting capacity compared with a conventional dual-function arch. For cable assisted applications, the skidder can be factory-equipped for tethering, with optimally positioned frame lugs and through-the-blade cable routing. The lugs attach to the frame structure behind the front axle, closer to the payload. www.tigercat.com

Ontario’s Haliburton Forest adds to its hardwood sawmill family

Haliburton Forest has acquired Thomas J. Neuman Limited, a hardwood sawmill in Palmer Rapids, Ontario. Going forward, 38

the business will operate as Neuman Forest Products (NFP). Located on the shores of the Madawaska River, NFP has been in the lumber business since 1950. It traditionally processes a mix of hardwoods and pine. NFP has annual production capacity of 10 million board feet and procures sawlogs from contractors working throughout central Ontario. Haliburton Forest is a sustainable multiuse private land stewardship company which owns and manages over 100,000 hectares of timberland across Ontario. The company operates a diverse Tourism & Recreation division on its properties, as well as a Forest Products division focused on hardwood lumber and sustainable forest management. No material changes are currently planned with respect to contractors, employees, suppliers, and customers with this transaction, says the company. NFP is the fourth facility to join the group of hardwood sawmills operated by Haliburton Forest, complementing existing facilities in Haliburton, Huntsville, and South River. With the addition of NFP, the group now has annual production capacity of over 50 million board feet. www.haliburtonforest.com

New Komatsu processor suited for demanding forestry environments

Forestry crews need equipment that can deliver exceptional performance in difficult environments and Komatsu says that loggers can control downtime and drive productivity with its new, robust, dependable and fuel-efficient PC230F-11 processor. It is described as a powerful and maneuverable processor able to delimb, cut and stack timber. Large trees can be moved more easily thanks to a powerful swing system and a

By Tony Kryzanowski large swing circle. With exceptional reach of up to 29’, Komatsu says that the excellent maneuverability of the PC230F-11 helps drive productivity. It is designed with a high and wide undercarriage, powerful swing motor, ability to withstand high debris conditions, and has exceptional reach, says Komatsu. www.komatsu.com

Waratah’s HTH618C Series-III head offers increased productivity and simple servicing

Waratah Forestry Equipment has debuted the HTH618C Series III, a new generation of its HTH618C harvester head built for increased productivity, reliability, and uptime. With a variety of new features paired with a compact and durable design, this agile thinning head is well-suited for mixed diameters. The HTH618C Series-III features twin lower delimb arms and a high performance valve to ensure superior delimbing with agile and responsive log control, tackling a wide range of harvesting jobs. The maximum delimb opening of 26” can handle larger stems. Improved cutting performance and tilt control also contribute to increased productivity. Low powered base carriers will have improved processing output and productivity with improved feeding performance and feed motor options. With a new valve that simplifies serviceability, the HTH618C Series-III features improved hose routing, enhanced valve cover assembly and easier access to make quick work of servicing. Likewise, hose protection helps keep the head running and increases durability. Easier access to the rear of the valve near the head module as well as inlet hoses also helps increase uptime while a larger oiler filler improves ease of filling bar and chain oil. Benefitting from direct

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

to page 40

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

suppliernewsline from page 38 customer input, the HTH618C Series-III has improved access and serviceability to help lower daily operating costs. www.Waratah.com

Weiler Forestry President and CEO. “Their business acumen has been tested and proven through the transition from Caterpillar Forestry, a global pandemic, workforce and supply chain issues. They continue to rise to the challenge and show their passion for products our customers can be proud to own and operate.” www.weilerforestry.com

StaCool vest helps New Goodyear tire keep workers cool delivers durability/traction and productive in severe applications Ponsse launches next The StaCool Vest core body cooling Goodyear has a new addition to its system is helping workers stay cool and generation harvester head hard-working Armor Max lineup, the Goodyear Armor Max Extreme Service Drive (ESD) tire. Engineered to tackle tough jobs in extreme environments, Goodyear says that its Armor Max ESD is its best commercial mixed service drive tire for durability and traction in severe applications. Armor Max ESD is now available in 11R22.5 H and 11R24.5 H sizes to meet the demanding needs of the premium mixed-service segment. Specifically designed for heavy duty use such as in logging, its tread compound helps resist cuts, chips and tears and provides durability. Other key features and benefits include an aggressive, deep 32/32 tread design that helps minimize mud and snow build-up for enhanced off-road traction; optimized tread geometry that improves resistance to stone holding; enhanced under-tread that provides added protection against stone drilling while improving casing durability; and an innovative sidewall design that allows chains to be placed above tread blocks while helping to minimize slippage for enhanced performance. www.goodyeartrucktires.com

