Lumber Preservation Technology
MicroPro Sienna® Treated Wood is pressure treated with MicroPro® Micronized Copper Azole (MCA), a registered wood preservative in the CSA Standards formulated especially for Canadian species and use conditions.
Micronized iron oxide pigments added during pressure treatment give the wood the warm Sienna colour similar to cedar.
The MicroPro preservative technology is a waterborne, micronized copper azole system developed to provide long-term protection for wood exposed in exterior applications. The MicroPro system is based on the well-established effectiveness of copper combined with an azole compound and is applied to wood by pressure treatment. The copper compound is micronized or physically ground into submicron copper particles. These particles are small enough to remain suspended in solution for pressure treating without the need for a solvent, which reduces the corrosive properties and improves the environmental benefits of the treated wood.
For more information, visit MicroProSienna.com
MicroPro and MicroPro Sienna are registered trademarks of Koppers Performance Chemicals Inc.
Modern Treatment Facility
Large and Accessible Site
The Total Forest Industries wood preservation plant is located on a 320-acre industrial property in Hagersville, 20 minutes southwest of Hamilton on Highway 6. This strategically located site, coupled with excellent access to truck transport, allows TFI to get to market fast and support many of our customers’ just-in-time replenishment programs.
All Indoor Treating and Drying Operations
All our manufacturing operations are housed indoors in a 40,000 square foot building. Wood moves through the TFI plant on conveyors and continuous chains.
Flow-Through Lumber Handling
Our highly automated plant means that there are no lift trucks used to handle lumber products as they move through the preparation and treating lines. All wood, whether individual pieces or full lifts, is conveyed through our system on rollers and conveyors.
Fine Tooth Incising
Where appropriate, TFI incises wood before treatment with a GEN II fine-toothed incisor. This is especially important in products to be used in ground contact where meeting preservative penetration requirements can make a major difference in performance over the service life of a project.
Small Bundle Sizes
TFI’s automated stacking line produces compact, easy-to-handle lifts. This allows smaller retailers to carry a full product assortment with a smaller overall inventory investment. Dealers benefit from having better stock rotation and reduced footage of open lifts in their yard at any one time. All lifts have a 2×3 bunk strapped to the top for ease of handling and corner protectors on the lower edges.
End Tagging
All products are end tagged with product dimensions and consumer safety information. TFI is registered with the Electronic Commerce Council of Canada and can apply Bar Code labels on treated lumber for customers requiring them for automated check-outs. We have the capability to manufacture labels on-site.
High Capacity Treating Cylinders
Our twin 7-foot diameter by 85-foot long pressure treating cylinders are incorporated into this continuous-flow manufacturing process for maximum efficiency. Each cylinder can hold approximately 17,000 board feet of lumber per “charge”, and each cycle takes between three and four hours depending on the species and size of the items being treated.
Our treating cylinders are designed to operate at 200 PSI – the highest operating pressure of any treating plant in Canada – for maximum penetration and retention of the wood preservative. Preservative solutions are warmed by steam-fed heat exchangers during winter months, in order that we can achieve uniform production standards year-round.
Fully Automated Process Control
Our treating process control is fully computerized. Display screens provide real-time information about every step of the treatment cycle, and the system also stores a database about every charge treated and the results obtained. It also creates a log of running time for every pump and motor on the system, allowing us to schedule maintenance and avoid costly downtime.
Other displays in the plant control room provide visual information of all plant activities, including conveyor and other operations on the lumber preparation line, door openings and closings and the status of all infeeds and outfeeds to the building.
Power Washing and Tilt Dripping
Each lift of lumber is power washed when it leaves the pressure cylinders after treatment. This dilutes any excess preservative solution still on the outside surfaces of the wood and avoids later problems that might otherwise occur due to unsightly staining on individual boards.
Freshly treated material then moves to the primary drip area where the bundles are tilted and any remaining preservative solution is allowed to drain off and be recovered. TFI was the first to design and install automated in-line tilting of whole conveyors in the wood preservation industry.
Finishing
Treated products are then rolled into our heated Finishing Building. This 13,000 square foot structure holds up to 500,000 board feet of freshly treated material. In this area final de-stickering and wrapping take place.
By the time that lumber has completed its trip down the full length of the treating line, it has traveled a distance in excess of 500 feet! Total elapsed time ranges from 14 to 20 hours, depending on species and dimension.
Excellent Truck Loading Facilities
Not only does TFI produce a great looking lift of treated wood, we store our finished production in a well managed 15-acre compound. Every item TFI produces is available for immediate shipment. We can simultaneously load up to a dozen dedicated highway trailers.
Explanation of the Treating Process: Video
Quality Assurance
Sorting
Every piece of wood on our lumber preparation line that is 2 inches and greater in nominal thickness is sorted for appearance and repackaged before treatment. Approximately 5% of material purchased as premium or J-Grade is pulled in this sort.
A few items, such as 1×6 fencing stock and 5/4×6 decking, are pre-sorted to our rigorous standards and arrive at TFI stickered and ready for treatment. These lifts enter the plant on conveyors and are directed separately to the treating lines for immediate processing.
Treatment Analysis
TFI uses the latest equipment to provide on-site X-ray analysis of treating solutions and treated wood samples. This information is vital, not only to help maintain quality control for all our activities in general, but also to provide verification of treating results for conformance to requirements of Timber Specialties’ product specifications for warranty coverage.
Quality Packaging
All TFI treated wood is packaged with polyethylene wrap and plastic strapping for optimal outdoor storage. Bundles that have shifted during pressure treatment are straightened for maximum stability before wrapping. Dunnage is added to the wrapped lifts to aid in moving inventory in dealer yards.
Health & Safety
All manufacturing operations performed at TFI are done in a manner that either meets or exceeds all applicable environmental and health and safety requirements.
All the concrete footings and foundations in the plant are sealed with special compounds to prevent seepage of chemicals over time. Likewise the surface of the plant floor is covered with a special coating. Our containment areas can hold 150% of the total capacity of the storage tanks in the event of a major spill or rupture. Both groundwater and the surface water runoff from the site are monitored regularly, and have been since before the plant treated its first charge of lumber.
At TFI, every employee is trained to produce treated products that meet our customers’ highest expectations. Our production work force is experienced and capable. TFI has an active employee health and safety program. This includes first aid and emergency procedures training as well as regular monitoring of employee health and fitness.
Total Forest Industries shares with all Canadians the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of our environment, now and for the future. In the spirit of environmental responsibility and sustainable development, the Canadian Wood Preservation Certification Authority (CWPCA) was created to ensure that treating plants maintain environmentally responsible practices in plant design and operation.
TFI received certification in 2000 certifying that our plant respects and fulfills the demands and requirements outlined by Environment Canada’s Technical Recommendations Document for the Design and Operation of Wood Preservation Facilities (TRD).