Australasian Timber Magazine - August 2018

AUGUST 2018

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Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

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NEWS

Quantum change for high-rise in WA

W

est Australia is joining the timber trend sweeping the eastern seaboard with its first timber-framed building -- the $14 million 10-storey Leadlight hotel in inner Perth Northbridge.

Adam Zorzi and Rod Hamersley’s Australian Development Capital has now got the green light to build what will be one of the largest timber structures in Australia.

Plans include restoration of a heritage-listed, five-shop brick and iron building that was built in 1903 and has sat unused for 25 years.

Plans for the mixed-used development chopped and changed substantially throughout the Metropolitan re-Development Authority’s development application process, with the location of the site above the Northbridge tunnel posing a key challenge.

The building’s proponents, including Perth-based Klopper and Davis architects and Hera Engineering, landed on the use of lightweight mass timber to allow the tower to be built above the usual three-storey height restriction.

Timber framing is significantly lighter than concrete and steel framing is not the only reason the material was selected, Klopper and Davis’ director Sam Klopper said.

He said that building sustainably was a primary focus for the Perthbased architects, who were looking for opportunities to appeal to the “noisy” green building market.

As well as using locally-sourced timber – a hybrid of cross-laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber – other sustainability features of the Leadlight plans include

targeting a 5 star Green Star rating, and leveraging natural ventilation and lighting, where possible.

The fact that the plans involve reviving an unused heritage building also has a “sustainable element” that appeals to the broader community.

Mr Klopper also said the hotel operators hoped to attract a “young, edgy crowd” as their core client base, who are likely to have an interest in sustainable design.

He said that although much of the timber frame is concealed by cement sheeted cladding for fire-proofing reasons, some sections will be exposed to ensure the building’s green credentials don’t go unnoticed.

Using timber is not yet an inexpensive way to build, said Mr Klopper, but the design choice is

intended to generate savings in the long run.

The cost of building engineered timber structures is likely to drop as the market matures in WA, which may take time due to the local construction industry’s close affinity with brick, he said.

Klopper and Davis has already been involved in the plans for a timberframed social housing demonstration project in Perth in collaboration with Peet Limited and the Department of Communities. Included in the demo project are 16 apartments over fourstoreys.

The project is intended to demonstrate that timber can be used as an alternative to masonry construction, particularly for medium-sized buildings.

Mr Zorzi said ADC hoped to start building by year end and open in 2020.

ASH upgrade scheduled for 2019 A $2.4 million project is scheduled to get under way at Australian Sustainable Hardwoods early in 2019.

The project will see the installation of a new high strain twin band resaw in its green mill, utilising innovative German sawing technology to maximise the recovery of timber and minimise the production of sawdust and wood chip waste.

The project will enable ASH to employ 140 full time equivalent employees and increase recoveries and specification of timber feedstock from log input by 6%.

This will enable a greater volume of timber feedstock to be available for the ASH staircase, window, door and furniture components manufacturing plants and a

australasian

Incorporating Australian and New Zealand Timberman – Established 1977.

August 2018 Vol.26, No. 5 Established 1977

4

Publisher and Chief Executive: Hartley Higgins General Manager: John Turner Editorial: John Hudswell j.hudswell@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9512 Out of office: (08) 7127 6370

specification of timber feedstock enabling higher manufacturing recoveries which results in an increase in employment.

The project has received a Federal Government Regional Jobs and investment Package grant of $1.2 million.

In fact, ASH has completed a pretty good 2017-18 year having supplied the market with 969m3 of Iron Ash, 356,000 lineal metres of flooring products, and 157,723 lineal metres of mouldings and architraves. Add to that enough Victorian Ash for 36,000 staircases, material for 30,000 bench tops and the manufacture of 14,000m3 of Glulam.

Advertising: Kent Humphrys k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9516 Timber Classifieds: k.humphrys@ryanmediapl.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9516 Design and Artwork: Peter Frezzini with the NEM Creative team

Subscriptions: subs@forestsandtimber.com.au Adelaide: (08) 8369 9522 Accounts: Adelaide: (08) 8369 9555 Postal Address: 630 Regency Road, Broadview, South Australia 5083 Phone: (08) 8369 9555 Fax: (08) 8369 9501

FRONT PAGE: It’s all about dry mills at this year’s WoodTECH (see more on page 14)

Conditions: The opinions expressed in Australasian Timber Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of or endorsed by the editor or publisher unless otherwise stated.

All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. All material in Australasian Timber Magazine copyright © Ryan Media. All rights reserved. No part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic, or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, the published will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions, or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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NEWS

Responsible Wood wins gold in international brand contest

A

GOLD medal award in an international branding competition has added to the Australia-wide success of the Responsible Wood campaign.

The Responsible Wood logo won best brand and best design agency in the Oceania region in the 5th International Best Brands contest, which honours excellence in design around the world.

Since Australian Forestry Standard changed its name to Responsible Wood in November last year – reflecting a clear consumer-focused strategy – the organisation reports a widespread ‘pick-up’ of the new brand by all sections of the forest and forest

products industry, including architects, designers, specifiers and builders along the valueadded chain.

“The campaign is moving forward, raising the profile of the organisation and delivering greater benefits for those who participate in the Responsible Wood system,” CEO Simon Dorries said.

“The campaign’s advancement will see the appointment of a dedicated marketing and communications officer with responsibilities to include face-to-face contact with industry stakeholders around Australia,” he said.

“Responsible Wood activities are mounting as acceptance of our sustainability and certifica-

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tion credentials widen and a round of major standards revisions gets under way.”

Mr Dorries said the revised standards would introduce new opportunities for innovation and technology in the sector where there was a genuine acceptance of the advantages of certified wood products.

During the PEFC halfyearly meeting in Geneva, a presentation of the new Responsible Wood branding and marketing campaign by Simon Dorries won high acclaim from international delegates.

Responsible Wood brand designer Gary Schmidt, a director, Loa Branding, said: “We’re extremely proud of the process we shared, and

outcome we arrived at – a symbol showing timber being protected, transformed and renewed, in a timeless form that suggests authority and strength.

“Everyone in the studio knew this project would hold significant cultural weight, and that it would have a lot of concerned eyes on it.

It wasn’t something we were willing to do by half, so discovering the board shared that vision and intent was a huge relief.

“We couldn’t be prouder that the Responsible Wood brand has received this international recognition.

“It really is a wonderful reflection of the organisation’s commitment to the industry.”

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Adding to the support of the Responsible Wood brand, Brisbane-based Finlayson Timber and Hardware says certification to Australian standards for forest management “from the year go” has been the linchpin to the success of the family’s business in both domestic and export markets.

“The seismic shift to ‘green building’ and the concerns we have noted, and rightly so, among consumers, architects, designers and builders about timber legality and sustainability makes support of timber certification a ‘no-brainer’ for us,” company director Michael Finlayson said.

Finlayson’s was one of the first timber sawmiller-merchants to em-

brace the Australian Forestry Standard scheme from its beginning.

“Now we continue this commitment through the re-named Responsible Wood program for forest management and chainof-custody, which has had a positive impact on our trading success,” Mr Finlayson said.

Hyne Timber’s manager, strategic relations, Katie Fowden said the Responsible Wood logo and its message were aligned to the company’s wood sales and marketing policy.

“It sends a clear message to our customers – and their customers – through our national distribution network that the wood supplied is from a reliable and legal source,” she said.

5

FINANCE

Equipment financing - Bank or Broker?

If you can obtain the same interest rates (or better) on Equipment Financing through a broker then the answer is simple, use a broker!!!

Time spent Your broker should handle the entire Equipment Financing process from start to finish with minimal input from you which represents a significant timesaving compared to dealing with the banks.

Convenience

By Mark O’Donoghue Founder and CEO of Finlease

S

ome may say this is a time versus money equation but in reality it is not!

Your Equipment Finance Broker should always be available on mobile after hours (including weekends) and come to you when and where you need them.

Relationship Your Equipment Finance Broker typically owns their own business

as you do and they will be there year after year for decades to come. They will know your business and be able to easily represent your Equipment Loan requirements to the market. No having to reeducate a revolving door of brand new account or bank managers every two years or so.

Spreading your debt Your Equipment Finance Broker should be placing your business across a broad base of finance underwriters which will provide a strong foundation of supporting financiers going forward who will compete for your Equipment Loans as you grow.

It is an interesting view that banks have in that they are concerned if you have a concentration risk with a particular client or industry, how-

ever conveniently ignore this as they push to have all of your finance with them.

Arranging your Equipment Loans away from your existing bank negates this issue.

Keeping the powder dry

Getting the right approval

Understanding that banks have documents which tie all securities to all debt, company own-

Any Equipment Finance Broker worth their salt will understand what

Your Equipment Finance Broker should be placing your business across a broad base of finance underwriters ers often unwittingly bootstrap their Equipment Finance to their property debts.

This can often lead to reduced borrowing capacity in the eyes of the bank when clients are looking to obtain more working capital against what they see is clear equity in their properties.

a good Equipment Financing approval looks like and ensure they negotiate those terms with the broad base of the competing finance underwriters available to them and these approvals are so often superior to what is available through the clients own bank.

What is the market saying?

The statistics state over 50% of business owners use brokers for the majority of their equipment financing needs and this percentage is increasing every year.

Just as company owners use an insurance broker to ensure they have the right insurance cover for the business, an increasing majority now take the same view for the equipment financing needs.

In a world where service providers are judged on what their community (clients) say about them as opposed to what they say about themselves, it is little wonder the banks continue to lose ground in this area.

NEED TO CLEAR THE WOOD FROM THE TREES? Finding a long term finance option that is easy, flexible and allows you to focus on what you do best shouldn’t be as hard as banks make it!

Finlease specialises in equipment finance and with a team focused on speed, personal service and small business expertise, they really are Better than a Bank in so many ways.

1800 358 658 finlease@finlease.com.au finlease.com.au Australian Credit Licence: 390584 Finlease (Australia) Pty Ltd

6

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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NEWS

AKD Caboolture Mill to undergo $50m expansion

A

$50 million expansion of AKD Softwood’s Caboolture Mill has been give a boost with a $10 million grant from the Federal Government.

“Now, you know one of our big economic priorities is to process more timber in Australia. We export far too much timber and we don’t process enough of it here,” said Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull during the grant announcement at the Caboolture mill.

“We export far too many logs, is what I mean. Now right here, we have here in this plant, which AKD Softwoods has acquired, we have the opportunity, they have the opportunity, to double the production of this plant – 450,000 cubic metres a year and to add another 100 jobs.

“We are providing $10 million of support through our Regional Development Funds.

Because this is a great example of where you can combine industry – a sustainable industry – in a regional area, creating more jobs.

“You know, we’ve got huge growth in this

8

region. Huge demand for all of these softwood beams which are going to go into trusses and houses and they should be produced here. There are pine forests, a plantation, just to the north of Caboolture. Right now, most of those logs go on trucks down to Brisbane and overseas, creating congestion on the roads,” the Prime Minister said.

AKD Softwoods’ Caboolture operations processes approximately 215,000 cubic metres of sawlog into a range of timber products for the Queensland and Northern NSW markets, which will double to around 450,000 cubic metres by 2022.

Shane Vicary, national CEO of AKD, extended thanks to the Turnbull Government for “unlocking this potential” …

You know we’ve got 100 fantastic employees, and they’ve really given us the confidence to make this investment.

“It is another 100 jobs and those 100 jobs will be processing Australian logs for an Australian company to build houses here in Australia.

Not just in Australia, but right here in Queens-

land,” Mr Vicary said.

“Our mantra is to be internationally competitive, it’s that innovation and technology that we’re deploying with our investment which will see this facility be one of the premier facilities in Australia.”

Mr Vicary said he expected the expansion to take about two and half years to complete.

The Australian Forest Products Association (AFPA) also welcomed

contribute about $24 billion to the economy each year and employ around 120,000 people across the full value chain.

With record global demand for quality timber products like those made at AKD Softwoods’ Caboolture operations, we must ensure that the policy settings are right to capitalise on this opportunity,” Mr Hampton said.

Mr Hampton said with record global de-

780,000 cubic metres a year of sawn softwood a year – the equivalent of 65,000 new house frames, which in turn increases construction costs and fails to capitalise on the record global demand for timber.

“That is why AFPA is calling for national policy leadership to drive investment in new forest plantations of the right trees, in the right places and at the right scale.

“AFPA will con-

Hampton said.

AKD Softwoods has a proud 60 year history in the Colac-Otway region, having retained its headquarters at the site on which it was founded in 1955 by an association of local family companies. The four equal shareholder companies that own AKD Softwoods have been involved since day one.

Mr Vicary described the March purchase of the Caboolture and Yar-

tinue to push the case with both the Coalition Government and Federal Labor Opposition to make sure that our policy needs, like getting 400,000 hectares of new plantations in the ground, are committed to by both sides of politics as we head towards the Federal election,” Mr

ram mills as “a perfect fit for the AKD group”.

“The Caboolture and Yarram acquisitions provide us with a greater range of products to offer our existing customers, and also provides AKD Softwoods with access to new markets and new customers,” he said at that time.

“We are providing $10 million of support through our Regional Development Funds. Because this is a great example of where you can combine industry – a sustainable industry – in a regional area, creating more jobs” - Prime Minister the $10 million pledge.

AFPA Chief Executive Officer Ross Hampton said the commitment was a significant endorsement of Australia’s forest industries’ potential to create new jobs and investment in regional Australia.

“Australia’s renewable forest Industries

mand for timber, sawmill expansions such as this could be replicated around the country if Australia can urgently address the growing shortage of plantations, which is preventing sawmills from expanding to global-scale operations.

“Australia is currently importing more than

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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NEWS

Hyne Timber announces first BIM content for Australian GLT

H

yne Timber is the first Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) manufacturer in Australia to provide Building Information Modelling (BIM) content for GLT in accordance with recently developed AS/NZS BIM standards.

