The first major industry trade expo since the pandemic began came off as a rousing success when 4,000 people gathered for EXPO Richmond in May. A number of major pallet and lumber industry suppliers displayed live equipment and even offered live demonstrations of the latest technology.
Most exhibitors were pleasantly surprised with the attendance and buying activity. Visitor attendance was 4,000 people, down from 6,000 in 2018. The expo will be held again in 2022 and then will resume its biennial schedule.
So, what caught my attention at the show? Here’s a list of some of the things that stood out the most.
Probably the biggest draw was the new high-speed nailing machine from Viking, the Voyager. It ran for the first time at a trade show and performed well. Benefits of the Voyager include a dual board hopper, S3 board positioning, an improved nail delivery system and more. The entire nailer is designed to be efficient and upgradeable in the future. Customers were requesting a faster machine; ultimately the Voyager will produce a pallet every 8.5 seconds.
Kurt Larsen, president and co-owner of Viking Engineering & Development Inc., explained, “Customers also wanted a machine with dual hoppers that will reduce the workload of the operators. The Voyager is more ergonomic than previous machines.” You can find out more about Viking innovations in the June cover story of the Pallet Enterprise.
Another key innovation at the show is the Urban Sawmill from Alliance Automation. It is designed to handle the labor-intensive process of sorting and trimming random, odd-sized boards, which is a huge challenge for any pallet disassembly operation. The Urban Sawmill scans random deck and bottom boards for length, width and thickness. Boards are then optimized and trimmed to desired finished length. Individual sort bins capture the reclassified lumber of predetermined dimensions.
The Urban Sawmill can easily make 2,500 cuts per hour. Some customers have reached rates of 3,500 cuts per hour. Find out more in the cover story on Alliance Automation on page 14.
Another company working on the same problem is PRS Group Inc. Jeff Williams, president of PRS Group, said that he has finalized the Auto-Max Super Saw system and plans to start delivering machines this fall. The Auto-Max can feed, scan, optimize, cut and sort multiple lengths, widths and thicknesses accurately at 3,000 boards per hour.
Baker Products showed off its One Man Scragg Mill which has been in development for a few years and was first introduced to the industry in the May 2018 issue of Pallet Enterprise. Baker is now ready to produce the machine and is even outfitting Ed Baker’s new sawmill in Missouri with some of the systems. The One Man Scragg is a miniaturized sawmill combined with a circle-saw, double-end-trim for breaking down scragg blocks. The idea is to recombine existing technology in a better way to break down small diameter “scragg logs” into three-sided cants.
The One Man Scragg allows one operator to process four to five thousand board feet per day into cut-to-length, four- and six-inch width, three-sided-cants. These four-inch and six-inch cants are automatically separated. According to Ed Baker, by sawing small logs into three-sided cants with one blade rather than two, you are able to get more yield. The system is designed to work very well with small diameter “scragg logs.” See the video online at https://youtu.be/QClbMcLl_bw.
Go Fast Manufacturing had on display a number of notching machines that are useful for pallet shops. The NXL Manual Notcher is based off the popular NXL Notcher and was on display for the first time at the expo. It features a 6" throat that allows for a high production rate (3-4 stringers per pass), and the pop-up cutter guard makes this a very safe machine to operate. Go Fast has added a waste conveyor to its 2NXL Notcher. Kevin Wieser of Go Fast, commented, “We found there was a strong demand for these conveyors because many pallet makers do not have a dust collection system that is large enough to handle the sawdust from a double-headed notcher.”
Also, Go Fast displayed its 2NXP Automatic Notcher prototype. This machine is equipped with an optional touch-screen & PLC that provides automatic go-to functions, cutter feedback, board counts, and much more. It is currently in testing and should be in production soon for delivery to customers.
Automated Machine Systems demonstrated its new pallet pricing and quotation module that companies can use to better integrate pricing functions with the rest of the PalMate enterprise resource planning software. Developed to improve the quoting process for a client, this module can be integrated with PalMate or used as a stand-alone quotation software.
Cresswood Shredding Machinery highlighted its strong working relationship with Brad Boulware and his team at Boulware Equipment. Brad offers full turnkey grinding solutions from machinery selection to conveyance to even helping figure out markets for waste products. Mulch and other wood waste markets are hot right now. Find out if you can do something better with your waste material.
Alan Miceli of Innovative Data Systems showed off his latest version of the Mill Manager ERP and Pallet-Track software. The latest version includes e-signature paperless bill of ladings, online ordering, accounting integration and new cloud-based software solutions.
Pallet Machinery Group (PMG) brought several pieces of equipment from the brands it represents. One unique machine is a new applicator for its WoodLock mold inhibitor used to treat pallets to prevent mold growth. This applicator allows a pallet to be treated inline versus a dip tank or other method. PMG also had on hand a M2L Stacker designed by Automated Industrial Technologies. This stacker has become a popular model for many pallet companies looking to reduce labor associated with board stacking. PMG also unveiled a video on a new board notcher with a bypass option.
Rayco Industries ran live equipment as usual, showcasing its Pallet Pro automatic pallet machine and its Edge Automatic Pallet Machine. There was usually a crowd around the booth when I went by and the machines were running.
Vecoplan displayed its VPC 1600, a pre-shredder designed to process large bulky wood items, such as chunks, crates, pallets and dunnage. When combined with a grinder, throughput is increased, and downtime reduced.
Finally, Viper Industrial Products ran live demonstrations of its Woody pallet nailing machine and the Honey Badger recycle pallet machine. One of the big advantages of the Viper machines is 90-day lead times. The Woody is a single-operator machine complete with a stacker boasting up to 600 pallets per shift.
While this wasn’t everything to see at the show, it certainly includes a highlight of the new innovations that stood out in my mind. See you at EXPO Richmond next year!
