Innovation of the Year Entry A
Meinan Veneer Roll Squeezer
Entered By: Meinan USA Inc.
Description: Meinan Machinery Works, Inc. has developed mechanical moisture-reduction technology for green veneer for over 40 years. Although high-moisture veneers like Pine species typically dry inefficiently, this system improves drying capacity by 10-15%. It also energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, offering strong environmental advantages.
Date of First Use: November 2024
Benefit 1: Increase the processing capacity of the existing dryer.
Benefit 2: Reduce the energy required to dry veneer and decrease greenhouse emissions.
Measurable results from case studies: Achieved the expected 10-15% increase in drying capacity.
Additional Details:
Meinan Machinery Works, Inc. has spent more than 40 years researching and developing technology to mechanically reduce the moisture content of green veneer. In 2022, we launched a joint project with Timber Products Company, and it 2024 we delivered the first machine to their Yreka plant. High-moisture green veneer, such as Pine species, typically suffers from low drying efficiency, but this equipment achieved a 10-15% increase in dryer capacity. In addition, it contributes to reducing the energy required for drying and lowering greenhouse gas emissions, making it an advanced technology with significant environmental benefits.
Innovation of the Year Entry B
EVORIS Intelligence - AI-driven production optimization platform
Entered By: Dieffenbacher GmbH
Description: EVORIS Intelligence is an AI-powered digital platform that monitors and optimizes wood-based panel production. By combining real-time data, predictive quality models and anomaly detection, it increases efficiency, reduces material reject and energy usage, and supports operators with actionable insights for stable, high-quality production.
Date of First Use: 2023
Benefit 1: Significant increase in production efficiency and stability through AI-based monitoring, anomaly detection, and predictive quality control across the entire plant.
Benefit 2: Cuts costs and improves sustainability by reducing material reject, energy use, and raw material consumption across the entire production process.
Measurable Results: Production output increased (up to ~1,000 m³/month depending on plant); Reject reduced (up to ~50 m³/month); Downtime reduced (up to ~5 hours/month); Resource savings and cost reductions up to ~€350k-€1.5M/year.
Additional details:
EVORIS Intelligence is redefining how wood-based panel plants operate - moving from reactive production to proactive, data-driven optimization. As part of Dieffenbacher’s EVORIS platform, it seamlessly connects machines, data, and people into one powerful digital ecosystem.
Production of wood-based panels is highly complex, with hundreds of interacting process parameters and fluctuating raw material quality. EVORIS Intelligence simplifies this complexity by using advanced AI to make the invisible visible - delivering instant clarity on what is happening, why it matters, and what to do next.
At its core are powerful applications such as:
- Quality Prediction - enabling production closer to limits with fewer safety margins
- Anomaly Detection - identifying issues before they impact uptime
- Energy Monitoring & CO₂ tracking - turning sustainability into a measurable advantage
- EVORIS.GPT - transforming plant knowledge into instant operational intelligence by combining real-time production data with manuals, service documentation, maintenance records, and historical performance data
What sets EVORIS Intelligence apart is its practical usability. Intuitive dashboards, guided workflows, and built-in intelligence transform complex analytics into clear, actionable insights that operators can trust - no data science expertise required.
The result is immediate and measurable impact:
- Higher throughput with stable quality
- Reduced downtime and material reject
- Lower energy and raw material consumption
- Significant cost savings
At the same time, EVORIS empowers manufacturers to future-proof their operations. With integrated AI assistants (EVORIS.GPT) and the roadmap toward closed-loop, autonomous control, it is paving the way for the next generation of intelligent production systems.
Already proven in real industrial installations - both in new plants and retrofit projects - EVORIS Intelligence delivers what matters most: better performance, lower costs, and sustainable growth.
Innovation of the Year Entry C
Automated In-Line Proof Loader
Entered By: USNR
Description: The modernized in-line proof loader integrates touchscreen PLC control with Servo positioning for precise, reliable quality control monitoring of RF curing applications. Automated loading and unloading enables hands‑off use, while encoder tracking ensures accurate defect marking. Recipe-based control with automatic air pressure adjustment delivers consistent performance across products allowing for easy change over between products.