Revit software users can now access the Hyne Timber ‘GLT Families’ for designs incorporating Australian graded, independently certified GLT products for their timber projects while ensuring product specifications are accurate and reliable.

Responsible Wood chain of custody certification is also included to provide surety that our timber products are responsibly and sustainably sourced from within Australia from certified, sustainably managed plantation forests.

Rob Mansell, Hyne Timber’s GLT Business Development Manager said this is a significant milestone for the design and construction industry as engineered timber is increasingly specified for its structural, visual and environmental benefits.

“Technology is transforming the way buildings are designed and BIM provides insight and tools to more efficiently plan, design, construct and manage buildings.

“As momentum grows

towards the mandatory adoption of BIM, ensuring our product range provides BIM content is timely.” Mr Mansell said.

Providing BIM content for GLT is an innovation deliverable as part of Hyne Timber’s Market Led Proposal to design and build a new Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Complex (QFES Complex) in Maryborough, from locally grown and engineered timber.

While the proposal continues to progress through ‘Stage 2’, the company’s BIM content is available to download now and is already being used by the QFES Complex design team.

The proposal’s Principal Architect, Kim Baber, said Hyne Timber’s announcement will not only benefit the QFES Complex design team but is an example of the benefits realised from early contractor involvement.

“For commercial projects, it isn’t simply a case of placing an order of GLT products.

“We need timber experts on the design team from the start.

“Working closely from the concept stage means we now have BIM content for the GLT components, something that didn’t previously exist.

“All product details,

Ŷ Hyne Timber’s John Hesse and Robert Mansell with and Toby Hodsdon from Bligh Tanner discuss the future of BIM and tall timber at the UQ Centre for Future Timber Structures.

from dimensions, mass and volume, down to the colour and texture of GLT can be brought into the 3D model in a single integrated BIM element.

This means we can exchange quantitative information with our consultant team, particularly the structural engineer, as well as clients, all from the same model.”

“Commercial projects require service and innovative solutions and that is exactly what Hyne Timber have provided, enabling improved ac-

curacy when sharing technical building information and saving considerable time.” Mr Baber concluded.

Proponent partners and leading construction company, Hutchinson Builders have also welcomed Hyne Timber’s announcement with Design Manager, Luke Churchin, stating that GLT BIM content provides value beyond efficiencies during the design and construction stages, “As a building com-

pany, it is important for us to provide the client with as much detail as possible in relation to the life-cycle of the building.

“The benefits of BIM include the capacity to store data and detail relating to the project such as certification, chain of custody, inventory, warranties, energy consumption, equipment information and periodic maintenance procedures.”

“This can simply be passed on to the end user for their facility man-

agement and ongoing building operation.” Mr Churchin said.

Hyne Timber’s GLT BIM library consists of Beam 17, Beam 18, Beam 21 and LGL, available in beam and column families.

GLT BIM content also provides reassurance to the end user that the timber materials are compliant, certified, and sustainably sourced from within Australia. Australian GLT BIM Content – available to download hyne.com.au/bim.

Station-ary excellence!

Four building projects won recognition at the ACSE Annual Excellence in Structural Engineering NSW awards.

One project in particular was highly regarded by the judges. In the ‘Unusual Projects’ category, the decision was unanimous to award ‘Interloop’, a sculptural installation by artist Chris Fox that hangs from Wynyard Station ceiling.

The project was commissioned by TfNSW as part of the recent Wynyard Station upgrade and reuses the fabric of the original 244 heritage timber escalator treads which served Sydney’s commuters for over eight decades.

Structure Consulting Engineers and Bollinger Grohmann took on the challenge of working out how to suspend more than 50 metres of twisting concertina box sections

10

weighing over five tonnes from the rivetted steel beams of the building.

“Interloop is a beautiful example of how engineers can make wonderful public art come to life – it is great to see engineers applying their skills beyond the traditional, and showing how they can work creatively with artists,” says Andrew Nimmo, president of the NSW Chapter of the Australian Institute of Architects.

In other categories, Taylor Thomson Whitting won in the Medium Projects ($6 million - $50 million) category with The Incubator at Macquarie University, and in the Large Products (above $50 million) category with Parliament Square in Hobart. Author: David Rowlinson, Make it Wood Program Manager

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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NOW AVAILABLE

BIM content for Australian Glue Laminated Timber

A first for Australian Glue Laminated Timber As engineered timber is increasingly specified for its structural, visual and environmental benefits, Hyne Timber is proud to be the first glue laminated timber (GLT) manufacturer in Australia to provide Building Information Modeling (BIM) content for Australian-made GLT in Autodesk Revit®.

Revit® software users can now access the Hyne Timber ‘GLT Families’ for designs incorporating Australian-made, independently certified GLT products for their timber projects while ensuring product specifications are accurate and reliable.

Download from hyne.com.au/BIM

hyne.com.au

NEWS

Ŷ Outgoing Multinail CEO Peter Taylor and the incoming CEO Jim Holland with Trent Taylor.

Jim Holland appointed Multinail’s new CEO

J

im Holland has been appointed CEO of major Australian family-run business Multinail. He will replace Peter Taylor, founder and CEO of Multinail, who will move away from the day-to-day operations of Multinail from September. He will retain overall direction of Multinail in his role as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board.

Jim is a senior execu-

tive leader with over 30 years’ experience in the construction industry.

His appointment follows a world-wide search and he will guide Multinail through Peter’s move to Chairman of the Board. Jim has been entrusted with maintaining the vitality, focus of innovation and energy that make Multinail unique in the market.

“While I’m stepping away from day-to-day

operations at Multinail, I’ll retain my position as Non-Executive Chairman of the Board. I’m proud of the company Multinail has become.

Our staff are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about their work. We look forward to working with Jim to further strengthen and grow Multinail,” said Peter.

Multinail is in a strong position, having doubled revenue over

the past five years. Part of Jim’s role will be to mentor and guide management, to grow the company and to fully leverage opportunities in the market.

“This is an exciting time for Multinail. We offer something unique in the market – a strong orientation to customers, a commitment to innovation and a youthful energy that pervades everything we do. This is a generational change

that will position the Taylor family and Multinail strongly for the future,” said Trent Taylor, COO, Multinail From Seattle in the US, Jim has spent more than 30 years in various roles in a BHP/ BlueScope Steel company.

He has spent significant periods of time working in Australia, and with a strong background in construction, will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to his

role at Multinail.

“I am very impressed

by Multinail. It’s a very successful, family run business with a staff that are knowledgeable and committed to their work. I believe strongly in doing the right thing by staff and customers.

I am very attracted to this company because I believe my values align strongly with those of the Taylor family and staff of Multinail,” said Jim.

CLT residential development completed ahead of schedule and under budget It was classified as a big job; a somewhat unique job; a virtual game-changer ... and it definitely lived up to its hype!

The highly anticipated Watermark Shellharbour residential development in Addison Street, Shellharbour Village –six one and two-bedroom apartments in a boutique building - was constructed out of revolutionary CLT, setting new standards in the area for design quality and style.

Holz DC worked with leading Australian construction company Hyperbuild to deliver this on-time and under-budget project, with the installation of the 200 CLT panels by crane completed in just 15 days.

The development boasts a unique architectural

12

appearance thanks to its use of this new timber construction system, in which large timber panels are craned into place forming the overall structure of the building.

Holz DC’s Director Construction, Theo Pasialis says Holz DC’s experts have a proven track record in delivering successful CLT solutions to residential projects.

“We have been known to deliver a 15% cost saving compared to traditional builds, with a further 20% saving on construction time. Holz DC’s unique model sources and coordinates CLT experts from a national pool of best-in-class professionals and we are currently working on over 200 CLT dwellings in New

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

South Wales and Victoria.

“Holz DC is continually open to talking with builders and developers who are focused on delivering more efficient projects. Our aim is not to replace a builder’s or developer’s team of experts for a project, but rather to add value to them throughout the entire design and construction process by providing access to our pool of experts who are focused entirely on CLT. “That way, builders and developers can maximise their investment and use a revolutionary building material at the same time.”

Watermark Shellharbour went under the auctioneer’s hammer early this month (August)

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WOODTECH

Dry-mill innovations focus for WoodTECH 2018

T

he programs are out. The Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) has been busy working alongside many dry-mill and wood manufacturing operations locally, local and global tech providers and researchers since the start of the year.

“Together, we’ve been designing the eagerly awaited WoodTECH 2018 series. It’s set to run first in Melbourne on 11-12 September and then again in Rotorua for wood producers on 18-19 September,” said FIEA Director, Brent Apthorp.

“Last year, we had a record turnout to the WoodTECH series,” he said.

“More than 400 sawmill managers, production and operational staff along with key tech providers attended. Exhibition booths actually sold out well in advance of the series being run.

In fact, it was the largest gathering yet seen in Australasia of sawmilling companies, sawdoctors and sawing technology providers from around the globe.”

Based on the feedback from last years’ event and discussions with producers on both sides of the Tasman, WoodTECH 2018 will be focussing on innovations and new technologies around drymill and wood manufacturing operations.

“The previous two WoodTECH events, 2017 and 2015 have both concentrated on sawmill scanning, sawing and green-mill optimisation technologies. It’s actually eight years ago since we’ve run a tech event in this area so it’s long overdue,” says Brent.

The September series will be covering; Robotics and automation

and changes being seen in wood manufacturing, advances in wood scanning and board optimisation, finger-jointing, cross cutting and ripping, timber gluing and laminating, timber machining, kiln drying, timber finishing, material handling operations, mill maintenance, changes to timber standards, H&S and training and skills development.

“As well as more practical sessions aimed at mill production and operational staff such as breathing new life into your planer, we have this year been able to build in technologies right at forefront of scanning, optimisation and wood handling technologies” says Brent.

“We’ve included advanced technologies like robotics, industrial exoskeletons which are being used increasingly to reduce worker fatigue in the manufacturing environment, wearable technologies to harness the power of mobile connected employees on-site and laser cutting of wood in the series.”

Already, aside from leading Australian and New Zealand presenters, we’ve got major tech providers from Sweden, Germany, Italy, Slovakia, the USA and Canada who have lined up to present at WoodTECH 2018.

As they did in 2017, exhibitors are going to provide such an important update for local producers as part of this year’s technology series.

Program information is on line.

Registration details are also now live. Special discounted registration rates have been set up and limited spaces for exhibiting are still available. You can check all of the details out on the event website www.woodtech.events

The program for the Australian leg of the series is: DAY ONE

DAY TWO

Tuesday 11 September

Wednesday, 12 September

9.00am Welcome & Introduction. FIEA SESSION 1: Disruptive Technologies. Just how these are reshaping wood manufacturing operations 9.10am An Industry 4.0 Overview. Setting the Scene for Australia’s Manufacturing Future. Innes Willox, Chief Executive, Ai Group 9.40am New Smart Sensors and the Internet of Things: How they’re transforming the manufacturing sector. Jason Mair, National Product & Marketing Manager (Australia & NZ), SICK 10.10am Morning Tea & Networking 10.40am Industrial Exoskeletons. Are these the future for reducing worker fatigue and assisting physical operations within the mill? Dr. Homayoon Kazerooni, CoFounder and Chief Executive, SuitX, USA (via video link) 11.10am The Rise of Robots. Opportunities within the wood manufacturing industry. Troy Krogh, Regional Director, Scott Automation & Robotics 11.40am Entering a New Age with Wearable Technologies. Harnessing the real power of mobile connected employees. Randall Cameron, Managing Director, Mobile Mentor 12.10pm TechTALKS 12.30pm Lunch & Networking SESSION 2: Scanning & Optimisation Technologies to Improve Recoveries in the Dry-mill 1.30pm Effective Scanning Technologies for Extracting the Maximum Value from Boards in PlanerMills. Case study. Peter Wiklund, WW Business Development Manager – Wood, LMI Technologies, Sweden; Mikael Jacobsson, Business Development Manager, RemaSawco AB, Sweden 1.50pm Mission Impossible Optimisation ... (made possible). New opportunities in rip and cross-cut optimisation including unlimited rip optimization with non-linear cutting systems. Using final component design in cross-cut optimizing. Leif Erlandsson, CEO & Stefan Nilsson, CSO, WoodEye AB, Sweden 2.10pm Scanning Solutions Utilising X-ray Technology for Finger-joint and Cross Laminated Timber Products . Andrea Campion, Area Sales Manager AU & NZ, MiCROTEC, Italy 2.30pm A New Technology for Detecting End Splits in Boards. Linking conventional scanning with ultrasonic systems for solid and engineered wood products. Jan Strycek, President, Airstar Inc, USA 2.50pm Panel Discussion: Where to from here?

What can local wood producers expect from the tech developers? LMI Technologies, RemaSawco, WoodEye, MiCROTEC, Airstar 3.15pm Afternoon Tea & Networking 3.45pm Dry-mill 4.0. Maximising the use of real time data being collected in the dry mill. Anne Marie Levesque, Business Development Manager, PMP Solutions, Canada 4.05pm Laser Cutting. A tech insight into replacing saws in wood manufacturing operations. Lukas Halm, CEO, Invictum, Slovakia (via video call) 4.25pm TechTALKS 5.00pm Refreshments & Networking

SESSION 3: High Speed Planing & Timber Machining 8.30am Workshop: Breathing New Life into Your Old Planer. USNR – tbc SESSION 4: Defecting, Finger-Jointing, Gluing, Laminating & Material Handling 9.30am Complete Factory Solutions for Finger jointed Products. Examples & case studies of smart manufacturing lines.Dirk Bartens, Product & Sales Manager, Northern Europe and Asia Pacific, Weinig Grecon, Germany 9.50am Advances in High Speed Horizontal Fingerjointing and Associated Material Handling Systems.

