Less downtime, more output

In Rohrbach an der Lafnitz, in southeastern Styria, Rubner Holzindustrie (RHI) processes around 400,000 m³ of spruce, fir, and pine logs a year. Fire safety has always been a high priority there: “We have 26 employees dedicated to this topic. We have installed smoke detectors and sprinkler systems in some areas. However, when those are triggered, it’s already too late and a fire has broken out,” Fabio Weber, RHI’s fire safety officer, emphasizes. Around a year and a half ago, the company became aware of Avian and its sophisticated early warning system through a Holzkurier article.

The principle behind Avian’s solution: Thermal imaging cameras monitor entire machines or critical machine components. The collected temperature data flows into Avian’s in-house AI algorithm which detects anomalies early on. As soon as a defined limit is exceeded, the responsible employee receives a notification.

To test the system, RHI installed two cameras near the Stratoplan planer from Slovenian manufacturer Ledinek. The company uses this machine to produce approximately 240,000 m³ of planed timber a year. Since then, the cameras have been monitoring all motors as well as the planing table from two sides. Another thermal imaging camera was installed in the sawmill hall.

Mercer Timber Products, Saalburg-Ebersdorf/DE, has been using the Swiss system Since the beginning of the year. With a feed rate of 1,200 m/min, the Gilbert planer in use at Mercer is one of the fastest in the world. This year, output is expected to reach around 450,000 m³. Three cameras are installed in the planer cabin, and another monitors the infeed area. Based on the positive experience with Avian’s solution, Mercer has purchased additional cameras, which will be installed in the debarking and screening areas in the coming weeks. “The screening area, in particular, is not continuously monitored by an employee, and there have been fire incidents there in the past. With this technology, we want to prevent such incidents in the future,” Denny Friedrich, deputy plant manager at Mercer, tells us.

Plug and play

“The cameras only require a network cable and are usually ready for operation in just a few minutes. Each camera can detect up to ten temperature zones, which makes it much easier to locate the triggers for alarms. The threshold values are set either manually by the company or automatically by our algorithm, which also takes daily and seasonal fluctuations into account,” Avian’s CEO Thomas Längle explains. His company’s list of customers includes numerous renowned national and international timber groups.

Both RHI and Mercer confirm the ease of use. “Once the infrastructure has been prepared, the first data appears on the dashboard after a short time. The operation of the system is largely self-explanatory,” Stefan Graf, measurement and control technician at Mercer and project manager for the installation, says.

Another advantage: The temperature ranges to be monitored can be freely selected and adapted, reduced, or expanded at any time. If necessary, it is easy to switch between the machine components that are being monitored.

Early reaction

“In addition to fire protection, we use the cameras to optimize planer settings and for preventive maintenance,” Friedrich tells us. Johann Zingl, production manager at RHI, also emphasizes this advantage: “Changes in temperature are immediately visible, allowing us to react quickly. Preventive maintenance significantly increases machine availability and massively reduces unplanned downtime. We can draw many conclusions from the thermal data.”

Even small adjustments to the machine settings can have a major impact: “Often, a slight adjustment of the planer table is enough for the temperature to return to normal. In the past, such decisions were made based on the experience of the machine operators. Today, they are based on temperature data,” Michael Fuchs, Head of Electrical Engineering and Automation at RHI, explains.

The progression of the temperature increase is also recorded and displayed, which enables the prioritization of maintenance measures: “In the case of slow increases, it may be enough to replace the affected components outside of production hours rather than immediately, which has a positive effect on machine availability,” Martin Strasser, RHI shift manager, says.

Better understanding of machines

According to Mike März, planing mill manager at Mercer, the system also helps operators to better understand the effects of adjustments, as they are visualized in real time. The temperature data is displayed directly in the machine control system via an interface. At the moment, adjustments are still made manually – but automatic adjustment would also be technically feasible.

Integration into the machine control system

“Using Modbus TCP, we can read the data directly into the machine control system, thereby optimizing it,” Längle explains. In addition to the automatic shutdown of the system, the interface offers the option of adjusting feed rates or rotational speeds.

Warning lights or acoustic signals can also be triggered as soon as a threshold temperature is exceeded – an option that Mercer already uses: “This way, we make sure that machine operators are aware of alarms even when they are not at the control station,” März explains. The temperature data can also be integrated into an extinguishing system via the PLC interface and can activate sprinkler systems if necessary.

System stands the test

“We have already prevented a fire. While processing beetle-infested wood, a splinter got jammed. The rising temperature triggered an early warning, enabling us to intervene in time and prevent an open flame,” Friedrich tells us.

Thanks to the automatic shutdown of the planer by Avian’s system, major damage to the plant was averted.