Class-a fire-protected laminated veneer lumber (lvl) products, and method of and factory for producing the same

In a lumber factory, an automated laminated veneer lumber (LVL) process comprising the steps of:

• (a) installing and operating a lumber production line employing a controlled drying stage, a veneer laying-up stage, a veneer laying-up stage, a pressing and curing stage, a cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage, a dip-coating stage, a spray-coating stage, a print-marking stage, and a packaging and wrapping stage, installed along said lumber production line in the named order;
• (b) providing a supply clipped veneers onto a conveyor installed along the lumber production line.
• (c) providing the veneers to said controlled drying stage so to produce suitably dried veneers;
• (d) applying adhesive material to dried veneers;
• (e) vacuum lifting veneers onto the processing line and stacked and skew aligned with adhesive coating until the veneers are laid up into a veneer mat of a predetermined number of veneer layers;
• (f) pressing together and curing said veneer mat at said pressing and curing stage;
• (g) cross-cutting and rip-sawing said produced LVL mat at said cross-cutting and rip sawing stage, into LVL products selected from the group consisting of studs, beams, rim boards and other dimensioned LVL products;
• (h) marking each piece of LVL product with a trademark for clear visual identification;
• (i) transporting and submerging the cross-cut/rip-sawed LVL product through a dipping reservoir containing clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, at said dip-coating stage;
• (j) spray-coating said dip-coated LVL products with a moisture, fire and UV protective coating at said spray-coating stage, and then passing through a drying tunnel for quick drying of the spray-coating so as to produce Class-A fire-protected LVL products;
• and
• (k) packaging and wrapping said Class-A fire-protected LVL products at said packaging and wrapping stage, into a package of Class-A fire-protected LVL products, ready for shipping.

An automated factory system for producing Class-A fire-protected laminated veneer lumber (LVL) products, comprising:

• a stage for delivering clipped veneer to a production line;
• a veneer drying stage for receiving and drying clipped veneers to a target moisture content;
• a conveyor mechanism for conveying components and products along the production line, including veneers that have been structurally and visually graded;
• an adhesive application stage for applying adhesive to the veneers moving along said conveyor mechanism;
• a lay-up stage for lifting veneers onto the processing line, and stacking and skew aligning the veneers with adhesive coating until the veneers are laid up into a veneer mat;
• a pressing and curing stage for pressing said veneer mat;
• a cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage for cross-cutting and rip-sawing said veneer mat into LVL products selected from the group consisting of studs, beams, rim boards and other dimensioned LVL products;
• a print-marking system for marking each piece of LVL product with a trademark for clear visual identification;
• a dip-coating stage having a dipping reservoir through which the conveyor mechanism transports LVL product into said dipping reservoir and along its length while submerged under CFIC liquid during dip-coating operations, to form a CFIC coating on the surfaces of the LVL product, and removing the CFIC-coated LVL product from the dipping reservoir for wet-stacking and setting aside to dry for suitable time period before being returned to the production line for further processing;
• a spray-coating stage for spray-coating a moisture, fire and UV protection coating over the surface of said dip-coated LVL product, and then passing said spray-coated/dip-coated LVL product through a drying tunnel so as to form Class-A fire-protective LCL product;
• and
• a packaging and wrapping stage for packaging and wrapping said Class-A fire-protected products, ready for shipping.

A lumber factory supporting an automated laminated veneer lumber (LVL) process comprising the steps of:

• (a) installing and operating a lumber production line employing a controlled drying stage, a veneer laying-up stage, a pressing and curing stage, a cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage, a dip-coating stage, a spray-coating stage, a print-marking stage, and a packaging and wrapping stage, installed along said lumber production line in the named order;
• (b) providing a supply clipped veneers onto a conveyor installed along the lumber production line;
• (c) providing the veneers to said controlled drying stage so to produce suitably dried veneers;
• (d) applying adhesive material to the veneers;
• (e) lifting, stacking and aligning the veneers with adhesive coating, at said laying-up stage, until the veneers are laid up into a veneer mat of a predetermined number of veneer layers;
• (g) pressing together and curing said veneer mat at said pressing and curing stage, so as to produce an LVL mat;
• (i) cross-cutting and rip-sawing said produced LVL mat into LVL products at said cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage;
• (j) marking each piece of LVL product with a trademark for clear visual identification at said print-marking stage;
• (k) transporting and submerging the cross-cut/rip-sawed LVL product through a dipping tank containing clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, at said dip-coating stage, and wet-stacking the dip-coated LVL product and setting aside to dry before returning to said lumber production line;
• (l) spray-coating said dip-coated LVL products with a moisture, fire and UV protection coating at said spray-coating stage, and then passing through said drying tunnel stage for quick drying so as to produce Class-A fire-protected LVL products on said lumber production line;
• and
• (m) packaging and wrapping said Class-A fire-protected LVL products into a package of Class-A fire-protected LVL products, ready for shipping.

In a lumber factory, an automated laminated veneer lumber (LVL) process involving installing and operating a lumber production line employing a cross-cutting and rip-sawing stage, a dip-coating stage, a spray-coating stage, a print-marking stage, and a stacking, packaging and wrapping stage, comprising:

• (a) cross-cutting and rip-sawing LVL product is automatically transported and submerged through a dipping reservoir containing clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid, at the dip-coating stage;
• (b) once allowed to dry, spray-coating the dip-coated LVL products with a moisture, fire and UV protective coating at the spray-coating stage, and then passing through a drying tunnel for quick drying of the spray-coated and dip-coated LVL products, so as to produce Class-A fire-protected LVL products;
• and
• (c) stacking, packaging and wrapping Class-A fire-protected LVL product at the stacking, packaging and wrapping stage, into a package of Class-A fire-protected LVL products, ready for shipping.