News

SAINT-GEORGES, QC, AUGUST 18, 2025 — Comact, has announced the release of its new-generation log pusher, featuring a patent-pending single step design for heavy-duty applications. This new model expands Comact’s existing range of log pushers, which also includes double-step and multi-step designs, providing mills with tailored solutions to meet specific operational needs.

Engineered to withstand the harshest operating conditions, the single step pusher design significantly extends equipment lifecycle while simplifying maintenance and improving operational safety. Traditional log pushers work under extreme conditions, receiving and handling heavy materials, which can lead to wear and costly replacements. The new single step pusher is built for durability, allowing operators to replace only the step when needed, eliminating the need to change the entire pusher.

To further protect the equipment, the system incorporates dampers for enhanced shock absorption, ensuring smoother log reception with reduced mechanical stress. In addition, an integrated camera system monitors the presence of logs in the pocket, preventing the pusher from operating when a pocket is empty. This smart safeguard avoids direct impacts on the step and reduces unnecessary wear.

“At Comact, innovation is not only about technology, it’s about delivering practical solutions that keep our customers running at their best. With the single step log pusher, we’ve created a product that not only extends equipment life but also makes maintenance faster and easier, helping mills operate more efficiently, day after day,” said David Gourde, Senior Vice-President – Engineering, Product Line Management, Project Management, Mechanical Service & Reliability at Comact.

The single step log pusher is available immediately for new installations and can be retrofitted to existing systems, making it a versatile solution for mills seeking improved efficiency, reduced maintenance, and longer equipment life.

ABOUT COMACT

For over 100 years, Comact has been a leading OEM in high-caliber wood processing equipment, digital technologies, cutting solutions, project services, and aftermarket support. Driven by innovation and excellence, we are dedicated to helping our customers address their most pressing operational and business challenges in today’s industry.

Whether for brownfield or greenfield projects, Comact’s expertise provides wood processing facilities with the confidence that their investments will yield superior performance, throughput, and ROI. This ensures they remain competitive and achieve sustained growth in an ever-evolving market.

Media contact

ANNE-MARIE LEVESQUE

Vice President, Business & Product Development

450-435-2121

anne-marie.levesque@comact.com

 

*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Comact lance un nouveau poussoir de billes à marche simple pour une durabilité et une efficacité accrues

 

SAINT-GEORGES, QUÉBEC, 18 août 2025 — Comact, chef de file mondial des solutions de transformation du bois, est fier d’annoncer le lancement de son poussoir de billes nouvelle génération, doté d’un design à marche simple en instance de brevet, spécialement conçu pour les applications intensives. Ce nouveau modèle s’ajoute à la gamme existante de poussoirs de billes Comact, qui comprend également des modèles à double marche et à marches multiples, offrant ainsi aux scieries des solutions adaptées à leurs besoins opérationnels spécifiques.

Conçu pour résister aux conditions d’exploitation les plus exigeantes, le design à marche simple prolonge considérablement la durée de vie de l’équipement tout en simplifiant l’entretien et en améliorant la sécurité opérationnelle. Les poussoirs de billes traditionnels travaillent dans des conditions extrêmes, recevant et manipulant des matériaux lourds, ce qui peut entraîner une usure rapide et des remplacements coûteux. Le nouveau poussoir de billes à marche simple est conçu pour la durabilité : il permet aux opérateurs de remplacer uniquement la marche au besoin, éliminant ainsi la nécessité de changer le poussoir complet.

Pour protéger davantage l’équipement, le système intègre des amortisseurs pour améliorer l’absorption des chocs, assurant une réception des billes plus fluide et réduisant les contraintes mécaniques. De plus, un système de caméra intégré contrôle la présence des billes dans l’accumulateur, empêchant le poussoir de fonctionner lorsqu’il n’y a aucune accumulation. Cette protection intelligente évite les impacts directs sur la marche et réduit l’usure inutile.

« Chez Comact, l’innovation ne se limite pas seulement à la technologie, elle consiste à offrir des solutions pratiques qui permettent à nos clients de fonctionner au meilleur de leurs capacités. Avec le poussoir de billes à marche simple, nous avons créé un produit qui non seulement prolonge la durée de vie de l’équipement, mais facilite également l’entretien, aidant ainsi les scieries à fonctionner plus efficacement, jour après jour », a déclaré David Gourde, Vice-président senior ingénierie, gestion des lignes de produits, gestion de projets, service et fiabilité mécanique de Comact.