Date of First Use: May 2025
Benefit 1: Reduces time for product changeover and resets of the line
Benefit 2: Repeatable settings vs manual setup each time
Measurable Results: 3% more up time
Additional details:
This dynamic bending proof loader in line with the RF curing tunnel provides a continuous monitoring process for quality control and to identify any product defects or joint weakness. Its fully automated loading and unloading enables true hands-off operation, improving both efficiency and operator safety. Easy access to insert the load cell for calibration enables efficient machine certification and inspection. Verification of air pressure against calibrated load cell measurements can be performed quickly and accurately, ensuring consistent, reliable proofing performance.
A precision distance probe continuously monitors board deflection against the programmed set-point within the recipe. If deflection exceeds allowable limits, the proof load and backup rolls automatically lift, while the encoder records the exact failure location. As the defect reaches the marking station, a red stripe is applied, and then the proof load rolls are reset to normal operation.
Innovation of the Year Entry D
Automated I-Joist and Beam Stacking System
Entered By: SWEED Machinery
Description: SWEED's Automated I-Joist and Beam Stacking System integrates directly into existing production lines to automatically build uniform four-high I-Joist and beam stacks. The system reduces stacking man-hours, improves production efficiency, and does so without requiring major production line modifications or additional production footprint. 
Date of First Use: October 26, 2025
Benefit 1: Integrates automated I-Joist and beam stacking directly into the customer's existing production line without requiring a major redesign or additional production footprint.
Benefit 2: Improves operator safety, reduces labor dependency, and increases production efficiency by removing operator involvement in stacking I-Joist and beam units.
Measurable Results: I-Joist and beam units are typically stacked using a forklift or overhead crane with dedicated
operators. The Automated I-Joist and Beam Stacking System eliminates the need for manual stacking operations, improving operator safety while reducing stacking man-hours, material handling time, fuel consumption, and equipment wear.
Additional details:
SWEED developed the Automated I-Joist and Beam Stacking System to automate the stacking of I-Joist and beam units while integrating directly into the customer's existing production line. The system automatically builds uniform four-high stacks as each unit exits the conveying system, eliminating manual stacking operations without requiring major production line modifications or additional production footprint.
By automating the stacking process, the customer eliminated one forklift and one forklift operator from the stacking operation while reducing stacking man-hours, material handling time, fuel consumption, and equipment wear. The system also improved operator safety by removing operator involvement in stacking I-Joist and beam units. The completed stack is then picked up by a forklift and transported directly to storage.
Link to time lapse demonstration video, or copy and paste the following URL into your browser:
https://youtu.be/PWRv4K-UZlI?si=JtmLZI3LZL6TbqeK
Link to case study, or copy and paste the following URL into your browser: https://www.sweed.com/blog/how-sweed-enabled-fully-automated-beam-wrapping-and-stacking-at-an-lvl-manufacturing-facility/
Innovation of the Year Entry E
Argus Strand IQ
Entered By: Kadant Carmanah
Description: Argus Strand IQ, developed by Kadant Carmanah, is a proprietary vision system that delivers continuous, real-time measurement and segmentation of your strands at critical points of the OSB panel-making process. By assessing strand quality in real-time, this removes the variability and bias associated with inconsistent and infrequent strand collection procedures currently done by hand. 
Date of First Use: May 2026
Benefit 1: Continuous, real-time measurement of strand quality.
Benefit 2: Segmentation of strand quality by width and length.
Measurable Results: See Below
Additional details:
Our Argus Strand IQ systems can help you understand your strand quality when generated from any KCD Strander model and progresses through your downstream manufacturing processes. The Strand IQ can be installed at all critical machine centers from the outfeed of the strander to the formingline prior to the press. With access to accurate strand quality data, you can now make more informed process improvement decisions in real-time.
Specifically, we recommend installing Argus Strand IQ units after each of our Stranders to baseline the strand quality entering the OSB process. The next key areas would be after your green and/or dry screens to evaluate screening efficiency for strand classification and fines removal, as well as before each of the blenders to evaluate the strand quality prior to applying resin and wax. The goal is to help you achieve a better understanding of your strand quality to assist with optimizing your panel recipes, including minimizing the amount of resin and wax that you can be applying.