Top loading is an effective method to reduce the twisting of timber during drying. Top loading can be applied using weighted blocks, such as concrete, laid on top of the timber stacks loaded in the kiln, or using pneumatic or hydraulic pressure frames, that are pressed into the top layer during the drying process.

Pneumatic pressure frames require greater investment, but the benefit is that they can adjust the pressure during the drying process. Also, in contrast to concrete block loading, pneumatic pressure frames do not reduce the drying capacity.

Clever packing, bigger savings

• Finnish meat processor innovates to save money and cut waste in packaging
• Easy-to-open vaccuum packs improves quality while saving on materials

In 1992, the meat and food company Atria Finland brought packaged minced meat to stores. Now, 25 years later, Atria, in cooperation with packaging company Wipak, re-designed the minced meat packaging to make it more convenient, functional and responsible.

Log scanning and sorting brings significant savings for sawmills

Combined laser and X-ray scanning technology for log measuring helps improve sawmilling material efficiency in multiple ways. Under bark, measuring brings average savings of 1-2 % of raw material. When you add log quality sorting based on the scanning, savings can be as high as 4-6 %.

Better by half...

Textile company's textbook circular economy case

• Textile company looks for ways to cut waste and develop new products
• A solid test case for circular economic thinking, diverting waste from landfill

The textile industry alone produces around 20 million kilogrammes of textile waste annually. Of total municipal waste in Finland, textile waste represents 5-8 %.

In the know

Top of the class

Condition Based Maintenance service (CBM) is based on the remote monitoring of key parameters and operational data to predict the state of equipment. A custom-made report is provided to the customer including, for example, engine health overview, equipment diagnostics, trending and predictions, maintenance advice, statistics of production and load profiles. The analytics are also useful for product development and can help further improve the lifetime of the equipment.

Low steam ahead

• Energy audit identifies prime opportunity to save energy on inefficient evaporation treatment
• Using mechanical vapour recompression (MVR) to separate water from condensed liquids is more efficient

DuPont Group’s FinnFeeds produces betaine from sugar beet molasses and other elements for use in animal feed, nutrition, cosmetics, and the chemical industry. Considerable volumes of water and steam are needed in different processes.

With advanced evaporation solutions, industrial steam consumption can be reduced significantly, by up to 40 %. One example of an advanced evaporation solution is the Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MVR) evaporation method based on a closed steam cycle. It is a much more energy-efficient way of separating water from concentrated liquids than conventional evaporation methods. The approach is suitable for processes where no additional steam is present enough.