Richard Tremblay, President, Conception RP, Canada 10.10am Morning Tea & Networking 10.40am Adhesive (PUR’s, PRF’s, RF’s, MUF’s, API’s and PVAc’s) & Application. Innovations for Solid Wood and Wood Panel Products. Shane Devereaux, Managing Director, Jowat Universal Adhesives Australia 11.00am Universal Construction Lines for Solid Wood Beam, GLT and CLT Manufacturing. The use of compact finger jointing lines. Dirk Bartens, Product & Sales Manager, Northern Europe and Asia Pacific, Weinig Grecon, Germany 11.10am Panel Discussion: What’s next for mills looking to maximise recovery through jointing gluing & laminating. Weinig Grecon, Conception RP, Jowat Universal Adhesives 11.40am Using Motion Control to Optimise your Material Handling Systems in the Dry-mill. Riley Smith., Sales Manager, TS Manufacturing, Canada 12.00pm Lunch & Networking SESSION 5: Kiln Drying Technologies & Drying Practices 1.00pm Schedule Optimisation for Kiln Drying (batch and CDK) Operations Steve Riley, Wood Processing Scientist, Scion, New Zealand 1.30pm Continuous kilns: Installing New or Converting Existing Kilns. Key considerations and lessons from three recent kiln projects Trevor Innes, GM Technical & Environment, Timberlink Australia/New Zealand 2.00pm Regulatory Changes for Wood Products Manufacturers. Timber & wood - based products standards - changes and planned timelines. Dave Gover, Chief Executive Officer, EWPAA 2.30pm Panel Discussion: Addressing the Real Elephant in the Room – Skills & Training. Do we have an issue at the moment? Are the skills required now different to what we were seeking a few years ago?

How do we attract the right people with the right skill sets into wood manufacturing? Dave Gover, Chief Executive Officer, EWPAA (moderator)

“We’ve included advanced technologies like robotics, industrial exoskeletons which are being used increasingly to reduce worker fatigue in the manufacturing environment, wearable technologies to harness the power of mobile connected employees on-site and laser cutting of wood in the series.”

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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Wood Protection

Engineered Wood Product Additives Protection solutions for engineered wood products against insects and decay.

Engineered wood products are an essential component of the modern construction industry. LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) and other innovations such as CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) are opening up new possibilities for large scale wood based construction. Lonza offer a comprehensive range of glue line additive insecticides, preservatives and veneer pre-treatments for protection of engineered wood products.

To learn more about the products and services available in the Asia Pacific region contact us, or visit our website, Australia: +61 3 9339 8915 tanalised.au@lonza.com New Zealand: +64 9 276 3646 tanalised.nz@lonza.com Website: www.lonzawoodprotection.com/apac Azotek, Permatek and Glusect are registered trademarks of Lonza or its subsidiaries. Š Lonza 2018

FLOORING

Demystifying timber floors

T

he process of choosing, laying and coating a timber floor without error can be confusing, and if not completed correctly it can not only ruin the look of the floor it can be extremely costly, time consuming and a headache to rectify.

The beauty and one of the many benefits of timber flooring is largely attributed to it being a product that draws the natural environment into our internal living space.

With timber flooring applications “getting it right” the first time is

essential to avoid problems later. For instance, the weather can alter the property of your timber floor, therefore there needs to be an allowance for possible expansion and this highlights one of the reasons there is a need for correct installation.

Also, deciding on which timber or timberrelated product is important as it changes the aesthetic of the room. There are several options, like solid strip flooring, prefinished solid strip, engineered, parquetry or one can use a timber related

product like laminate, cork tiles or bamboo flooring. Each will give a different look and need to be administered differently. The Australasian Timber Flooring Association (ATFA) can help with guidance and an accredited company in your area.

Irrespective of the flooring product being installed there are three essential elements to a successful installation: Know your product Know your installation environment Only then can you know the limitations of

the product and therefore the product can be laid appropriately and with confidence.

Another consideration is sanding and coating.

Some products are designed to be sanded and coated after installation and some products are pre-finished. Laminate, for example, can never be sanded. Ensuring you know the product you are dealing with comprehensively will alleviate any angst about how to finish it.

Overall, the main keys to success are knowing your product and check-

ing it prior to laying, being confident through assessment that your subfloor is right to accept the floor, and then laying the floor to suit the requirements of the product for the installation environment it is being laid in.

Provision for floor movement after installation is a must and not an owner option. Recognised systems and installation methods are those that work and assist to ensure success with each and every floor installation.

ATFA has compiled a

comprehensive brochure – “Timber Flooring Applications – Getting it right the first time”, with the support of Forest and Wood Products Australia, which touches on many facets of demystifying timber floors and much more. Please head to the ATFA official page https://www.floorchoices.com.au/timber-flooring-applications/ to read and download at your convenience.

For more information, to become a member or if you require any advice please call the ATFA on 1300 361693

atfa.com.au for the latest timber flooring standards & specifications. trusted | authoritative | industry leading

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AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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SAWMILLING AND SCANNING

Don’t leave profits in the forest

A

dding smaller logs to your mill’s log diet can offer added flexibility, increased production and an opportunity to bring home some extra profits.

In business, you never want to leave money on the table when negotiating a deal, so why would any sawmill operator leave money on the forest floor? It seems like a straight forward question with an easy answer, but in reality it can be a little more complicated and there are often significant profits left behind in the forest in the form of rejected logs.

The main reason sawmill operators leave logs behind is size. Many mills, especially in Australia and New Zealand, are designed to operate ef-

ficiently with logs in excess of 350mm in diameter. They are just not equipped to deal with smaller logs that are often considered to be too much work for the return.

But with a little ingenuity, planning and some minor changes to mill flow, processing these small logs through a small log line can prove quite profitable.

The logs in question range in diameter from approximately 75mm to 250mm. In many cases, especially with the logs on the smaller end of this range, it doesn’t make sense to process them in a large line that has been specifically engineered for larger logs.

That’s where the beauty of a small log line such as HewSaw’s R200 and R250 single

pass machines comes into play.

These primary breakdown lines from Finland, offer a small footprint, requiring

line; and they feature in-line edging, eliminating the need for downstream edging.

The HewSaw small log lines are not de-

“With a little ingenuity, planning and some minor changes to mill flow, processing small logs through a small log line can prove quite profitable” very little real estate in the mill; with some mill flow changes, they can be incorporated into existing log and board handling systems; they require very little manpower with typically just one operator looking after the

signed to replace the large log lines already in the mill. They are designed to supplement these larger lines and provide a cost-effective way to process smaller logs, adding flexibility to the mill in terms of log supply and

products produced.

HewSaw is no stranger to small log processing. They started out in Finland almost 60 years ago when they developed a small log processing machine could be moved from site to site. Today, the family-owned company which employs over 200 people worldwide has HewSaws in well over 30 countries on six continents, including five machines in Australia and one in New Zealand.

HewSaw’s smaller single pass machines are available in two sizes. The R200 A.1 and 1.1 machines can process logs from 75 to 350mm while the larger R250 A.1 and 1.1 machines can stretch the large end up to a 500mm. Log lengths can range from 2.4 to 6.2 metres. With

HewSaw’s single pass machines the log is scanned with either 3-D or True Shape scanning.

HewSaw also offers multi-unit sawlines that can offer sideboards from all four sides of the cant for added flexibility, increased recovery, and additional production options.

HewSaw offers a turn key solution to your primary breakdown requirements with scanning, optimization, automation, hydraulics, electrical and installation and commissioning all included in the price.

For more information on HewSaw and their small to medium sized log processing solutions go to the company’s website at: www.hewsaw.com

Are you leaving big profits in the forest?

With most sawmills configured for logs over 350mm in diameter, logs from 75 tto 250mm are often overlooked when sourcing timber for sawmills. lls. But in many cases, ses, these smaller logs can provide a secure and viable supply of fibre and a va valuable source ewSaw. of profits when processed through a small log line from HewSaw. power - Designed for high speed processing with minimum manpower - Supplements your larger log lines - Small footprint requiring minimal space - Cost effective to own and operate - Easily integrated with existing board handling equipment - In-line edging tools, eliminating downstream edgers 0mm - Several size options for log diameters ranging from 75mm to 500mm Adding today’s HewSaw technology at your mill to process smaller logs can provide increased production volumes, added flexibility, and higher profits.

Find out more by contacting your HewSaw representative..

HewSaw Pty Ltd. South Geelong,, Victoria, Australia 9 345 037 | email: peter.haintz@hewsaw.com Phone: +61 419 .com www.hewsaw.com www.timberbiz.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

17

SAWMILLING AND SCANNING

Niagara installs extensive cross-cut and finger-jointing line in Invercargill

W

hen Ross Richardson, Managing Director of Niagara Sawmilling, decided to upgrade his factory’s equipment due to growing market demand, his thoughts turned to System TM and Microtec to explore how Niagara could maximize its production.

An extensive line with so much to offer Initially, package-feeding occurs using a tilt hoist that places two packs on top of each other. Then, workpieces are fed at up to 60 workpieces/minute into a 250-metre Ledinek planer with 4 spindles.

Next, workpieces are examined by a Microtec Curvescan deformity scanner that measures bow, twist, and crook. A Microtec Optiside scanner further identifies the wood pith of workpieces. Then, a Microtec moisture meter M3 Scan determines the moisture content of workpieces before they are scanned on all four sides by a Goldeneye 500 multi-sensor quality

18

scanner featuring an Xray unit.

The Goldeneye optimizer software then calculates the best cutting position. This data is used by three Opti-Kap 5103 cross-cut saws that follow. As workpieces enter the cross-cut saws, the optimizing software program instructs the saws how to cut workpieces for maximum wood utilization. Workpieces exit the cross-cut saws onto three sorting belt conveyors, giving Niagara three sorting options: one for re-rip blocks, one for finger jointing blocks, and one for long fixed lengths.

Finger jointing blocks are cut into various short lengths and stored in boxes where eight outfeed walking floors are filled with different wood qualities. Once the outfeed walking floors are emptied, workpieces are either processed by a horizontal Opti-Joint H-200 or a vertical OptiJoint V-8 finger jointing machine.

The horizontal fingerjointing process System TM’s horizontal finger jointer, the Opti-Joint H-200, processes 200 workpieces/minute.

Initially, workpieces en-

ter a spin feeder. Then, two shapers mill and prepare workpieces for the horizontal finger-jointing process. Next, a hydraulic press unit presses the workpieces together and forms lengths of 7.2 meters. Once the horizontal finger-jointing process is complete, workpieces move onto a large tower with room for 59 workpieces to dry and harden.

If necessary, workpieces can be cut into three pieces using a multiple crosscut saw, before they are stacked by an Opti-Stack 6000 stacker, packed and transported to subsequent processes.

The vertical fingerjointing process Many of the same mechanisms apply when workpieces are vertically finger jointed by the Opti-Joint V-8 finger jointer. From a spin-feeder, workpieces move along a long buffer belt conveyor onto two sweepers.

Then, workpieces move onto two batch-feeders that create batches with widths of 600 mm. Next, batches move onto two shapers that mill and prepare workpieces for the vertical finger-jointing process. Then, a hydraulic press unit presses the workpieces together and

forms lengths of 7.2 meters. Once the vertical finger-jointing process is complete, workpieces move onto a large tower with room for 59 workpieces to dry and harden.

If necessary, workpieces can be cut into three pieces using a multiple crosscut saw, before they are stacked by an Opti-Stack 6000 stacker, packed and transported to subsequent processes.

From defect to perfect in one system Built with a high degree of multifunctionality and flexibility, this line encompasses many production processes within one single system. From start to finish, the line takes in raw material and produces two types of

finished, flawless, fingerjointed products (horizontal and vertical). As a result, the multifunctionality of this line manifests itself in its flexibility to produce both types of finger joints simultaneously.

Niagara’s strategy = more money in the pocket The true cost of waste is not simply the cost of discarded materials, it also encompasses inefficient use of raw materials. Niagara puts money in its pocket by employing an effective waste and resource management strategy focusing on sustainable plantationgrown radiata pine and whole-tree utilization.

Reject wood is chipped, creating an ‘‘eco’’ fuel for new low emission boilers. Bark and sawdust

are blended with peat to produce composts and mulch. Finally, shavings and sawdust are used to generate energy to run Niagara’s kilns. As a result, Niagara profits both from the economic and environmental benefits of waste reduction.

A world-class leader in its field With 80 years of sawmilling in New Zealand, Niagara operates with the latest technology in sawmilling, kiln drying, treatment, finger jointing, laminating and precision-profiling.

Niagara supplies national and international markets with a selection of kiln dried or treated outdoor timber for building or manufacturing purposes.

Microtec expertise plays major role in production maximisation

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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World leading wood scanning solutions

microtec.eu/CTLog

CT Log scanner gives forestry industry [OL PUZPKL Z[VY` VU TH_PTPaPUN ]HS\L Look inside logs Seeing inside logs heralds a new era for the forest industry, transforming it from resource intensive to value-added knowledge intensive. Thanks to a detailed 3D reconstruction of the inner properties of SVNZ [OL *; 3VN ZJHUULY ZPT\SH[LZ KPɈLYLU[ breakdown patterns and shows the grades and prices for the resulting boards, enabling a selection of the cutting pattern that will NP]L [OL OPNOLZ[ WVZZPISL ]HS\L MVY [OL ÄUHS products.

Faced with increased competition and adaptation to customers’ needs, the ^VVK PUK\Z[Y` ULLKZ [V ÄUK TVYL HJJ\YH[L production control technologies. With 70% of production costs relating to saw logs, it THRLZ ZLUZL [V MVJ\Z OLYL ÄYZ[ ,_PZ[PUN

_ YH` SVN ZJHUULYZ HYL MHZ[ I\[ `PLSK ZPTWSL images showing only the most distinct internal features such as presence of knots HUK OLHY[^VVK UV[ [OLPY L_HJ[ ZPaL HUK position. While this means sawmills can presort logs into high and low-grade batches, it doesn’t allow for the fact that one log can `PLSK IVHYKZ VM KPɈLYLU[ NYHKLZ )LPUN HISL [V L_[YHJ[ ZVTL IVHYKZ VM OPNO NYHKL L]LU from a log with serious internal defects would clearly improve recovery and value.

