Performance review of the ROMI-RIP rough mill simulator

Abstract

The USDA Forest Service's ROMI-RIP version 2.0 (RR2) rough mill rip-first simulation program was validated in a recent study. The validation study found that when RR2 was set to search for optimum yield without considering actual rough mill strip solutions, it produced yields that were as much as 7 percent higher (71.1% versus 64.0%) than the actual rough mill. However, since rough mills are starting to use lower lumber grades for dimension part production, the benefits of overall optimization, as used in RR2, could be higher. This study focuses on the potential of the RR2 software to achieve better yields than actual mills. Knowing the yield improvement possible when using computerized lumber cut-up decision making will enable rough mill managers to assess the economic feasibility of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for vision systems and related equipment for the rough mill of the future. A significant potential exists for saving lumber and decreasing production cost by using modern, computerized yield optimization software.

Citation

Thomas, Edward; Buehlmann, Urs. 2003. Performance review of the ROMI-RIP rough mill simulator. Forest Products Journal 53(3): 80-85