Profitability gain expectations for computed tomography of sawn logs

Abstract

As the wood sawing industry in Central Europe is highly competitive, sawmills constantly try to increase their efficiency in the production process. The computed tomography (CT) technology is a promising way to increase the economic outcome of the sawing process. Nevertheless, the number of successful industry applications is still rare. In this study, the potential advantages of a roundwood scanning CT in a sawmill which uses bandsaw technology are analysed. A discrete event simulation model covering most of the sawmill’s activities was developed and six output-altering CT-factors were implemented to identify the effects of the CT on sawing strategies. The CT-factors are applied to all assortments and affect the output of the sawing process. Since the CT scanner presumably affects the selection of logs for the sawing process, each CT-factor scenario was applied to different log selection strategies. By testing several scenarios, the prospective economic impact of a CT scanner could be revealed and an investment appraisal was conducted. Under different assumptions, an internal rate of return of 5% up to 42% was calculated.