ABB’s control room environment, power distribution and robotics have been a part of Metsä Fibre’s technologically advanced sawmill’s pioneering levels of productivity and efficiency. The customer’s Rauma mill is Finland’s largest ever sawmill investment at Euro 260 million and uses machine vision, artificial intelligence (AI) and integrated information systems for consistent quality and cost efficiency.
Building on a long-term relationship with parent company Metsä Group, ABB provided Extended Operator Workplace (EOW) tables for maximum ergonomics, visualization and communication, as well as electrical power distribution, transformers and robots. Since the technologies were commissioned a year ago the sawmill has turned out 40 logs per minute on a 130-meter sawline with a maximum sawing speed of 250 meters per minute, all managed from an ABB-designed central control room. The sawn pine timber is exported worldwide and can be used in construction – including windows, doors and general joinery, woodworking, furniture and packaging.
“With the support of partners, including ABB, we are achieving productivity that is at least three times higher than what is possible across the rest of Europe,” said Jaakko Vierola, Technical Director of the Rauma sawmill project, Metsä Fibre.
图像: ABB electrical power distribution equipment set up / ABB
The electrical distribution system with medium voltage and distribution transformers was designed and delivered by ABB. ABB’s robots, motors and drives were connected to other equipment, with 1,000 variable speed drives considered to be crucial to automation optimization. The overall speed of the process is also due to a group of six robots equipped with machine vision.
ABB is a technology leader in electrification and automation.
