Sawing lines

Discover sawing lines to increase your production and get the most out of every log.

The sawing line, the heart of sawmill productivity

The sawing line turns the log into saleable products and determines the sawmill's material yield. Every poorly placed cut means lost volume or a downgraded piece. Dimensional accuracy, throughput and the recovery of by-products (slabs, edgings, sawdust) depend directly on its design.

In the sequence of primary processing machines, it receives logs prepared by the log yard and the debarkers. The sawn timber produced then goes to the drying kilns.

The line configuration depends on the species, the diameters processed and the target products. A high-volume softwood sawmill favours high-throughput machines, while a hardwood sawmill looks for more selective, log-by-log sawing.

The different machines in a sawing line

A sawing line combines primary breakdown, resawing and optimisation machines. Their sequence and level of automation determine the overall capacity of the sawmill.

The complete sawing line

The complete sawing line integrates every station, from log infeed to sawn timber outfeed. Designed as a single system, it synchronises machines, conveyors and automation. This approach makes it easier to increase throughput and limits flow interruptions between stations.

The head saw

The head saw makes the first cut in the log. The bandsaw, often paired with a log carriage, offers a thin kerf and suits large diameters and hardwoods. The circular saw achieves high output on more uniform diameters. Twin bandsaws cut two faces in a single pass.

The canter

The canter machines the faces of the log using chipping heads. It turns slabs directly into chips and produces a cant (a piece with flat faces) in a single pass. Combined with circular saws, it also extracts side boards. It is the standard equipment for high-volume softwood sawmills.

The multiblade saw

The multiblade saw breaks down a cant into several boards in a single pass. Multiple circular blades mounted on one or two shafts cut the piece simultaneously. Some models curve-saw to follow the natural shape of the log and improve material yield.

The edger

The edger removes wane (the rounded part on the edges) from boards coming from primary breakdown. It gives pieces straight, parallel edges. Equipped with a scanner, it automatically positions its blades to obtain the greatest possible width on each board.

The resaw

The resaw re-cuts cants or flitches into thinner sections. Also called a resawing machine or splitter, it brings pieces to standard commercial sizes. It also adds value to thick pieces by turning them into several products of smaller section.

Infeed and optimisation equipment

Infeed and optimisation equipment places each log in the position that maximises its yield. Scanners measure the shape of the log, then software calculates the best cutting pattern. Log turners then orient the log and feeders present it precisely to the cutting machine.

How to choose a sawing line

Choosing a sawing line depends first on the logs to be processed and the products to be obtained. The species, diameter range and desired cross-sections guide the choice between a bandsaw, circular saw, canter, multiblade saw or a combination of several machines. The target throughput then determines the level of mechanisation required.

On the most automated lines, scanners, optimisation systems, log turners and feeders position each log to make the best use of the material. To compare two installations, you therefore need to consider their production capacity, the accepted wood dimensions, the achievable products and their level of automation.

Compare sawing lines and sawmill machines

WoodPartners brings together sawing equipment for primary breakdown, resawing and sawing optimisation.

Explore the solutions offered by USNR, VBI Bois and André Technologies, among others, compare their specifications and identify the machines that suit your production set-up.

Filters by equipment type and manufacturer location let you quickly narrow down the selection before requesting a quote directly.