Artificial intelligence on the guard of quality

Artificial intelligence on the guard of quality: Raute implements neural networks for detecting defects in veneer, plywood and LVL

    Finnish company Raute, a global leader in technologies and services for the woodworking industry, has announced the introduction of improved artificial intelligence defect detection in production environments. The new system is designed for the production of veneer, plywood and LVL (laminated veneer). The solution allows for earlier and more consistent production decisions, helping plants improve their product yields, reduce waste, and optimize energy consumption.

Why is defect detection critically important?

    In the engineering production of veneer-based wood, the detection of defects directly affects the efficiency of the use of raw materials. Decisions about:

•     - veneer cutting (where to make an incision to bypass knots and cracks);
•     - cutting edges;
•     - routing (which sheet to send where);
•     - repair (whether it is worth fixing the defect or sending the sheet for recycling).
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When the detection is inaccurate or inconsistent, it results in:

•     - unnecessary loss of material;
•     - reducing the output of finished products;
•     - inefficient use of energy at subsequent stages (for example, drying defective sheets).

How does the AI system from Raute work?

Raute analyzers are industrial systems used to measure, sort and classify veneers and panels at various stages of production. They provide real-time quality data.

What's new:
    AI-assisted defect detection reinforces this role. By combining industrial machine vision with deep learning models designed specifically for veneer production, analyzers can:

•     - more consistently identify defects in different types of wood;
•     - adapt to different surface characteristics;
•     - work in different production conditions (lighting, line speed).

    The systems create detailed defect maps for individual sheets, supporting more accurate and repeatable solutions. This allows the production line to "see" each veneer sheet and make decisions based on data rather than by eye.

Expert opinion: mistakes in the early stages are expensive

    Markus Sirvie, responsible for analyzer business development at Raute, comments:

"More variable raw materials mean that mistakes made early in the process become more costly later. When detection becomes more consistent, factories will be able to improve the yield of usable products and avoid inefficiencies that would otherwise spread to the entire production process."

    Early detection of defects at the stage of green veneer (after peeling, before drying) is especially important. This helps to prevent low-quality material from entering energy-intensive processes such as:

•     - veneer drying;
•     - hot pressing (for plywood and LVL).

    Energy is not spent on processing obviously defective raw materials.

Where is the technology used?

    Raute analyzers can be used at several stages of production.:

Knowledge base: 50+ types of wood and 50+ years of experience

    Raute emphasizes that their AI system is not a "raw" technology, but a product based on:

•     - more than 50 years of experience in analyzer development;
•     - extensive experience in veneer processing of more than 50 types of wood (from coniferous to tropical).

    This creates a solid foundation for applying the same approach to both widely used materials (birch, pine, eucalyptus) and more specialized ones.

Trend: why is the demand for AI analysis growing?

    The demand for this technology is growing because manufacturers are working with a wider range of raw materials.

Factors:

•     - Reduced availability of high-quality wood (factories are forced to use raw materials with a large number of defects).
•     - Rising energy costs (you can't afford to dry defective sheets).
•     - Margin pressure (you need to squeeze the maximum out of each cubic meter of wood).

    In such conditions, consistent and accurate detection of defects becomes not just a "quality control", but a tool to increase profitability.

Importance for the global forest market

    1. Reduction of raw material waste
    The loss of wood at the peeling and drying stage is one of the biggest problems of the industry. AI makes it possible to reduce these losses, which is especially important in the context of growing competition for resources (for example, in South Africa, Brazil, Indonesia).

2. Energy saving
    Veneer drying and hot pressing of plywood are among the most energy—intensive processes. By eliminating defective sheets in the early stages, factories reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint of products.

3. Improving the quality of the final product
    Consistent defect detection means that no hidden defects get into the finished plywood, LVL or veneer. This increases customer confidence and reduces the risk of refunds.

4. Digitalization of the industry
    Raute is not the only company implementing AI in woodworking, but it is one of the leaders. The successful application of neural networks in analyzers opens the way to "smartphone factories" in the forestry industry, where every decision (cutting, sorting, repair) is made by an algorithm based on data.

    5. Adaptation to the deterioration of the quality of raw materials
    Global trend: affordable, high-quality wood is becoming scarce. Plants are switching to plantation wood (fast-growing, with a lot of knots and stresses) or to secondary raw materials. AI analysis allows you to work with such "bad" raw materials efficiently, without losing the quality of the finished product.

The key advantages of the AI system from Raute:

Forecast

    In the next 5 years, AI defect detection systems will become the standard for large veneer, plywood, and LVL manufacturers. Companies that do not invest in the digitalization of quality control will lose out in two ways:

• - yield of usable products (more waste);
• - energy efficiency (more costs for drying and pressing waste).

    As a technology leader, Raute will gain a competitive advantage, but other equipment suppliers (for example, Italian and Chinese manufacturers) will begin to implement similar solutions, reducing the cost of technology.

Bottom line: Artificial intelligence is coming to the forestry industry. And it does not begin with "smart forests" or logistics, but with the most critical stage — the transformation of roundwood into veneer. Those plants that are the first to implement such systems will receive double-digit profitability growth. The rest will be forced to catch up, losing margins.

Tags: #Raute #artifice_intelligence #woodworking #veneer #plywood #LVL #quality control #digitalization #neural networks