Veneer Sheet Reentry System

Increase your plant production and improve your grading accuracy with Westmill’s Veneer Sheet Reentry System.

Westmill’s Sheet Reentry System allows you to automatically feed veneer sheets into an existing grading and stacking line. You will immediately be able to see improved sheet grading, and a reduction in veneer redrying in your plant. This translates into higher veneer production and improved sheet value, due to improved grading.

With a Veneer Sheet Reentry System, you can run your Stacker with not just one, but two “wet” bins. Your wet/redry bin will be reserved for sheets that must be redryed (run a second time through the Veneer Dryer). The second wet bin is for wet/reentry sheets, which contain less moisture than those in the wet/redry bin. Instead of requiring a second pass through the Dryer, this stack can sit in your plant for typically 24 to 48 hours and “equalize” in moisture.

During the equalizing process, the stacked veneers contain heat, and wet sheets in the stack transfer their remaining moisture to other sheets and to the ambient environment. After equalization, the wet/reentry stack is brought to the Sheet Reentry System by forklift, and the veneers are merged into the main grading and stacking line real-time, without requiring any stoppages on the main Dryer line.

This strategy allows you to run your Dryers faster than at present, because although your wet sheet count increases, your ability to process it without redrying also increases.

And when a Westmill Redryer is used in your plant, Dryer production increases even more by using this strategy.

When the Sheet Reentry System is installed to your primary Dryer line, you gain the advantage of being able to potentially achieve better grading. Your primary Dryer may feature the latest technology – Dry Stacker with Automatic Machine-Vision Grading – but your other Dryer lines may not.

By keeping the Reentry System at capacity, each reentered sheet will be automatically graded, more accurately than the manual grading typical of older Dryer lines.

Westmill can supply systems to feed in the 8’ (cross-grain) direction, or in the 4’ (grain) direction. The 8’ Sheet Reentry Systems are capable of steady reentry speeds of approximately 20 sheets per minute, whereas 4’ systems are capable of 15 sheets per minute.

The typical system includes:

• Load storage rollcase, capable of 1 or 2 load storage (more available).
• Scissor lift with rollcase top and hydraulic motor (electric available if preferred). Hydraulic Power Unit if required.
• Vacuum Feeder system, complete with fan and drive (motor, belts, variable frequency drive – VFD cabinet).
• Belt conveyors to merge sheets into the main grading/stacking line. Includes VFDs as required for start/stop and merging.
• PLC hardware and programming, touchscreen hardware and programming. Westmill can add to existing hardware to minimize costs.

The forklift operator brings a single veneer load and places it on the infeed load storage rollcase. From here the load proceeds onto a scissor lift, which raises the load and brings the top sheet to a feeding position. Pick-up boxes descend from the Vacuum Feeder and lift a single veneer sheet.

The feeder belts then convey the single sheet onto a transport belt conveyor, then further onto a merging belt conveyor. Here the single sheet stops and waits for permission from the PLC to enter the main grading/stacking line. As soon as a gap in the veneer flow is available, the merge conveyor feeds the sheet into the flow.