A look inside Paul's Rip Scanning System. Cameras detect different characteristics of the boards as they pass through.
For 100 years, Paul Maschinenfabrik has already been standing for the highest quality in mechanical and plant engineering. What once began with purely mechanical solutions has now evolved into state-of-the-art, intelligent systems. In the heart of Upper Swabia, in Dürmentingen, work has long been in progress on the digital future – and artificial intelligence is no longer a vision of the future, but everyday practice. Everyone is talking about AI – but who would expect to find it in a circular sawing machine? And yet: That is precisely where it is used today. Intelligent control systems analyse and optimise wood-based materials. The result: higher precision, less material loss, maximum efficiency. What used to require a great deal of strength and experience is now accomplished through the interplay of mechanics, sensor technology and algorithms. Whereas in the past, the operator had to push the heavy piece of wood towards the sawing machine using muscle power, today he sits comfortably on an ergonomic chair and the joystick replaces the need for lifting.
The physically demanding work of the past has long since been replaced by intelligent automation. Artificial intelligence not only improves individual work steps, but also takes entire process chains to a new level – more precise, efficient and reliable than ever before. Modern woodworking systems do not just saw wood. They destack, analyse, evaluate, optimise, saw and stack – all with minimal manpower. In order to actively shape this development, Paul Maschinenfabrik has made targeted investments in the development of AI-supported automation components in recent years. The result: noticeably improved processes, a significantly higher degree of automation – and another step towards the future of industrial woodworking.
The latest generation of scanners is trained with artificial intelligence at Paul and detects wood defects such as knots, bark, shakes, rot and many other characteristics much more accurately than before. What used to be laboriously marked by hand on the workpiece with special chalk is now done by the scanner - automatically, digitally and adaptively. Whereas older systems had to be configured using numerous parameters, the AI-supported technology classifies errors based on image data and digital marks on sample boards. Targeted training with information about grain patterns and colour differences takes defect detection to a whole new level. AI provides unprecedented reliability and precision in the sorting and production process.
Inspired by the positive experience with AI in the scanner, Paul's programmers developed further systems that significantly simplify even complex work steps. A camera-based detection system identifies the workpieces in a timber layer and enables their automatic singling. It not only measures the contour, width and length, but also detects whether a board needs to be cross-cut before being ripped. Another milestone is the so-called face scanner: It analyses annual rings, detects shakes and the geometry at the face of the workpieces – a task that was previously reserved for the trained eye. At the same time, an AI-controlled robot ensures that each board is correctly aligned: A camera detects the position and orientation of the individual timber layers in a stack, and the robot aligns the workpiece correctly before it is fed into the production process. The interplay of camera technology, AI and robotics impressively demonstrates how modern woodworking is becoming smarter, faster and safer.
