Metsä Fibre, part of Metsä Group, has made agreements with suppliers on the main equipment and earthmoving works of the Rauma sawmill. The degree of Finnish content in the construction of the Rauma sawmill is significant, around 70 percent, and the construction phase will employ 1,500 people. Metsä Fibre is building the world’s most modern sawmill in Rauma – the construction work will get underway during the spring.
The value of Metsä Fibre’s Rauma sawmill investment is approximately EUR 200 million, and the new unit will produce around 750,000 cubic metres of pine sawn timber a year. The new sawmill will be a global forerunner in technology and efficiency. For example, using machine vision and artificial intelligence in different stages of the sawing process is a significant new development. Similar technology is not yet in use anywhere in the sawmill industry.
Metsä Fibre has agreed on the delivery of equipment for the Rauma sawmill with the following operators:
The log sorting as well as the sawmill’s feed and bark processing equipment will be delivered by Nordautomation. The Rauma sawmill will be using solutions with new types of efficiency and layouts which require first-rate performance capacity and good environmental performance from the equipment.
The extremely fast sawline of the Rauma sawmill will be delivered by Veisto Oy. The sawline’s speed is more than 200 metres a minute. The sawline’s speed, advanced measuring and imaging technology and robotics have been developed in cooperation with Veisto.
The dry sorting and packaging equipment of the Rauma sawmill will be delivered by C. Gunnarssons Verkstads AB. The two green sorting lines as well as the sticking and stacking line will be delivered by Renholmen AB. The speed on all processing and sorting lines is more than 200 pieces per minute. The processing lines for individual planks make use of new technology, such as machine vision and smart control, which ensure a high level of usability and the transition to control room working.
Heinolan Sahakoneet Oy is supplying the equipment for the kiln drying department and all load transfers in the kiln drying area will be fully automated. The Rauma sawmill will focus on demanding end products and quality will be assured with the help of high-quality drying technology.
In other respects, the equipment negotiations are still underway and they are expected to be concluded in May–June.
In addition, an agreement has been made with LM-Suomiset Oy on the earthmoving works related to the Rauma sawmill. The contract includes the area’s plumbing, the earthworks of the indoor and outdoor areas of the sawmill’s production units, and the construction of a storm water pool. LM-Suomiset serves as the project’s main contractor during the initial construction phase. In other respects, the building project negotiations are underway and they are also expected to be concluded in May–June.
The Rauma sawmill project has progressed according to plans and schedules to the selection of equipment suppliers. The equipment and partner selections made now ensure the construction of this world-class sawmill.