Production planning has been done at sawmills throughout the history of the sawmill industry. Before computers, design was based on experience and hand-counting.
Up until the 1970s, the saw set planning was conducted by calculating mathematical models and using so called “posting pieces”. These were rectangular pieces made of cardboard depicting the most common sawn goods dimensions, which were placed over picture of a cross cut log.
In log procurement the cross cutting was based only on quality parameters, which highlighted the shape of the log and the branches/ knots – not what the customer requirements were. With the emergence of computers in the 1980s the saw simulators became the basis for the planning. As the computers have improved hugely in the past years nowadays one can work out optimizing models already at the log measuring or actual sawline.
