Microtec Connect is the name of the fingerprint solution from South Tyrol, which is based on log data gathered by a CT-Log scanner. Thanks to Microtec’s integrated scanner and software solutions as well as its implemented AI platform, each log can be traced. This is done by comparing virtual boards (before cutting) to real ones (after cutting). Furthermore, each board can be traced back to the original log it was cut out of, meaning that it can be identified during each production phase.
“This modular concept offers enormous advantages for the optimization of value and yield across the entire production site, but also when it comes to connecting two individual scanners,” Microtec’s product manager Thomas Gagliardi explained at the Ligna fair in Hanover.
It starts in the log yard
As mentioned above, the product everything starts with is Microtec’s tried and tested CT-Log. The computed tomography scanner completely reconstructs the internal characteristics of the log wood, thereby making it possible to sort it according to quality and cut it with the highest value.
Complete 360-degree scan
Behind the CT-Log, the Logeye multi-sensor scanner is located. It uses laser, color and X-ray channels to gather precise data for log sorting and the optimization of cutting based on the diameter, length, curvature and the tapering of individual logs as well as their internal quality characteristics. For measuring the logs, the Logeye-Stereo can be used in crosswise transport, too. This scanner is used, for example, when the measuring is done on a clamping carriage in front of a log band saw. “Our 3D stereoscopic scanner is the only scanner in the world that delivers a complete 360-degree scan of a log as it rolls into the band saw carriage, the saw stand or from a cross onto a longitudinal conveyor,” Microtec’s Marketing Manager Melanie Kaindl said. Data obtained from the Truespin, a scanner for monitoring log rotation, can also be entered into the Microtec Connect system.
Transverse and longitudinal scanning
At the Ligna, Microtec also exhibited the Goldeneye 900, a high-precision multi-sensor transverse quality scanner, and used it to demonstrate how boards can be tracked in Microtec Connect. The Goldeneye scanner reliably determines the surface quality of green, dry or planed lumber on all four sides. For quality detection, the Goldeneye is also available for longitudinal through-feed scanning. “The combination of lasers, cameras, X-ray technology and artificial intelligence increases yield and produces very precise scan results for consistently high quality,” Microtec emphasizes. The Finscan multi-sensor transverse scanner was also on display at the trade fair. The Finscan grading system is an important part of Microtec’s extensive range of products and is characterized by its efficiency and ease of maintenance. According to the manufacturer, the system, which is tailored to Nordic wood, offers a proven value yield of over 96% at high production speeds.
In Hall 27, Microtec focused on further processing and exhibited an extra-wide model of the Woodeye scanner. The Woodeye Wide multi-sensor quality scanner for hardwood combines scatter lasers, 3D lasers, color, X-ray and hyperspectral analysis to ensure precision in sorting and grading and is used in separating, sorting or cross-cutting processes, for example.
Microtec’s Mill Manager is a comprehensive solution for the analysis, monitoring and planning from log to end product. This tool is used to optimize production results.
Debut in Europe
Microtec’s QC-Assist made its debut in Europe. “This quality control and reporting tool for lumber supports the sorting performance by improving the efficiency and quality of grading,” Kaindl explained. QC-Assist’s software enables the seamless communication with the scanner system as well as the Microtec Grading Support Team, thereby allowing users to easily examine and document boards of interest during the QC process. QC-Assist is already being used successfully in North America.
