Omar Espinoza

Quality Measurement in the Wood Products Supply Chain

In this article we report the first in-depth investigation of quality measurement practices from a supply chain perspective. Quality measurement in a wood products supply chain was studied in great detail with the objective of increasing the understanding of quality performance measurement practices in a secondary wood products supply chain. Opportunities for improvement were also identified. A single-case study was used as the main research approach, with 30 interviews and observation as major data collection methods. Findings revealed a high degree of internal integration in the focal company, made possible in great part by a continuous improvement effort that expands all of its facilities. Opportunities for improvement were found in external integration, particularly regarding supplier quality management. A disconnect was identified between supply chain members in regard to quality information; particularly, there was a lack of true supply chain quality measures reflecting the contribution of each enti...

Trends in the US hardwood lumber distribution industry: Changing products, customers, and services

Efficient and effective supply chains are the backbone of any industry, including the forest products industry. As the US secondary hardwood industry has undergone a profound transformation and large parts of the industry have moved offshore, the supply chain is adapting to these new realities. Remaining and new customers of US hardwood lumber distributors tend to be smaller and likely have a wide variety of unique needs and expectations. A survey conducted in the fall of 2008 of distributors of hardwood lumber assessed the sourcing needs and perceptions of the industry and describes the status of the industry as of 2007. The findings suggest that the US hardwood lumber industry is adapting to the new realities brought forth by the globalization of markets and slowing housing markets. Almost half of the respondents indicated that their average customer in 2007 was smaller than the average customer in 2003, and 75 percent of respondents indicated that the average order was smaller in 2007 versus 2003. To accommodate their customers, distributors added a plethora of new services, with provision of certified products being the fastest growing. Overall, the study depicts an ongoing transformation of the US hardwood lumber supply chain, where distributors are well positioned to meet the exacting specifications of numerous small and customized manufacturers.

Supply Chain Measures of Performance for Wood Products Manufacturing

This article reports the results from a supply chain study in which a performance measurement system for a wood products value stream was developed. We build on findings from a previous study in which the need for supply chain metrics of performance was identified. A five-step method to develop performance measures is suggested as an improvement alternative. Examples of specific metrics for quality and time performance are provided. This approach facilitates collaboration between supply chain partners and provides information that allows a more efficient focus on improvement projects. Supply chain measures of performance are important for seeing beyond a single entity and aligning strategy in the supply chain. Companies that want to integrate their suppliers and customers in their improvement efforts can benefit from the information presented here, because a common set of performance measures is essential in evaluating progress toward a goal.

Kiln drying behavior of lumber from ten fast-growth plantation species in Costa Rica

Abstract Plantation wood from tropical climate has been introduced rapidly in the national market; however, there is lack of knowledge about the process. The main objective of this study was to investigate the kiln drying behavior of 10 plantation-grown wood species from natural forest in Costa Rica using the recommended drying schedule. Initial moisture content (MCi), final moisture content (MCf), drying rate, drying time, and drying defects were evaluated. The drying schedule applied produced the following results: (1) high MCi (over 110%) in four species and lower values in two species. (2) The largest drying time was found in species with high MCi, and the shortest drying time in species with lower MCi. (3) Significant variations of target MCf were found in some species, despite equalization and conditioning. (4) Exponential relationship MC=a*ϵ−t*b was used to establish a moisture content (MC) decrease model, which is not a good indicator of drying time for fives species. (5) High incidence of drying defects was found in Alnus acuminata and Vochysia guatemalensis. According to the above results, it is necessary to test other drying schedule oriented to improve lumber quality and to decrease variability of MC in wood from plantation trees.

Forest Certification in Bolivia: A Status Report and Analysis of Stakeholder Perspectives

Abstract Forest certification systems are voluntary, market-based initiatives to promote the sustainable use of forests. The assumption is that consumers prefer sustainably sourced wood products. One of the major drivers for the creation of forest certification was to prevent deforestation in tropical forests. However, after 20 years of certification, only 10 percent of the global forest area is certified, mostly in temperate regions. Only 2 percent of tropical forests have been certified, and deforestation proceeds at alarming rates in those same areas. Africa and Latin America are the only regions with a net loss of forest area in the 2000 to 2010 decade. In this article, the status of forest certification is analyzed, and challenges and opportunities are evaluated using the case of Bolivia. After an initial period of successful implementation of certification, the area of Bolivian forest under certification has fallen sharply, and deforestation has actually increased in the 2000 to 2010 period, compare...