Full picture CT Log enables a full digital reconstruction VM H ZJHUULK SVN )HZLK VU [OL ZJHU [OL SVN JHU IL ]PY[\HSS` IYVRLU KV^U PU[V KPɈLYLU[ ]HS\L VW[PTPaLK J\[[PUN ºTHZRZ» \U[PS [OL VUL that gives the highest value and best suits

the customer’s needs in terms of appearance HUK X\HSP[` PZ PKLU[PÄLK *; ZJHUUPUN HSSV^Z [OL PUK\Z[Y` [V TV]L MYVT J\[[PUN VW[PTPaH[PVU I` ]VS\TL VY SVN NYHKL [V VW[PTPaH[PVU VM [OL HJ[\HS IVHYK NYHKL [O\Z TH_PTPaPUN ]HS\L HUK TPUPTPaPUN ^HZ[L :[\KPLZ HZ ^LSS HZ [OL WYHJ[PJHS L_WLYPLUJLZ of customers using CT Log in their sawmills, have shown that scanning the internal characteristics of every single log before cutting results in a value increase ranging between 5% and 15% overall, with some logs reaching as high as 50%.

Source: SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden

Meet Microtec at WoodTECH 2018 in Melbourne, Australia & Rotorua, New Zealand microtec.eu

MOULDER

Increased demand led to major line change for Timberite

Y

ou know you’ve got a good business when demand necessitates adding, changing or modernising machinery, and that’s exactly the “dilemma” that faced Timberite Building Supplies, a Dandenong South manufacturer that sells to the domestic building market under the marketing name “Wellhung Door Systems”.

The company was started in Dandenong in 1982 by Joe Santucci as a traditional timber, hardware and ceramic tile supplier.

Current General Manager Bruce Cochrane 20

had always worked on the supplier side of the building industry; the first 15 years was with a subsidiary of AV Jennings supplying hardware, timber and prehung doors.

The last 34 years he has worked for Timberite and Joe Santucci,.

“In 1996 Timberite acquired Perfect Pre Hung Doors in Bayswater, who manufactured and assembled split jamb door units for builders. Then we gradually changed Timberite’s focus from the traditional one-stop-shop building supplier to what it is today, supplying fixing materials and assembled

split jamb door units to the domestic building market in Victoria and southern NSW,” said Bruce.

Change to Wellhung “Both Joe and myself thought that the name “Perfect Pre Hung Doors” was not suitable for our marketing name, so, in 1996 we selected the name “Well Hung Door Systems”.

We wanted a marketing name customers would remember,” he added.

“At that point in time our plant and equipment was basic. A spindle moulder, multi-rip saw, various docking saws, nail guns and cordless

screwdrivers. At this time our customer base was the domestic housing market, both builders and owner builders.”

Today, the plant and equipment includes: 6 metre beam saw (Italy) Automatic Door PreHanging machine and assembly line (USA) High speed mitre saw Striker plate machine (USA) Automated high speed priming line for our moulding (England) 2 x Wadkin moulders.

Automated Briquetting machine (Denmark) Dowling Machine Plus various other machinery.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Plus the new MPB Moulding Line Timberite’s current customer base includes fixing material to the inner Melbourne high rise apartment market, major project builders, medium volume home and apartment builders through to owner builders.

“We currently service, metropolitan and regional Victoria and southern New South Wales as far as Griffith and Wagga on a regular basis,” said Bruce.

“To put our requirement for a high speed automated moulding line into perspective, we manufacture and sell to

our customers reasonably high volumes of architraves and skirting, door jams, lining boards and square dressed materials, the bulk being MDF. We use up to 3000 litres of paint a month for our high speed priming line to pre-prime the MDF mouldings etc.

Limited production “A major road block to our production was the capacity of our two Wadkin moulders. These machines were limiting our production and sales potential. We decided to investigate the purchase of a high speed moulder Continued on Page 21

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Large horsepower Seimens saw wheel motors drive the blades allowing for heavy duty cutting.

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MOULDER

Increased demand led to major line change for Timberite Continued from Page 20

that had to be totally automated, particularly the infeed and outfeed. We had some good tenders on our requirements.”

However, early last year was when things changed.

“A representative of our paint supply company, Akzo Nobel, asked if we were prepared to show MPB engineering our vacuum coater on our paint line as they were developing a smaller model. We agreed, and that is how we developed a relationship with Aaron and Peter from MPB Engineering,” said Bruce.

Advantageous move “As the majority of our automated machinery was imported we felt it would be to our

22

advantage to have a local company as a backup for service and prompt attention to any breakdowns.

“MPB came up with an excellent and competitively priced package for the automated moulding line, once the design was finished.

We purchased it as per MPB’s specifications.

“The line is now operational and the previous worst aspect of our production is now one of our best.

“When running at 52 metres a minute and one MDF blank going in, we are able to split and shape four 42x12 single bevel architraves produced on the out feed side at a speed equal to 208 metres per minute.

“We have lost some floor space installing the line plus have installed

new dust extraction and major electrical work,” he added.

Bruce said a big win for production was they now have the ability to produce large urgent orders on the same day.

Cut the MDF sheets

tion area manufactures on a just-in-time and order-only basis. The MPB moulding line therefore is an excellent fit for the Timberite production facility,” Bruce said.

He also paid tribute to Aaron and Peter from

Aaron said the automated line included MPB designed and manufactured units plus the moulder (Gau Jin from Taiwan ... “we’re agents for them and have sold many of these machines”).

Hamburger with the lot

“Obvious need for a high speed moulder that had to be totally automated, particularly the infeed and outfeed.” into strips on the beam saw, profile the MDF on the MPB line, preprime the product on our auto paint line, all on the same day!

“The flexibility and production potential with this moulding line is excellent. Our Well Hung split jamb produc-

MPB and their staff who completed the installation and very professionally trained Timberite staff.

“Both Joe and myself are very pleased with the results and potential of this very professional and cost-effective installation.”

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

“As I said all the rest of the equipment, all the handling side of things were all built and designed by us at our Dandenong site.

“It was a culmination of everything we do... vacuum lift ... moulder infeed ... stacker.

“We might sell them individually or a couple of things together, however, this one was basically the hamburger with the lot,” said Aaron.

The only thing required for the new automated system was

additional floor space.

“They cleared out some racking. It was a bit of a tight squeeze for them, however, once we told them the footprint they made room for it.”

One of the pleasing things about the whole process was that there was no operations shut down required. “ We actually delivered the moulder a bit earlier so then they were able to get some of the tooling organised and do some dry runs and testing so that when we put the handling equipment in there they were up and running within the week.

“It didn’t take much training for their staff ... they’ve got some good people there. They’re pretty switched on when it comes to that sort of thing,” said Aaron.

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HAULAGE

Scania rolls out New Truck Generation family and it’s all safety plus!

S

cania has launched Australia’s safest truck range with the debut of its New Truck Generation family comprising P-, G-, R- and Sseries cabs, all of which are available in either Euro 5 and Euro 6 emissions compliance.

The trucks are suited to all types of applications from single trailer distribution to multitrailer combinations up to very high gross weights, for bulk raw material transport such as logs, iron ore or grain, as well as finished products such as treated timber.

The range of cab types is matches by a full array of powertrain, drivetrain and chassis combinations, from 4x2 rigid trucks to 6x2, 8x2, 6x4 and 8x4 popular prime mover combinations.

Scania trucks are entirely Scania from bumper-to-bumper, which means all components are designed to work in a harmonious and fully integrated way and are all fatigue tested together to provide extreme durabil-

ity and resilience especially in tough working conditions.

Engine options begin with a 9.0-litre 5-cylinder engine and continue with a 13.0-litre 6-cylinder range topped by Scania’s legendary V8 16.0-litre family. This boasts Australia’s most powerful on-road truck engine with 730 hp and 3500 Nm of torque. The newly revised engines are even more frugal than before.

Beside an overall reduction in fuel consumption of 5% across the range, and as much as up to 10% with V8 engine variants, the new Scania trucks are also safer than any others on or off the road. This is thanks to the addition as standard across the range of innovative side curtain airbags fitted above the doors that deploy in a crash when a rollover threatens.

Scania already makes the most stable trucks on the road, but rollover crashes are numerous in Australia and often fatal for the driver. Scania estimates that the num-

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bers of drivers killed in rollover accidents globally could be reduced by 25% thanks to the adoption of the rollover side curtain airbag.

Scania has also designed an even more robust, impact resisting all-steel cab with improved driver visibility, to further boost safety.

As a result, all drivers

ed braking system, and a new front suspension with the front axle moved 50 mm forward to provide a lower centre of gravity and less dive under braking.

Scania is also providing vehicles with adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, electronic stability control and advanced emer-

“Whether you are hauling logs, sawn timber, or finished wood products, we’ll have a Scania configuration to suit” are better off in a Scania cab than ever before.

Key improvements from the driver’s perspective include increased active and passive safety, bigger, stronger, all-new floorto-ceiling cabs with increased comfort and a wider bunk, as well as a new suspension, which gives a smoother ride reducing fatigue.

The side curtain airbags join the standard driver airbag and seatbelt pre-tensioners, an uprat-

gency braking to help keep drivers safe. Scania has fitted driver airbags in the steering wheel as standard for on-road trucks for more than 10 years, and they are also fitted to trucks destined for off-road work, too.

All Scania’s New Truck Generation models benefit from reprofiled A-pillars, redesigned and improved mirrors, and a repositioned driver’s seat to improve the driver’s visibility at intersec-

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

tions, providing more potentially life-saving benefits.

Scania’s famous modular drivetrain components have been thoroughly renewed to deliver significant fuel economy savings compared with already efficient vehicles they replace. Scania’s in-house gearbox range is now fitted with a layshaft brake to speed up gearchanges for smoother and more frugal performance.

“The launch of the New Truck Generation range, the safest and most fuel-efficient in Australia, is an absolute milestone for Scania here,” says Mikael Jansson, Managing Director of Scania Australia.

“As a global truck company, we have spent 10 years and the equivalent of AUS$3 billion researching and developing the new range as well as covering more than 12 million km testing our new designs in all climates and on all types of roads.

“The most noticeable features are of course the new cabs, but the real in-

novation is the introduction of new technologies, safety features, services and insights that will help our customers gain an accurate overview of some of their most significant operating costs.

Paul Riddell, Scania’s New Vehicle Account Manager based in South Australia, says the new Scania range is ideally suited to timber industry operators.

“We have built a very robust new truck. The cabin is all-new, bigger, quieter and more comfortable, and much of the powertrain, drivetrain and chassis is a further development from a very solid base.

“Scania can configure trucks to meet the needs of our customers, so whether you are hauling logs, sawn timber, or finished wood products, we’ll have a Scania configuration to suit, plus the additional benefits of high levels of safety, comfort and efficient operation,” he said.

Safety, comfort, economy ... all the attributes of this Scania workhorse.

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FRAME AUSTRALIA 2018

Ŷ Philipp Zumbrunner

Ŷ The HSBCAD stand was manned by Technical Sale Manager Frank Dawson

Ŷ Conference scene

Ŷ Bruno Thatcher and Mitchell Dolen demonstrated products on the Active Fasteners stand

Ŷ Ben Collins represented Big River products

Ŷ Jason Reints (Bliss & Reels/Randek/Essetre)

Ŷ Conference scene

Ŷ Sunny Wong and Chris Wookey demonstrated SmartStruct and TecBeam products on the Tilling stand

Ŷ Combilift stand

24

Ŷ Kevin Ezard presented Andrew Dunn, NSW Timber Development Association, a certificate of appreciation for his contribution to FRAME.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Ŷ Alastair Woodard and Philipp Zumbrunner

Ŷ Airco Brands stand

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FRAME AUSTRALIA 2018

Australia now has the third highest number of tall buildings in the world made from wood

M

ore than 50 buildings in Australia have been built from engineered timber in the past five years, with Australia now having the third highest number of tall buildings in the world made from wood.

Mass timber – CLT, GLT (Glulam), LVL and NLT (Nail Laminated Timber) – has come a long way since the Forte building in Melbourne’s Docklands was first discussed nine years go and completed in 2012, said the chief executive of the Timber Development Association, Andrew Dunn.

Mr Dunn was addressing the Frame Australia con-

Ŷ Robert Pradolin, Strategic Adviser, Woodsolutions

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ference this week in Melbourne, which was attended by more than 200 delegates, who included architects, manufacturers, engineers and builders.

Specifically, Mr Dunn said since 2012, 29 projects or 31 buildings had been completed, while 23 projects or 25 buildings were under construction - a total of 52 projects or 56 buildings.

These projects were diverse - 19 houses, 12 multiresidential, six offices, five educational, three sales units, three student accommodation, two hotels, two childcare centres, and one library, community centre and agricultural building.

Mr Dunn said the projects were spread all around Australia, with most - 26 – in New South Wales and 18 in Victoria.

The engineered timber was mainly sourced from Austria, but 18 projects got their timber from Australia – 17 from XLam (Australia/New Zealand) and one Cross Lam Aust.

Ŷ Key Speaker, Nick Milestone, Associate Director, Projects, William Hare Ltd, UK

Ŷ Jochen Ristig, Technical Director-Building Structures, Aecom

“The growth has been amazing,” he said.

The keynote speaker, Nick Milestone, associate director – projects at William Hare in the UK, said more than 215 mass timber projects had been completed in Britain across the board – in education, residential, commercial, retail, and sport and leisure.

