Events

Since 1998, the Forest Industry Engineering Association (FIEA) has been running an extensive series of technology programmes for forestry and wood product companies. Over 150 programmes in early 2009 have been run for Australasian forest products companies.  The technology updates provide an independent forum where companies can evaluate a range of new product and process technologies best suited to their own operations.

Due to the rapid advancement of technology and demand from industry for follow up programmes, FIEA has developed a regular series of events.  They are being run every two to three years. For most events, product and service suppliers, major interest groups and associations involved with the theme link into the technology programmes.  This maximizes networking opportunities for the industry.  See below for a brief description of these events.

For further information on how you can be involved in upcoming programmes, please contact one of our offices.

DryTECH

Theme: Technologies to Improve Timber Drying and Energy Management

Programme Details: DryTech provides local companies with an independent and practical two-yearly update on new tools, kiln designs and drying schedules being used commercially. Recent research and international technologies being adopted by leading wood products companies in regions like Australasia, North America, South Africa and Europe are profiled.

Emphasis in the programmes more recently has been on options for improving energy management in kiln drying operations, how mills can manage growing environmental compliance issues, technologies for measuring and controlling kiln emissions and the development and increasing use of scanning/segregation technologies for kiln drying operations.

ForestTECH

Theme: Tools and Technologies to Improve Forest Planning & Operations

Programme Details: ForestTECH 2007 in New Zealand and ForestTECH 2008 in Australia were the first forestry technology showcases of their type run in Australasia.  The ForestTECH events consist of an integrated series of practical workshops, managed exhibitions, demonstrations and field visits. 

The programmes cover; new technologies for improving plantation silviculture, developments in data collection and inventory tools, integrated forest management information systems, innovations in remote sensing for forest inventory and mapping, acoustic tools for segregating logs and forest stands and scanning systems and acoustic tools for determining internal log defects.

Future Forestry Finance

Residues to Revenues

Theme: Technologies to Improve Wood Wastes Utilisation

Programme Details:  The Residues to Revenues events profile the rapid development of new technologies for harvesting, handling, transporting and integrating residues from forests. Case studies along with feasibility studies of companies utilising in-forest residues are used extensively through the series.

For those involved in utilising wood wastes to generate on-site energy, practical guidelines are given on designing proper fuel sizing, treatment and handling systems along with practical advice on the site layout of storage systems and the transfer of the various fuel streams to the storage facilities and energy plant.

SawTECH

Theme: Sawing Technologies to Improve Mill Performance

Programme Details: This practical programme provides New Zealand and Australian sawmillers with the very latest in tools, technologies and innovations to improve their sawing performance. Leading saw specialists and technology providers cover an array of practical tools that can be adopted to improve sawmilling productivity.

New developments in saw design, selection, maintenance and operation are addressed in a series of workshops, focus groups, managed exhibitions and site visits.  The programmes are targeted at sawmill managers, production and engineering staff and sawdoctors.

ScanTECH

Theme: Sawmill Scanning and Optimisation Technologies

Programme Details: Every two years ScanTech provides the most comprehensive line-up of international wood scanning and sawmill optimization expertise seen in the Southern hemisphere.

Included in the programme are advances in log merchandising and sawmill edger and trimmer optimisation, updates on true shape scanning, integrating sophisticated breakdown equipment in the mill, developments in commercializing X-ray and CT internal log and lumber scanning, acoustic tools for measuring strength and stiffness, ultra-sound scanning for determining internal log checking and optimization software to determine the best value solution for processing each log.

Value Chain Optimisation

Theme: Forest to Market – Innovations to Improve Logistics & Operations

Programme Details: VCO provides practical updates on innovations being used by forest products companies and leading technology providers and includes; analysis of successful international models for supply chain optimisation, remote sensing and real-time tracking of logs and wood products, innovative systems that integrate planning, operations, harvesting and sales, materials handling, packaging and freight forwarding and distribution developments.

Also covered are anlyses of the key issues facing the freight, shipping and transport industries and latest international trends in logistics and supply chain management.

Wood Innovations

Theme: New Technologies & Product Opportunities
 
Programme Details: Wood Innovations is designed to provide senior managers and technical staff with a two yearly update on new wood product technologies. Leading technology providers from throughout the world are selected to present on the very latest - as well as emerging technologies - in solid wood, log and lumber scanning, sawing, planer mill, kiln drying and wood preservation technologies.

Product and process innovations in veneer, plywood, LVL, fibre-board and pulp & paper and some of the more rapidly advancing technologies, bio-fuels, bio-materials, wood modification and building materials and systems are also covered.

Wood Manufacturing

Theme: The Profitable Wood Manufacturing Plant – Tooling, Technology & Design

Programme Details:  It attracts wood manufacturing specialists from throughout North America, Europe and Asia every two years and all major wood manufacturing operations from throughout New Zealand and Australia. 

The programmes cover; optimising plant layout and design, automation of stacking, cross cutting sorting and timber grading operations, scanning applications and cutting patterns to maximise clear lumber recovery and fingerjointing technology updates and practical operational guidelines. In secondary manufacturing, developments in new gluing formulations, glue clamping systems and options for glue bond drying, monitoring wood manufacturing performance, and material handling equipment to improve product and process flow in the plant are covered.

Wood Preservation

Theme: New Tools, Technologies & Product Opportunities

Programme Details: Wood Preservation provides a unique two-three yearly update on new timber preservation technologies, research, changing standards and key developments from Australasia, North America, Europe and Asia.

The practical two-day programmes outline developments in new preservative formulations and processes, advances in alternative products and the industry’s response to increasing environmental issues and changes that are occurring in production, distribution and retailing from North America, Europe and Asia.