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Tour of the Ainsworth Lumber Mill

Bob meets with Michael Ainsworth at the Ainsworth Oriented Strand Board Mill in Canada for a tour of one of the most modern OSB factories in the world. The mill consists of a 9 acre building where aspen logs are brought in to be made into OSB. Michael explains that the process starts with logs up to sixty feet long that are chopped down to a maximum of sixteen feet long. Then they are put into tanks or ponds where they are brought down to below freezing winter temperatures. From the tanks, the logs go into a debarker and then into a machine that cuts the logs into strands that are about as thick as two business cards. The strands next enter a rotating dryer and then are moved to a resin blender. In the blender they are tumbled in a mist of resin and wax, which are binding and weatherproofing agents. They are transported from the blender to the forming line where the OSB is laid. All four layers have strands that are oriented in one direction. The surface layer strands go one way and the two interior layers have strands laid perpendicular to the surface. This opposing orientation is what gives OSB its strength. The sheets are twelve feet wide and are cut into twenty-four foot lengths. Each mat enters one opening of the twelve opening press and is then pressed into a board. Afterwards it is cut into the desired length and prepared for shipping.
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Tour of the Ainsworth Lumber Mill

  computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" What you see behind me. Are not toothpicks it's actually about a month supply of lumber for the -- worth oriented strand board now. Let's get together with Michael lane where -- third generation member of this Canadian family that started this operation. Hey Michael cobalt are -- very hurt thank you so much got a lot of lumber here. Primarily what kind of material is it that's mostly Aspen mostly Aspen as a beautiful beautiful timber and you work. Really. Standing in front of what is probably the most modern oriented strand board factory in the world right."

" That's true we had we started operating this -- in December of 1995. And we've got approximately nine acres and the group here. It's a nine acre building this expert and this this -- one of the world's largest source."

" So you're you're really manufacturing -- worldwide market absolutely yeah. Now -- it's a noisy operation even provide here tells what's happening there."

" What's happening here is we bring our logs into this operation maximum sixty feet long rock and what we need to do here all those 64 wrong. Logs into maximum sixteen well workable lengths workable look okay we're preparing the -- into the mail. What happened exactly."

" Lock your break and when they come in there let this morning here we've got frozen in this they'll -- the -- of -- I want to put that would inside the bond market well below freezing. All eleven days and then when the life -- closet going up on that point. -- All right so then -- an afterlife we've been looking at have now been turned it into the extremely. Thin. Wait -- that would follow all of dreadful threat oriented strand board but if that only those that the other thing that the business -- And once you've done this to them what the next step. There's a quote any are these. Are all very -- we have been moved into the dryer and dryer here behind."

" Well they're about eighteen feet in diameter at approximately 100 feet long each of those dryers was approximately 120000. And a lot to work forcing all the friendly they're trying to bring them."

" Lay let's look towards the likelihood that same principle of the clothes dryer they're probably around it's."

" You can hand. --"

" The dryers hurting anybody fighter coming in the -- out of the dryer up there on out back then once you drive them what's the next step -- an extent. We take that drags her and gently remove them over to yeah. To the President Clinton. Now president blender. "

" As day. Battered by the flag and it you can inside there were generally you don't want to -- the inside of there. Wingers rant report and into the blender and tumbling around."

" Why can't all fogged up breast implants. Another resident what do you think of the vehicle available at present very very similar it is that you bought at -- we begin -- the blacks there. In the final part of the and avoid."

" Is that president of the planet that's going estimate that structural exterior grade product."

" Go to each and every one of these strands is coated in and -- fashion and candidates travel up -- He's going to -- on the in the blender. Transports and."

" We're creating more layer. Plotted."

" First layers of their -- wherever oriented our plan. Parallel to the machine direction for the long direction that your final point."

" And what the weight at that point all we're forming. All -- feet wide and it. So we'll let it opened wide and laid out of -- layer of granite. They're really down through layers of warm current boyfriend played down. Perpendicular. Or ninety degrees for the bush later. --"

" And of course glory ending the sprint in opposite directions. Name of the plywood is what gives it. Stability and strength right."

" Up front there we take a look at him with an average of twelve feet wide and what we want to do it either blowing -- We're back continues back when he or. Individual event which it would incorporate. And there's one opening of the break our present quality wide like 24 people -- global."

" All right let him go -- we've got involved -- or put paint that could be used and that structural insulated panel that likely hear your job Bob. You know. Coming up or by eight feet. Of course it. Where he got kind -- done that in the background over here ready to go and hit the road that's right what we have here is our warehouse. The product that here not for very long before we go to our legacy here in the background goes directly -- our country and again we neglected hay that we're dealing with a renewable the absolutely take great pride in knowing that water at the beginning of carpet made from renewable resorts we take great pride in knowing that the trees that we. That we an acre park all the place terrific Mike thanks for the door one of having your --"

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