Groupe Lefebvre in production with XXL Neural Grader scanner

"Groupe Lefebvre transforms 85.000m3 of PEFC certified beech logs per year which is purchased under long term contracts guaranteeing stability of volumes and quality. 100% of the logs are transforned in our sawmills to respect the quality requirements of our clients. The Neural Grader is installed on a line grading half edged boards which we export worlwide. We produce widths of 20-45cm with a focus on maximising client yield. We know how tough the job of a line grader is and especially at a company like ours with a reputation for quality.  We have been looking for some time for a grading scanner for our half edged boards to improve the precision and consistency of grading we provide to our clients. A particular difficulty in beech is detecting correctly red heart and other colour defects. We have been working for years with other scanners in our 2nd transformation operation called Manubois and until we did tests with the Neural Grader we had not found a scanner able to detect these defects on rough lumber. For this reason we were initially very cautious about the ability of the Neural Grader to do this job at the level of quality we need. We did tests over thousands of boards with the Neural Grader to compare grading accuracy against our experienced line graders. To minimise risks for our clients we also decided to control the quality produced by the scanner with a human grader on the line. The results have surpassed our expectations and have enabled us to significantly increase the precision of our grading. The Neural Grader has also enabled us to increase significantly production speed to be able to serve more clients worldwide.” said Joel Lefebvre, the CEO of Groupe Lefebvre SAS.

The XXL linear scanner installed at Groupe Lefebvre is designed to handle up to 10 boards simultaneously. The scanner opens up opportunities to create line set-ups which can handle larger volumes in a linear environment, when two face grading is sufficient. The set-up allows clients to move a full layer of boards from a bundle directly on the scanner line winning considerable speed and space. The scanner box only takes 50cm of the line to squeeze into even the tightest line configurations.

The system captures surface details in high resolution thanks to its 12 cameras, then feeds them directly into the Neural Grader’s Geometric Measurement engine and its already famous Defect Detection Software Module . This enables the detection on rough lumber of sub mm worm holes, pin knots, checks, shake but also of hard to detect color defects as wane, heart, blue stain while ignoring marks from chains, slats, or rain.

The Grading Module can be adapted to proprietary grading systems providing consistent 24/7 grades. Sorting can be customized on specific defects, dimensions, grain, color variations thus enabling mills to provide their clients with products customized to their needs.

“Our customers have been asking for a solution that handles larger throughput while increasing detection quality,” said Benoit Nieuwenhuys – CEO of Fordaq SA which owns the Neural Grader. “The XXL Scanner answers that need — combining scale, precision, and intelligence in one system that enables clients to increase their volumes and grading precision.”

Staying true to Neural Grader’s practical design philosophy, the XXL Scanner can be fully installed in just a few days. Its modular build adapts to most conveyor systems, and connects seamlessly with printers, sorters, trimmers, edgers, and Neural Grader’s broader software suite — including bundle tracking, production analytics, and revenue optimization suite.

Groupe Lefebvre SAS is a 3rd generation French company based in Les Grandes Ventes, France. The company has 3 production units, 2 of which are dedicated to the transformation of beech. The group produces a variety of products from half edged boards to pre-cuts, pallets, FJL scantlings for door frame , worktops, furniture components, structural wood, outdoor furniture. https://www.groupe-lefebvre.fr/en/

The Neural Grader is part of the Fordaq group of companies which also owns Fordaq.com, the leading B2B marketplace for wood products created 25 years ago, which counts over 90.000 members worldwide, and Tally Express the leading bundle measurement application. https://www.neuralgrader.com/