Automated Board Cutting Optimization System for Sawmill Operations

The client faces challenges in maximizing material utilization during wood processing, resulting in significant waste and suboptimal cut planning. Manual measurement and cutting processes are time-consuming and prone to error, leading to inconsistent quality and increased costs. The need exists for an automated system that can accurately measure, analyze, and optimize the cutting of raw timber to meet precise customer specifications.

A mid-sized manufacturing company specializing in wood processing and timber sales, seeking to streamline its raw material handling and cutting processes.

• Develop an integrated software solution that processes sensor data to determine optimal cut plans for timber pieces.
• Automate measurement and data collection of wood dimensions (length, width, weight) to reduce manual intervention and errors.
• Enable real-time control of cutting machinery for precise execution of optimized cut plans.
• Minimize wood waste and material losses through advanced calculation algorithms.
• Reduce the processing time per batch, increasing overall throughput.
• Support customizable input parameters to meet varying customer requirements.

• Sensor data integration for measurement of board dimensions (length, width, weight).
• Data processing module for analyzing sensor inputs and determining suitable cut configurations.
• Optimization algorithm that minimizes waste based on input parameters and available raw timber sizes.
• Automated control interface for machinery positioning and cutting operation execution.
• User input interface for specifying target board dimensions and cut preferences.
• Logging and reporting tools for tracking processing efficiency and material utilization metrics.

• Sensors for measuring weight, length, and width of timber pieces
• Machine control systems for saw positioning and cutting operations

• Real-time processing capability to handle sensor data with minimal latency
• System accuracy within ±0.5 mm for measurements
• Robustness against hardware and software failures with fallback mechanisms
• Compliance with safety standards for industrial machinery control
• Scalability to accommodate increased volume or additional measurement points

The implementation of this automated cutting optimization system is projected to significantly reduce material waste—aiming for a waste reduction rate comparable to the previous solution—while increasing the throughput of timber processing lines. These improvements will lead to cost savings, higher product consistency, and enhanced operational efficiency in wood manufacturing processes.