Le poussoir de billes à marche simple est offert dès maintenant pour les nouvelles installations et peut également être adapté aux systèmes existants, ce qui en fait une solution polyvalente pour les scieries cherchant à améliorer leur efficacité, réduire l’entretien et prolonger la durée de vie de leurs équipements.

À PROPOS DE COMACT

Depuis plus de 100 ans, Comact est un équipementier de premier plan pour l’industrie de la transformation du bois, à qui il procure des équipements, des technologies numériques, des solutions de coupe, un soutien aux projets et un service après-vente de haut calibre. Guidés par l’innovation et l’excellence, nous sommes déterminés à aider nos clients à relever les défis commerciaux et opérationnels pressants qui se posent à eux dans l’industrie actuelle.

Qu’il s’agisse de projets nouveaux ou existants, l’expertise de Comact procure aux installations de transformation du bois l’assurance que leurs investissements généreront un rendement, une productivité et des résultats de niveau supérieur. Elles savent qu’elles pourront ainsi rester compétitives et obtenir une croissance soutenue dans un marché en constante évolution. Pour une performance exceptionnelle en tout temps, faites confiance à Comact. Pour plus d’information, visitez le www.comact.com

Renseignements :

ANNE-MARIE LEVESQUE

Vice-présidente, Développement des Affaires et Produits

450-435-2121

anne-marie.levesque@comact.com

To read previous Comact related posts click here.

Follow IFI on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post Comact Launches New-Generation Single Step Log Pusher for Greater Durability and Efficiency appeared first on International Forest Industries.

There is no viable alternative to a tropical hardwood that grows in Southeast Asia, according to the American R.V. industry.

American demand for tropical wood that is used in motor homes, conservationists say, is accelerating the disappearance of some of the world’s largest forests.

Anger over well-paid manufacturing jobs giving way to lower-wage work fueled President Trump’s rise. With his movement now in power, who gets blamed as the trend continues?

USNR has introduced EXO Canter, their most advanced and adaptable primary breakdown line ever engineered from the ground up using the Paragon Design Standard.

This next-generation system integrates their core design values into every component, delivering a solution that redefines safety, maintainability, configurability, debris control, and piece management.

EXO Canter is the culmination of decades of experience building complete primary lines. It reflects everything they’ve learned, what works, what doesn’t, and what’s next. Designed for mills that demand performance without compromise, EXO Canter offers a fully modular, highly configurable platform that adapts to your specific production goals and site constraints.

With its first installation scheduled for startup in 2025, EXO Canter is already setting a new benchmark for what a primary line can be.

https://www.usnr.com/en/content/mi-57-exo-canter

To read previous USNR related posts click here.

 

Follow IFI on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post USNR – Introducing EXO Canter appeared first on International Forest Industries.

SAINT-GEORGES, QC, JULY 31, 2025 — Comact, a global leader in wood processing solutions, has announced the launch of the Wide Board Lug Loader, a next generation system engineered to handle oversized boards with cross-sections of up to 4 x 22 inches.

Building on the proven fundamentals of Comact’s industry-renowned lug loader, this new design addresses the growing need for high-performance solutions in specialty product manufacturing.

With a patent-pending design and a speed of up to 70 lugs per minute, the Wide Board Lug Loader ensures precise and efficient board handling, while maintaining the reliability and throughput customers expect from Comact systems.

“Innovation is at the core of who we are,” said Simon Potvin, CEO of Comact. “This new lug loader was developed in direct response to the needs of our customers producing specialty products,

where traditional handling equipment reaches its limits. It’s a great example of how we continuously evolve to provide tailored, cutting-edge solutions that help our clients

stay ahead.”

The Wide Board Lug Loader is the latest step in Comact’s ongoing mission to deliver more flexible technologies that meet the real-world demands of today’s mills, and tomorrow’s.

To read previous Comact related posts click here.

