Optimization is relatively well established for most machining centers in the mill, from bucking/slashing through to the trimmer. This leads one to believe that minimal improvements in optimization are possible. Indeed, many equipment suppliers state a 98% recovery from certain machine centers, so what is the value in investing in new scanning technology to make an improvement that appears limited to only part of a 2% remaining target?

LMI Technologies believes there are significant improvements in scanning technology that will bring much greater value to mill operations. The 98% recovery is in part based on the amount of information available from the scanner. Typical scanners previously available for green side edgers and trimmers provided only 3D data, at a profile resolution between 25mm (1 in) and 100mm (4 in). 

To improve recovery, more information is required, at higher data density. Wane and other edge effects are not uniform along the board length. At profile resolution between 25 and 100mm, localized variations in edge effects can easily be missed by the scanner, resulting in a cutting decision that may not get the most value out of the board. Also, previous generations of scanners did not provide any information about visual surface defects on the board. This information can only be included in the optimization process when automated visual (colour) information is made available. Thus, the traditional 98% recovery statement is based on potentially limited dimensional information, and does not include any optimization based on detection of defects on the surfaces of the boards. Previous generations of scanning technology were only giving you part of the potential solution.

To improve recovery, LMI developed the DynaVision™ chroma+scan 3150 and 3300 scanners, and have hundreds installed in the field. These scanners provides a dramatic increase in data in two separate ways – by significantly increasing profile resolution with higher scanning rates, and by including visual automated (colour) imaging of the board surfaces.