March 2007
 

FEATURES

Roy Hirota of Hirota Corporation and Toshio Yoshida of Yoshida Lumber of Miyazaki-Ken, Japan.

Japanese Cedar is an evergreen conifer native to Japan.

Wood is the preferred material for aesthetic reasons as well as structural support in Japanese homes.

Installation of the USNR optimized shape sawing gang system.
USNR optimized board edger system.

Close up of USNR edger Maximizer system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yoshida Sawmill Installs USNR Secondary Breakdown Equipment

Yoshida & Company is a third generation, family owned business located in Nango-Cho Miyazaki-Ken, in southern Japan. The sawmill has been in operation for over 60 years, processing Japanese Cedar into lumber for the housing market, and also laminate for posts and beams.

Mr. Toshio Yoshida originally owned a logging company, but he decided it would be more profitable for him to start sawing his own logs rather than selling them. He owns a lot of nearby property and built the sawmill to harvest his Japanese Cedar.

The Yoshida sawmill is one of the largest Cedar sawmills in Japan. Over the last year it has undergone a major modernization, including the installation of a new USNR optimized shape sawing gang system and USNR optimized board edger system.

The Hirota Corporation represents USNR in Japan. Sales Manager Roy Hirota was instrumental in the modernization of the Yoshida mill, doing the planning and layout work, as well as helping put together the sale of USNR machinery to Mr. Toshio Yoshida.

“This USNR equipment has some very unique features to address the specific characteristics of Japanese Cedar,” said Roy. Because it grows on mountain sides it often has very dramatic sweep characteristics, which can be a

 
challenge in terms of recovery.

 

 Roy Hirota and Toshio Yoshida shown here in front of the USNR Shape Sawing Gang.

“If you try to saw it straight, you end up losing a lot of recovery, plus the lumber doesn’t have as much structural strength,” Roy stated. “But if you saw it on the curve, you’ll get longer and stronger lengths.”

In Japanese homes all the wood is exposed for aesthetic reasons, including the floors, ceilings and even the walls. Wood is very important and can be a personal statement. But big sections of clear wood are very expensive and not affordable to everyone.

The Yoshida sawmill makes a wide variety of products to address many different needs. “They’ll take four to six pieces of lower grade wood and glue them together to make a post,” Roy explained. “Then it’s wrapped in veneer from a good log, so it appears to be a very fine grained post.”

USNR supplied an optimized shape sawing gang, which is unique because it has no chip heads on it. USNR’s high speed board edger was provided with dual positioning pins, and both shifting saws and a bank of gang saws. This allows Yoshida to be more flexible, and change their product mix to meet changing market demands. The edger is capable of processing up to 48 pieces per minute.

“They can make a solid post rather than a laminate post if they want. They can choose to shape saw or straight saw,” mentioned Toby Slagle, USNR Capital Sales Manager. “With 27 saws, it’s a highly flexible system,” he added. “We can get a very thin ½” board. It’s a minimum net cut of 15mm, and the saws are able to cut 5/8” all the way through the gang.”

Before installing the USNR gang and edger, the mill was producing 250 m3 per day running a single shift. It is now producing 450 m3 per shift. In addition, they were able to retire two of their four resaws as a result of the new gang and edger installations.

The rest of the mill machinery was supplied by Japanese equipment manufacturers about 12 years ago, including two primary breakdown lines that feed the USNR secondary breakdown line. Hirota Corporation managed all the installation work.

Along with this modernization, Yoshida also put in a new boiler and added more dry kiln capacity. All their wood is kiln dried before the glue-lam process. Post and beam products are exported to Korea for further manufacturing and resold as material for the housing market.

 

TECH UPDATE

DynaStar is a computerized maintenance management system.

 

DynaStar™ Maintenance Management Software Version 4.0 Is Here

DynaStar™ version 4.0 is USNR’s latest enterprise asset and maintenance management software system. Version 4.0 incorporates a series of major enhancements based on customer feedback and the changing face of the asset and maintenance management industry.

Built upon proven Microsoft technologies such as the industry-standard SQL Server 2000 and the .NET framework, DynaStar 4.0 provides customers with a scalable database architecture and robust data communications.

DynaStar 4.0 features an Outlook-style user interface designed to reduce the learning curve for new and existing users, and utilizes familiar workflow concepts to maximize productivity. Many of the interface elements such as windows, taskbars and buttons can be moved, docked, floated and resized much like a typical MS Office application.

With DynaStar 4.0, users make the application work for them, not against them. Plus, the entire application is contained in a single, windowed application, reducing clutter on the desktop and in the Windows taskbar.