Mr Milestone said universities, such as Essex and Warwick, were the first adopters of CLT in the UK. One project, Sky Central in London, used 14 kilometres of Glulam frames.

The conference, which is also known as Timber Offsite Construction, also heard about two new mass timber projects: the Adina Hotel in Melbourne, which will be a 10-storey CLT hotel built on top of an existing six-storey concrete building, where the tenants will continue to work during construction; and AECOM’s five-storey student accommodation project at Monash University that will use a passive house rating tool.

Ŷ Matthew Francis, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, Rmit.

Technology Session Chair.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Ŷ Katie Fowden, Manager Strategic Relations, Hyne Timber.

25

FOCUS ON CHINA

China’s almost insatiable appetite for timber continues to increase China’s big forestry industry is looking beyond the trade fight with the US and taking advantage of the country’s landmark Belt and Road initiative to expand, reports Philip Hopkins after a visit to China.

T

he train from Russia rolls across the border into northern China.

A good one kilometre in length, it has about 7090 wagons, each tightly packed with timber – uncut logs and sawn timber (lumber).

Each day, it is followed by another, and another; all are bound for the town of Manzhouli, the entry point for all Russian trains to China, just across the border.

It has been that way since 1901, when the China Far East Railway was completed, becoming a catalyst for trade between the two countries.

But now, business is bigger than ever. More than 12 million cubic metres of timber enters China from Russia annually, and that amount is growing. Two-to-four trains, sometimes up to eight, arrive each day.

Further to the south, a barge laden with up to 8000 tonnes of timber, slowly makes its 20-day journey from Shanghai, 1800 kilometres away, to the river port at the huge inland city of Chonqing in the mid-west of China.

Chongqing, the pivot

of an emerging conglomerate of cities with a projected population of more than 60 million people, linked by very fast trains, is a major industrial centre.

Part of that group is Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province with 18 million people. It is less than two hours away by very fast train and is a secondary wood-processing sector.

Growing need for imported timber This expanding activity in north and central China is part of the country’s growing need for imported timber as it limits harvesting in its own forests. China now imports about 230 million cubic metres equivalent of round wood logs.

The infrastructure at Manzhouli and Chonqing are part of China’s ambitious One Belt and One Road plan that aims to boost trade between Europe and China – a modern “Silk Road”.

In Manzhouli, (population about 300,000) the trains, 4.7 metres high, arrive at a public train sales point. Thirty minutes later, the action begins. Buyers descend on the station, moving methodically along

Ŷ China National Forest Group intermodal depot, Manzhouli

26

the train, checking out each wagon’s contents.

There are more than 100 agents buying for clients in Manzhouli and other parts of China.

The wagons are expertly packed with timber; in one wagon, for example, a small wedge notch has been cut in the bark of one log to ensure that long log fits neatly into the wagon.

The telephone numbers of owners or agents are written on the wagons, which include all sorts of timber – softwood lumber, hardwood logs and poplar tree trunks.

“They call the number on each wagon to close a deal. Then they mark the wagonload purchased,” said Gavin Hao, a forestry expert with the Shanghai-based consultancy RISI. The wagons are then moved to a station nearby, where the trains are broken up, put into smaller groups of wagons and moved to each buyer’s yard.

Mr Hao highlighted the prices achieved for the timber. “The softwood logs we saw were all Scots pine (500renminbi per m3 - $US78) but also Norway spruce (600-700RMB - $US78-

109) and larch (500600RMB- $US78-94),” he said. “We saw a hardwood birch log wagon (1250RMB - $US195).”

Aiming for 50% control The biggest buyer by far is the China National Forest Group, a government-owned company that focuses on trade rather than processing.

It controls about 30% of all lumber imported into Manzhouli, but aims for 50%.

CNFG transfers all its timber to its nearby massive new intermodal depot, which is 800 square metres in size and can handle daily 11,000m3 of logs and 16,000m3 of lumber.

It’s the biggest terminal between Russia and China - and it shows.

Amongst a sea of wood, large machines stack logs while cranes transfer sawn timber to and from wagons.

There are three alternative Russia and China rail lines in and out, where the timber if transferred from one train to the other due to the different rail gauges.

The Chinese gauge is 1435 millimetres whereas the Russian gauge is 1524mm. Three gantry cranes are also in opera-

Ŷ Russian timber train in Manzhouli awaiting Chinese buyers

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

tion.

CNFG runs the intermodal terminal in tandem with its subsidiary IRITO. IRITO is a Russian company founded in 2007 that was taken over by a private Chinese company, Jindu, in 2014.

CNFG subsequently took over IRITO/Jindu in 2016.

Security for customers The terminal’s finance director, Ms Han, oversees a staff of 500 and six warehouses with a total storage area of 33,000m3 for high-value lumber. The lumber storage areas are concreted with a capacity to hold 300,000m3.

“The warehouses provide security for customers. A China customs check is done inside the warehouses, where there is also a security check,” she said. “There is also a licence for a bank service.”

Ms Han said there was no free trade zone between Russia and China for logs – only for small goods. Payment was an issue. “In Russian East Asia, sawmillers prefer a deposit of cash. They do not accept credit or bank account details,” she said.

“In European Russia,

there is a more modern approach to protect both sides. Big sawmillers in Russia deal in US dollars. Small private operators will deal in roubles.”

Ms Han said from Manzhouli, trains took lumber to 12 different locations in inland China, including to Chongqing and Chengdu. The logistics process centred on Manzhouli saved costs, she said.

The terminal also handles containers. IRITO is the first group to have an express train as part of the Belt and Road initiative.

The operations manager at the terminal, Mr Han Fang, said the train took machines to Yaroslavl, north of Moscow, and travelled back to Krasnoyarsk, where it picked up logs and brought them to China.

“The average distance travelled by trains from Russia to Manzhouli is 6000 kilometres. Most are from Siberia -- 40005000 kilometres – east of the Ural Mountains,” he said, although some trains travelled 8000 kilometres from European Russia.

“In future, timber from European Russia will travel by ship.

It takes 45 days but is

Ŷ Russian timber train in Manzhouli timber-buying yard.

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FOCUS ON CHINA

Ŷ Manzhouli: Scrawled figures show the Russian timber has been bought.

cheaper. The train from Irkutsk takes about seven days, from Krasnoyarsk 10 days.”

Mr Fang said there was much over-harvesting of the forest resource in Russia’s Far East.

“There is resource in the northern Far East, but it needs a lot of investment to develop,” he said.

“Sawmillers in China don’t have that capital to invest. Besides, the Russian Government will not release resource for small private investors.

They want big investors.”

Earlier this decade, a report by British activists, the Environmental Investigation Agency, maintained that illegal logging in eastern Russia was having a huge impact on Siberian forests, where low temperatures make regrowth a slow process.

Data from Global Forest Watch claimed that Siberia lost more than 32 million hectares of forest between 2011 and 2013.

Of this, 50-90 per cent was estimated to have been harvested illegally.

Home processing Mr Fang said dry lumber would be increas-

ingly processed in Russia, which had recently imposed a 25% duty on log exports. “The log duty will go to 80% in four years, but there will be no duty on lumber.

Russia aims to stop the export of logs in the long term to stimulate home processing.”

The sawmilling industry in Manzhouli, which is at risk from this trend,

Ŷ Laminating machine, Manzhouli

a large capacity mill processing 500,000m3 of log annually, but is now down to about 10,000m3 a month – about 110,000m3 per annum.

“This failure of a large sawmill has been the story of Chinese sawmilling. Large ‘westernstyle’ sawmills have been built in various provinces but almost all have failed,” said Mr

million m3 of logs per year.

San Fa rents about 40 of these sets, has an edge-glued panel production line and operates more than 30 drying kilns through its own energy plant.

800 kilns in the town In Manzhouli, however, that number is just for starters; there are 800

Ŷ Manzhouli: never-ending kilns. One business has 355 drying kilns.

grades of higher ‘valueadded’ grades timber for edge glued panels and for furniture, which has to be kiln-dried,” he said – hence the large number of kilns that have been built since 2013-14.

A nearby Manzhouli mill, Ouya (EuropeAsia) Wood Industry, operates through a traditional ‘hands-on’ approach.

China has developed very cheap, very flexible and effectively ‘’mobile” sawmill sets. These have confounded ‘experts’, who have long predicted their demise in the face of rising labour costs, however, they remain the ‘standard’ in the Chinese sawmilling sector” is a mix of old and new, and remarkably pragmatic and innovative.

The San Fa Wood sawmill illustrates some of the problems facing China forestry. The mill was built by Japanese company Marubeni with a Taiwanese and Chinese partner, was sold to a private Chinese company, which built kilns and attracted small investors.

That venture hit trouble and was bought by a Shanghai businessman.

San Fa was originally

Ŷ Manzhouli: making laminated veneer lumber.

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Hao. In contrast, China has developed very cheap, very flexible and effectively ‘’mobile” sawmill sets. “These have confounded ‘experts’, who have long predicted their demise in the face of rising labour costs,” said Mr Hao. “They remain the ‘standard’ in the Chinese sawmilling sector.”

There are about 130140 sawmill sets in Manzhouli. Each cuts 50m3 of logs per day, which works out to about two

kilns in the town, including a cluster of 355 kilns, each with a capacity of 80-to-100m3 and owned by one power station owner. They are rented out.

Mr Hao said the growth in kilns was due to the recent flood of Russian lumber into Manzhouli. It was no longer economic to produce the ‘standard’ green sawn temporary construction timber.

“Sawmillers have now switched to producing

Ŷ Making a shaped beam at Kaisheng Trading Group factory, Manzhouli.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

The owner has just two sawmill sets in a cluster of several sets with different owners. Annual output is 10,000m3 of lumber with two sets, but there are automatic sawsharpening machines.

Here, the individual care for wood in such a traditional small sawmill results in a timber recovery rate of 68-72%.

In contrast, big large Western sawmills get a lower recovery – about 50-60%.

Competition is tough.

“It’s hard to compete with Russian lumber,” said the owner. “Log processing is getting more difficult. We need a more accurate process for products and clients – more detailed work.”

Another Manzhouli company is doing just that, and taking a more corporate approach. The Kaisheng Trading Group began in 2005 with one simple sawmill set, but such is its rapid growth, the company has now three complete sawmills and produces wooden housing in a manufacturing plant.

By 2012, KT was in the top 10 importers of timber and logs into China, moving into the top five in 2015. The manager, Madame Zhu, who hails from an important timber family in Fujian Province, wants to be the largest timber supplier of Russian sold wood into China.

The company is already investing heavily into Russia: it has three forest concessions, cutting 120,000m3 per year; owns or has access to five sawmills; has seven log yards; and Continued on Page 28

Ŷ Train makes its way back to Russia loaded with goods.

27

FOCUS ON CHINA

Ŷ Unloading logs at Yangtze River Port, Chongqing.

Ŷ Building the new port, Yangtze River, Chongqing.

Logs will be automatically transferred up the hill, not taken by truck.

Ŷ The new port, Yangtze River. Chongqing. The logs will go uphill on a conveyor belt

China’s almost insatiable appetite for timber continues to increase Continued from Page 27

imports 40,000m3 of logs per month.

Madame Zhu said KT could arrange processing of 60,000m3 of logs per month in Manzhouli.

“We have branches in most Russian regions,” she said.

Irkutsk is a key focus: KT is developing a woodprocessing complex on a one square kilometre site.

The first stage is a sawmill with throughput of 270,000m3 per annum, and a square log mill.

Value-adding Madame Zhu’s focus has two key parts: the One Belt One Road rail expansion – its target is to import five-to-seven trains a day into Manzhouli – and value-adding in Jiangxi province (Suzhou City, just west of Shanghai) in the south.

A railway line completed in 2013 now connects Suzhou to Manzhouli; the 11,800-km link through to Warsaw takes about 13 days for a train to complete.

Madame Zhu said Jiangxi, already with

10,000 sites, would replace Guangdong as the biggest furniture production province.

To date, KT has concentrated on the domestic market, with its processing operations in Manzhouli a starting point.

One of its wood-processing mills uses old equipment, but it makes laminated panels and LVL dressed to a high quality – particularly a moulded, squared piece of timber extensively used in its wooden housing.

The housing resembles the wood cabins of North America and Scandinavia, and examples are displayed outdoors not far from the factory.

However, Mr Hao doubts a large wooden housing industry can develop in China. “A person can build a wooden house, but cannot live in it permanently or sell it, as a Chinese is not allowed to buy an existing house,” he said.

Hence almost all houses are built for holiday resorts, or communal and holiday camps. Exports, however, remain an option, particularly to Rus-

Ŷ Old-style sawing: Xugong Wood complex, Chongqing.

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sia.

Russian timber from Manzhouli also makes its way south to Chongqing, in China’s midwest – a big producer of automobiles, motorcycles, laptops and mobile phones. The Chinese Government has designated Chongqing as a key hub in western China, a bridgehead for economic development in the vast interior.

The city has its own One Belt One Road freight rail station. Mr Hao said the city was expected to benefit from special “block trains” coming in from Russia and Europe as the rail “road” routes were opened up.

However, the mighty Yangtze River is its other major transport route, with ports lining the riverbank taking the barges from Shanghai. China National Forest Group has one such port, and is building another, as is the port authority.

CNFG’s Wanfa Port receives 100,000150,000m3 of logs per month, and depending on river congestion, the cost

is 100-180RMB per m3 ($US16-$29 per m3).

Australian and NZ timber Logs from different countries, including some from Uruguay, are stacked high above the river along the riverbank.

A Grade radiata logs from New Zealand sell at this yard for RMB 11001200 per m3 ($US172$187). Radiata comprise 70% of total log deliveries.

Australian timber is also there; Hancock Queensland Plantations Caribbean pine small A Grade logs, similar to radiata A Grade, sell for RMB1100-1200 per m3.

“They are better quality but smaller,” Mr Hao said.

