Internal log scanning for optimizing breakdown

Optimization of log breakdown is still an open and active research topic. Even though it is proven that substantial economic gains (by quality improvement) could be achieved by acquiring knowledge about the internal structure of logs, industrial optimization applications taking into account internal defects have not yet been realized. X-ray computed tomography (CT) is the most used technique for imaging internal wood defects. Contrary to medical CT scanners where this technique is now perfectly mastered, industrial CT scanners should satisfy more extreme constraints to be used in a sawmill environment. Airport security scanners give an operational solution to this problem. A test of such a scanner in a sawmill demonstrates the operational validity of this assumption. Furthermore, a simple and non-automated optimization based on the data provided by this scanner clearly proved that value gains could be realized thus giving great hopes for a fully automated system.