Customers with SQL server installations already in place will be able to leverage their existing investments in IT staff and infrastructure to include DynaStar 4.0. USNR will also provide the migration tools and expertise to allow existing version 3.x customers to make a smooth transition to version 4.0.

Just a few of the exciting new features in DynaStar 4.0 include:

Centralized Administration

  Better Search Tools
Microsoft SQL Database   Unlimited User-Defined Fields
Enhanced & Flexible Security   Customizable Data-Entry
Expanded Approval Process   Redesigned Interface
Enhanced PO Management   And so much more!

For more information call 800.BUY.USNR or call Product Manger Craig Sharun at (250) 954-1566.

 
 

 
Toby Slagle, Capital Sales Manager for USNR

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Toby Slagle is Capital Sales Manager for USNR. He came to work for USNR in the mid 1980’s, originally hired as a manufacturer’s representative. At the time, USNR relied on a distributor network to generate sales and did not employ its own sales team. USNR later changed its structure to include a team of dedicated sales people to represent its products, who had direct accountability to the operations group.

As more international business opportunities became available, Toby moved into International Sales. He was instrumental in putting together deals with overseas representatives like Hirota Corporation in Japan, and Skookums Ltd. in New Zealand.

“I find the global nature of the forest products industry fascinating, and enjoy meeting the unique challenges that international companies face today.”

Toby was born and raised in Castle Rock, WA, just up the road from USNR’s headquarters in Woodland. As a youth, he worked at a logging operation with his father in Alaska. Later, he experimented with boat racing before taking a job at Portland Iron Works where he became familiar with machine manufacturing. In his free time, Toby enjoys cooking and wine tasting.

 
 

PRODUCT FEATURE

This is a secondary system that lubricates the chain on the return. It is a simple system proven to be highly effective and very economical.

 
 

Simple Sharp Chain Lube System

When USNR redesigned its Sharp Chain a couple years ago, it incorporated decades of mill-tested knowledge to produce a higher-performance sharp chain that resists wear and tear.

Lubrication however, is an essential factor in sharp chain maintenance. Most systems have some method to apply oil to the chain rails. The best oil for this is a thicker bar and chain oil that will stay on the rail and not run off. But this thick oil doesn't penetrate into the pins of the chain very effectively.

It's important to keep the pins well lubricated in order to maintain a smooth articulation as the chain bends around the sprocket. USNR has developed a system to lubricate the chain pins on the return.

Sawdust is blasted off the chain before it enters a tight fitting plastic lubrication block. A light penetrating oil is then blown directly into the chain crevices and onto the pins.

Because this system has it’s own tank, it can use a light penetrating oil for the chain, and a thick bar and chain oil for the slide rails. It’s simple, effective and low cost.
   
 

 

NEW PROJECTS

 

 

 

USNR says Thank You to our customers for the new orders.

We appreciate your continued loyalty and pledge to continue earning it!

 

Bennet Forest Products of Grangeville, ID is upgrading their Dynastar system to version 4.0. In addition, the mill has purchased four bar-code readers for inventory maintenance. The advanced new Dynastar program offers small and mid-sized manufacturing companies the functionality that empowers maintenance personnel and operators to effectively manage maintenance activities, improve manpower utilization and extend asset life.

Cox Wood of Alabama has completed installation of its new USNR double track dry kiln at the Vance, AL operation. The system uses Kiln Boss controls to automatically run drying schedules while compiling diagnostic information. The system allows you to access kiln histories, pinpoint problems, and adjust the heat where you need it. Cox Wood is drying SYP poles.

Gulf Lumber Company recently bought the Boise Cascade plant in Jackson, AL. The mill had curtailed sawmill operations in August of 2006 due to weak lumber markets. Since then, Boise has been trying to find a way to get the plant back up and running and the employees back to work. Rick Grant, GM for Boise's Alabama Operations is optimistic about the sale. He said, "We believe Gulf Lumber-Jackson and its owners, the Stimpson family, will be good corporate citizens. They have been doing business in our area for many years."

Gulf Lumber is in the process of upgrading the mill and making repair s. The company has placed an order for a 3D LASAR scanning and optimization system for the existing carriage. The system will replace an Autolog system, and is expected to boost recovery, value and production. Gulf Lumber plans to run a single-shift operation, cutting about a million board feet of lumber per week.

Lake States Veneer has completed start-up of a new carriage with YieldMaster G3 and StereoScan scanning.

 

Manufacturier Warwick has placed an order for a USNR-Forano 58" chipper for their operation in Woburn, QC.

Produits Forestiers Saguenay of St-Fulgence, PQ recently purchased a USNR-Forano 75" chipper.

Riley Creek of Laclede, ID recently completed start-up of a new USNR MillWide Web system.

 

All of Riley Creek's USNR optimizer systems, as well as optimizers from