High quality thanks to continuous innovation

WoodEye of Linköping/SE, made a name for itself especially in the hardwood industry. The company’s focus is on the parquet, board and furniture industry as well as on products such as window scantlings or planed timber. Since 2016, former and present CEO Leif Erlandsson and chief sales officer Stefan Nilsson are back on board, and the company has developed enormously after some difficult years. With its own branch in Rosenheim/DE managed by Peter Hagnberger, WoodEye started off again especially in the German-speaking area. Four employees are responsible for the project support in this area. This “revival” as well as the consistently positive feedback from its customers prompted Holzkurier’s editorial team to elect WoodEye as the timber industry supplier of the year 2020.

In use worldwide

The company was founded in 1983. At the time its name was Innovative Vision. The first scanner went into operation in 1987. “By now, we have delivered more than 600 scanners worldwide”, comments Erlandsson. Since 2015, the company is part of the Springer Group. Nonetheless, together with the two affiliates Microtec and Finscan, the companies are competitors on the market, mostly because of their largely different focus and products as well as areas of application. “Our focus is still on areas of application where a particularly high quality is required”, says Nilsson and lists the parquet industry and window scantling manufacturers as examples. Strategically, WoodEye wants to continue to focus on its own strong suits, i.e. detecting the various characteristics of all types of deciduous and coniferous wood and getting out the best quality and classifying it according to customer specifications.

In the future, WoodEye wants to broaden its position: “Our scanners could also be used in the final inspection of finished products”, explains the chief sales officer. This allows WoodEye to check varnished slats or finished parquet planks for any damage to the varnished surface. In order to do so, the reflection or degree of gloss is used. Also, the scanner can determine whether the surface of multi-layer parquet is properly glued.

WoodEye’s executives see large-format timber (construction) products, and especially their repair and sorting, as an additional segment in which a further development could be launched on the market already next year. However, the company does not want to reveal details yet.

Hagnberger also attaches great importance to the WoodEye Rip: “This system scans unedged sawn timber. When it comes to added value, the WoodEye Rip is the first step towards a higher yield. Currently, there is demand for this type especially in the US, but we also see considerable potential in Central Europe as well – especially when it comes to hardwood”, explains Hagnberger. Additionally, WoodEye can classify wood according to the criteria defined by the NHLA. “Two of our employees attended grading seminars in order to understand this classification and thus to program the scanner software correctly. In addition to the NHLA’s requirements, we can also set customer-specific qualities – as usual. So far, a combination like this is only available at WoodEye.”

Support the customer

“Apart from technology, we offer our customers two key advantages”, says Erlandsson. “One advantage is the extensive customer training in Linköping before a scanner is installed on site. This way, machines can be installed and started up within a few days.” After an agreed period of time, a WoodEye technician visits the customer again in order to clarify possible questions and adjust settings if necessary. “Our second big advantage is that we are the only manufacturer who has an open system, which means that customers can intervene themselves and make adaptions”, adds Hagnberger.

In case questions about various technical matters arise, WoodEye offers customers a new service support. Users can choose from three packages (Silver, Gold, Platinum), all of which include WeConnect Diagnostics: With this program, scanner performance and yield can be displayed at any time. A highlight is WeConnect SuperVision: During maintenance, the customer wears AR (Augmented Reality) glasses with a camera and headset. The WoodEye technician in Sweden follows maintenance in real time and sees everything the customer sees thanks to the camera. “This basically makes the on-site user the extended arm of our specialists”, comments Nilsson.

“We have been working on further developing artificial intelligence for years. Today, already a quarter of our programmers use it for their work. In the coming years, artificial intelligence will be increasingly used in areas where it makes sense, such as in the sorting of wood according to aesthetic criteria”, says Erlandsson in conclusion.