Improvement of skills in wood processing technologies
and quality management to enhance timber-processing efficiency
Indonesia
It is estimated that the total installed production capacity of
the Indonesian wood processing industry was around 30 million cubic meters in
year 2000, comprising 19 million cubic meters in sawmill and 11 million cubic
meters in plywood industries. However, efficiency levels of wood processing
in the country, as reflected in low conversion ratios and large wood wastes,
are low compared to neighboring countries.
This 36–month project aims to increase the contribution
of the wood processing sector to the national economy through the application
of appropriate processing technologies, based on the findings and recommendations
derived from pre-project PPD 57/02 Rev.1 (I) “Improvement of Processing
Efficiency of Tropical Timber from Sustainable Sources in Indonesia” as
well as a follow-up action to the recommendations of the recent ITTO Technical
Mission (2001), which concluded that concrete action be taken to enhance production
efficiency of mills that are fitting production through retooling, diversification,
improved technology, human resource development; and to promote down stream
value-added production for obtain increased value from the wood processing sector.
Specifically, the project will improve the national skills and
capabilities in processing technologies and in product quality management and
identify product standards, quality/grading requirements and technical regulations
in sawn wood products in international markets. In order to achieve these specific
objectives, project activities include compiling technical information on wood
processing techniques (saw-doctoring, molding profile/knife grinding, kiln drying,
preservation, etc.) as well as product quality/industrial management and marketing.
Twelve training courses in sawing and other basic wood processing techniques,
product quality management, and industrial management will be organized for
practitioners, managers and supervisors of wood working factories. The project
will also facilitate the establishment of small-scale training and testing facilities
in existing wood processing factories in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan and Eastern
provinces.
Objective
About 200 head saw-doctors and trainers of wood working factories and from
technical institutes trained with improved skills in sawing methods and saw-doctoring
and other basic wood processing techniques such as molding profile/knife grinding,
kiln drying and preservation.
About 200 technicians of wood working factories and from technical institutes
trained with improved knowledge of product quality management.
About 100 plant managers and supervisors of wood working factories trained
with up-grade skills in industrial management.
4 wood processing training and 1 product quality testing facilities available
to wood working industries: Tooling, maintenance and testing facilities available
to wood working factories.
Technical information on wood properties required for the planning and implementation
of training programs for wood processing as well as in product quality will
be provided.
Implementing agency
Indonesian Sawmill and Wood Working Association (ISWA)
Budget
Total: USD 969’280
Local contribution: USD 204’140
Swiss contribution: USD 300'000
Others: Japan, USA
In their November 2008 session, the Committees
on Forest Industry and on Economic Information and Market Intelligence
noted the following new progress in the year 2008:
In-house training in five provinces namely North Sumatra,
East Java, Central Java, East Kalimantan and South Kalimantan had been
completed. The total number of the participants attending the trainings
was around 861 trainees;
Generally, each wood working factory faced different
problems and weaknesses in utilizing wood raw materials. The ITTO technical
team advised them before paying a visit to prepare a list of weaknesses
in order of priority, so that the team and the trainees can easily review
and communicate in the field;
Based on the preliminary assessment of the selected wood
processing factories, many of the factories have improved their performance
measured using the scoring system specifically designed for this purpose;
A most encouraging result was the willingness of many
owners and managers to improve their capability in wood processing to
improve efficiency and product quality in view of building up competitiveness
in the international market; and
Most of the product quality testing equipment funded
by ITTO has been purchased and installed in the office of ISWA in Jakarta.
A PSC meeting was held in Jakarta, on 24 July 2008. The
PSC's important decisions and recommendation were: 1) The Committee endorsed
the extension of the project period for one year starting August 2008
without additional funds in order to successfully complete the project;
2) The Committee advised the Executing Agency to exhibit figures and graphs
carefully in order to avoid misunderstanding and misinterpretation on
the draft of the technical report; 3) The Committee suggested that the
Executing Agency cooperates with FORDA in implementing the activities
for the experiments on LUS and fully utilize the data and information
developed and compiled by FORDA through past projects; 4) The Workshop
on Marketing will be held in October 2008 tentatively. EA should pay attention
to target audience and gather up marketing information from appropriate
data resources as supporting data to this workshop; 5). The second National
Workshop will be held by the end of this project, tentatively scheduled
for March 2009. A one year extension for project implementation (until
July 2009) without additional funds has been approved by the Executive
Director of ITTO.
November 2007
During the reporting period, progress in project implementation
can be summarized as follows:
An evaluation of the in-house training courses held under
the project was carried out in East Java (7 companies) on 18 –
29 January 2007, North Sumatra (11 companies) on 20 February –
3 March 2007 and Central Java (12 companies) on 9 – 18 April 2007.
Most of the wood working companies participated in the in-house training
courses improved saw doctoring, kiln dry operation and assembling process
to support their activities in wood processing. The most important point
was that many owners and decision makers of the wood working factories
were keen to improve the capacity in wood working to enhance the production
of quality products in order to catch the competitiveness of their timber
products in international market place;
The conduct of in-house training courses was continued
in East Java (143 participants), North Sumatra (150 participants), and
Central Java (123 participants). The project team has established an
extensive network with wood working factories across the country and
facilitated a line of communications between decision makers and technicians
on how to utilize wood raw materials in a more efficient way;
Product quality testing equipments have been identified
and will be established in one of the wood working manufactures in Jakarta
or in the project office of ISWA. Compiling and analyzing technical
information on 20 lesser-used species has been continued; and
First edition of the project bulletin was published in
December 2006 and its second edition was published in January 2007.
A project website has been launched and fully operational at www.iwwn.com
since January 2007. Preparation of a technical handbook is in progress.
