Wood-Mizer in Indianapolis, IN, one of the world’s leading industrial sawmill manufacturers, has developed the next generation of industrial sawmills by combining a thin-kerf blade and advanced automation technology for maximum log yield and profitability.

1. Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.
Indianapolis, Indiana
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Schneider Electric Case Study
Wood-Mizer in Indianapolis, IN, one of the world’s
leading industrial sawmill manufacturers, has developed
the next generation of industrial sawmills by combining
a thin-kerf blade and advanced automation technology
for maximum log yield and profitability.

2. Schneider Electric Case Study > Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.
The Background
For the past few years, the demand for lumber has been steadily increasing
around the world, causing industrial wood processors to seek ways to increase
production. To keep up with higher demands, state-of-the-art sawing equipment
helps improve throughput without compromising quality or labor costs.
The Challenge
In 2011, Wood-Mizer set out to create an industrial sawmill that appealed to
existing or new sawing operations growing their businesses and new ones about to
launch. The sawmill needed to be heavy duty and highly productive but affordable
for sawyers of any size, from pallet makers to graded wood flooring manufacturers.
Building upon the basic design of the company’s existing WM3500 sawmill, the
WM4000 thin-kerf sawmill was designed to have more automated features that
would speed the sawing process and simplify controls for the operator. The
WM4000 now commands the flagship status as Wood-Mizer’s most productive
thin-kerf sawmill on the market.
The Solution
To enhance functionality and productivity while keeping costs low, Wood-Mizer
turned to Schneider ElectricTM
for ModiconTM
M258 logic controllers, MagelisTM
XBT GT
advanced touch-screen HMIs, LexiumTM
32i servo drives, AltivarTM
312 variable
speed drives, and remote I/O modular systems.
The Modicon M258 controller and Magelis HMI feature onboard USB technology
and Ethernet connectivity for easy upgrades.
“We really like the USB ports, so as we find software issues or make
improvements, it’s very easy to upgrade software and keep everyone up
to date,” said John Frost, senior electrical engineer at Wood-Mizer.
Wood-Mizer chose the 7.5-in. Magelis XBT touch-screen HMI for the WM4000
sawmill because it displays more information and eliminates pushbuttons.
Competitive sawmills have small displays that provide limited text information.
The HMI on the WM4000, which is mounted on a moveable arm for operator
comfort, displays board and cant sizes, current head height, feed position, and
blade power. An integrated joystick allows the operator to be more productive
by providing all sawing and log-handling functions at one’s fingertips.
Easier Troubleshooting
The Schneider Electric components communicate through SoMachineTM
, a unique
single software suite that provides seamless communication within the system.
Technicians checking on a WM4000 can plug into the network and have access
to information on all components, which simplifies troubleshooting. SoMachine
connects the system so that if an application is updated on one component, it
will load to the other components as well, providing one software for a single
point of connection.
With past machines, Wood-Mizer sent technicians to customer sites to fix
problems or make updates. With the comprehensive information provided on
the Magelis HMI, customers can easily identify where a fault is located and get
instruction on a repair without waiting for a technician to arrive, saving on
downtime for the customer and warranty costs for Wood-Mizer.
The diagnostics on the Magelis HMI allow a technician to see what is going wrong
with the entire system. Communication with CANopen to all the drives allows all
drive faults to show up on the screen.
“In the past, if a drive faulted there would be a general fault message. Then a
technician would need to physically go into a dangerous high-voltage panel to see
what was wrong,” Frost said. “The information provided on the HMI helps get the
machine back up and running faster because it points to the problem sooner. In
some cases, customers can do their own diagnostics.”
2 | Raleigh, North Carolina
“We rely on Schneider Electric
because it has a robust and proven
track record for its products. We
need a partner that will support
us worldwide, whether at our
headquarters in the United States
or in our office in Poland. Our
customers are all over the world,
and so is Schneider Electric.”
- John Frost, senior electrical engineer at Wood-Mizer.

3. Schneider Electric Case Study Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.
The Magelis HMI and Modicon 258 controller feature remote access capabilities,
so a technician can gain access to a customer’s network and modify applications or
make other changes without leaving the office. Alternatively, application updates
can be loaded onto a USB drive and sent to the customer for quick uploading
through the USB port on the Magelis HMI.
“Previously technicians went into the field to make modifications and changes,”
Frost said. “Now we can overnight a thumb drive to make that happen. It saves
us a lot of time and money.”
The Modicon controller features 64 MB of memory onboard, 128 MB of flash
memory, and onboard USB technology to provide the ability to log data and
track productivity. All logged data can be retrieved by plugging in the USB to the
controller or the Magelis HMI. This technology is unique to Schneider Electric.
Increased Production Rates
The Schneider Electric components in the WM4000 communicate faster due to
the networking and same SoMachine software, so the controller works faster,
allowing the sawmill to function faster. In addition, the switch to servo drives has
improved speed.
“By adding the Lexium 32 servo drive, the WM4000 processes lumber twice as
fast as we’ve ever done before,” Frost said. “The head positioning is quicker so
we can hit our marks much faster and more accurately.”
An Auto-cut feature on the WM4000, which remembers the location of the start
and end of the log, prevents the sawyer from overshooting either end of the log.
The system tells the saw head how far to cut and where to return so the machine
spends more time sawing.
“By integrating more automatic functions, we speed up the saw as much as
possible and reduce manual handling by the operator,” Frost said.
Faster Commissioning with Fewer Cables
To reduce time to build the WM4000, the unit uses Schneider Electric remote
I/O modules on a CANopen network that connects to the Modicon 258 controller.
This replaces 40 cables that would have otherwise been connecting I/O to
the controller, which saves approximately 20 percent in commissioning time
per machine.
“The remote access has significantly shortened my time to develop the controls,”
Frost said. “The WM4000 is faster to build because I’m not running discrete wires
for direction controls to variable frequency drives. Now I run a single CAN bus
cable and I’m done.”
Reliability Saves Money
By using more reliable components, Wood-Mizer saves on warranty issues
and has a better overall reputation as a machine that will last without many
service issues.
“We rely on Schneider Electric because it has a robust and proven track record
for its products,” Frost said. “We need a partner that will support us worldwide,
whether at our headquarters in the United States or in our office in Poland.
Our customers are all over the world, and so is Schneider Electric.”
Raleigh, North Carolina | 3
“The remote access has significantly
shortened my time to develop the
controls. The WM4000 is faster to
build because I’m not running discrete
wires for direction controls to variable
frequency drives. Now I run a single
CAN bus cable and I’m done.”
- John Frost, Wood-Mizer.

4. Schneider Electric Case Study Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.
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www.schneider-electric.com/ca
January 2015
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