US Douglas Fir, which tends to be longer, sells for RMB 1500 per m3 ($US234.00). Mr Hao said Canada logs had to be fumigated to prevent damage by pests.

“Fumigating takes place for logs originating above the 47th parallel.

US logs don’t need fumigating,” he said.

CNFG has almost

Ŷ Saw set in operation, Chongqing.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

completed a RMB400 million ($US87 million) stage 1 new terminal on the river, which is due to open in August. With back-up infrastructure, it will eventually stretch 10 kilometres along the river and will include 100 saw sets. Each saw set is expected to produce 50m3 a day. CNFG will rent land to other companies to run the saw sets.

Automatic conveyer Trucks will no longer have to be used to cart the logs from the barge to the top of the embankment where the log yard is located. Under the new system, they will be automatically conveyed up to the yard from the barge.

Two warehouses of about 4500m2 each on the five-hectare site will be able to store logs or sawn timber, but the stacked timber will have a maximum height of four metres.

CNFG now only delivers 10% sawn timber into Chongqing, but its target is to raise this to 40%.

The new port is expected to have a capacity of 100,000-150,000m3

per month, which could double the supply of imports. However, Mr Hao said that scenario was unclear, as the old port could close.

From the port, the timber is funnelled out to the various wood processors in the city. For example, the Xugong wood complex is the biggest wood-processing yard in Chongqing, with 50 sawn sets in the yard and eight workers per set.

Within this centre, Chuangqui, the biggest single owner log processor in the city, has just opened nine saw sets that produce 12-15,000m3 per month. The company already runs a factory in Taicang, north of Shanghai, with 32 saw sets producing 50m3 a day, and which includes a packaging and edge-glued panel lines.

Chuangqui’s chairman, Mr Dai, said he had been processing some Russian pine ‘square logs’ that had been coming in by train.

“The Russian Scots pine timber price is 2200RMB per cubic metre ($US343 per m3),”

Ŷ Nanfang furniture, Chengdu furniture exhibition.

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FOCUS ON CHINA

Briefs New regulation on composite wood products

Ŷ Nanfang furniture piece being made, Chengdu.

he said. Radiata log prices range from 14001500RMB/m3, which include 120RMB transport costs from the port to the mill.

Mr Dai said the recovery rate on logs was 69-70% and the mill was steadily increasing output. The packaging production line produced wooden boxes, but construction using A grade logs was the main market.

“The local construction market is growing in this area,” he said, but with no kiln-dried lumber for add-value processing in Chongqing, no furniture grade timber was produced yet. “Exporting to other provinces, including Sichuan, is another possibility,” he said. “The market around Chonqing is stable. If it’s too strong, the log price will go up.”

Mr Dai warned that if Russian lumber arrived in large numbers by train, he would not be able to compete. The lumber was cheap and better quality. “Russia is a potential threat to the Belt and Road initiative,” he said.

Mr Dai said it cost RMB120,000 to set up one sawmill set, while the workshop – the sawmill buildings – came in at 400RMB per m2.

The total monthly labour cost for the 110 staff was 600,000-700,000 RMB, which worked out to 5454-6363RMB per head ($US850-994).

“Overhead costs have jumped but there have been no increases in average labour costs in the past three years,” he said.

If things don’t work out, Mr Dai has the option of moving else-

where. The business model – rented property and mobile saw sets – enables him to move where the construction timber demand is. Mr Dai already has plans to set up saw sets in Jiangxi and perhaps Guangdong provinces.

Nobody, however, contemplates leaving nearby Chengdu, a major solid wood, wood panel and furniture producer.

The city’s annual furniture Expo, the third biggest in China and begun 19 years ago, was held in June and attracted 3000 exhibitors. It’s got a 300,000m2 exhibition space on a 30-hectare site.

Those exhibitors have their eyes on one thing – the domestic market with 100 million customers within a 100-kilometre radius.

Nanfang Furniture is one of the top four solid wood furniture makers in the Sichuan area. Its solid wood furniture was flowery and flamboyant in style – a full-on display featuring a cool piano and attractive marketing women.

Nearby was Quanyu, a panel furniture manufacturer formed in 1986 that has four factories around the city. They use sophisticated automated machines from Germany and Denmark. A beautiful table on display was made from particleboard with veneer.

Similarly, Yihuang Wood next door is also a big panel distributor, its panel board made from high density fibreboard and produced with dies that featured an array of colours.

On a visit to Nanfang’s main factory, the man-

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Ŷ Making furniture, Nanfang factory, Chengdu

ager, Mr Hu, emphasised that 80-90% of production supplied the local area, but exports beckoned.

1000 employees The factory has 1000 employees and it’s a mixture of sophisticated machinery and a ‘hands on’ approach: women cut the leather by hand; a large pool of women at their machines sew the covers; men polish the bed heads; other workers form the spring mattresses with a machine; while an automated machinery carves the shape of the components and cuts them from the particle board.

Mr Hu said rubber wood, mainly from Malaysia, was used in its furniture. Rubber trees no longer produce sap after 30 years, so are cut down and new trees grown in their place.

“We use eucalyptus from southern China in the panels and furniture.

It’s not load-bearing,” he said.

Mr Hu said it was imperative to keep up with the latest furniture trends.

There were three types panel, solid and extra expensive.

“Solid furniture is getting bigger in China.

Cheaper panel furniture will get smaller, but solid wood will increase – so will the prices,” he said.

“This is part of the trend from cheaper low-end furniture to better quality.”

For China, the flood of Russian timber into the country has its risks for domestic producers and importers from other countries.

Mr Hao said it was problematic for NZ radiata, which was not

high value and relatively cheap, more suited to construction than furniture.

“Profits in China are tiny. The price of logs and lumber is a key reason for the tight margins,” he said. “Sawmillers in Russia are under pressure. It’s been like this for years. They are not making big money.

They know that. Five or six years ago, after the 2008 GFC, they used cheap money for cash flow.”

Mr Hao said Chinese business, like Madame Zhu’s Kaisheng, were starting to invest outside the country, in Russia and Africa.

Processors had also been burned in China.

Last year, the Government closed about half of the 30,000 veneer or plywood mills in the country. “Some stayed closed, some had to be relocated and some have been or are being modernised and expanded,” Mr Hao said.

China’s furniture industry was hit by huge duties several years ago due to their subsidies, and there was no restitution through the World Trade Organisation.

“Exporters need to be in the south close to the ports. Higher wages are pushing some manufacturers to Vietnam. One whole town in the south that was in the past dedicated to furniture was now gone,” Mr Hao said.

The current trade war between the US and China, inspired by President Trump, further clouds the outlook – but still those one-kilometre timber trains will continue to roll into Manzhouli from Russia.

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Starting from 1 June, 2018, all imported and domestically-produced composite wood panels and products made with these panels must now be third-party certified as compliant with mandatory national formaldehyde emissions requirements under the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) TSCA Title VI. The Composite Panel Association (CPA) and its North American member companies have been staunch advocates for EPA to finalize and implement these regulations to establish strong enforcement that ensures a level playing field for all manufacturers producing or using composite wood, whether made in the U.S. or imported.

Tight supply of Vietnamese plywood The supply of Vietnamese eucalyptus plywood for crating is becoming tight says the Japan Lumber Reports (JLR). In Vietnam, construction of large plywood mills by Chinese companies continues.

These plants purchase large volumes of eucalyptus veneer so plants manufacturing for the Japanese market are finding it difficult to secure raw materials.

Prices for Vietnamese plywood have climbed as high as US$310 per cu.m C&F and further increases are anticipated. This price is too much for the market in Japan, says the JLR.

Switching to plantation logs Ta An, one of the main timber companies in Sarawak, has announced it will increase harvests of plantation logs to supply its plywood mill. Ta An has just over 35,000ha of plantations, mainly Acacia mangium, of which 22,000 ha are over 10 years old and can be harvested. On prospects for 2018, Ta An expects higher demand for plywood in Japan especially for certified products. Last year over 90% of Ta An’s plywood was shipped to Japan.

Quality bar being raised Buying a pre-owned home in Japan and arranging for renovations can be a difficult and risky. Until recently it was difficult to find specialists able to assess the structural integrity of old homes. This has now changed and could breathe new life into the preowned home market. A consortium of the 10 biggest Japanese housing developers have come together to form a ‘Quality Housing Stock Association’ and this offers a service to inspect and certify the quality of a pre-existing home. The association announced that it would provide free defect insurance to consumers buying a pre-owned home built by one of its 10 members. For five years after purchase, new owners will be eligible for up to 10 million yen in compensation to repair any major defect.

Environmental controls focus Chinese plywood supply is reported by EU importers to be disrupted by tough new national environmental controls, which are forcing mills to interrupt production to upgrade or replace emission and waste treatment technology. Here prices are reported to have risen 10% in the last six months.

“Inspectors have been visiting our Chinese supplier mills now for months, and we’ve seen regular stoppages as they improve their systems,” said one importer/distributor.

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CLADDING

Featured Boral Timber products: Ŷ Shiplap profile hardwood cladding Ŷ F27 seasoned structural hardwood Ŷ Hardwood solid strip flooring – 130mm wide board overlay Ŷ Decking

Perth home design celebrates Australian timber

O

n a 667 square metre block in the Perth suburb of Cottesloe stood a 90-year-old home beyond repair. David Groom had owned the block for more than 15 years and always intended to build on it. After spending 11 years in Victoria, David returned to his home state of Western Australia with his young family to create a residence featuring Australian hardwood timbers, inside and out.

30

The concept began to take shape in 2012, with a relatively unusual construction method at its core. “I was involved in commercial construction and used a lot of concrete tilt on the site, which you don’t often find in residential projects. Typically, in a residential setting, precast concrete panels or an insitu pour may be used.

We turned the site into one big casting bed.”

After levelling the site, which was more

than two metres higher at the back compared to the front of the property, retaining was put in place. A casting bed was laid over the whole site, then a number of large concrete panels were prepared and stacked.

Panels stacked six high were lifted by crane in one day to erect an instant structure with all the walls in place.

As a forester, and with a furniture maker as a father, David grew up understanding timber

and wanted to integrate as much wood as possible into the build. This material would also help to soften the appearance of the concrete structure.

Boral Timber cladding was chosen as the main feature of the home, in Blackbutt species.

Approximately 260 square metres of shiplap profile cladding was applied horizontally to the two primary building components, which sit on either side

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

of the pool area. This lightweight floating material balanced the concrete and was pre-oiled before application. Particular care was taken in choosing the boards, ensuring the natural colour variations linked well together.

“We wanted to retain the natural colour of the timber, rather than change the colour with any pigment finishes,” commented David. “We also looked at composite cladding products but nothing compares with the natural beauty of timber.”

In fact, timber features throughout the home including decking, screening, internal flooring and door frames, as well as a Blackbutt veneer on the kitchen cabinetry and a Blackbutt dining table made my David. “The colour and consistency of Blackbutt is great,” said David. “It has a nice golden look, not too yellow, brown or red. It’s also very durable in terms of weathering, and offers termite resistance and fire resistance.”

Structural hardwood was used as vertical screening on the East, North and West first floor faces. The 3.6 metre lengths of tim-

ber provide privacy and shade from the outside, while creating a beautiful outlook from the inside. On the eastern balcony and the kids’ play deck, 127mm wide Boral Blackbutt decking has been installed.

The vertical screening and door framing was cut and fitted on site using Boral Blackbutt F27 structural hardwood.

Additionally, around 120 square metres of the internal floor plan features Boral Blackbutt 14mm overlay flooring, creating an aesthetic connection between the interior and exterior zones of the home. The garage entry gates, front and rear entrances also incorporate the classic Australian species.

“Lighting was a significant part of our architectural and interior design. There is extensive use of light strips inside the home to wash over and highlight the natural timber, and external up-lightings showcase the timber day and night,” added David.

While the house was completed in early 2017 following a two year build, some of the interior fitout, including a wine cellar crafted

by David, has only just been completed.

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he American Hardwood Export Council and eight of Australia’s most highly regarded designers collaborated to reimagine their works in American tulipwood.

Anne-Claire Petre, Adam Goodrum, Adam Markowitz, Coco Reynolds, Dowel Jones, Jon Goulder, Ross Gardam and Tom Skeehan rose to the challenge. AHEC asked them to consider replacing the timber they normally use for their signature designs with American tulipwood.

Tulipwood has been favoured in Europe for generations, but is little known in Australia. One of the most beautiful and easily worked hardwoods from the United States.

Light, straight grained and even textured, its colour ranges from blond to brown and even to green and purple in places.

32

Encouraged to embrace the natural variation in the material provided, the designers have confronted the Australian preference for uniformity in timber.

Adam Goodrum has chosen to recreate his iconic Molloy chair, a solid timber piece composed of 8 elements that seamlessly jigsaw together. “The Molloy chair components are accentuated by the contrasting grain directions where they meet to become one” he says of the design. “The colour variation in tulipwood gives a further opportunity to emphasise the different elements in the design,” he adds.

Ross Gardam similarly has found the replacement of the American oak of his classic ‘Oak Pendant’ with tulipwood has emphasised joins in the design which were

secondary in the original product. The result is a visually more striking piece. John Goulder’s Glissando Credenza, which is on permanent show in the National Gallery of Australia in American walnut, has taken on a “whole new look and meaning” in tulipwood, claims it creator, and become a “capsule of environmentally responsible furniture production and philosophy”.

Using a sustainable species sustainably The American hardwood forest has been sustainably managed for generations. Each year trees are selectively harvested and replaced by new growth through natural generation. Growth in the forest far exceeds harvest.

American tulipwood is one of the most pro-

lific hardwoods. Growth exceeds harvest in all US states and net volume (after harvest) is increasing by 19.7 million cubic metres each year.

