ALC Learns Latest AI In Lumber Grading Equipment
The latest technology for grade scanning hardwood lumber was presented to the Appalachian Lumbermen’s Club at its recent meeting in Tryon, NC.
The group of sawmill, yard and secondary manufacturing sales and production people learned how technology has evolved in the past 30 years. Bob Arnold of USNR explained that artificial intelligence was introduced with the invention of computers decades ago but has made great strides in recent years.
He said automated hardwood lumber grading scanners can now capture every detail of a board: knots, splits, shake, bark pockets, decay, worm holes and more. The technology can optimize the information using grade rules, defect allowances, values and yields.
Arnold said USNR has a comprehensive set of scan data with thousands of lines of code for every defect, knots, splits and bark pockets.
Engineers have spent months writing rules for the images that can be scanned from hardwood lumber.
This effort has resulted in a deep neural network that sees the image, learns the pattern, and applies it every time even if the defect looks slightly different.
Arnold said it is not magic but rather leveraging decades of AI progress to apply to hardwood lumber.
The presentation included videos of scanners in operation that could operate up to 100 boards per minute. There were dozens of images displayed that showed defects and other items the scanner detects and processes.
Arnold noted the optimizer system comes preloaded with NHLA grade rules. Companies are required to enter the dollar values for product grades and lengths.
The next meeting of the ALC is Nov. 11 at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City, TN.
For more information, please visit www.lumberclub.org.
