By Malene Bou Zeid

Known as the “global gathering of the hardwood community”, the NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase is the largest gathering of the hardwood lumber industry in North America. System TM showcased topnotch hardwood grading machinery at this must-attend event, and left a lasting impression on visitors who saw how profitable hardwood grading machinery can be for their business.

By all reports, the NHLA Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee was a great hit. The 120^th Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase brought together many hardwood industry professionals. System TM took part in this event to present the newest material handling technology in hardwood grading, combined with MiCROTEC’s world class scanning technology. System TM left a memorable impression on guests, as they were very curious about what they saw at the System TM stand.

Indeed, there is good reason to be curious about automated hardwood grading, as it offers an abundance of advantages. From reliable grading based on NHLA’s grading rules, to rapid-speed scanning and grading processes, to labor cost savings and much better value of products, System TM aspires to liberate your staff from manual labor-intensive, costly grading and re-grading.

System TM becomes part of a record-breaking NHLA 

In the fall of 2017, System TM presented topnotch hardwood grading machinery at what turned out to be a record-breaking NHLA Annual Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. The 120^th Annual Convention brought together about 1150 hardwood industry professionals, representing more than 464 companies and 14 countries.

The NHLA Annual Convention & Exhibit Showcase is the largest gathering of the hardwood lumber industry in North America. Occurring every fall, the Annual Convention brings together nearly every aspect of the hardwood lumber industry and is the must-attend event of the year. The industry’s top decision makers and opinion leaders attend every year and the Convention provides excellent networking opportunities; a perfect showcase for buyers, suppliers and manufacturers looking to develop new markets.

Igniting excitement leaves guests wanting more

System TM attended the NHLA Annual Convention to show guests how hardwood grading optimizes production capacity, reduces labor costs, and maximizes lumber utilization. Guests were quite excited about System TM’s showcased machinery and expressed an interest in seeing the many functionalities of an actual System TM hardwood grading line at an existing production site.

Why is automated hardwood grading worth every penny?

As the American Hardwood Lumber Council so perfectly summed it up,’’wood is a natural material and by its very nature may contain different characteristics and defects that need to be understood and allowed for in any given application. The grading of sawn wood into categories as it is processed helps to determine to a large extent the value and potential use possible for each board of sawn lumber”. System TM makes investing in hardwood grading machinery worth every penny by optimizing staff and wood resources in order to provide you with maximum product value and minimum wood waste. After all,’’money saved is as good as money gained’’, as the old saying goes.

How does hardwood grading work?

Designed to scan hardwood lumber at high speeds and high production capacity, System TM’s hardwood grading machinery features a MiCROTEC scanner that scans random-width boards up to maximum NHLA thickness and length sizes. Measured board characteristics include: length, width and thickness profile, surface measure, wane, knots, splits and cracks, bark and stain.

System TM’s hardwood grading machinery features MiCROTEC software that reliably grades hardwood lumber based on the internationally recognized NHLA grading standards. As a result, sorting processes are carried out in accordance with the different NHLA grades. Developed for grading rough, kiln dried lumber, System TM’s hardwood grading machinery operates together with MiCROTEC’s technology to process wood in lineal or transversal feeding direction, depending on your mill setup.

Benefits of hardwood grading in a nutshell

Optimization of staff and wood resources serves as the foundation for System TM machinery. When it comes to hardwood grading, our wish is to eliminate manual labor-intensive, costly grading and re-grading. Grading with the human eye is both physically and mentally tiring. However, with hardwood grading automation, you do not only save considerable money on labor costs, but you also boost grading accuracy to a great extent. High production capacity is achieved due to System TM’s high grading speeds. Moreover, increased value of your produced boards is achieved due to reliable grading and optimization based on the NHLA grading rules.

Didn’t get a chance to see us at the NHLA Annual Convention?

No worries! We’ll be attending the NWFA Wood Flooring Expo 2018 in Tampa, so make sure to drop by our stand in booth 1125. Whether you’d like more information on hardwood grading or any of our other products, we’ll be there to advise you on how System TM can optimize your production!

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