Method of manufacturing nail-laminated timber (NLT) and machine therefor
There is provided a nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine. The machine includes a press. The machine includes an infeed via which first and second boards are received in the press. The machine includes a positioning member via which a size of a gap between the first and second boards is programmable, adjustable and/or customizable. Actuation of the press promotes fixing in place of the boards so positioned and/or the size of the gap thereafter. The machine includes a nail gun configured to nail together the first and second boards so fixed in place.
1 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) manufacturing assembly comprising:
a wood planing machine via which boards are planed to create planed boards in the form of dimensioned lumber; and
a NLT machine downstream of the wood planing machine, the NLT machine comprising i) a positioning member via which a size of a gap between adjacent planed boards is customized and/or adjusted, ii) a press, with actuation of the press promoting fixing in place of the adjacent boards so spaced, and iii) a nail gun which nails together the adjacent boards so spaced and pressed and/or held in place.
2 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) manufacturing assembly comprising:
a finger-jointing unit via which a plurality of shorter boards are finger jointed together to form longer boards; and
a NLT machine downstream of the finger-jointing unit, the NLT machine comprising i) a positioning member via which a size of a gap between adjacent longer boards is customized and/or adjusted, ii) a press, with actuation of the press promoting fixing in place of the adjacent boards so spaced, and iii) a nail gun which nails together the adjacent boards so spaced and pressed and/or held in place.
3 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) manufacturing assembly comprising:
a wood coating unit via which boards are coated with a wood sealer; and
a NLT machine downstream of the wood coating unit, the NLT machine comprising i) a positioning member via which a size of a gap between adjacent coated boards is customized and/or adjusted, ii) a press, with actuation of the press promoting fixing in place of the adjacent boards so spaced, and iii) a nail gun which nails together the adjacent boards so spaced and pressed and/or held in place.
4 . A method of manufacturing a panel comprising nail-laminated timber (NLT) in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the method comprising:
inputting into a processor desired dimensions of the panel;
forming a gap between adjacent boards via a positioning member, including indexing the positioning member to control, customize and/or adjust the size of the gap between said adjacent boards in real-time based on actual dimensions of the boards and said desired dimensions of the panel; and
nailing together said adjacent boards so positioned to form of the plurality of nailed-together boards.
5 . A method according to claim 4 , including after the forming the gap step and prior to the nailing step, actuating a press against said adjacent boards so as to promote fixing in place of said adjacent boards and/or the size of said gap for the nailing step.
6 . A method according to claim 4 , including prior to the nailing step, fixing in place said adjacent boards so spaced via a plurality of longitudinally spaced-apart biasing members moveable along a first or press axis/plane which is generally substantially perpendicular to an outfeed axis/plane and/or nailing axis/plane.
7 . A method of manufacturing a panel comprising nail-laminated timber (NLT) in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the method comprising:
inputting into a processor desired dimensions of the panel;
forming a gap between adjacent boards via a positioning member, including indexing the positioning member to control, customize and/or adjust the size of the gap between said adjacent boards in real-time based on real-time moisture content of the boards and said desired dimensions of the panel; and
nailing together said adjacent boards so positioned to form of the plurality of nailed-together boards.
8 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced, wherein the positioning member customizes the size of the gap between successive said adjacent boards in real-time prior to the adjacent boards being fixed in place and nailed together, so as to manufacture the panel comprising NLT.
9 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards, wherein the positioning member abuts with a first of the adjacent boards, with the positioning member being incrementally moveable in an outfeed direction thereafter to create a space substantially equal to said gap so sized and a thickness of a second of the adjacent boards, with the second of the adjacent boards being received in said space; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
10 . A machine according to claim 9 , wherein the positioning member selectively adjusts the size of the gap between successive said adjacent boards in real-time prior to the adjacent boards being fixed in place and nailed together, so as to manufacture the panel comprising NLT.
11 . A machine according to claim 9 , including an actuator and an encoder operatively connected thereto, wherein each of the boards is biased against the end stop member via the actuator which receives feedback from the encoder, enabling constant or real-time length confirmation of the boards entering the machine.
12 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards, wherein the positioning member is servo-controlled; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
13 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards;
a processor via which the positioning member is indexed, with the processor enabling the size of the gap to be programmable; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
14 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards;
a processor configured to adjust positioning of and/or index the positioning member and/or customize the size of the gap between respective said adjacent boards, based on desired overall dimensions of the panel; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
15 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards;
a processor configured to adjust positioning of and/or index the positioning member and/or customize the size of the gap, based at least in part on a moisture content of the adjacent boards; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
16 . A machine according to claim 15 , including one or more of i) a moisture/humidity sensor for determining instantaneous moisture content of the adjacent boards, or ii) a weather application programming interface (API) integrated to obtain relative humidity level data or information in real-time from which wood moisture of the adjacent boards is determined and/or estimated; wherein the processor adjusts positioning of the positioning member and/or customizes the size of said gap, based at least in part on the moisture content of the adjacent boards so measured and/or determined.
17 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards;
a processor configured to adjust positioning of and/or index the positioning member and/or customize the size of the gap, based one or more actual dimensions of the adjacent boards measured or determined in real-time; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
18 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards;
one or more linear actuators via which the positioning member is indexable along an outfeed axis/plane; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced.
19 . A machine according to claim 18 , wherein each said linear actuator comprises a ball screw.
20 . A nail-laminated timber (NLT) machine for manufacturing a panel comprising NLT in the form of a plurality of nailed-together boards, the machine having a longitudinal axis and comprising:
an end stop member selectively moveable along said longitudinal axis based on a desired overall length of the panel;
a positioning member configured to customize and/or adjust a size of a gap between adjacent boards;
a press, with actuation of the press promoting fixing in place of the adjacent boards so spaced; and
a nail gun configured to nail together the adjacent boards so spaced and pressed and/or held in place.
21 . A machine according to claim 20 , wherein the positioning member is moveable along a first or outfeed axis/plane, and wherein the press is moveable along a second or press axis/plane generally or substantially perpendicular to the first or outfeed axis/plane.
22 . A machine according to claim 20 , wherein the press selectively biases only against thinner ends of the adjacent boards and wherein the nail gun inserts nails into thicker ends of the adjacent boards.
23 . A machine according to claim 20 , wherein the press selectively applies sufficient clamping pressure to the adjacent boards so as to inhibit bowing of the adjacent boards within a predetermined threshold.
24 . A machine according to claim 20 , wherein the press is moveable independent of the nail gun.
25 . A machine according to claim 20 , wherein the positioning member selectively adjusts the size of the gap between successive said adjacent boards in real-time prior to the adjacent boards being fixed in place and nailed together, so as to manufacture the panel comprising NLT.