Purpose
Few tools currently exist to assist mill and yard managers in their day-to-day drying management decisions. This project aimed to develop and verify a timber drying technology and a decision support application for higher value production across the wider timber industry.
Summary
Hardwoods can be impacted by defects such as cracks or warping during the drying process. These defects lower the timber's value, forcing producers to sell it as a lower-grade product. The goal of this project was to reduce these defects by giving mill and yard managers tools to monitor drying conditions more easily.
This project developed and tested a new digital tool to help timber yard managers make better decisions when drying hardwood. Researchers collected data from several timber yards in Tasmania and used drones and sensors to map airflow and drying patterns. The Hardwood Improved Air Drying (HI AirDry) app developed by the research team used sensors, weather data, and computer models to estimate how timber dried in different yard conditions. They also improved an existing drying model called KILNSCHED and combined it with real-time data to predict moisture content and drying stress in timber racks. With better information such as this, yard managers can make smarter choices about how to dry the wood.
Benefits to the Forest and Wood Products Industry
The application lets managers check the moisture content and drying stresses of timber stacks in real time. It also provides predictions that help avoid defects.
Overall, the project showed that using digital tools and sensing technology in timber drying can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of the process. This will lead to better product outcomes and higher profitability for the hardwood industry
Acknowledgement
This work was supported by funding provided to Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) to administer the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation program (NIFPI).
Funding for the program was provided by the Australian Government, the Tasmanian Government and Australian forest and wood products industry.
