Freres Engineered Wood Boosts Throughput and Quality with FANUC Robots
Freres Engineered Wood doubled Mass Ply Panel production and improved joint quality using FANUC robots integrated by PRE-TEC.
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Challenges
Panels’ joint quality varied, which can comprise performance
Equipment setup was difficult and time-consuming, tying up manpower and equipment
Panel vibration could cause extra wood to be cut off panel edges, also reducing joint performance
Needed a flexible automation solution instead of custom designed equipment for cost competitiveness
Results
Robots improved quality by creating better joints and controlling vibration, which creates correctly cut panel edges
Less complications in input panel process to free up manpower and equipment
Higher percentage of their product meets or exceeds Quality Control (QC) requirements
Predictable maintenance with robots’ monitoring and reporting software ZDT and service cycle
Gained production capacity and throughput via extended hours beyond a normal shift
Story
Located in Oregon, Freres Engineered Wood produces Mass Ply Panel, a lumber-based structural panel used as an alternative for concrete and steel in multi-story construction projects. This sustainable building material has been used in Europe for decades and is now growing in popularity in the US.
Freres wanted to boost production efficiency and improve the quality of their panels via better joints—key to the panels’ strength. Since both ends of the panel were being cut independently by different heads at the same time, matching the cut to both ends of the panel was extremely difficult. Additionally, panels were often bowed or cupped, which adversely affected the profile of the scarf joint. Finally, panel vibration could not be adequately controlled potentially causing the cutting heads to remove extra wood from the panel edge, which subsequently compromised joint performance.
By adding FANUC R-2000iC/210L robots integrated by FANUC Authorized System Integrator PRE-TEC, each end of the panel is now positioned by the robot to the same cutting edge to ensure both joints are balanced. This has significantly improved the quality of the panels’ joints, which boosts their strength and performance. Moreover, the automated cutting system has doubled production capacity because two robots now continually feed the same cutting head. This helps optimize the manpower and floor equipment to support growth in future demand.
We're really looking at technology and robotics in particular as a way to support the innovation that our industry needs to survive and our company in particular, to survive for another hundred years.
Kyle Freres Vice President of Operations – Freres Engineered WoodFANUC Products Used
R-2000iC/210L
Equipped with 6 axes for ultimate flexibility, the FANUC R‑2000iC/210L robot is capable of handling heavy loads precisely within a generous work envelope
- Max Payload:
- 210 kg
- Reach:
- 3100 mm
Pre Tec, A Division Of Willamette Valley Company
PRE-TEC is a leading automation systems integrator specializing in turnkey material handling solutions. Designed systems combine multi-axis robot arms, custom end-of-arm tooling, conveyance systems, and safety hardware to address, resolve and optimize the most challenging manufacturing applications.
Freres Engineered Wood
What began 100 years ago as one man with his horses, Charlie and Trixie, has since grown into Oregon’s premier producer of veneer and engineered wood products for the commercial construction industry.