A sawmill-flow simulator template for predicting results of changes at small-log sawmills.

摘要

Reduced availability of large-diameter logs and increased wood demands have resulted in smaller-diameter logs entering sawmills. Also, the need to harvest small trees from forests to reduce the build up of fuel materials has created considerable interest in small-log processing.; The sawmill-flow simulator template (SFST) developed in this study is a unique modeling package that can be used to predict results of changes at small-log sawmills. The SFST encompasses log-sawing and sawmill-flow logics. The log-sawing logic is performed by SAWSIM, and the sawmill-flow logic utilizes Arena software. A simulation template was designed in Excel spreadsheets. The template holds the log-sawing solutions and sawmill-flow logic data. A Visual Basic for Application program serves as the interface between Excel spreadsheets and the SFST.; The SFST was validated using data collected at a study mill. Validation results showed that most performance factors at the study sawmill fell within one standard deviation of the corresponding mean of the simulated variables. The SFST validity ensures users that information derived by the model is valid and can be used as a basis for making decisions. A case study demonstrated how the SFST could be utilized in decision-making processes. The SFST may be utilized for a variety of uses. These include predicting the impact of changes in mill layout, raw material and product specifications, sawing solutions, and queue sizes on performance measures of the mill.