Nondestructive evaluation for detection of honeycomb in the sawmill: an economic analysis

Abstract

The technical feasibility of using ultrasonics-based nondestructive evaluation (NDE) for detecting non-visible defects such as honeycomb and closed surface checks has been established. The economic feasibility of using ultrasonics-based NDE in the sawmill is established in this study of red oak scanning. Three different-sized sawmill configurations for processing dry lumber through an ultrasonic NDE scanner are analyzed. Sensitivity analyses show that a decrease in revenues or a decrease in capacity utilization has the greatest impact on the potential profitability of the investment. Results indicate that the economic benefits of scanning red oak lumber to identify the occurrence of honeycomb or closed surface checks will, in the majority of cases, outweigh the cost of implementing this new technology in the sawmill.