FAQs

Question:  I can’t afford to spend any money right now.  How can I run your system without a large financial burden?

Answer:  We realize that even though sawmills have the potential to justify the payback of our system in as little as 4-8 weeks, cash for capital and increased operating expenditures is extremely difficult to obtain given the current economic climate. To circumvent this problem, UCT is willing to reduce the initial outlay of expenses as follows:

At the spring 2010 meetings of the Southeast Lumber Manufacturing Association (SLMA), UCT Forestry announced that it would offer its Opti-Max cutting system to the SLMA membership for a twelve-month period as follows:  for a 6-month production trial at a cost equal to the mill’s current operating cost for saws, Babbitt guide pads and lubrication. For the following 6 months, the cost for the system will be the UCT Forestry system pricing.  During this initial 6-month period, UCT must meet agreed-upon performance goals for this transition to occur and these goals are to be developed and agreed between UCT and the sawmill owners.

Any capital items required for the conversion to the Opti-Max System will be proposed, and when accepted, paid for monthly during this first year of operation.

All engineering, set-up and start-up costs will be deferred until the data is in on the initial 6- month production run, and the customer agrees that at least one of the goals mutually agreed by both parties was achieved.

UCT Forestry is offering this value proposition to all lumber mills in North America for the foreseeable future.

We know that lower grade lumber is difficult to sell now. More mills are going after higher grade, prime lumber.  The price difference between prime and #2 grades is often $80/MBF.  How would you like to cut more prime without reducing recovery?

Question: I recently installed some new machinery and it took me 3 months to work out the kinks. I can’t afford any more headaches or downtime. Will I have this problem with Opti-Max?

Answer:  No, because the most important component of the Opti-Max system is our engineering expertise. Our technicians not only oversee the commissioning of the system – we also perform regular audits after installation.

We have installed this system in numerous mills (both hardwood and softwood) and are careful to avoid impacting production. We ensure that all the guides are set up properly before installing them on the machine. We install and test the system during your scheduled downtime. And if you’re still nervous about adopting new technology, you can keep your existing Babbitt guide pads and guides ready to go as a backup, if you wish. (But we’re confident you’ll never want to put them back on!)

Question:  I am running fine now with my Babbitt guide pads and regular saws.  So why change?

Answer:  Babbitt systems do not “run fine.”  In mill after mill we have observed that, by based on their physical properties alone, they perform poorly and create sawing deviation that wastes fiber and eventually causes unscheduled downtime.  The maintenance of the Babbitt pads, including frequent swapping for dressing, is a cumbersome process.  The physical system of mounting the pads (including a lack of height adjustability) on their guide arms and the dressing tolerance, do not allow for precise adjustments on these pads. This disadvantage coupled with their lack of wear resistance compared to EXO coated guide pads makes them a poor choice for mills that want to improve their cutting accuracy and hence their yield.

Babbitt guide pads are also a serious safety hazard for the mill, not only due to the metallic constituents of the Babbitt material, but also from the dangerous explosions that could ensue if a small amount of water or any ambient-temperature liquid finds its way into the molten Babbitt pot.

Many mills are losing money now. With our Opti-Max system, we provide you the opportunity to dramatically increase your revenues and profits with a payback that’s measured in weeks, not years.  Our system has the potential to increase mill revenue by thousands of dollars per week based on improvements in recovery, productivity and grade-out savings as defined above.  We have gathered extensive data from mills running our system that shows our value proposition really works – and that Babbitt technology is now obsolete.

Question:  I already have good grade-out and low sawing deviation with my Babbitt guides…so how can I do better?

Answer:  Much of the software in use in the mills today for measuring is fine, but often is not as accurate as one might think. Using our automated board measuring device, we have proven that sawing deviation increases with time when using Babbitt guide pads and uncoated saws. The boards look good and deviation is low in the morning.  By lunchtime, the deviation increases, (as much as .030” or more), thereby reducing your recovery.

UCT’s Opti-Max System delivers consistently lower sawing deviation. This feature alone provides the mill an opportunity to reduce target size. Target size reduction is real money…far more money than kerf reduction.

A common sawing problem on VSA machines, as an example, is wedge-shaped or tapered lumber. This is typically caused by a saw that has started to tilt over due to uneven Babbitt pad clearances. If you have 0.001” clearances on one side, and 0.003” clearances on the other, then the saw will naturally lean towards the side with higher clearance. It is not possible for something as soft as Babbitt to maintain tight and consistent clearances over the entire shift. You typically can’t tell that the lumber is tapered unless you measure the edges.  A 2”x4” board that is 1.750” thick on one side and 1.650” on the other will have more drying down grading (compared to even- thickness boards) and will be more difficult to dress out at the planer.

Boards cut with the UCT guide pad system are accurate in thickness and offer the following benefits:

  • Fewer problems down the green chain or trimmer line (boards that are thick/thin often get stuck, rotate, or don’t trim properly).
  • Better stacking:  boards that are uniform in thickness will stack more evenly.
  • Better kiln drying:  boards that are uniform in thickness will dry more consistently.  Boards that lay flat will have less twist.  A reduced target size will allow you to have an extra layer, thereby increasing kiln capacity.
  • Better grade-out:  less planer skip, less wane, longer overall lengths

Question: Why do I pay for your products and services on a per board foot basis?

Answer:  The value of our offering is dependent on two principal features – the technology built into the system and the engineering and technical support that drives the value for you in the mill.  The simplest way for us to provide you all the products and services is on a per- board-foot or fixed $ / month basis, rather than a price per unit. Our product provides improved performance, reduced downtime, and higher-quality product output.

You pay per board foot or a fixed $/month (depending upon mill throughput) and you receive the following consumables/services on a scheduled basis:

  1. EXO™ Coated Guide Arms – a one-time capital expenditure.
  2. EXO™ Coated Guide Pads & Accessories.
  3. EXO™ Coated Saw Blades.
  4. Inspection and adjustment of your guide arms once per year, with particular attention to the lubrication distribution ports.
  5. A specific allotment of high quality lubricant each month.
  6. On-going engineering and technical support and training that your people need to drive the value that our system provides.

We are more than pleased to discuss other payment options that make you more comfortable from the procurement side.  But one thing is for sure – all elements of the Opti-Max System including the service modules work together to make your mill more profitable.

Reputable primary lumber companies have told us we have saved them over $500,000 in recovery based on a 50,000,000-board-foot operation.