 

Follow IFI on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post Comact Launches the Wide Board Lug Loader — A New Generation of Material Handling for Specialty Products appeared first on International Forest Industries.

As a result of long-term cooperation, Hekotek AS has signed a contract for the supply of log feeding equipment, wood chips and sawdust and sawn timber conveyors to the Japanese company Chugoku Mokuzai (Chugoku Lumber Co Ltd.).

Chugoku Mokuzai is one of Japan’s leading wood processing companies with several production units across the country. The new sawmill will be built to replace the production unit destroyed in 2023 by fire in Ibaraki Prefecture on the eastern coast of Japan.

In this new production unit it is planned to saw round logs of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) from North America. The finished sawn timber will be sold by Chugoku Mokuzai mainly on the domestic Japanese market.

The transport capacity of the equipment supplied by Hekotek is expected to be approximately 100 sea containers, the first of which will begin their long sea voyage in the coming months. Production at the new unit is scheduled to begin in early 2027, preceded by an approximately 8-month-long period of installation and testing of the equipment.

The equipment supplied by Hekotek will ensure the feeding of logs at various speeds to the modernmost HewSaw sawline. The entire equipment set supplied by Hekotek is designed and manufactured based on particularly high technological requirements, where the proportion of human labor in the entire production process is minimized.

We would like to thank both the Chugoku Mokuzai project team and our local representative, Oki Kikai Ltd., for their trust and will do everything we can to ensure that the project succeeds as expected.

https://hekotek.ee/equipment-supply-to-leading-japanese-wood-processing-company-chugoku-mokuzai/

To read previous Hekotek related posts click here.

 

Follow IFI on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post Equipment for the leading Japanese wood processing company Chugoku Mokuzai appeared first on International Forest Industries.

In today’s sawmilling industry, the difference between staying competitive and falling behind often comes down to how intelligently and efficiently a mill can process every log. Fiber variability, labor constraints, cost pressures, and rising customer expectations are reshaping the way sawmills must operate, and Comact is helping lead that transformation.

With its suite of integrated, high-performance technologies — including the Hybrid Sawline and the TBL4 – Canter, Double Profiler, Curve Sawing Gang Edger — Comact delivers a full-spectrum solution that redefines both primary and secondary breakdown. Together, these two systems form a powerful, intelligent, and adaptable foundation for the mill of the future.

Secondary Breakdown Reimagined: The TBL4

Precision, speed, and adaptability come together in Comact’s TBL4, a high-throughput profiler-gang solution built to meet the demanding needs of modern softwood mills. Designed to maximize recovery and reduce processing gaps, the TBL4 features infeed and outfeed positioning tables that maintain continuous cant control throughout the sawing process.

This continuous flow translates directly into higher throughput and greater yield — exactly what mills need in a high-speed environment.

At the core of the system is Comact’s C2-Scan, a powerful real-time optimization tool that calculates the ideal sawing strategy for each cant. Using both geometric and visual data, the optimizer enables infinite profiling and curve sawing, ensuring every piece is processed for maximum value with minimal waste.

With feed speeds of up to 650 feet per minute and a processing range of 3 to 30 inches wide, the TBL4 offers unmatched versatility. Its fixed-tool design ensures reliability and simplified maintenance, while its compact footprint makes it easy to integrate into existing gang lines, minimizing disruption and capital investment.

The TBL4 also integrates seamlessly with Comact’s digital tools, including OPER8, Smart Vision, and EverBlue services, giving mills a comprehensive platform for tracking performance, driving uptime, and ensuring long-term value.

The Hybrid Sawline: Smarter Primary Breakdown

Paired with the TBL4, Comact’s Hybrid Sawline represents a revolutionary approach to primary breakdown. By combining circular saws and bandsaws in a single, unified system, it eliminates the tradeoffs mills have traditionally faced between speed and flexibility.

Circular saws efficiently handle logs up to 20 inches in diameter with high-speed precision and minimal downtime, while bandsaws kick in for larger logs that exceed circular saw capacity. The result is a line that can process a full spectrum of log diameters without compromise, reducing the need for multiple sawlines and associated maintenance complexity.

