Sunday, December 9, 1990 - North Shore News - 41 BUSINESS Machine grades lumber electrically A NORTH Vancouver elec- tronics company has come up with a machine that reads lumber the way a skilled editor reads a manu- script: it identifies defects and determines the op- timum cut of the material ai hand. United Industrial Products (UIP) recently received $270,000 in federal Western Diversification funding to develop and market ALGIS (Automatic Lumber Grading Inspection System). Using a video scanning system, ALGIS looks at all four sides of a piece of lumber. The machine, if installed in a sawmill, would take the place of workers who grade lumber man- ually. With ALGIS, boards are fed along a table by way of a chain drive fitted with large lugs. Boards can be moved through the system as quickly as 212 per minute. As the boards progress transversely along the table, they are passed under ‘“‘machine vision scanners’” connected to a host computer. In the first scanning zone, the top face of the board and the front edge of the board are scan- ned. The toard is then automatically flipped before it enters a second scanning zone. At this point, the bottom face and back edge of the board are scanned by the camera system. The host computer collects the WV firm gets funds WEST VANCOUVER-based CDS Research Ltd., a leader in the field of cryogenics, will receive a partially repayable loan of $27,500 from the federal Western Diver- sification Fund. The company is a_ highly specialized consulting service with expertise on liquid natural gas (LNG) mega projects. It has worked on half of the major LNG facilities in the world. Associate National Defence Minister and Capilano-Howe Sound MP Mary Collins said the money will be used to implement a computer-based quality assurance program. The first $15,000 of the loan is non-repayable. Total costs of the project are estimated at $55,000. Implementation of a con- solidated quality assurance pro- gram will allow CDS to maintain its international lead in specific areas of cryogenics. It will also enable the company to bid on new contracts in this field both in Canada and in international mar- kets. ““A computerized quality assurance program which can be used to create customized documentation for specific jobs will be a tremendous asset to the company in its bid preparations," said Collins. ‘Quality assurance is essential in this field of work because of the possibilitics for major disasters if there are explo- sions, fires and equipment failures which may result in flammable vapor cloud releases into the at- mosphere.”’ CDS Research plans to achieve CSA Z 299.2 level certification. This level of quality assurance has been chosen because CSA dcfines the standards for all fire safety processes and products and CSA are standards recognized worldwide. FORESTL! NE ALGIS AUTOMATIC LUMBER © FORSSTLIRE. es Michael Becker FORESTLINE FORESTLINE HIGH TECH grading information and suggests the best grade trim decision to get the most out of the wood. The scanners are set up in modular form. The modular for- mat allows a mill to install, for example, eight-foot or 20-foot systems. Twenty-four-foot boards would require 12 scanning modules. Said Joe Hailey, UIP R&D NEWS photo Cindy G UNITED INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS (UIP) research and development manager Joe Hailey helped de- velop ALGIS, the Automatic Lumber Grading Inspection System. UIP, a North Vancouver company, manager, ‘‘There is not an Fecently received $270,000 from the federal government to complete development of the automatic automatic system like this any- softwood grader. where on the market. In Scan- America. ‘heir grading rules are dinavia they do have grade-scann- less complex than ours."” at the Wood Expo trade show in tained.’’ ing systems; however, they're Hailey, whose company is look- September at B.C. Place. Industry UIP literature states ALGIS can grading for appearance of the ing for a test site sawmill for is certainly looking for a system improve wood product value re- board as opposed to our strength ALGIS, said industry reaction to that will automatically grade covery anywhere from two to requirements here in North the product has been favorable. lumber because of the consistency eight per cent. “We demonstrated this system and the accuracy that can be at- ASE, oe vi ‘ a:? CANASEAN Program The CANASEAN Program is designed to forge links and relationships between business people in Canada and the ASEAN ina mutually beneficial two-way learning process. In addition to learning about business opportunities, participants also learn aboui each other's business etiquette, culture and customs. Neus ary “sz %,, one a Pea! Congratulations to the 1990 CANASEAN Manager Program participants: Jinda Suradecha Siti Mansor Nelson Goh Frisco Guce Li & Fung City Hall Singapore Polymer Corp. San Miguel Corporation Bangkok, Thailand Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Singapore Metro-Manila, Philippines Jirapa Tengrungsun Hakim Saprawan Tunjung Wulan Rosario Marcaida Apitoon Enterprise Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad‘ P.T. Guna Estetika AA Export and import Bangkok, Thailand Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Jakarta, Indonesia Metro-Manila, Philippines Thun Saesia Mahani Yusoff Doddy Kusmanto Geng Gao Huai Bangkok Bank Malaysian Timber Industry Board P.T. Wijaya Karya Sichuan Changjiang Corp. Bangkok, Thailand Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Jakarta, Indonesia Chengdu, Sichuan . People's Republic of China Thank you to our Corporate Partners: District of North Vancouver B.C. Packers J.S. McMillan Fisheries Fletcher Challenge Canada Money's Mushrooms Jana and Company Imports City of Vancouver B.C. Ministry of Forests B.C. Ministry of the Environment B.C. Business Information Centre Royal Bank of Canada Woodward's Canwocd Furniture Odlum Brown Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Council of Forest Industries Thanks also to our Supporters: Arbokem, Inc. + Asia Pacific Foundation « B.C. Federation of Labour « B.C. Ferries » B.C. Gas » B.C. Hydro International « B.C. International Commercial Arbitration Centre » B.C. Ministry of International Business & Immigration « B.C. Ministry of Regional & Economic Development « B.C. Ministry of Tourism * B.C. Telephone Company + B.C. Trade Development Corporation + B.C. Transit + B.C. Rail + Business Council of British Columbia ° Canadian Intemational Development Agency * Canadian Manufacturers’ Association « Discovery Foundation « District of Powell River * Emst & Young Chartered Accountants » Export Development Corporation Canada « Federal Business Development Bank « Ferguson Gifford + Fisheries Council of British Columbia « Industry, Science and Technology Canada « International Finance Centre + Intemational Hardsuits « International Trade Centre « Investment Dealers’ Association of Canada « The Law Society of British Columbia + MacMillan Bloedel « Mining Association of British Columbia « Powell River Chamber of Commerce « Sechelt Community Futures Program « Vancouver Board of Trade/World Trade Centre » Western Economic Diversification Canada. For more information, call the CANASEAN Program office at 986-1911, local 2081. CAPILANO COLLEGE 2055 Purcell Way « North Vancouver, British Columbia ¢ V7J 3H5 wea,