Adding value to recycled wood through technology development
To order a wood facade of reclaimed wood is challenging today since technical function, environmental impact, price and appearance are equally important. What should the requirements be in the future? More knowledge and experience are required to assure confidence for the purchasers and users of products from reclaimed wood. This project will study the entire process in the value chain: collecting, sorting, and handling of side-stream solid wood from e.g., sawing, and residual solid wood from demolition into a high-quality component as part of a wooden facade system. Comparison with virgin material will be performed by automating the process of categorizing the properties of the recovered material using non-destructive scanning techniques and machine learning (AI) models. The aim is to develop an innovative manufactured “hybrid material” and at the same time study process flow parameters, calculate LCA, material flow costs, and market potential of a proposed new supply chain, as well as the development of new designs of the value chain. The new process flow includes collecting the rest products, sorting, and determining their quality with a scanner, and then manufacturing facade prototypes which are evaluated to assess if they meet the set requirements. The requirements are analyzed together with the parties in the project, several of whom are future potential suppliers, manufacturers, and clients.
Participants
Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE), Luleå University of Technology, (LTU), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Norsjö trä AB (Nor), Trä & teknikcollege (T2), PEAB, Lindbäcks Bygg (Lind), Grönbo Produktion, Skebo, Würth, Ragn-Sells Recycling, Snidex, IsoTimber, Lotus Maskin & Transport AB (Lotus) and the municipality of Skellefteå.
Budget & time plan
The project’s total budget is 6,3 MSEK and the project runs for about 2 years – between June 2023 and July 2025.