One of Europe’s forest giants, Södra, is entering the brave new world of AI and is installing the world’s first artificial intelligence–driven strength-grading scanner at its Värö sawmill. The MiCROTEC Goldeneye Transverse SE system, which is expected to be fully operational later this year, performs four-sided inspections of up to 240 boards per minute to EN 14081 standards, utilising AI “inpainting” to reconstruct conveyor-shadowed sections and detect pits without the need for supplementary cameras or end cuts.
“This investment is at the absolute forefront of scanning equipment for sawn and planed wood products,” said Kerstin Jonasson, Sawmill Manager at Södra Wood Värö. “We will see immediate gains in efficiency and quality assurance, enabling us to deliver more competitive products while maximising the value extracted from each log.”
“The new technology offers major benefits for the work environment in terms of dust and noise, as we can eliminate an additional end cut in the sorting line. Goldeneye Transverse will give us better quality outcomes and more quality-assured sorting,” according to Jonasson.
AI-powered scanning improves sorting and reduces waste in production
A key part of the new upgrade is MiCROTEC’s patented Reduced Shadow Chain Conveyor, which minimises occlusions in the imaging process. The AI software seamlessly fills in gaps where chain links or shadows obscure the board surface, then applies certified strength grading under European standards. By optimising timber recovery and reducing waste, Södra strengthens both its sustainability credentials and its market position.
The installation comes after Wood Central was provided with an exclusive tour of Södra’s state-of-the-art operations during the Wood Solutions 2023 World Conference on Timber Engineering in Oslo. Visiting delegates described the neighbouring cross-laminated timber (CLT) plant as “difficult to comprehend.” Since its inauguration in March 2023, the facility has increased mass-timber output tenfold, now processing 100,000 cubic metres every year — enough to frame roughly 4,000 apartments annually. Powered entirely by renewable energy from Södra’s adjacent pulp mill, the plant operates completely fossil-free within its gates and contributes approximately 1 per cent of Sweden’s electricity supply.
Södra’s commitment to innovation runs across its entire value chain. Representing 52,000 family forest owners over 2.8 million hectares, the cooperative produces 18 million cubic metres of wood annually. Of this volume, 2.2 million cubic metres become sawlogs and dimensional lumber; the remainder supports pulp, paper and biomass markets. More than 80% of Södra’s output is exported under dual FSC and PEFC chain-of-custody certification to destinations across the EU, UK, US, China, Japan and Asia.
- To learn more about Södra, which is now building the world’s largest lignin plant in Mönsterås, Sweden, click here for Wood Central’s special feature. And to learn why timber production is expected to be amongst the industries most transformed by AI and machine learning, click here for Wood Central’s exclusive from last year.
