Vida Vislanda
Vida’s sawmill in Vislanda saws and planes spruce timber to be used as structural timber. The main markets are UK and Scandinavia.
Number of employees: 80 employees
Production of timber per year: 306,000m3 of sawn timber
Markets:
• 36% UK
• 36% Scandinavia
• 10% USA
• 9% Australia
• 5% Asia
• 4% Germany
• 2% Other export
Measuring station and timber sorting
Every day around 60 vehicles with trailers of spruce timber (the equivalent of 9,800 logs per day) are offloaded. The logs are measured and graded by staff from the independent measuring association Biometra. This measuring/grading is the basis for payment to forest landowners. Our average distance for purchasing is 80km. The timber is sorted by diameter and length into some 37 sawing grades that are sawn in batches.
Sawing line
The sawing process starts with the 3-dimensional measuring of every log. Based on this, the computer calculates how the log should be sawn to achieve the highest timber value from the log. The saw line produces an average of 85m3 of sawn timber per hour, which varies between 15 – 130m3 of sawn timber per hour depending on sawing grade. The sawing line operates for two shifts, which provides approx 1,450m3 of sawn timber every day. About 56% of the volume of the log becomes timber, some 17% becomes sawdust and bark and around 27% becomes cellulose wood chips that are used to make paper.
Sawdust and bark from the process are used as fuel for heating our premises and timber kilns. In the timber kiln, fans blow 80-degree warm air through the timber pack for around 2 – 4 days, depending on the dimension.
Planing
The majority of the volume is planed, both to achieve the measurement accuracy required in industrial construction and for a flatter and more easy-to-use surface. In 2008, the new planing plant started operation with a Gilbert planing machine from Canada, which has the maximum top speed of 1,200 metres per minute. The timber is sorted and graded with the help of a RS Board Scanner Q scanning system.
In Vislanda approx 308,000m3 planed timber is produced annually, the equivalent of 66 million metres of planed timber.
Market
Vislanda predominantly produces structural timber that is delivered to our main markets in UK, Scandinavia, Australia, USA and Asia. Our customers have high demands on supply accuracy, quality and length. The packs are adapted to the requirements of the customer. This places high demands on our planning and logistics, all the way from value cutting the timber, through industrial processing and delivery to the customer. Our goods are transported by both lorries and trains.