Automatic grading of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sawlogs using an industrial X-ray log scanner

The successful running of a sawmill is dependent on its ability to achieve the highest possible value recovery from the sawlogs, i.e. to optimize the use of the raw material. Such optimization requires information about the properties of every log. One method of measuring these properties is to use an X-ray log scanner. The objective of the present study was to determine the accuracy when grading Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) sawlogs using an industrial scanner known as the X-ray LogScanner. The study was based on 150 Scots pine sawlogs from a sawmill in northern Sweden. All logs were scanned in the LogScanner at a speed of 125 m/min. The X-ray images were analyzed on-line with measures of different properties as a result (e.g. density and density variations). The logs were then sawn with a normal sawing pattern (50*125 mm) and the logs were graded depending on the result from the manual grading of the center boards. Finally, partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to calibrate statistical models that predict the log grade based on the properties measured by the X-ray LogScanner. The study showed that 77-83% of the logs were correctly sorted when using the scanner to sort logs into three groups according to the predicted grade of the center boards. After sawing the sorted logs, 67% of the boards had the correct grade. When scanning the same logs repeatedly, the relative standard deviation of the predicted grade was 12-20%. The study also showed that it is possible to sort out 10 and 16%, respectively, of the material into two groups with high quality logs, without changing the grade distribution of the rest of the material to any great extent.