New research from UBC’s Okanagan campus looks to improve the manufacturing processes of cross laminated timber at Structurlam’s plant located in Okanagan Falls.
Structurlam is one of only four manufacturers of cross laminated timber who are based in North America.
Cross laminated timber is a engineered wood product that provides a stable, and sustainable solution for building construction purposes that competes directly with steel and concrete in tall wood buildings
“We’re looking to leverage the world-class research and expertise that UBC brings to the table in our own backyard” says Andre Morf,Vice President, Manufacturing and Operations at Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation.
The research will focus on optimizing the manufacturing process at Structurlam’s plant specifically in the areas of advanced planning and scheduling systems for cross laminated timber.
According to Kasun Hewage, the lead researcher on the project, the researchers will undertake a thorough investigation of the existing manufacturing processes at the plant. “Through data collection and advanced analysis, our team will develop an optimization model for the production-to-delivery process.”
Researchers will be embedded within the operation to enable a more detailed understanding of the end-to-end system.
“We are in an increasingly competitive market, so every efficiency counts” according to Morf. “Our operation is proud to be located in British Columbia, and we’re thrilled to collaborate with UBC’s Okanagan campus to make our operation even better.”
“Structurlam builds a very sophisticated and intricate product that requires numerous precision-based stages that culminate in its final product” says Hewage. “It will be our job to ensure that nothing is overlooked while developing a production process optimization model that will not only address the needs of Structurlam but also other manufacturing companies in the future.”
The research will be conducted by the Life Cycle Management Laboratory at UBC’s Okanagan campus and jointly funded by Mitacs and Structurlam.