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News Release from: Forestry Commission | Subject: Measuring timber quality
Edited by the Buildingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 January 2007
Forestry Commission measuring timber
quality
Measurements of timber quality and straightness are being incorporated directly into timber procurement and processing for the first time.
Measurements of timber quality and straightness are being incorporated directly into timber procurement and processing for the first time, in an innovative research and development partnership between the Forestry Commission and a leading sawmilling company The Commission's research agency, Forest Research, has established the joint project with sawmiller James Jones and Sons
This article was originally published on Buildingtalk on 15 Jul 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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Although only one private-sector company is involved at this stage, the results of the project will be disseminated to benefit the whole British forestry and wood-processing sector.
Shaun Mochan of Forest Research and David Leslie of James Jones are working together from January to June this year to review the needs of the wood-processing industry and the latest research on the measurement of timber quality.
They will use this knowledge to develop an operational system to inform decisions on the procurement and processing of timber in the forest, log-yard and sawmill.
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The outputs of the project will be:.
* an operational system for incorporating quality measurements into the procurement and processing of British timber.
* training for harvesting teams in the measurement of stem straightness in standing trees.
* training for harvesting and processing personnel in the use of acoustic tools for determining timber quality.
At the end of the project a series of industry-wide workshops will be held to demonstrate the proposed system and how it can help to improve the allocation of material between forests and processors.
The project has direct benefits for Forest Research and for private-sector timber growers and wood processors.
It will help Forest Research to gain a better understanding of the British wood-processing industry, how it operates, and the market forces driving the industry.
James Jones, and ultimately the whole private sector, will learn about the latest techniques and research that are available to improve their business.
Barry Gardiner, from Forest Research's forest management division, explained, "This system is really a refinement of the 'red' and 'green' log system in current use, so that we'll be able to make much more refined assessments of timber quality and therefore be able to direct logs much more accurately to the most appropriate customers".
"As researchers we can only go so far in developing these techniques in the laboratory, so to speak.
At some point, in order to make the products of our research useful to the 'real world', we have to 'road test' them and develop them in the real world.
This is what we're doing here, and we're grateful to James Jones for giving us this opportunity.
Later this year we expect to be able make it available to the whole industry, and it should help to keep British wood competitive with imported wood.
"Partnerships such as this allow very direct technology transfer of research findings into industrial application".
"We hope that further such partnerships will be developed in the future to the benefit of the whole British forestry and wood-processing industries".
Professor Jim Lynch, chief executive officer of Forest Research, welcomed the collaboration: "This will help us better understand the real drivers of the British wood-processing industry: in particular the real operational constraints and market forces".
"We especially welcome this as we embark upon significant change within our organisation with the implementation of our new development plan." John Kissock of James Jones is clear of the benefits for the company and the private sector: "We're excited that we will learn the latest techniques from cutting-edge research, and we hope we'll be able to put them into use to build our business further.".
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