Redgum
Superior Outcomes- Higher Profits!
High quality redgum flooring stock using solarkilns cyclic technology from low quality 25-30 cm logs
River Redgum (E.Camaldulensis) is one of the strongest commercial species dried for high value products by Enviro-Forest Solutions Ltd in Melbourne Australia. Camaldulensis is another specie that is regarded by many as “difficult”to dry even when sourced from mature native forests and virtually uneconomic from young plantation wood- simply because it cannot be dried without high levels of stress related waste.
A Melbourne company purchases and uses solarola technology dry mixed grade run-of-log green sawn material from an Australian miller who has no practical use for small diameter regrowth resource. The material includes heartwood and highly defective timber that traditional redgum millers would not even contemplate drying.
Solely due to the superior stress relief of cyclic drying, EFS routinely enjoys unparalleled quality and yield outcomes due to reduced collapse, splits, checks and degrade compared to other producers.
It is common practice for the Australian Industry to reject or chip low grade heartwood before drying. This timber is typically sold as low value pallet or garden timber simply because it is inherently impossible to produce useable dry sawn stock for value-added kiln dry products without degrade losses of 80-90% of original volume.
EFS’ technical advisor and research director, Hon Professor Gary Waugh recently stated that “EFS regularly achieves less than 3-5% down-grade, producing highly sought after figured flooring products worth $2400 per cubic metre compared to $100 per cubic metre for woodchips”.
Heartwood accounts for approximately 30% of the sawn timber from small plantation and re-growth logs. EFS’ comparative value difference due to being able to successfully dry heartwood alone equates to over $400 per cubic metre of timber dried under current market conditions. Low cost solar drying allows the entire process to be conducted under kiln controlled conditions, often at lower cost than the final stage of the common two-stage practice of air seasoning followed by final drying using expensive conventional drying kilns.
Superior Outcomes- Higher Profits!
High quality redgum flooring stock using solarkilns cyclic technology from low quality 25-30 cm logs
Drying from green to finished products in 50 days is well and truly justified by sheer value outcomes alone. It is no longer a viable proposition to air season for 6-12 months then finish off in a conventional kiln at higher cost and with high levels of degrade.
A further competitive advantage enjoyed by this operation lies in the fact that controlled cyclic drying minimizes collapse. The subsequent need to apply steam reconditioning during the drying process is eliminated. This saves handling, energy and process time costs typically associated with alternative drying methods. Inspection of this superior operation in outer-Melbourne, Australia is possible to approved visitors