Digital traceability links the forest value chain together

Every plank carries a story. It begins in the forest – with where the tree stood, how it grew and which characteristics it has – and it continues all the way to the finished product. With digital traceability, this story can follow the timber through the value chain, enabling a more automated, efficient and knowledge-driven forestry industry.

The DigForeTrace project, a collaboration between Mistra Digital Forest and Vinnova, is developing a model for digital traceability. By linking data from forestry machinery, from transport and from industry, a digital system is being created in which valuable information about the tree follows the journey of the timber from forest to industry. To date, three demonstrations have been carried out in collaboration with SCA, Holmen and Sveaskog.

- We are a broad consortium of researchers and companies working together to build a digital infrastructure focused on better utilisation of raw materials, on safer working environments, and on more resource-efficient processes. In addition to forestry companies, machine manufacturers and the suppliers of GNSS and weighing equipment are also represented here, says Johan J Möller, a specialist at Skogforsk.

Could lead to more cost-effective products

Using sensor and satellite technology, each log can be given a unique digital identity in StanForD2010, the standard for data and information exchange in the forestry sector. Key information linked to the log includes tree species, location within the tree, dimensions, length and exact location after felling. Since the machines in the value chain communicate with one another, this information can accompany the log from the forest – via transport – to the industry.

– If we succeed in this endeavour, it would ultimately mean that the tree could be processed into higher-value and more cost-effective products. It also opens the way for timber property declarations, and for example, it could provide support for timber measurement, environmental certifications and sustainability reports, says Johan J Möller.

Automation improves the working environment

Another benefit of digital traceability is that it reduces the amount of manual work involved. The forestry machine operator no longer needs to physically mark up the logs; instead, all the timber stacks are clearly marked on a digital map. The lorry driver also has access to digital maps showing exactly where the timber stacks are located, which tree species they contain, as well as the number of loads still to be collected. Fewer manual tasks will make the work safer, faster and more precise.

– Just as it always has been, traceability is extremely important to the forestry industry in order to show where the timber comes from. With improved digital traceability, the work will become easier for both machine operators and timber lorry drivers. Among other things, they will no longer need to physically mark the timber stacks. The digital solution being developed as part of this initiative could also create new opportunities for sharing more detailed information from the forest with our customers, says Anna Ahlin, a technology specialist at Sveaskog.

Detailed information adds value

After the information about the tree has been tracked from the forestry machine to transport, the chain is finally linked up when the logs reach the industry. When the lorry enters the industrial site, the system automatically receives information about the logs thanks to a digital fence. It can then calculate where the logs come from, and link the measurement data from the harvester to the delivery.

– The solution enables the timber on the lorry to be documented and used in combination with stack measurement, for example. In addition, the detailed information about each log can optimise the value of the industry’s products, and the sawmill’s data can provide the forestry sector with valuable feedback that improves the future management of the timber, says Johan J Möller.

 “It is important that the industry conducts its own tests”

Researchers are currently investigating the proportion of logs that can actually be traced at an individual level throughout the entire supply chain. The technology has been tested and the potential is great, but there are also limitations, particularly when it comes to collecting data from lorries, as this is not done in a standardised manner at the moment. If the industry can agree on a standard for data collection in lorries, digital traceability could be fully operational within a few years.

– The first application would probably be to automate tracking from tree to felling, and the development would continue from there. The most important thing right now is for the industry to get underway with its own tests, Johan J Möller concludes.