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May 2006 |
FEATURES
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Rocky Creek improves recovery by 8% with new USNR Edger Maximizer When Rocky Creek Lumber decided they wanted to diversify their product mix, they looked to USNR to provide a value-added solution. Mill Manager, Randell Robinson had seen a USNR Edger with a unique “Pendulum Picker” outfeed running at Mackeys Ferry in NC, and thought it might work for his application. “We took a chance” Randell said, “and it worked. I think it’s a great machine and it’s doing a good job. I’m very pleased with it.” Rocky Creek replaced a two-saw Hi-Tech Edger with USNR’s Edger Maximizer in April. USNR modified its standard design, rearranging the configuration of motors and positioners, to specifically fit the machine center location. The new edger features four shifting saws that are able to cross the center line of the cant, giving the mill expanded flexibility. “The thing about our old edger,” said Randell “was that the infeed chain ran all the way through the machine, so we had a saw on each side of the chain that could shift from 4 to 10” widths between the saws.” The USNR machine has four saws, but the feed chain only runs up to the infeed, enabling the shifting saws to cross the center line of the cant. “I can take a cant that would make a 4x6, for instance” Randell explained, “and now I can split it right down the middle and make two 3x4’s, or three 2x4’s, or I can make a 4x4 and 2x4. It all depends on what my customers want at the time, where the value is, and what the demand is.” He went on to say, “Our old edger limited our product mix strictly to timbers. But now I have the ability to manipulate it with this machine, and that’s a big help to us.” Another big advantage is USNR’s outfeed solution that was able to fit the existing mill layout in terms of raw material waste. “The ‘Pendulum Picker’ outfeed is a unique concept that allows the system to handle the multiple products now coming from the edger, and connect with the rest of the mill in the same footprint, without having to move a lot of machinery around” said USNR Engineering Manager, Mike Dockter. Randell mentioned, “USNR’s outfeed is a clean and simple solution that offered much lower maintenance compared to anything else on the market.” Randell Robinson said “The start-up went really smooth” and added ”everyone did a good job with planning and predicting scenarios that might happen, identifying what could be done to prevent them, and then taking those steps up front. He said “No one was surprised when it was time to throw the switch and crank the machine up.” Rocky Creek Lumber also has USNR equipment in other areas of the mill. The USNR-Bowlin Merchandiser and the double length canter both use 3D Smart TriCam scanning and optimization systems. The mill dries its lumber with three USNR Irvington-Moore kilns. The Rocky Creek operation was formed by Randell Robinson and Mason and Susan McGowin, and started up in the summer of 2001. In March of 2006, it was sold to Roy O. Martin Lumber Company. Jonathan Martin commented that the Rocky Creek purchase "fits our need to broaden our product mix, and the operation is well run with a good management team.”
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EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT Whit Whitmire is an Account Representative for USNR's Dry Kiln Division in the Northeast and Mid-West United States. Whit first came to work for USNR in 1987 when it was Irvington-Moore in Jacksonville, FL. Then in the early 90's, he went to work as Sales Manager for a lumber handling equipment company in NC, before returning to work for USNR's Dry Kiln Division in 1996. Whit graduated from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL with a degree in Meteorology and Climatology, which to hear him tell it, led him right into the dry kiln fundamentals of temperature and humidity. Born and raised in Greenville, SC, Whit went back to that area after graduation, and found a job teaching the Dry Kiln Program in the Wood Products Department of Haywood Technical College in Clyde, NC. The school had a complete miniature sawmill and planermill onsite, including a knife grinding lab, saw filing shop and dry kiln. There he spent ten years teaching students the fundamentals of lumber drying. Other accomplishments include teaching eighth-grade math for a year and touring Germany with the U.S. Army for five years. Whit is married and has two adopted daughters and one grandson. He likes to Golf and do wood-working when he gets a chance.
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PRODUCT FEATURE
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Splined Saw Arbors: Solid or Sleeve Type The arbor in a modern gang saw is one of the most important components, but it often gets overlooked when a mill is trying to improve its performance. Swapping out arbors is a difficult process, which means lots of mills wind up running them past their prime. USNR understands this, and that's why it makes sense to look to us when you finally decide it's time for a new arbor. USNR splined-sleeve arbors offer outstanding value both by extending the service life of the arbor system and by limiting the wear to the sleeves, not to the arbor itself. Using spacers to periodically adjust the positions of the saws on the splines prevents deep ruts from forming on the splines. That means you get a better fit between the arbor and the blade, reducing saw vibration. And when it's time to replace the sleeves, you simply slip them off and put a new one on: the arbor itself doesn't need to be replaced!
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NEW PROJECTS
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Britton Lumber has placed an order for a USNR Smart TriCam scanning and optimization system on an existing Lineal Edger in the Ely, VT facility. The company was founded in 1946 in Hartland, Vermont and processes Eastern White Pine. CM Tucker recently commissioned USNR to reskin two kilns at the Pageland, SC facility. The company uses one burner to heat both kilns and produces split rail fencing as well as timbers. Fred Netterville Lumber in Woodville, MS has ordered a 68' USNR double track hardwood package kiln. They mill has eight USNR package kilns, but this one is a little different. The mill works mostly with Poplar and other fast drying hardwoods, and this double track package kiln will enable them to stage the loading and move a little faster. The new steam kiln will be controlled by an existing USNR Kiln Boss system to dry mostly Red Oak, White Oak, Poplar and Ash. The Fred Netterville Lumber Company produces over 25 mmbf of southern hardwoods annually. Charlie Netterville is the current HMA President. Georgia Pacific in Palatka, FL has ordered a reskin of two older USNR-Irvington Moore kilns. The 68' hi-temp track kilns are direct fired. Morgan Lumber recently purchased a complete USNR Trim/Sort/Stack line with PLC controls for their rebuilt planer mill in Red Oak, VA. TR Miller in Brewton, AL has started-up their new Triple-Length Continuous dry kiln using their existing 18 million btu gas burner. Potlatch of Warren, AR placed an order for a USNR Stacker upgrade. The job included a new unscrambler, stacker carriage drive upgrade, electrical revisions and a distribution safety-slip clutch. The upgrades will increase speed and the number of courses per minute. Shuqualak Lumber has purchased a USNR US-305 Lift Truck for their operation in Shuqualak, MS. Shuqualak Lumber is one of the Southeast’s largest privately owned independent producers of Southern Yellow Pine, producing over 130,000,000 board feet of dimension lumber annually. |
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