USNR focuses on SAM Technology

 Tuesday, April 12, 2022

USNR focuses on SAM Technology which can leverage scan data to improve the processes and automate quality control.

SAM Technology effectively replaces many quality control functions typically performed manually. This new technology has been running in production since 2017.

A mill where products are quality controlled through technology, where mill QC staff is deployed for higher level analytical work, manual quality control measurement for PLC correction is seldom required. It is then possible to operate the mill at its peak efficiency, value recovery, throughput performance, and safety.

Before each processing step, SAM measures the size, shape, and position of logs, cants, and flitches, and then measures them again after cutting using Flitch Matching™ technology.

SAM combines the before-and-after measurements with the optimizer’s solution to:

• determine the differences between what was intended to be cut, and what was actually cut
• identify which saws, chippers, and positioners were used to process each piece

After collecting a statistically-significant set of samples, SAM calculates how to bias the PLC to minimize those errors, making recommendations for each saw, chipper, and positioner.

After being cut at the log line, flitches pile up in an unscrambler – and it’s not obvious to the human eye which log the flitch came from, or which saws and chippers produced it.

USNR’s patented Flitch Matching™ technology associates flitches with their parent log. The unique 3D shape characteristics of the flitch lets SAM identify each piece by comparing the flitch shape from the edger optimization scan to the original log line optimization scan. SAM can identify the parent of almost every piece, and also identify which cutting devices on the log line produced them. Feeding this data back to the log line lets SAM calculate PLC bias adjustments to help eliminate cutting errors.

SAM calculates and sends bias adjustments to the PLC to correct fence positioning errors and saw errors.

USNR is continually adding to this suite to provide the highest level of efficiency, value recovery, and safety.

Tags: automation, edge, flitch shape, SAM Technology, scanning, unscrambler, USNR