Evostyle, who manufactured all the designs for ‘Replaced’ meticulously recorded all timber used, energy inputs and waste produced. By working with the natural colour of the tulipwood and using it to enhance their designs, wastage has been kept to a minimum. The species is also light to export from the US to Australian shores.

This data has enabled the American Hardwood Export Council to measure the precise environmental impact of each and every design in the collection. By applying a scientific method to measuring environmental impact, in addition to the United States’ proven and documented

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

record of sustainability in hardwood production, the designers involved in the project have been able to fulfill their desire to work sustainably and with a minimal environmental impact. Initial calculations show that the tulipwood used to create all the designs in the collection would be replaced in the US forest in just over 1 second.

Furthermore, the designs would produce the same carbon footprint in their entire lifetime as the average Australian would produce in less than 9 days.

Anne-Claire Petre who has reimagined her popular Emi pod for the collaboration says: “In a world where throwaway culture has become predominant, it is of utmost importance to have an environmental approach to design and manufacture. It is a lifestyle

choice that extends from my personal life and attitude to waste, into my business and my work.

It is our role as designers to educate the public about better design and sustainability and emphasise why it is critical to our economy, to our planet and to people. Using sustainable timbers in furniture is the least we can do”.

Rod Wiles, Regional Director of AHEC agrees: “The main responsibility of a designer is surely to make create a living environment in which we can feel comfortable, feel happy and are able to thrive. Making the world a more beautiful place should however never come at the cost of the world itself”.

The Replaced collection was shown at Denfair in Melbourne in June.

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IMPORTED TIMBER

Onwards and upwards for wood product imports

I

mports of wood and wood products to Australia were valued at a record AUD1.981 billion for the year ended March 2018, having risen 11.3% compared with the prior year.

“After a short dip in mid 2017, the value of imports has continued to rise, with little prospect of a decline, any time soon,” said John Halkett, General Manager, Australian Timber Importers Federation.

The chart demonstrates the magnitude of the rise in wood product imports over the last five years. From AUD1.170 billion for the yearended March 2013, five years later, imports are valued at close to AUD2 billion.

Mr Halkett said that, although the value of imports was up in total, different grades have had different growth experiences over the five years.

“Over the course of the year to the end of March 2018, only two major product groupings saw a decline in the value of their imports: Roundwood and Hardwood Sawnwood.

All other grades experienced growth. Over the longer term of five years, just one grade, Tropical Sawnwood, experienced a decline in the value of imports,” he said.

The value of imports of Coniferous Sawnwood grew solidly over the course of the last year. “This has caused considerable comment in industry, but examination shows that there are other grades and products for which the value of imports rose more, and from a larger base.

This growth is closely associated with framing and structural applications and are linked to dwelling approvals and

new building activity,” said Mr Halkett.

Cause for concern However, Mr Halkett also issued a note of warning ... “Higher softwood timber product demand from all enduse sectors in the United States in the coming years, and the probability that this demand will in part be satisfied by regions currently supplying into the bullish Australian market, may have

“The value of imports of Coniferous Sawnwood grew solidly over the course of the last year” serious implications for ongoing softwood supply certainty.

“With the Australian building and construction industry needing to become more reliant on imported softwood timber products, climbing US demand for timber potentially spells bad news for future imported softwood supply,” he said.

According to a just released report: Future Suppliers of Softwood Lumber to the US Market – Supply and Demand Outlook 2017-2030, higher timber product demand in the US will result in continued expansion of sawmill capacity in the US South and increased imports from overseas, while Western Canada will reduce its shipments into the US market.

Mr Halkett said the joint ForestEdge and Wood Resources International report indicates

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that US consumption of softwood timber products is likely to reach record-highs by 2030, resulting in export opportunities for sawmills in Europe and Latin America The report forecasts that US softwood timber demand will grow at an annual rate of 2.3 per cent through 2030, which will be higher than the reports projection of real GDP. The study suggests that US timber consumption will reach an all-time high by 2030.

A detailed analysis of the future consumption of softwood lumber in each of five US end-use categories (residential housing, renovations, non-residential construction, material handling and other) reveals that the non-residential construction category will grow at the fastest rate and will increase its share of the total softwood timber usage from just over 11 per cent in 2016 to almost 14 per cent by 2030. Timber consumed by the residential housing sector, including renovations, will continue to account for the almost 70 per cent of the end-use market.

Expansion of capacity of sawmills At an estimated softwood timber production cost of less than US$200 per cubic metre in 2016, the US South is one of the lowest cost suppliers of softwood lumber to the US market.

This, combined with a significant ‘overhang’ supply of softwood sawtimber as a result of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-09 and a mature plantation resource, is expected to continue to facilitate a major expan-

Ŷ John Halkett.

sion of sawmill capacity in the region.

The market share of Canadian timber producers in the US is expected to decline in the coming years, with the biggest reduction occurring between 2017 and 2025.

The outlook for available log supply to the sawmilling sector will be different in the two major timber producing regions in Canada, with harvest levels falling substantially in British Columbia over the next ten years.

Overseas supply of timber products to the US is forecasted to increase both in volume and market share by 2025, followed by a decline until 2030. Based on the study’s timber supply curve analysis, major supplying regions are likely to include

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Brazil, Chile, Germany and the Nordic countries. The study projects a very strong rebound in housing starts, renovations and non-residential construction, so overseas supply will be crucial and reach a market share of over 10 per cent by 2030.

After nearly two decades of real price declines of sawlogs in North America and elsewhere, the combination of a rebounding US softwood timber demand, constraints on log supply and reduced export production in Western Canada, and continued strong demand for softwood timber products from markets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East/North Africa region, is expected to push softwood log prices higher.

So for Australia a combination of factors such as climbing US timber demand, offset to some degree by improved sawmilling capacity, but impacted by declining Canadian supply and expanded imports from Nordic countries, Chile and Brazil should be a serious cause for concern in Australia. Plus these exports currently supplying the Australian market are likely to favour US markets when supply capacity shortens, rather that more distant and less commercially attractive markets in Australia. This should assist in crystallising thinking about Australia moving much more decisively to be able to supply its own softwood timber demand from domestic sources.

33

ASSOCIATIONS

Almost instant feedback from the end user makes it all worth while

By Josh Wallace Managing Director (Vicbeam) Deputy Chairman GLTAA Chairman, Marketing Committee (GLTAA)

I

n the early stages of our manufacturing career, it was relatively rare that we would have contact with the end user of our products. Traditional routes to market mean that for most Glulam manufacturers, the glulam member is supplied to a wholesaler who in turn sells the beam to a merchant who then supplies a builder who had procured the beam for their client – the end user, perhaps an excited couple building their dream home with rich, lustrous exposed Tasmanian Oak rafters.

Given this route to market, the kind of feedback that would invariably flow to us regarding our beams would predominantly revolve around supply times, the way the beam was wrapped or whether our beams were .50c more or less expensive than the price of another supplier. Attempts to ask our merchant contact ‘how the beams went on site’, or whether the client had appreciated the extra sanding effort given what we understood

34

about the application would often be met with “no news is good news mate” which after a while becomes strangely unsatisfying!

It is only in recent years with the advent of social media etc. that we have had the pleasure of increased contact with the end client or architect which makes for a very different style of feedback in relation to our product.

I remember years before social media afforded us this regular contact, receiving a phone call late one afternoon in the office. The caller demanded whether I was “such and such who had provided a beam through so and so four weeks ago”. Eventually, I was able to determine that yes indeed I was the manufacturer of large hardwood Glulam ridge beam that had been supplied through a local merchant and recently installed in this gentleman’s home. “Well…

I’m sitting in my lounge staring up and looking at it” I braced myself not knowing what was coming next. “It’s <expletive> beautiful”.

A sigh of relief. In rapturous tones he proceeded to regale me with the features of his beam and concluded by asking me to pass on his sincere thanks to the team. It was great for our team to receive this kind of response and was a powerful reminder of the existence of the ‘often invisible’ customer at the very end of the line.

In this case, the customer had ordered an ‘A Grade appearance’ beam which had been prepared with the expectation that it would be an exposed feature in the house.

There are three main ‘appearance grades’ used in the Glulam industry as defined by the current Glulam standard AS1328.2 1998. It is important to note that appearance grades relate only to the aesthetic appearance of the visible surfaces of beams and have no relationship to structural performance.

A Grade beams A grade beams are ‘intended for use in applications where appearance of the member is important and clear

ing want shall be acceptable. The outermost laminations shall be free of loose knots and voids’. The majority of Glulam beams are produced to this aesthetic grade. Many beams with a B Grade aesthetic can be installed ‘as is’ and painted. Generally however, a B grade beam differs from an A Grade beam in that it will not have been fully sanded.

A little ‘elbow grease’ on site may be required to deal with the ‘occasional skips’ or ‘minor blemishes’ with the ulti-

“It was great for our team to receive this kind of response and was a powerful reminder of the existence of the ‘often invisible’ customer at the very end of the line” or painted finishes are used. All surface voids are filled or repaired.

Unless other use is specified, the surfaces shall be sanded to a minimum of 60 grit finish’. There is a tolerance in A grade for knot holes of a circular diameter under 30mm and other specific measures for ‘elongated’ holes and ‘edge checks’.

B Grade beams ‘B Grade’ Glulam beams are described as follows: ‘this grade is intended for use in painted applications where surface appearance is important, but a machine planed finish is acceptable. Occasional skips in the surface are permissible and minor blemishes, voids and manufactur-

mate result to be worked out between the builder, painter and client.

C Grade beams C Grade beams are defined as ‘intended for use in applications where surface appearance is not important.

All blemishes and voids are acceptable’. Structurally these beams should be as strong as any other beam, but they will be ugly. This is the Picnic Bar of Glulam and increasingly a rare beast! Glue runs, gaping knots, wane and even bark may find its way onto the inner laminates of these beams. They are generally structural members inside roof cavities or behind walls.

Less and less manufacturers offer a genuine

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

C grade beams since Glulam manufacturing technology has made it increasingly difficult to produce a beam this ugly even if one tries! There’s also been too many cases of builders choosing the ‘C Grade’ option to “save costs and sand it myself” only to find that the difference between a C Grade beam and a B Grade beam is very real indeed.

Knot not wanted Glulam manufacturers may choose to provide a custom finish at the specific request of a client. One we’ve heard a few times is “no knots at all please”. The first time we received this request, our response was to recommend to the prospective customer that perhaps ‘plastic’ might better suit their requirements! Having established however, that timber remained the product of choice a docking and grading program was designed, a suitable price negotiated, and beams produced to the customer’s satisfaction. Conversely, Glulam manufacturers have also had requests for ‘feature rich’ beams with ‘warts and all’ desired for aesthetic effect.

One more anecdote involving Glulam appearance grades involves a time back in the day when Oregon Glulam beams were still in vogue. One builder we supplied through a local merchant had several beams in each build – large members approximately 400-500 x 130mm in lengths from 7.2 to 12.0m long.

The merchant order always specified that these beams be made to

an ‘Appearance Grade A’ and as the manufacturer we always dutifully complied and invoiced accordingly!

Years of supplying these beams went by with nary a complaint and it was always a pleasure to inspect the finished product on the stools prior to these beams being wrapped. One day the builder rang and apologising for the direct contact, proceeded to explain that the latest batch of beams were needed more urgently than usual. The merchant had provided our contact details so that the builder could apply lead time pressure directly to the source.

I endeavoured to tactfully explain that although the beams had been made we were still in the process of ensuring the A Grade finish which meant at least one more day of work on the beams. The builder expressed surprise and proceeded to explain that every one of the Oregon beams he used went straight into the roof and were completely covered – never to be seen. The beams were subsequently delivered ‘as is’ and I do believe the merchant instructed to order B grade beams thereafter and “pass on the savings please”! I thought of the many thousands of dollars in premium pricing paid over the years for A grade beams used in a C grade application.

Somewhere, blissfully unaware home occupants live under plaster ceilings, above which sits some of the most beautiful Oregon beams we ever produced! We still appreciate them even if they can’t!

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ASSOCIATIONS

Toolbox Meetings a must!

By Kersten Gentle Executive OfďŹ cer FTMA Australia

U

nder WH&S Legislation the employer has a legal responsibility to carry out WH&S consultation. In practical terms, this means that all companies have a responsibility to carry out safety meetings with their workers.

These meetings are important because they keep the lines of safety communication open between management and workers and help you identify and correct potential hazards before incidents or injuries occur.

These meetings are structured to suit the size and type of your business. They can be a safety tool box meeting with all your workers or you can get workers to nominate health and safety representatives from the different sections of your workplace.

The most important aspect of these safety meeting is that you carry them out at least once every 3 months, or more often if safety issues arise, and that minutes of the meetings are documented.

Remember, a safety meeting is not just about ticking a box in your safety management system, it is about discussing and acting upon safety issues in your workplace and valuing workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; safety viewpoints. It is an opportunity for your employees to have a genuine and positive impact on decision making affecting safety at your workplace.

Conducting a safety meeting does not of itself guarantee that your duty to consult under the safety legislation will be met. You must ensure the following: Consultation is meaningful and effective â&#x20AC;&#x201C; encourages workersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; participation and input to improve the systems

of the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s safety management system.

Relevant information is provided to the workers on safety issues.

Safety improvements are discussed and are acted on.

Sometimes employers do not know what to discuss in a safety meeting with workers. Here are some suggestions: Review previous minutes Discuss risk assessments of the workplace Discuss any incidents or injuries Review some of your safety policies or procedures Discuss any safety concerns from workers.

Discuss any incidents you have heard about from other companies.

Provide some extra training in a safety area Discuss any new improvements or changes in the workplace.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s be clear about this, a frame and truss site can be a potentially hazardous place if not skilfully managed. Input from all your workforce, as well as prudent management, will minimise the chances of an accident occurring.

