Wood-Mizer at LIGNA 2023: “FROM FOREST TO FINAL FORM”

17.05.2023

At LIGNA 2023 in Hannover, Germany, Wood-Mizer presented a host of new solutions and machines that enable its customers to be more competitive, meet new challenges, create various wood projects, and make money turning logs into finished products. The company remains true to its motto, “From Forest to Final Form.”

Making Money by Turning Logs into Timber

At LIGNA, Wood-Mizer installed two industrial sawmilling lines for log processing. The lines consisted of sawmills joined in a synchronous operating system by material conveyors that sort and transport lumber, slabs, trimmings, and sawdust for further processing. This allows for the use of 100% of raw materials.

The first line is based on Wood-Mizer's flagship sawmill, the WB2000 industrial sawmill, which features a hydraulic log loading deck, an integrated automatic board removal conveyor, and the LIGNA debuted industrial MR200 Double Arbour Multirip. The WB2000 was presented at LIGNA with a newly designed operator cabin, where an operator, using joysticks at a control panel, can comfortably control all the line functions, from log loading to positioning material on the sawmill bed, sawing, and removing finished boards from the sawmill for further processing.

Advantages of Wood-Mizer Sawmilling Lines:

No log pre-sorting required
Can cut large logs up to 92 cm in diameter
No need for debarking equipment (the WB2000 has a built-in debarker to clean the log from any bark at the entry point of the bandsaw blade, which extends the blade life)
Inexpensive and simple blade maintenance for the 50-75 mm width blades
Easy to operate: one operator controls all the WB2000 functions, and two more people operate the MR200 Multirip
High-performance economical motors with low energy consumption

Wood-Mizer's second industrial line processes logs into pallet boards and consist of a TVS HEAVY DUTY twin vertical saw (a new version of Wood-Mizer TVS first introduced at LIGNA 2023), a log loading ramp and sorting equipment, the HR700 horizontal double-head band resaw, and the EG800 edger for slab processing.

At a separate booth, Wood-Mizer presented its newly formed division, Wood-Mizer Systems, which specializes in designing and manufacturing custom-made industrial sawmill lines for the specific needs of enterprises.

Increasing Productivity

One widely used option to increase sawmill productivity is to add an edger and multirip to the sawmill operation. In this case, the band sawmill produces unedged boards, passing through an edger/multirip with circular saws.

At LIGNA, Wood-Mizer presented a range of edgers for different scale demands: machines differing in power, performance, maximum board dimensions, and price.

The compact EG100 edger with an electric 7kW or petrol 14HP motor and two 250 mm diameter circular saws is an excellent option for individual sawyers, including those who operate portable sawmills. The most popular Wood-Mizer EG300 edger/multirip has a 15 kW or 18.5 kW electric motor and a free-standing control panel with electronic Setworks. It can have 2 to 5 circular saws with a diameter of 350 mm.

As part of the industrial lines at the Wood-Mizer booth, industrial versions of edgers and multirips were shown in action, including an EG800 edger with a 30 to 55 kW motor and four 400 mm circular saws, as well as an MR200 Double Arbour Multirip with motors from 2x15 to 2x30 kW and several circular blades with up to 12 on each shaft capable of sawing timber up to 200 mm thick.

Moving Towards the Big Logs

The new opportunities in the log market open up new niches for sawmillers. The availability of massive logs, which are difficult to transport and cut, but easy and inexpensive to purchase, has prompted Wood-Mizer to provide its customers with the option of a WIDE sawhead, which is available with the LT line of sawmills. The LT15WIDE, LT20WIDE, LT40WIDE, and LT70WIDE machines presented at LIGNA can saw logs with a 90 to 105 cm diameter.

The uniquely designed LX250 extra-wide sawmill offers even more options for processing wide boards and slabs. Moving on two rails, this machine with a wide sawhead can cut logs up to 140 cm in diameter. For flattening and sanding wide material, Wood-Mizer designed the MB200 SlabMizer that allows sawyers to flatten slabs up to 142 cm wide with five carbide knife cutter head and orbital sanding head attachment.

Working Independently and Being Your Boss

Many Wood-Mizer mobile sawmill owners are self-employed, making contract sawmilling on-site. For these customers, Wood-Mizer has introduced two new portable sawmills with wide sawheads, combining the advantages of mobility and processing large logs.

The LT15CLASSIC WIDE Mobile Sawmill is a great affordable machine with a segmented bed. At the same time, the LT20WIDE Mobile Sawmill is a more advanced solution as its bed can be equipped with different versions of the hydraulic system for log handling, which is essential when working with heavy logs. Both machines create competitive advantages in new markets, including the growing need for urban wood processing.

At the Wood-Mizer booth, visitors could compare Wood-Mizer sawmill models in action. As the entire line of LT machines was presented, the control, speed, and performance difference became apparent. For example, the LT15CLASSIC sawmill with a low segmented bed, 7.5 kW motor, and 32 mm blade has manual log loading and positioning. The fastest and most productive sawmill in the LT line, the LT70, has a multi-functional hydraulic system, an 18.5 kW main engine, large 600 mm diameter blade wheels, and uses a 38 mm blade.

All Wood-Mizer sawmills can be equipped with Setworks, an electronic device for programming the required board thickness, automatically setting the sawhead to the proper height. The LT70 sawmill features Setworks as standard.

NEW! Sawing with Green Energy

The introduction of the Wood-Mizer electric battery sawmill is another step towards green energy on our planet. At LIGNA 2023, Wood-Mizer presented an industry-first LT15WIDE sawmill powered by an electric battery. This new power source option available for the LT15WIDE will allow sawmillers to have an affordable electric sawmill with replaceable batteries that can be recharged at a charging base.

Unlocking Your Creativity

Wood-Mizer has introduced the smallest and most affordable sawmill for hobby woodworkers, the LX50, which delivers sawing quality and precision for small-scale sawmillers.

In addition, Wood-Mizer's full line of compact Woodworking Machines was showcased at a separate Wood-Mizer booth, including two new additions, the MP280 four-sided planer/moulder and the MS750 panel saw. The Wood-Mizer CNC5003 automatic material processing machine was presented for the first time at LIGNA 2023.

Wood-Mizer not only produces equipment but they are also a significant manufacturer and supplier of cutting tools. A full range of bandsaw blades, circular saws, frame saws, planer knives, and cutters was also showcased at LIGNA as a part of the Wood-Mizer TOOLS division, along with the Wood-Mizer blade maintenance equipment.

Wood-Mizer was founded over 40 years ago by two inventive engineers who teamed up on a creative challenge to build the world's first mobile sawmill. This decision completely changed and determined the development of the sawmill industry for years to come, bringing new opportunities for sawmillers - mobility, efficiency, low energy consumption, and saving a valuable wood resource due to thin kerf technology. At LIGNA 2023, we saw that 40+ years after its birth, Wood-Mizer, led by talented design engineers, continues to bring innovations to the world. These innovations change lives for the better, not only for users and owners of Wood-Mizer machines but also for their communities, allowing them to make their dreams come true, create new wood projects, and grow their business from forest to final form.

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