Weiler Forestry names senior management

Weiler Forestry has appointed three key employees to senior management. Bill Radeline, Ian Enger and Noah Zehr are long-term forestry team members who have been integral to Weiler Forestry’s success. Weiler Forestry, based in LaGrange, Georgia, designs and manufactures purpose-built forestry products including wheel skidders, wheel feller bunchers, track feller bunchers, track harvesters, knuckleboom loaders and a mulcher. “Bill, Ian and Noah have done an incredible job of managing the functional areas of the business,” says Pat Weiler, 40

Ponsse says that the launch of its completely upgraded H8 harvester head will strengthen its position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of harvesting solutions. A powerful feed, firm grip and solid yet agile frame are characteristics of the H8 harvester head. Active Speed is available for the harvester head as a new feature, giving the harvester head superior performance.

With Active Speed, the harvester head’s operating speed can be adjusted based on the tree species and stem diameter. Equipped with this new function, Ponsse says that working with the H8 harvester head is smooth and productive no matter what the tree diameter is. The new harvester head can be mounted on Ponsse Ergo and Bear, the strongest harvesters in the company’s product range. The saw box area is even wider, making the harvester head an excellent choice for trees with a large butt diameter. The harvester head’s structure has been designed for easy maintenance and the frame has been built to be even more durable. A powerful feed, combined with a geometry that firmly supports larger stems on feed rollers, guarantees high productivity and fuel economy. The automatic features of the Opti control system, developed and built by Ponsse, control the feed speed and saw movement according to the tree diameter and ensure fast and precise sawing. www.ponsse.com

productive. Micro-thin, highly breathable materials are easy to care for, providing wearers with cooling comfort without compromising mobility. With models that can be worn over or under normal clothing, there is a StaCool Vest to suit any style, preference, and application, says the company. ThermoPaks in the front and back of the vest provide hours of cooling. A spare set of ThermoPaks are included with each StaCool Vest to extend cooling time and comfort when the initial set thaws. A thermal barrier is built in to ensure the wearer does not get too cold. Maintaining a consistent core body temperature is safer than exposing workers to possible heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke and since wearers are cooler, they are considerably more productive, says the company. Providing workers with cooling vests can also enhance employee satisfaction and retention. www.StaCoolVest.com

DC Equipment produces online guide for motorized grapple carriage use

Motorized grapple carriages have revolutionized the way many steep forests are harvested around the world, and yet, there is still some reluctance to use them in certain settings or at all. So DC Equipment, which pioneered the wide use of motorized grapple carriages more than a decade ago, has produced an online guide to help foresters unlock their potential. “To make the best use of a motorized grapple carriage requires forward planning and that’s what we’ve aimed to cover in

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

classified our new online guide,” says Dale Ewers, owner of DC Equipment, which developed the highly successful Falcon Claw motorized grapple carriage. “Logging isn’t easy and there will always be challenges making a motorized grapple carriage work in certain settings, but there’s always a solution,” he adds. Ewers says the main reason he developed the Falcon range of motorized grapple carriages was for the safety of his employees: to remove people from the dangerous task of hooking strops to trees on steep slopes. It is seen as one of the most successful ways of preventing harm in the forest. www.falconforestryequipment.com

John Deere enhances knuckleboom loader visibility

John Deere has updated its knuckleboom loader lineup, including visibility enhancements. Aiming to increase operator safety and accuracy, the 2022 models of the 437E and 337E knuckleboom loaders feature a newly-designed front window by removing the external mesh guard and replacing it with a clear, polycarbonate window for uninterrupted view. By removing the external window guard and redesigning the front window on the 437E and 337E knuckleboom loader models, this has significantly improved visibility for the operator, making for a safer and more comfortable work environment. The 2022 model-year upgrades also feature a new hood profile in the left-rear corner of the machine, which opens up the view behind the machine. The new design partners with the window updates to make for a safer, easier-to-operate machine. By offering enhanced visibility, these models enable the operator to be more precise, maximizing uptime, says the company. In addition to visibility enhancements, the latest models will offer optional satellite-ready radio, improving the operator experience in the cab. A new optional hydraulic vacuum pump can also be added to 2022 model-year machines, minimizing oil loss and spillage during times of hydraulic maintenance and repair. www.JohnDeere.com