Commercial Credit Application T&Cs of Trade With changes in relation to Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) and some issues raised by members in relation to terms and conditions of trade, FTMA Australia in conjunction with our Silver Sponsors AB Philips have had lawyers at AMPAC renew our Commercial Credit Application Terms and Conditions of Trade.

Jaqi Rota is AB Phillips Trade Credit expert and Jaqi recognised we needed to strengthen wording in the document

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(dB h]dY =0 C d0IC = IC( Y C

ɸɜɡɿ BÂ&#x201A;Ă&#x2DC;Â?­ ɸɝã­ ËŹ ɸɟã­

Y t YĂ&#x2C6;ĂśÂ&#x201A;Âź VÂŻĂ&#x201A;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x153; YÂ&#x203A;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2DC;ĂŁ YĂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x153;Ă&#x153; ]ĂŁĂ&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â&#x203A;ĂŁĘ? Â&#x203A;Ă&#x201A;Ă&#x2C6;Ă´Â&#x201A;Ę? X= Ă&#x153; Â&#x201A;ŸôÂ&#x201A;ĂśĂ&#x153; ã­Â&#x203A; (dB çĂ&#x153;ĂŁĂ&#x2DC;Â&#x201A;Ÿ¯Â&#x201A; Â?Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;¨Â&#x203A;Ă&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x201A;Â?Â&#x203A; ÂŻĂ&#x153; ¨çŸŸ Ă&#x2C6;¨ ŠĂ&#x2DC;Â&#x203A;Â&#x201A;ĂŁ ÂŻĂ&#x201A;¨Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2DC;Ă Â&#x201A;ĂŁÂŻĂ&#x2C6;Ă&#x201A;Ę? ĂŁĂ&#x2DC;Â&#x201A;Â&#x2022;Â&#x203A; Â&#x2022;ÂŻĂ&#x153;Ă&#x2022;ÂźÂ&#x201A;ĂśĂ&#x153; Â&#x201A;Ă&#x201A;Â&#x2022; ô¯ã­Ă&#x2C6;çã Â&#x2022;Ă&#x2C6;çÂ&#x17D;ĂŁ ã­Â&#x203A; Â&#x17D;Â&#x203A;Ă&#x153;ĂŁ Ă&#x201A;Â&#x203A;ĂŁĂ´Ă&#x2C6;Ă&#x2DC;š¯Ă&#x201A;Š ÂŻĂ&#x201A; ã­Â&#x203A; ÂŻĂ&#x201A;Â&#x2022;çĂ&#x153;ĂŁĂ&#x2DC;ĂśĘ&#x2019;

to ensure fabricators are fully covered. Over the years we have had many builders test these terms and conditions and we are pleased that the document provided to members stood ďŹ rm.

AMPAC have updated the terms and conditions with a speciďŹ c revision of the PPSR Clause. They have also: Expanded the Application to try to capture any trusteeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s details (page 1). People are increasingly using a trust structure (particularly smaller traders) which may not be immediately apparent from their documentation. As you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t sue a trust, knowing the identity of the trustee company or an individual behind the trading trust is crucial.

If the credit application does not contain that information, it is very difďŹ cult to ďŹ nd it out as the identity of trustees are not available on any register; Since Trustees can easily be changed, added a requirement that the Customer update the member of such a change (14.10); Expanded the deďŹ nition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Goodsâ&#x20AC;? to include those supplied now or in the future; Added a stronger recommendation that the Customer obtains legal advice rather than â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;if they have any queriesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;; I have amended the charging clause at 13(4) whereby the Customer charges their land and a caveat can be lodged.

In terms of implementing the new document, FTMA Members should amend their individual copy to reďŹ&#x201A;ect their legal entity, and commence using the new document asap for all new account applications.

The new Commercial Credit Application Terms and Conditions of Trade has been uploaded to the Members Only section of FTMA News (www.ftmanews. com) and we encourage members to download this and implement in to their business at their earliest convenience.

If members have any enquiries regarding the new document, please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t hesitate to contact us and our experts at AB Phillips are also available to assist.

FRAME & TRUSS MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA

FTMA Australia is an independent, national organisation representing fabricators of and suppliers to the timber prefabricated truss and wall frame industry in all Australian states & territories providing a uniďŹ ed voice, to protect and advance our mult-billion dollar industry.

FTMA Australia thanks our dedicated supporters and encourages you to support those who support your industry GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS

COMBi iFT

L I F T I N G I N N O VAT I O N

Date set for 2019 FTMA National Conference The 2019 FTMA Australia National Conference is being held at RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast on the 25 - 26 March, 2019. Make sure you mark the date in your diaries now as this is an event not to miss, stacked full of great information and the best networking the industry has to offer.

If you are interested in sponsoring the only National Conference for the Australian frame and truss industry please contact Kersten Gentle on kersten@ftma.com.au

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

Australasia

For a full list of the conditions of membership and a downloadable application form visit: www.ftmaaustralia.com.au 35

ASSOCIATIONS

Deductions from pay and all the legalities!

Brian Beecroft Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Timber Trade Industrial Association (TTIA)

I

’ve been told on many occasions by payroll professionals over the years that employees become mathematical geniuses when it comes to deductions of any perceived discrepancy in their pay whether based on fact or not.

While this may indeed be the case, the law does make it extremely difficult for employers to make authorised deductions from an employee pay aside from PAYG without: the specific authority of the employee; a provision specified in the relevant award or agreement; or a condition specified in the contract of employment that allows the employer to make deductions from monies

due to an employee under reasonable circumstances.

For instance, many employers would be surprised that it is illegal to make deductions from an employee pay in circumstances such as shortfalls in cash experienced by an employee in the course of employment (unless authorised by an award, see below); fines imposed by employers on employees for breaches of company policies or practices or for such matters as lateness to work; recovery of monies owing from a private loan; recovery of monies caused by damage to company property.

Such monies can only be recovered by deduc-

tion from the employee’s pay by agreement with the employee.

A few examples of reasonable deduction may include: where an employee fails to give appropriate notice on termination the cost of items purchased on a corporate credit card for personal use by the employee the cost of personal calls on a company mobile phone the cost of petrol purchased for the private use of a company vehicle by the employee.

It really is a minefield and an area where employers should seek advice from the TTIA before proceeding with payroll deductions if there is even the slightest of doubt. The TTIA Employers Hotline can be accessed on 02 9264 0011.

from 1 July 2018.

The high income threshold will increase to $145,400 per annum, effective 1 July 2018.

The previous threshold was $142,000 per annum until 30 June 2018.

The high income threshold is the amount by which a category of employee is excluded from the unfair dismissal provisions of the Fair Work Act, and in relation to the guarantee of annual earnings relating to modern awards.

The increase in the

threshold affects a number of different provisions under the Fair Work Act, including: an award/agreementfree employee’s eligibility to claim unfair dismissal; the maximum amount of compensation of six months’ earnings that the Fair Work Commission can order an employer to pay to an employee deemed to have been unfairly dismissed; and the level an employer can guarantee an employee’s earnings which renders

the provision of the applicable modern award no longer applicable to the employee.

This can be a complex area, particularly issues in relation to what part of an employee’s package can be attributed to the threshold figure.

Employers who are unsure with regard to an employee’s award coverage or access to unfair dismissal are always advised to contact the TTIA Employers Hotline for advice and assistance (02 9264 0011).

SUPPORTERS & SPONSORS

High Income Threshold Employers are advised that the High-Income Threshold in the Fair Work Act has increased

For information visit: www.ttia.asn.au

Vale Doug Howick

By Gerry Gardiner President TPAA The passing of Charles Douglas Howick in Melbourne on 1 June, 2018, after a short illness, has deeply touched many.

Doug held many positions within the timber industry, and was most notably the national secretary of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia (TPAA) for 20 years, during which time he also served as the national executive director of AEPMA for 10 years. His drive in both organisations saw an increase in membership and a deepening of ties between AEPMA and the Federa-

tion of Asian and Oceania Pest Managers Associations (FAOPMA). During this time, he was the figurehead of the timber industry service club, the Hoo Hoo Club.

Even after retirement Doug continued a constant presence in the industry by attending conferences, editing newsletters (TVPAA Contact) and authoring a book. He authored more than 60 scientific papers on entomology, wood technology and pest management as well as a further 50 reports, conference papers and presentations.

I had the chance to meet Doug back in the ’80’s at a Hoo Hoo Convention on the Gold Coast. He struck me then as a person who had a strong passion for the

industry. At that time I was not aware of where or how he fitted into the Timber Industry.

I was a TPAA Councillor in the last few years of Doug’s role as Secretary. His passion was still very evident.

Doug was a committed Secretary, dedicated to the preservation industry in every way. He served many TPAA Presidents and committees over the years and was made an Honorary Life member in recognition of this dedicated service.

As the current President of TPAA I would like to acknowledge Doug’s efforts and support that he provided to the association for so many years.

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INDUSTRY NEWS ANYTIME, ANYWHERE SUBSCRIBE TODAY Visit timberbiz.com.au 36

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

australasian

magazine

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ASSOCIATIONS

Ŷ TVAA: Beach House at Mornington. Clare Cousins Architects

Brighten up with timber veneers Timber Veneer

Association of Australia

By Peter Llewellyn Technical Representative, Timber Veneer Association of Australia

W

hen exposed to light, wood products react by fading, darkening or changing to a different colour.

The stronger the light, the more pronounced the colour change. Timber veneers are no exception.

The effect is seen where pictures hang on timber panelled walls, or mats are placed on timber floors. The exposed surface changes while the covered area retains its original appearance.

It’s ultra violet that causes the change. The effect of UV light on wood can be masked by applying a colour stain, or blocked with a pigment stain, but often it’s preferred to try to keep

the original appearance.

Apart from protecting wood surfaces from sunlight by shading windows, the best option is to apply a coating with UV absorbers.

These are marketed as additives which are mixed into commonly available coatings to filter out UV radiation.

A collaborative research study into UV discolouration was undertaken several years ago by the Decorative Wood Veneer Association (forerunner to the TVAA), CSIRO Manufacturing and Materials Technology and the University of Melbourne.

The aim was to investigate the discolouration of selected veneers when exposed to UV light, and the effectiveness of various coatings currently used by the

industry to maintain colour stability. The project was financially supported by the Forest and Wood Products R&D Corporation.

The outcomes of the research project are summarised in a technical brief, available on the Timber Veneer Association’s website here: http://timberveneer.asn.au/referencematerial/publications - refer to the heading Minimisation of Colour Change of Reconstructed and Retoned Veneer.

The TVAA recommends the use of UV absorbing finishes on all veneered surfaces, not just those exposed to strong, direct sunlight. On less exposed surfaces similar changes may occur, but more slowly, so UV absorbing finishes are an advisable precaution.

Ŷ TVAA: Balmain House. Fox Johnston Architects

Women’s empowerment

By Colin Fitzpatrick Chief Executive Officer Timber & Building Materials Association (Aust.) Ltd

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With all the recent media talk and speculation about the empowerment of women both politically and commercially, TABMA Australia is very proud of the fact that women play a very important role in our association at the highest levels.

Examples are: Financial Controller – Jacqui Fine General Manager TABMA Qld, SA and WA – Alicia Oelkers General Manager TABMA Training – June Dunleavy State Manager NSW – Malynda Price State Manager Victoria – Ria Stephenson Assistant Accountant – Alissa Mizon As well, Ebony Tiltins, Melina Marxsen, Brooke Caracciolo, Tahlia Belotti, Vanessa Waghorn, Kim Jones and Megan Hurst all play a significant role within TABMA. TABMA is also heavily involved in the Women in Timber

AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

and Women in Hardware forums.

Women’s empowerment is described as the process in which women expand and recreate what it is they can be, do and accomplish. It also refers to the ability for women to enjoy their right to control and benefit from resources, assets, income and their own time as well as the ability to manage risk and improve their economic status and wellbeing.

At TABMA Australia there is no “glass ceiling” or bias and as a timber association we encourage other related associations and timber organisations to follow our lead.

Vale Bob Frost Bob Frost the founder of Tasman KB regrettably passed away over the weekend of May 5. Bob was a timber industry identity and served as a TABMA director for two terms between 1992 and 2007. He will be missed.

37

MATERIALS HANDLING

Long products no long-er a problem with new Combi-OP

C

ombilift has launched the first purposebuilt order picker, the Combi-OP, which has been specifically designed for long products.

Previously customers have had to modify traditional order pickers to cope with the specific demands of long loads. The Combi-OP now guarantees much more efficient and noncompromised operation for easy picking of long profiles in, for example, steel service centres.

This man-up truck features a long platform to enable the operator to access long products stored at height. It is fitted with guide rollers to enable it to operate in existing guided narrow

aisles of just 1.4m – the same width as those needed for Combilift’s GT truck. It enables operators to easily and safely hand pick orders for customerss from the roomy elevated ed platform and it has a capacity of 450 kg. Its overhead guard, light anti-slip floor, self-closing osing platform gate and guard rails guarantee ee utmost

safety, as does the travel speed and steering angle which automatically adjusts according to lift heights Its main features include: Operator Standing Over-Head Guard Multi-function steering/function control Dual speed control Operator display Guide rollers

AC electric steering AC motor technology The Combi-OP was launched during the off ficial opening of the new Combilift Global Headquarters. Built at a cost of 50 million, the new 46,500 sq. m (500,000 sq.ft) Global Headquarters and new manufacturing facility will allow Combilift to double production.

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WoodSolutions is resourced by Forest and Wood Products Australia Ltd (www.fwpa.com.au)

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L I F T I N G I N N O VAT I O N Materials handling for the Frame, Truss and Timber Industry Whether you handle extreme lengths of engineered timber, palletised goods, engineered floor, wall and roof structural panels, Combilift has the space saving and safe solution.

Contact Details: Email: chris.littlewood@combilift.com Phone: 1300 552422 www.timberbiz.com.au AUSTRALASIAN TIMBER August 2018

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