Koskisen Group, Finland - Elevating plywood precision and productivity with AI-driven veneer composing

MAKING WOOD MATTER

Summary

Koskisen, a global wood processing specialist, faced challenges in accurately detecting defects in birch veneer – a demanding material for plywood production. By piloting Raute’s AI-enhanced analyzer on a modernized veneer composing line, Koskisen achieved real-time defect detection, improved quality assurance, and increased operator satisfaction. The upgrade transformed one of the least desired workstations into a top-performing line, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and precision.

Koskisen Group

Koskisen is a family-owned wood products company with over 100 years of expertise in plywood manufacturing. Known for its high-quality Finnish birch plywood, Koskisen serves demanding global markets in transportation, construction, and interior design.
Founded
1909
Location
Järvelä, Finland
Annual output
~65,000 m3/plywood
Export markets
Worldwide

Challenge

Before modernizing its veneer composing line, Koskisen faced several critical challenges that impacted efficiency, quality, and operator satisfaction:

  • Aging technology
    The veneer composing line had been in operation for 30 years, making it one of the least desirable workstations in the plywood mill.
  • Detection inaccuracies
    Traditional machine vision struggled with birch veneer, often misidentifying bark defects or confusing them with sound knots – this led to quality issues and inefficiencies in production.
  • High complexity of birch plywood
    Birch is a demanding material, and accurate defect detection is essential for maintaining product quality. Existing systems could not reliably meet these requirements.
  • Operator dissatisfaction
    Due to outdated technology and inconsistent results, the workstation lacked appeal, affecting motivation and overall productivity.
  • Need for modernization
    Koskisen wanted to leverage advanced technology to improve accuracy, efficiency, and working conditions while maintaining familiar operating processes.

 

Birch is one of the toughest challenges for AI in wood processing. Its complex structure makes defect detection extremely difficult, and our previous machine vision system simply couldn’t deliver reliable real-time accuracy.

— Marko Hokkanen, Development Technician, Koskisen

Want to learn how Koskisen transformed its least desired workstation into one of the most sought-after using Raute’s AI solution?