But the hybrid sawline is more than just a dual-cutting system. Its design supports multiple cutting modes — including double profiling, quadruple circular cutting, and sideboard splitting — allowing mills to produce a wider range of products on a single line. Whether manufacturing standard 2x4s (100×50 mm) or custom wides, mills gain the flexibility to shift production with market demands, without overhauling equipment or layout.

Intelligence That Runs Deep

Both the TBL4 and the Hybrid Sawline are equipped with Comact’s most advanced smart technologies, turning mechanical cutting tools into real-time decision-makers.

The hybrid system features Smart Vision for log singulation, an AI-powered platform that analyzes each log’s size, shape, and characteristics to optimize feeding and spacing. By dynamically managing log gaps and flow, it maintains consistent production speeds and eliminates bottlenecks, even with irregular fiber supply. This smart control is further enhanced by the C1-Scan, Comact’s primary breakdown optimizer, which determines the best cutting strategy for each log to maximize value from the start.

It also integrates the Primary Breakdown Closed Loop Smart Tool, which automates real-time quality control. Drawing data from the mill’s secondary breakdown scanner, this tool makes precise adjustments during the sawing process to ensure consistent, high-value cuts. With industry-leading response time and dashboard-based alerts, it boosts recovery while reducing operator workload and saw variation allowances.

In the TBL4, the C2-Scan optimizer brings that same level of real-time intelligence to cants. Combined with OPER8TM, this enables mills to visualize production data, track performance metrics, and make smarter operational decisions across the board.

A Cohesive Mill Architecture

What truly makes this combination stand out is how seamlessly each stage connects to the next. Logs enter the hybrid sawline, where they’re processed at optimal speeds using the best-suited cutting method. Cants then transition to the TBL4, where they’re scanned, optimized, and profiled with precision. Downstream, the Curve-Saw Versa Gang takes over, offering accurate curve sawing and adjustable width configurations to extract maximum value from every piece. From breakdown to final gang processing, Comact provides a fully integrated and optimized flow.

The benefits are clear:

• Fewer bottlenecks
• Higher fiber recovery
• Faster product changeovers
• Lower downtime and maintenance costs
• Real-time optimization across every step

And because both systems are modular, digital-ready, and scalable, mills can future-proof their investments while adapting to evolving fiber availability, product demands, and labor realities.

Conclusion: More Than the Sum of Its Parts

Comact’s TBL4 and Hybrid Sawline are more than advanced machines, they are complementary pieces of a next-generation mill architecture that delivers measurable results. When combined, they offer a clear path forward for sawmills looking to increase efficiency, yield, and agility in an increasingly complex industry.

With cutting-edge mechanics, powerful optimization software, and deep integration from log intake to board output, Comact is helping mills unlock the full potential of their raw material and their operations.

To read previous Comact related posts click here.

 

Follow IFI on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post From Log to Lumber: Comact’s Integrated Technologies Drive a New Era of Sawmill Optimization appeared first on International Forest Industries.

Trusted technology with a twist

For the first time in many years, an industrial scale sawmill will be built from the ground up in the UK. USNR is the main supplier and its undertaking comprises the saw line and two edger lines – including optimization and controls. All machinery equipment will be delivered from USNR’s Söderhamn facility in Sweden. USNR will also supply controls for the log handling and residue handling equipment.

The new mill is designed for an annual capacity of more than 250,000 m3 of sawn goods. The Taylormade sawmill at Sherburn Hill, a few miles to the east of Durham, came under the ownership of James Jones & Sons when the company acquired GT Timber Ltd in 2021. The mill, built at the site of an old coal mine, was worn but the geographical location was ideal, so it was decided to build a new mill adjacent to the existing one.

USNR got involved at an early stage of the design work. Marcus Säteri, Senior Project Engineer at USNR, recalls the initial process, “We acted as a speaking partner for the customer long before the deal was settled. There was a lot of things that we had to take into account. The site is located on quite a steep slope and there’s a neighboring village overlooking the mill, so we didn’t want to obscure their view with high buildings. Eventually we honed out a solution where the slope worked to our benefit.”

