Technical support for sawmill investments through digital simulation

Technical support for sawmill investments through digital simulation
10.102022
Secteurs
1st transformation
In order to support sawmills in their need for productivity and financial gains, FCBA offers studies integrating a high-performance and global digital simulation.

The current context, in connection with the ecological transition and in particular low-carbon construction, is very favourable to wood materials. Nevertheless, due to the crises encountered in recent years (health, war in Ukraine, global warming, etc.) and their impact on the resource and the economy, it has never been so complex to make heavy investments in sawmills. The need to take into account markets, raw materials and energy requires a global approach. This approach, integrating many variables, is therefore very complex.

However, real possibilities exist for determining optimised solutions that take into account the reality of the field, by exploiting the considerable amount of information that companies possess, thanks in particular to cubers, automats and scanners, which are increasingly present. FCBA proposes to respond to this by means of studies integrating a highly effective and global digital simulation.

FCBA carried out this innovative intervention at the Combrailles sawmill in order to best meet the needs of productivity and financial gain expected by the client. FCBA used the SAWSIM® simulation software developed by HALCO Software. This software integrates, in addition to a flow simulation software, all the parameters of the sawing unit: machine process (speed, blade passage, operating time, positioning, orientation, etc.), wood purchase (price, species, quality, distribution), sales (price, type of products, quality essence). Process data.

 

After establishing a reference model from field measurements, the software is used to quantify the impact of changes (log supply, purchase or sale prices, new sawing lines or equipment replacement, addition of new products) on the financial performance of the processing unit and on machine costs. It allows the sawmill managers to forecast and validate the expected impact of the proposed investments.

In the end, the report compares the scenarios and provides data on their financial performance (related and sawn timber), volumes, machine loads and material yield. This support is provided within the framework of the “AMbition Industrie du futur” projects run by the AURA region.