Validation of the ROMI-RIP rough mill simulator

Abstract

The USDA Forest Service's ROMI-RIP rough mill rip-first simulation program is a popular tool for analyzing rough mill conditions, determining more efficient rough mill practices, and finding optimal lumber board cut-up patterns. However, until now, the results generated by ROMI-RIP have not been rigorously compared to those of an actual rough mill. Validating the ROMI-RIP processing model involved comparing gang-rip, chopsaw, and overall yields to those obtained in an actual state-of-the-art rough mill. A 930-board-foot lumber sample was digitized by recording all defect locations, sizes, and types as well as board size and grade, allowing the rough mill and ROMI-RIP to process identical lumber samples. Results showed that the ROMI-RIP software accurately simulated the actual rough mill when the software exactly simulated the actual rough mill's settings.

Citation

Thomas, Edward R.; Buehlmann, Urs. 2002. Validation of the ROMI-RIP rough mill simulator. Forest Products Journal 52(2):23-29