An Algorithm for Log Rotation in Sawmills

Great strides have been made in sawmill automation since the first Best Opening Face (BOF) models were proposed in the 1970s. For example, curve sawing techniques have demonstrated strong potential in maximizing the value recovery from sawmills. This paper concerns an important step in maximizing lumber yield in a sawmill, namely log rotation. Rotating the logs to be in the horns up or horns down position just before the sawing process has been shown to have a positive effect on maximizing the lumber yield. We present an efficient algorithm that, upon being fed the appropriate scan data for a log in an arbitrary position, determines the necessary angle of rotation for the log to be oriented (in real-time) in the horns up or horns down position