10. 8. 2023
Separation of metal objects from wooden Logs (case study)
Problem
Wooden logs are the basic material for the production of DTD, MDF, laminated boards, furniture components and other wooden products. This Czech manufacturer with a long-standing tradition (exporting approximately 60% of the produced wooden boards), was struggling with the presence of metal objects in the raw wooden logs, as these objects caused significant problems in several areas:
- They created technological difficulties (fragments of forestry machinery, saws, chains, as well as smaller objects like nails, bullets and small shot used to damage the expensive wood processing equipment and led to costly downtimes and production delays).
- They also made their way into the final products (e. g., such as particleboards and laminated boards). Since a portion of this production is supplied to significant retailers like IKEA, there is a high risk of costly quality claims that could seriously damage the reputation of this manufacturer.
Due to the fact that the metal objects were mostly deeply embedded into the structure of the wood, they could not be separated or removed by the application of e. g. magnetic separators. Similarly, standard types of metal detectors were not suitable for their detection because the wooden logs have a diameter of up to 700 mm and a length of up to 5000 mm, which are values that standard frame or tunnel metal detectors are not able to cope with. Additionally, taking into account the frequency occurrence of these metal contaminants, the client needed a technical solution that would not only detect the unwanted objects, but also eliminate them without the interruption of the production process.
Solution
The ideal solution proved to be the application of the octagonal tunnel metal detector METRON 05 CO. This detector reliably detects iron, stainless steel, aluminum, copper, brass, and other metal objects, both loose as well as encapsulated or even fully hidden in the wooden logs (with a diameter of up to 1600 mm). Moreover, it is a fully stainless-steel, highly robust device that easily withstands the harsh environment of wood processing plants. The octagonal shape was specifically developed for the inspection of wooden logs transported on conveyor belts. The client also highly appreciated the extensive additional equipment of the METRON 05 CO, as it allowed for automatic sorting of the detected objects by the KESAT control systém - when the detector detects a metal object in a wooden log, the control system of the processing line automatically moves this log from the main conveyor belt to a side conveyor.
Benefits of our solution for the client
The METRON 05 CO metal detector has fulfilled all client requirements as it reliably detects and automatically removes all metal contaminants. It not only protects subsequent expensive processing equipment from damage (preventing costly production downtimes) but also guarantees the purity of the final product and eliminates the risk of quality claims (resulting from the presence of metal contaminants in particleboards and laminated boards).
Applied equipment: Tunnel metal detector METRON 05 CO