A-Grader : a timely innovation for New Zealand's wood processing industry
Every month in New Zealand over 100,000 cubic metres of timber is assessed by Scion’s timber assessment tool, the A-Grader. This development has played a vital role in enabling the wood processing industry to meet higher standards of product quality assurance to consumers.
With the value of timber between two grades (e.g., MSG8 and MSG10) being about 10 to 15%, there is a great incentive for the wood processor to ensure their material is correctly graded. Knowing the stiffness of any one piece can also allow the wood processor to intelligently reconstitute it to produce a more valuable product.
The A-Grader, developed some three years ago by Scion in conjunction with Taranaki-based Falcon Engineering, is a ‘stress‑grading’ machine that uses sound waves to measure timber stiffness. Since the first prototype was built in 2005, the A-grader has been installed by a number of sawmills and remanufacturing companies. There are already some 14 operating in a variety of wood processing companies throughout New Zealand, which by any standards is a rapid uptake for a new product.
The A-Grader exploits the relationship between acoustic velocity, density and stiffness. By measuring the density of a given piece of timber, and the velocity of an acoustic wave, the stiffness can be simply deduced. This is extremely fast (microseconds), requires a relatively small machine and can work on very small pieces of timber (down to about 250mm in length). It is also independent of the moisture content of the timber, or its width and depth.
The result is a simple machine, with a small footprint that easily fits into most wood processing operations. It is also highly versatile, allowing individual companies to modify it to their particular needs.
Falcon Engineering is another beneficiary of this development. This small and innovative engineering company has leveraged off this development to substantially grow its business. With an eye on the North American market, this may be only the beginning.
With the value of timber between two grades (e.g., MSG8 and MSG10) being about 10 to 15%, there is a great incentive for the wood processor to ensure their material is correctly graded. Knowing the stiffness of any one piece can also allow the wood processor to intelligently reconstitute it to produce a more valuable product.
The A-Grader, developed some three years ago by Scion in conjunction with Taranaki-based Falcon Engineering, is a ‘stress‑grading’ machine that uses sound waves to measure timber stiffness. Since the first prototype was built in 2005, the A-grader has been installed by a number of sawmills and remanufacturing companies. There are already some 14 operating in a variety of wood processing companies throughout New Zealand, which by any standards is a rapid uptake for a new product.
The A-Grader exploits the relationship between acoustic velocity, density and stiffness. By measuring the density of a given piece of timber, and the velocity of an acoustic wave, the stiffness can be simply deduced. This is extremely fast (microseconds), requires a relatively small machine and can work on very small pieces of timber (down to about 250mm in length). It is also independent of the moisture content of the timber, or its width and depth.
The result is a simple machine, with a small footprint that easily fits into most wood processing operations. It is also highly versatile, allowing individual companies to modify it to their particular needs.
Falcon Engineering is another beneficiary of this development. This small and innovative engineering company has leveraged off this development to substantially grow its business. With an eye on the North American market, this may be only the beginning.