FreshWind Ltd projects for UPM Seikku Sawmill:
- Dust-suppression for dry-sorting line 2007
- Dust-suppression for log stick stacking line 2014
- Humidification for kiln 2015
UPM Seikku Sawmill
UPM Seikku sawmill produces whitewood sawn timber from certified Nordic spruce mainly from the forests of Western Finland. The sawmill was founded by F. W. Rosenlew in 1872. UPM Seikku sawmill has been modernized in various stages and it uses the latest sawmilling techniques to produce high quality whitewood sawn timber. Today, Seikku Sawmill has a yearly sawn timber production capacity of 390 000 m3 and it directly employs 80 people. The sawmill is located in the west coast of Finland in the city of Pori.
Start of collaboration with FreshWind
The collaboration of UPM Seikku sawmill and FreshWind Ltd started over 10 years ago. Both the employer and employees at Seikku Sawmill had noticed a problem with saw dust at the sroting and stick stacking lines. The CEO of FreshWind Ltd, Kalevi Riipinen discussed the situation with Seikku sawmill’s production manager, Juha Tuominen. They decided to install FreshWind’s high-pressure humidification system for the dry sorting-line in 2007 to combat the dust problem. With good results from the dry sorting-line, another FreshWind-system was installed for the stick-stacking line in 2014. Tuominen has found that FreshWind’s high-pressure humidification systems have been a big help with the dust problems at these sites.
Humidification for the Kiln
In 2015, FreshWind-system was installed for the kiln at Seikku Sawmill to keep the air humidity at the right level. Air humidification is required at kilns to ensure that the saw products don’t over-dry. With FreshWind-system, the humidification is established with high-pressurized water mist. This type of mist has a very small drop size, so the vaporization is fast. The system can be controlled to ensure a stable humidification through-out the drying period. Small drop size offers efficient humidification without wetting the material. This way the saw products quality stays high.
Installation and maintenance
FreshWind -systems are easy to install and maintain. A technician from FreshWind installs the system, after which its cleaned and tested. Once the system has been tested and approved by the client it’s ready to use. Seikku Sawmill’s production manager has been pleased with the low maintenance requirement of FreshWind-system. After installation there has been no problems and the system has required very little attention.
FreshWind-systems are made from high quality materials, with most components coming from Danfoss. With such a high-quality system, the maintenance needs are very small. Often the only parts requiring regular check-up are the water filters and nozzles. Depending on the water quality, filters and nozzles are usually changed once a year. FreshWind Ltd offers also maintenance services, so the client won’t have to do any maintenance work themselves.
Feedback from the FreshWind-systems at Seikku Sawmill
UPM Seikku Sawmill had a problem with saw dust and with updating and repairing their kiln’s humidification. They also wanted a solution that was cost-efficient. The UPM Seikku Sawmill’s production manager Tuominen has been pleased with the solution FreshWind offered. After installing the Freshwind systems the dust problems have went way and the humidification in the kiln has been improved. At the same time, the working conditions have improved at the saw mill and made the employees work easier. Tuominen commented that the collaboration with FreshWind has gone well and communication has worked well through-out the projects. Everything was done on schedule and FreshWind was able to be flexible when needed during the installation. All in all, it was a job well done.
