New values to the bio‐based industryby precision wood characterisation and delivery

Lars Wilhelmsson & John ArlingerBackground picture from:The Swedish Forest Sector Research Agenda (2017)© Swedish Forest Industries Federation

The worldinMercatorprojectione.g. Google Maps

Reference: Google Maps

”True size” projection

Reference: www.thetruesize.com

”True size” of Sweden

Reference: www.thetruesize.com

73 %

80 %

Sweden = forest

cultivatedforest

forest

The forest Sweden’s mostimportant raw material

Forestry and the forest branch contributes to solutions!

Forestry and the forest branch contributes to solutions!

Production value ofSwedish forest based

products€ 12,000,000,000

Market value of sustainablyproduced roundwood

€ 3,000,000,000

• Sustainability• More forest based materials

• Value chains• Right from initiation 

• Other ecosystem services

Forests and forestry

Background picture from:The Swedish Forest Sector Research Agenda (2017)© Swedish Forest Industries Federation

Stiffness, bending strengthShape stabilityDurabilitySurface propertiesVisual properties

From the Swedish Forest Sector Research Agenda© Swedish Forest Industries Federation

Fibre properties(length, cell-wallthickness etc)Tear, tensile strengthPorosityExtractives…..

From the Swedish Forest Sector Research Agenda© Swedish Forest Industries Federation

Material: Sample plots from the Swedish National Forest Inventory

• DBH• Tree height• Tree age (BH)• Coordinates• Species composition• Plot areas

~ 45000 Scots pine trees ~ 70 000 Norway spruce trees

56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68Latitud°

• DBH• Tree height• Age (BH)• Coordinates• Species • Plot areas

Simulated harvesting

• Basic density- Bending strength- & stiffness, C-class- Surface hardness- Chip and fiber properties,- Yield (material) & Combustion value

• Thickest branch/whorl

+ Distance between whorles

• Heartwood- durability

Some wood properties harder to measure during operation,but possible to predict

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56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68Latitude °

Thickestbranch/whorl

(mm)Basic density, kg/m3sub

 Dens Grövsta gren/varv

Basic densityThickestbranch/whorl

Scots pine all sawlogs, small end diameter > 140 mm 

52699 logs

Mean values& ---- 95% ofpredicted variation

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and models for predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

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Thickest branch/whorl 

(mm)

Basic density, kg/m3sub

Latitude°

DensGrövsta gren/varv

Basic densityThickestbranch/whorl

Scots pine all butt logs > 140 mm Mean values& ---- 95% of

predicted variation

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and modelsfor predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

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56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68Latitude °N

Thickestbranch/whorl

(mm)

Basic density kg/m3sub

 Dens Grövsta gren/varv

Example Butt logs Scots pine Small end diameters 220 -239 mm (ub)

3269 logs

Mean values& ---- 95% of

predicted variation

Basic densityThickestbranch/whorl

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and modelsfor predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

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56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67Latitude °N

Thickestbranch/whorl

(mm)

Basic density kg/m3sub

 Dens Grövsta gren/varv

Example 2:nd logs Scots pine Small end diameters 220 -239 mm (ub)

1370 logs

Basic densityThickestbranch/whorl

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and modelsfor predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

0102030405060708090

100

56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68

Heartwoodpercentage

%

Latitude°N

Kärnved%Heartwood %

Scots pine, all sawlogs > 140 mm

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and modelsfor predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

Example Buttlogs Scots pine, Toppdiameter 220 -239 mm (ub)

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100

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Heartwoodpercentage

%

Latitude °N

 Kärnved%Heartwood %

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and modelsfor predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

05

101520253035404550

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Distance between branch whorls, cm

Latitude °N

 Kvistvarvsavstånd

Example: 2:nd logs Scots pineSmall end diameter 220 -239 mm (ub)

Distance betweenwhorls

Results from simulated harvesting of plots from The Swedish National Forest Inventory, Bucking simulations by TimAn (Skogforsk) and modelsfor predicting wood properties (Skogforsk, Innventia, SLU)

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56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68Latitude˚N

Percentage trees without any crooks or damage over latitudes

Norway spruce Scots pine

Results based on analysis of the Swedish National Forest Inventory 2005-2009 (Wilhelmsson 2017 unpubl.)

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12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37SI (m, H100)

Percentage trees without any crooks or visible damage over site fertility index (SI)

Norway spruce Scots pine

Results based on analysis of the Swedish National Forest Inventory 2005-2009 (Wilhelmsson 2017 unpubl.)

Mapping of stem properties by harvester production files (StanForD)

• Data on individual logs/stems reportedfrom all harvested objects• Log diameters, length and longitudinal

positions in stems• Species• Coordinates• Stem faults (operator’s forced cuts)

• Stems can be ”reconstructed” to analysealternative bucking regimes

• Skogforsk has established a nationwidedatabase of harvester production files. More results coming……

Example from a randomlypickedharvesting object”Labbo” ~ latitude 60˚

350370390410430450

140 190 240 290 340

kg/m3sub

Log small end diameter (ub), mm

Basic density

101520253035

140 190 240 290 340

mm

Small end diameter (ub), mm

Thickest branch per whorl, mm

Labbo, Örbyhusex. Ala pine quality 3

Reference: amaozon.com

Mastering the variationsopens new opportunities

Conclusions• Large variation in wood properties – turn problem to opportunity!• The variation pattern is similar for pine and spruce

• Internal properties of logs can be calculated and partly predictedby tree height, diameter (along stem) tree age (bh) coordinates+ models of wood properties

• All this can be utilized for- improving utilization of the variability of forest raw materials- improving planning and yield calculations

General aim - EFFORTE

to develop and adopt novel technology and tools that improve:

• efficiency and sustainability of forestry

• throughout the entire forest based value chain within the EU

Connection harvestingto silvicultureValue chain

perspective

The next generation      forests