While maintenance and care of veneer machinery is essential, improving the overall performance and production quality of these machines requires more than just overcoming short-term problems or obstacles.
It requires a solution-based perspective that can positively affect veneer production at your company by thinking holistically. This approach is future-oriented and helps to identify and mobilize practical measures to reach your output goals. These can contribute to achieving observable improvements over the long-term.
Discover three must-dos to improve your veneer machinery efficiency and output; These will explore how input/output requirements should be considered, how and why context is key, and why a holistic outlook can make all the difference.
1: Ensure that your veneer machinery fits your output and input needs
Veneer machinery is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Just like any other machine or equipment in an industrial setting, it has to be customized to suit your specific requirements – no more, no less.
While this certainly requires that your veneer machinery maximizes what comes out, the way it handles the material that goes in is equally important. The right machine for your operation can adjust your different types of wood and the incoming material's quality. These factors include:
- Dimensions
- Waviness
- Moisture/humidity level
- Temperature
Operators should be able to make these adjustments safely and easily, with little to no operational disturbance.
2: Prioritize context
The veneer industry is evolving. Today’s veneer machines and methods must be flexible and adaptable. The future lies in combining long-term experience with new technologies and the latest possibilities in digitalization.
The first thing to do is to understand your own company’s needs. What are you doing now? What are your priorities (e.g. higher efficiency or reduced waste)? What are your future challenges?
Depending on answers to questions like these, your veneer machinery solution could vary significantly. Does this mean that your plant needs an entirely new setup or would a pragmatic upgrade to just one part of your production line ramp performance?
3: Focus on a holistic solution
As someone responsible for production performance and quality, bottlenecks are often a concern.
By looking at the bigger picture and not just a single element of the process, new and innovative solutions with long lasting impact can be created. For example, in the plywood industry, handling the middle layer of composed sheets is crucial. If a bottleneck occurs at this stage, reflecting on the entire production process can help to prevent it. For instance, implementing further control and expertise in your machinery at the cutting and gluing stages (in addition to the composition stage), can help to prevent hold-ups across the whole process.
Optimizing production performance and quality can be achieved by a shift in focus, resulting in both quick wins and longer-term success. To make better investment decisions that positively affect TCO, ROI, and learning culture, download or checklist here.