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www.forestnet.com

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022

thelastword

B.C.’s Forest Practices Board keeping tabs on spruce bark beetle harvesting By Jim Stirling

t was more of a reminder than a rebuke. That said, the message from the British Columbia Forest Practices Board (FPB) comes through loud and clear: forest companies and government agencies working on public forest and rangelands in B.C. must adhere to the rules and spirit of provincial regulations rather than their own self interests. The FPB plans on keeping closer tabs in the future on companies harvesting forest stands impacted by the spruce bark beetle. One of the functions of the FPB, according to its website, is to encourage sound forest and range practices that warrant the public’s confidence. Although it is a provincial government agency, the FPB reports on its activities directly to the public. This public watchdog function is further reflected in the board’s work as an auditor of individual forest company performance on publicly owned forest lands across the province. The board also investigates any complaints it receives concerning forest practices on publicly owned lands. Board members were wearing that latter hat when they responded to a complaint they received in March 2021. The complaint was registered by what the board identified as “forest professionals”. The complainants voiced concerns about some of the harvesting activity on forest stands infected by the spruce bark beetle in sections of the Prince George, Mackenzie and Stuart Nechako natural resource districts in central and northern B.C. between 2015 and 2020. The complainants voiced concerns that harvesting activities did not always focus on the most severely infested stands, as required by the regulations. It was suggested that logging the less severely infected elements of a stand was detrimental to future timber supplies. As such, the practice was not an appropriate forest management technique, claimed the complainants.

The region of B.C. cited in the complaint, with the Omineca area at its epicentre, was first identified as the subject for concern after air and ground surveys conducted by the provincial ministry of forests. They revealed areas attacked by the spruce bark beetle had mushroomed from around 7,600 hectares of forest land in 2013 to more than 500,000 hectares in the province by 2020, with most infected areas in north central B.C. The Ministry of Forests co-ordinated the salvage response to the beetle outbreak. The process included establishing standards for salvage harvesting priorities. Stands with a 50 per cent or higher mortality rate were the primary salvage objective. Several regional forest companies have responded to the beetle salvage challenge. The potential for long term harm was underlined by the experiences learned from the protracted mountain pine beetle epidemic in B.C. “The outbreak and associated salvage efforts may affect economic, biodiversity, forest carbon and wildlife habitat values across the Omineca region,” observed the FPB in its report on the complaint. “Our investigation found that Canfor and BCTS are making progress in harvesting infected and dead spruce trees but the complainants’ concerns are still valid,” reported Gerry Grant, one of the appointed FPB members and a forester based in Quesnel, B.C. Canfor Corp was Canada’s second largest softwood lumber producer by volume in 2021 and has several operating mills in north and central B.C. BCTS—British Columbia Timber Sales—is a Crown agency which manages 20 per cent of the province’s allowable annual cut. “The board could not determine if BCTS and Canfor’s activities are consistent with the chief foresters’ and regional

executive director’s expectations for prioritizing spruce beetle harvesting,” said the report. The FPB also examined its own role as representative of the public interest. The board would like to see a monitoring process instigated with an accompanying public report on licencees’ efforts to manage the infestation. “Although government has conducted ad hoc analyses of spruce beetle harvests, it has not systematically monitored and reported on whether BCTS’, licencees and Canfor’s spruce beetle harvesting was consistent with government expectations.” The Ministry of Forests has recently said it’s working on improving spruce beetle harvesting protocols to make them more transparent and effective. The FPB represents the most positive aspect of this story. It followed through on its mandate to represent the public interest by investigating the complaint and publishing its findings. All forest companies working on Crown land and in beetle wood need to be aware they are not operating in a vacuum. Analysis of air and ground surveys from 2021 and 2022 should provide a clearer picture of the spruce beetle infestation in north central B.C. In the meantime, regional small communities are doing what they can. The District of Mackenzie, for example, has developed a spruce beetle mitigation strategy. It includes the positioning of anti-aggregate pheromone packets on susceptible spruce trees along trails in the Mackenzie area. “These packets deter beetles from settling into a given area creating a pheromone buffer around key trees. This study will help preserve the large at-risk trees and mitigate blowdown on trails surrounding Mackenzie,” explained the district.

Logging & Sawmilling Journal - September/October 2022