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Title:	Hardwood sawyer trainer
Author(s):	Occeña, Luis G.; Santitrakul, Eknarin; Schmoldt, Daniel L.
Date:	2000
Source:	Proceedings, 28th Annual Hardwood Symposium. 43-47.
Description:	It is well understood by now that the initial breakdown of hardwood logs into lumber has a tremendous impact on the total lumber value and conversion efficiency. The focus of this research project is the development of a computer-aided sawing trainer tool for the primary breakdown of hardwood logs. Maximum lumber recovery is dependent on the proper log orientation as the flitches are removed. The primary breakdown of hardwood logs is a decision-intensive activity that relies on the knowledge, skill, and experience of the sawyer. The latter sawyer attributes are typically the result of many years of sawing experience. There is currently no facility that will allow a beginning sawyer (trainee) to experiment with different log orientations during sawing, or with different breakdown patterns on the same log, and receive immediate feedback on the outcome of sawing decisions as a learning aid. It will be prohibitive to practice on sawlogs in the sawmill, since physical sawing is an irreversible process. The objective of this research project is to develop a computer-aided sawing trainer that will enable the beginning sawyer to nondestructively experiment with sawing decisions. To be an effective tool, it will need to represent logs and defects in realistic shapes, provide tools for examining the log, enable the repeated sawing of the same log, provide immediate lumber value feedback, store the history of the sawing session of each user for reference, and be user-friendly. Since it will be difficult to create a sawing trainer tool that will be everything for everyone, it is important to define the parameters for what it is and what it is not. What is it? It is primarily a nondestructive simulator for log breakdown, which can be used as a tool for exploring sawing alternatives, and as a trainer for examining the effects of sawing decisions. Its main contribution will be in the sawing decision process. What is it NOT? It does not replicate a sawyer cab environment (lacks characteristic noise, flying sawdust, etc.); it is not a simulator for headrig operation controls (no joystick, control panel, etc.); nor does it claim to be a substitute for real hands-on headrig experience. It is intended to be an early learning tool for the green (beginning) sawyer, where the impact of different sawing decisions can be nondestructively studied. Ultimately, the trainee has to graduate to the real sawing headrig and setworks.
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