Automated side slab sorter developed for Plum Creek Ksanka's twin-band saw, sharp-chain in Fortine, Montana.

JoeScan, a leading manufacturer of laser scan heads for sawmills and other wood-products applications, has announced development of an automated side slab sorter for Plum Creek Ksanka’s twin-band sharp-chain in Fortine, Montana.

The JoeScan slab sorter scans logs from each side using two JS20-SR line-profiling scan heads. The JS-20SR’s onboard Smart Sensor logic uses the profile data and current cant width to determine whether the slabs can be further processed into a board, and it controls the gates for saving or discarding slabs.

“We can modify the parameters in the scanner to meet current market conditions. If we decide that we want to chip a slab that has a six–foot 1x3 in it, and keep a slab that has an eight-foot 1x3, the JoeScan heads allow us to do that,” said Pat McCully, the maintenance superintendent at Plum Creek Ksanka.

McCully appreciates that the JoeScan slab sorter produces consistent, accurate output and allows operators to focus on creating higher-value cants.

“At nearly 1,000 blocks per hour, any decision we can take away from the operator will give them more time to load and turn the blocks. As the operators get fatigued, their ability to make accurate decision suffers. With the new Joe Scan heads this is no longer an issue,” said McCully.