Pre-sorting green lumber offers Canadian lumber producers the potential to increase both productivity and product quality. Another reason why many have adopted this practice is in response to demands from customers for greater product uniformity. Secondary manufacturers will often pay a premium to producers who can consistently deliver lumber dried to their specific moisture content (MC) requirements.
This Profile provides some background on the green lumber characteristics that have the greatest impact on drying uniformity within the SPF and Hem-fir lumber groupings. It also presents information on current technology being used in Canadian sawmills to pre-sort green lumber to improve recovery grade, reduce energy consumption, reduce drying times, improve final moisture content uniformity, and minimize excessive shrinkage. The challenge for lumber producers is to find a pre-sorting technology that can be implemented in their specific sawmill environment, and that will deliver a tangible return on investment.