Innovative methods of non-destructive evaluation of log quality

Abstract

For the sustainability of an important renewable resource, such as wood, it is important to significantly increase the efficiency of its processing. A large part of this raw material ends up in the wood processing industry, where it is used for the production of pulp, paper, construction and furniture timber, floors and others. Therefore, it is very important to gain the knowledge needed for optimal valuation of raw wood material, through quality detection and classification into quality classes. There are many defectoscopic methods working on different physical principles. The most familiar of these methods are semi-destructive and non-destructive, as they do not cause damage to the tree or wood during assessment. The aim of this article is to describe, assess and compare known semi-destructive and non-destructive methods for the assessment of wood properties. This article describes basic visual inspection, basic semi-destructive methods (Pilodyn, Resistograph) and advanced semi-destructive methods (SilviScan®, DiscBot®) as well. Non-destructive methods use mostly acoustic wave motion (acoustic, ultrasonic), high-frequency waves (using georadar, microwave) and methods based on visual evaluation (image, laser). At last, there are X–ray methods with the latest technology using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT). The implementation of modern non-destructive methods is of great importance for the application of principles of Industry 4.0, where these methods provide collecting of data on the material properties, in its entire production flow of log processing.

Computed Tomography as a Tool for Quantification and Classification of Roundwood—Case Study

“…Devices of this type are commercially available. They are manufactured, for example, by WEINIG Gruppe (CombiScan + model), Innovativ Vision (morel WoodEye 5), and Microtec (Goldeneye series) [28,29].…”

10th Hardwood Conference Proceedings

“…Subsequently, the increase in competition will lead to a reduction in the price of CT scanners, and in connection with the increase in the price of the raw material, there will be an increasingly frequent introduction even into smaller companies. In 2020, according to Ondrejka et al (2020), there were only 8 CT scanners from Microtec worldwide. While 4 are installed in Europe and 3 in North America, the last device is in Chile (Ondrejka et al 2020).…”

“…In 2020, according to Ondrejka et al (2020), there were only 8 CT scanners from Microtec worldwide. While 4 are installed in Europe and 3 in North America, the last device is in Chile (Ondrejka et al 2020).…”

In-Line Wood Defect Detection Using Simple Scalar Network Analyzer

“…The demand for the optimal evaluation of raw wood material through detection and classification into quality classes resulted in semi-destructive and non-destructive methods for wood properties assessment. Resistograph is a semi-destructive method that partially damages the wood log or pole without affecting its further use [ 12 ]. Acoustic and ultrasonic methods use sound and ultrasonic waves to identify wood properties.…”

“…Acoustic and ultrasonic methods use sound and ultrasonic waves to identify wood properties. The disadvantages of using the previous methods are that they are difficult to apply, and they require fast acoustic tools to evaluate wood beams during manufacture [ 11 ]; they also require an additional destructive laboratory test for precise results [ 12 ].…”