Educational Needs of the Forest Products Industry in Minnesota and Virginia in 2012

ABSTRACT The forest products industry has been greatly impacted by the Great Recession, with many firms reducing output or closing operations to remain competitive. Educational training has also be...

Green Kerfing Treatment for Improving Softwood Lumber Drying: A Review

Kerfing is a lumber-drying improvement technique that consists of cuts along both sides of boards, transversal to the longitudinal axis. The rationale behind this procedure is that, by cutting the fibers, the moisture loss through the end-grain is increased. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the effects of kerfing on drying time, warp occurrence, and bending properties, based on different experiments conducted during the last seven years. In most cases, kerfing reduced the drying time by half of that of the control samples. Results were inconclusive regarding reduction of warp. Regarding the bending strength of treated pieces, kerfing caused a minimum loss of moment of inertia in the piece, resulting in a slightly lower bending strength and higher stiffness.

A Decade of Improved Lumber Drying Technology

In this paper, we comprehensively review the relevant literature published from 2005 to 2016, focused on lumber drying and provide a summary of where we feel future research will focus. Drying is a critical part of most wood products manufacturing process, and the methods used and proper control are key to achieving the appropriate production level, quality, and costs. While a combination of drying methods may be used, most lumber is dried in a kiln at some point in the process. The most common commercial kilns can be classified as conventional, high temperature, and vacuum; however, there continues to be some interest in solar and compression drying. While no new drying technologies have been proposed, work has continued on improving the existing methods. Control of the drying process varies with the type of kiln used, the species being dried and the temperatures used in the process; however, it usually involves some type of measurement of the moisture content of the wood being dried. The development of new methods for controlling the drying process focuses on new ways to measure moisture content or moisture content variation, temperature drop across the load, and drying stresses. While wood quality can be defined differently by its various users, for example, industrial or end users, certain aspects of quality remain constant across these groups, such as minimizing warp, checks, and splits, and discoloration, and maintaining or enhancing mechanical properties. New schedules have been proposed to increase drying rate and improve drying quality. Methods to reduce drying defects and improve its quality have focused mainly on mechanical restraint to prevent warp, better understanding of defect formation, and pre-treatments to speed up the drying process or reduce final moisture content variation. Finally, concerns regarding the environmental impacts of wood drying, most importantly the high energy demands and emissions, have increased in importance as concerns about sustainability and health issues become more mainstream.

Cross-Laminated Timber in the USA: Opportunity for Hardwoods?

Purpose of ReviewIn this paper, the authors review the available literature on the manufacture and usage of hardwood cross-laminated timber (CLT) and discuss the technical and economic feasibility of hardwood CLT including procurement issues.Recent FindingsCLT is an emerging building system in North America that has attracted the attention of construction professionals, developers, and researchers across the continent, due to its environmental, economic, and esthetic advantages, among others. Today, however, virtually all CLT structures are manufactured using softwoods, yet, there is growing interest in the possibility of manufacturing CLT using a variety of hardwood species. To date, most studies on the feasibility of hardwood CLT are motivated by a desire to find high value-added uses for underutilized or low-valued hardwood species but there is also an interest in benefitting of specific mechanical properties of selected hardwood species.SummaryResearch on hardwood CLT is scarce, though findings from existing studies suggest that it is technically feasible and the resulting product offers interesting perspectives for specific applications. However, for hardwood CLT to become a reality, the hardwood industry needs to overcome significant challenges, some of which are discussed in this paper.

Vacuum Drying of Wood—State of the Art

In this paper, we review the literature published on vacuum drying of wood. Vacuum drying is not a new technology, and its use for drying wood has been suggested since the early 1900s. Technologies for vacuum drying of wood can be classified by the heating method used. In this paper, we define vacuum-drying methods in four groups: conductive heating vacuum, cyclic vacuum, superheated steam vacuum, and dielectric vacuum. Advantages of drying wood below atmospheric pressure are the ability to dry at lower temperatures (and thus lower the probability of developing some drying defects), greatly reduced drying times, color preservation, greater energy efficiency, better control of volatile organic compound emissions, and the ability to dry very large cross sections. Some characteristics that differentiate vacuum from conventional drying are that in vacuum the primary driving force is the total pressure difference, the prevailing moisture transfer mechanism is water vapor bulk flow, and there is greater water migration in the longitudinal direction. While past research has focused on increasing the understanding of the fundamental mechanisms for vacuum drying and applications to specific industries and species, more recent efforts have concentrated on improving existing methods, for example, by improving moisture control and the use of pretreatments to improve drying quality.