Monitoring the Log Intake for Norra Timber
AI VISION HELPED NORRA TIMBER DEPLOY AN AI CAMERA SYSTEM THAT DETECTS MISALIGNED AND DOUBLE LOGS IN REAL TIME, PREVENTING STOPPAGES AND REDUCING DOWNTIME.
About Norra Timber
Norra Timber is one of Sweden’s leading sawmill companies, operating multiple facilities in northern Sweden. The company focuses on sustainable timber processing and delivers wood products to both domestic and international markets. Efficiency and high operational reliability are critical to meeting customer demands while keeping production costs low.
The Challenge
At the log intake, where timber is fed into the saw line, disruptions occasionally occur when logs are misaligned or broken. These situations can block the conveyor and risk production stoppages.
Downtime leads to lost production time and higher costs.
Operators must remain constantly alert, which is both stressful and time-consuming.
Detection is difficult in real time, especially with high inflow and varying light or weather conditions.
The Solution
To address these challenges, AI Vision developed and deployed a camera-based AI system at the log intake. The system continuously monitors the flow of logs and uses advanced computer vision to detect when a log is misaligned or broken. If a potential issue is identified, an instant alert is sent to the operator, allowing quick action before a stoppage occurs.
Because the AI was trained on Norra Timber’s own production data, it adapts to the unique conditions of their facility and maintains high accuracy even under shifting light and weather.
The Results
With the AI solution in place, Norra Timber has achieved:
Reduced stoppages at the log intake, saving both time and costs.
Increased operator support, helping staff spot problems early and work with greater confidence.
Data insights from the AI system, providing a better understanding of when and why misaligned or broken logs occur.
A scalable solution that can be expanded to monitor additional stages of production in the future.
