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Valmatics 4.0 new leap: “A breakthrough”
Valutec's kiln operator control system Valmatics 4.0 has recently seen advancements within multiple operational features. With AI-inspired computational models and machine learning, their adaptive control has become even more powerful, while these new features enhances everything from individual lumber packages to the entire drying operation.
“We have reached a breakthrough when it comes to our calculation models,” says John Karbin, CEO and head of automation at Valutec. “In addition, we have found new ways to use the large amounts of data generated by the fact that we now have over 1500 systems in operation. Together, it makes both the sawmills and our development work even better.”
The enhanced adaptive control models in Valmatics 4.0 give operators the opportunity to more accurately calculate the current moisture content in the drying batch. Part of the breakthrough is that the system has become increasingly better at adapting to variations in the incoming moisture content of the timber packages, a factor that can often vary greatly.
“The strength of our solution is that it is based on data that is already collected during the drying process, instead of the sawmills needing to install new hardware. We follow and use the temperature drop across the timber load and have found ways to improve our calculation models using that data,” says John.
Quick adaptation
The accuracy of the calculations performed by the control system's simulator can now be compared with the accuracy of hand-held moisture content meters. This has resulted in several advantages in the optimization of quality, capacity and energy consumption.
“The simulator has been used for a long time to generate drying schedules, but now the feedback is so accurate that it can also immediately adapt and generate a new drying schedule if the circumstances change, for example if a boiler does not deliver the expected effect,” Karbin says.
Data for the entire drying operation
In addition to the progress with the adaptive control, Valutec has also developed a new feature called “Multicalculate”. It compares collected data and simulations over time across an entire drying operation.
“For a larger sawmill group, this can mean that 5,000 batches generate data that we interpret and analyze for the sawmills,” explains Karbin. “For example, it provides the opportunity to identify early indications of kilns in need of repair, creating even better opportunities for proactive maintenance. In addition, the data helps us to further improve our algorithms.
Clear trend
The progress that Valmatics 4.0 has made has also contributed to more sawmills switching to the new control system.
“Many still use a combination of old and new systems and do their upgrades in stages. But we see a clear trend where more and more people use only Valmatics 4.0, both to get the opportunity for the adaptive control functions and for the feedback that Multicalculate provides. Recently, a major sawmill group made the decision to implement Valmatics 4.0 on all of their kilns, demonstrating how these improvements can be used on an industrial scale.”
Valmatics 4.0 helps sawmills automate and optimize drying in all types of kilns. The system is the only one on the market that combines simulator technology with adaptive control, enabling optimization based on capacity, quality and energy consumption. Read more about Valutec's control system here.
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