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COMPLIHENSIVE SUPPLY OF BUILDING MATERIALS IN JAPAN
¡¾2002.09.06¡¿

COMPLIHENSIVE SUPPLY OF BUILDING MATERIALS IN JAPAN

Mikawa Timber Distribution Processing Industrial Cooperative Association (located in Aichi Prefecture) "Holz Mikawa" launched a precut mill for real and substantial operations from this September. Holz Mikawa has been forward its business with the purpose of active utilization of rich forest resources in the district, trying to create a consistent supplying system from logging, sawing to production of housing components. They opened a timber auction market and a preserving plant in 2000, and afterwards a sawmill. The new precut mill will complete their whole projects. The precut factory is built with large-dimension laminated lumber of Mikawa Cedar, covering a floor space of 1,753 square meters. Its processing target is 1,000 tsubo (3,300 square meters) per month, with nine operators. The lines for horizontal structures automatically process sills and connections and joints of beams, at 12-15 tsubo (39.6-49.5 square meters) per hour, up to eight-meter lumber. It is best suitable for Japanese Cedar. The processing machine for bent beams is in automatic operation on connections or tenon holes, which also enable special processing, meeting up to nine-meter-long timber. Furthermore, the panel-cutting machinery is linked with CAD for effective and precise operations of various processes on sheathing and floor panels of wooden houses, such as cutting at any angles, grooving, chamfering and holing. The post lines meet 18cm squares and seven meters long in the maximum so that they can supply suitable products to the Mikawa regional market where uses thick squared posts for home building. The common lumber processing lines with CAD/CAM produce different kinds of components, which can save energies by reducing waste wood. Besides these, this large-scale precut mill is equipped with molders, processors for horizontal angle braces and others. Yasuhiro Ishihara, vice-president of the association said that "Holz Mikawa will provide with precise and reliable products by the most-up-to-date machinery and the largest drying facilities in the area. Our consolidated system from distribution of raw materials, sawmilling and precutting that can reduce the cost will be able to contribute to the regional home building industry." The targets of Holz Mikawa's precut mill are; 1) waste-less operations; 2) stable supply of Mikawa wood building components by combining the logs auction market and the sawmill; 3) output of reliable products by making the best use of the largest drying facilities in the east Mikawa district; 4) diminution of waste wood and promotion of energy savings by comprehensive operations of housing materials from structural lumber, common lumber to interior materials; 5) dispatching information on home building with Mikawa timber to local small builders, construction companies and general users; 6) making the best use of complex facilities as the material timber market, the sawmiller, the precutter and the preserver.

Source:Japan Lumber News