Experience and optimization

The saw line is designed for maximum yield, using the latest optimization technology and curve sawing capabilities. James Jones & Sons has extensive experience with USNR’s bandsaw technology and continues to follow this path for the new project. Tobbe Sandberg, Technical manager at James Jones & Sons, “James Jones & Sons acquired the Durham mill in 2021 and shortly after the acquisition the decision was made to invest in a new sawmill to increase yield, efficiency and extend the product range. We decided to invest in bandsaw technology and with James Jones & Sons’ previous experience with Soderhamn Eriksson/ USNR it was an easy decision to continue the partnership with USNR. From design through to specifications, we have received excellent support from the USNR team in Sweden. Ground and building work is progressing

well, and we start machine installation in August this year [2025] with the mill due to be commissioned in 2026.

Proven solutions

The mill-to-be is designed with James Jones & Sons’ Lockerbie III production line in mind, but with all the new technology that USNR has developed since 2009 when the Lockerbie site was commissioned by Söderhamn Eriksson (now part of USNR). Precision Geometric Log Rotation (PGLR) is one example of the new technology implemented. It continuously monitors and corrects the rotation angle in the Log Turner 750E. To meet the customer’s demands of a modern mill, the Taylormade saw line will deliver more throughput and higher recovery with higher precision compared to its model.

Thirteen bands

Three Sawmaster 1600 quads and an HBS 1500 horizontal bandsaw constitute the core of the saw line, adding up to a total of 13 bandsaw units. The Sawmaster bandsaws are known for their durability, low energy consumption and low maintenance costs. This proven design serves in hundreds of sawmills all over the world. The horizontal bandsaw adds flexibility to the line and allows for an output of ten pieces from the last quad.

The Sawmaster bandsaws all feature the high-precision feed work technology originally designed for the Logmaster high-speed bandsaw. The HBS has also evolved in later years, with a more stable and precise positioning and a high-precision feed work. A great deal of focus is put on the working environment in this line. The three quad bandsaws and both chipper canters are fitted with extra thick protective covers to reduce noise and dust.

Saw monitoring

The bandsaws are equipped with BMS, Bandsaw Monitoring System, for real-time monitoring of the status and the longitudinal position of the bands. BMS detects cracks in the bands before they grow and cause band rupture. The saws also come with SawSight, USNR’s system for continuous in-line measuring and correction of the sawn goods.

The edge

Two Catech XT high-speed edger optimizers handle the side boards. These state-of-the-art edgers are fitted with the latest USNR optimization technology combined with the highest capacity the market has to offer. Both edgers are equipped with additional edger saw boxes to maximize recovery and flexibility.

USNR is honored to be part of this exciting opportunity.

Photo

Left to right: Tobbe Sandberg, Technical Manager,  James Jones & Sons Ltd.;

Eddie Balfour, Joint Managing Director, James Jones & Sons Ltd.;

Christian Winlöf, Sales and Marketing Director, USNR;

Sten Jarle Solheim, Account Manager, USNR

June July issue Pages  36 / 37

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/70622971/ifi-june-july-2025-digital-final

 

To read previous USNR related posts click here.

 

Follow IFI on Facebook | LinkedIn | Instagram

The post USNR – Major greenfield project in the UK appeared first on International Forest Industries.

Prime Minister Mark Carney wants to fast-track nation-building projects to remake Canada’s economy. Indigenous groups want a seat at the table.

June July 2025 issue now available


Includes

Forwarders
Ponsse / Rottne / Komatsu

Cable Yarders
MM-FORSTTECHNIK GmbH
SYNCROFALKE® Cable Yarders: Revolutionizing Timber Harvesting in Steep Terrain

SAWLINES

USNR
For the first time in many years, an
industrial scale sawmill will be built from
the ground up in the UK

COMACT
AI-Powered Gap Control: How the
Smart Vision System Is Redefining
Log Singulation

SPRINGER
SAWBOX: A Compact, Fully Automated
Sawmill for the Future

MiCROTEC
Woodeye: AHF Products & Automation
that Works

DELTA MOTION
Vaagen Brothers Lumber, Inc. Upgrades
Motion Control for Improved Lumber Stacking

IFI June July 2025 Digital final
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/70622971/ifi-june-july-2025-digital-final

The post International Forest Industries Magazine June July 2025 appeared first on International Forest Industries.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the Clinton-era rule barring road construction and logging was outdated and “absurd.”