It is known in the art to pursue to optimize the cutting of veneer from a log by determining fixing points where the spindles are to be attached at the ends of the log to be peeled, so as to get a desired veneer yield in peeling. The fixing points of the spindles are determined by a log centring device on the upstream of the lathe, where the contour of the log and the fixing points of the spindles are determined based on the received data, so that a straight cylinder having a diameter as big as possible can be found in the log.

Based on this determination, it is also known to perform a computerized virtual peeling of the log, the result thereof being visualized on the display of a computer.

The displayed result will show, first of all, the course of the initial stage, the round- up stage, what kind of random veneer will be formed in this stage and how long this stage lasts, and how much full veneer to be cut into full sheets will be received.

In accordance with the present invention it has been realized, that the quality grade sectioning of the veneer web and the areas of the random veneer found out by means of the virtual veneer peeling, can be changed by affecting the centring adjustments of the log. Thereby the proportions of different veneer pieces received from the veneer web are changed, and by taking into account the grades given to different veneers, the peeling result can be optimized to maximum grade yield. The substantial characteristics of the invention are disclosed in the enclosed Claim 1.

A substantial novelty compared with the optimizing methods of prior art is, that the sizes of usable veneer pieces and their grades serve as basic value for the optimization calculation.

The grade can be understood as quality classification of the veneer and thereby also as the financial value of the veneer. When implementing the invention, the basis is regarded to be giving a grade to at least two veneer quality sections, in other words at least for the random veneer (joint sheet) and the full veneer.

Further, it is possible to evaluate the quality sectioning of the full veneer to be received by peeling based on the information on the wood species. The veneer peeled from the sapwood has in cases of many wood species a better quality and more value than the veneer received from the heartwood. Also wood species with reverse quality distribution are peeled into veneer. These kinds of results are received from certain softwood species.

When implementing the invention, the contour of the log to be peeled is scanned with a method known in the art, in a centring device. In the centring device the log is rotated and the distance of its surface from the measuring line is determined at several points of the length of the log. The measuring devices as such are known in the art and in general use, like laser distance sensors. The measuring data is input to a data processing device, that is, in practice to the computer, which determines the optimal spinning axis for peeling the log. Based on this data, the qualitative veneer yield from the log will be processed by the computer. The determination gives as basic data the structure of the fragmentary forepart of the veneer web and the length of this quality section, as well as the length of the full veneer section of the last part of the veneer web.

The structure of the fragmentary proportion of the forepart defines the quantity of usable pieces to be recovered from it by cutting, and a respective grade can be given to those parts. When also a respective grade is given to the full veneer pieces, the grade yield gained by peeling will be received as a result, based on this centring data.

The peeling yield can be affected by changing the location of the peeling axis in the log determined by the centring device. At its simplest, this can be used for affecting the structure of the random forepart of the veneer web, and also its length. By means of these simulated determinations for changing the peeling axis, it is possible, taken into account the grades of the sections, to determine the peeling axis that provides the maximum grade yield from the log. It is possible to perform multiple iteration cycles of this kind for one and the same log, for instance about 100 successive simulation determinations, whereby the optimal peeling axis will be determined with an extreme accuracy. This data is communicated to the centring device, and the log is transferred to the lathe centred in accordance with this data.

The method in accordance with the invention can also be implemented more accomplished, whereby additional information about the log will be given to the simulation determination. This information includes, for instance, the portion of the sapwood and heartwood in the log. This information can be based on empirical information, or it can be received based on observation or determination of the log.

The empirical information, primarily, takes into account the wood species.

Information on the internal construction of the log can be received by measuring, above all on distribution of the sapwood and heartwood for instance at the ends of the log. The sapwood and heartwood differ from each other in general in respect to their colour, said difference being verifiable by suitable camera equipment and the data being transferable to the processing equipment implementing the simulation.

Also radioscopy for instance with X-ray equipment is possible, said method giving an accurate picture of the construction of the log and revealing for instance the internal knags.

The sapwood gives with many wood species clearly better veneer quality than the heartwood, whereby this fact can be taken into account when defining the quality sectioning of the rotary-cut veneer web, and a respective grade can be given to this section. Also a reverse quality sectioning between the wood layers is possible, depending on the wood species. That gives one factor more for the optimization of the grade yield.

The quality yield of veneer from the log can be determined by means of a computerized simulation visualizing the rotary-cut veneer inside the log or by performing a virtual peeling into veneer web. The simulation result can also be visualized on the display, whereby especially the final result of the virtual peeling gives a visualized picture of the final result of the actual peeling to be performed.

The fragmentary forepart of the rotary-cut veneer web, as well in the determination of the veneer yield as in the actual peeling, can be split to half in the longitudinal direction of the web, preferably in the middle of the web, in order to cut web pieces of half-length. Also other splitting lines can be considered, depending on the use.

Also multiple splitting lines can be made for determining the length of the web pieces selectively, at the appropriate point of the web.

The different sections of the web can also be peeled to different thicknesses, as well in the simulation determination as in the actual peeling. For instance the high-grade veneer to be peeled from the sapwood is often appropriate to be peeled thinner than the rest part of the web, whereby a bigger portion of area will be received from the log as high-grade veneer.

In the enclosed drawing a figure of one virtual peeling as a resulted sheet cutting has been shown. Reference numbers stand for: 1-joint veneer, 2-lower-grade (heartwood) veneer, 3 = lower-grade/high-grade veneer, 4 = high-grade veneer, 5 fragmentary veneer, split in the middle of the web, 6 = round-up waste.