Raleigh, NC, Nov. 5--Sandy Mullin gestured at the machine his Raleigh saw company makes and said he ought to paint it green, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.
That's because the tool, with its lasers and computer software, can help keep trees in the forest--and money in the pockets of furniture, flooring, cabinetry and other manufacturers.
The machine, called Cellscan, lets companies make more efficient cuts of the lumber they buy to build the products they sell. By examining the microscopic cells in wood, it can find the best way to remove imperfections such as knots, leaving less waste, improving productivity and reducing labor costs.
Barr-Mullin's latest invention might get little notice from consumers, who seldom think about the technology behind the products they purchase. But it could be a savior to furniture makers and other companies competing with cheaper imports.
"This is sort of like the holy grail of woodcutting," said Mullin, co-founder and president of Barr-Mullin. "You can get more out of the lumber. That doesn't mean you're a tree-hugging conservationist. It's an economic decision."
For 30 years, Mullin's 20-employee company
has used computers, software and other high-tech solutions to engineer cutting systems that let companies create products faster and more cheaply. Barr-Mullin is an anomaly, Mullin says, because there hasn't been "a lot of super-engineering" in the wood industry.
The company was recognized for its work this summer, receiving a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation. Barr-Mullin will use the money to develop software that enhances the scanning system in grading and cutting lumber, Mullin said. It must report progress to the NSF every six months of the two-year grant.
Mullin, 64, began the company in 1973 with Jim Barr, who went on to help start SAS Institute, the Cary software developer. Mullin was teaching at N.C. State University when he and Barr invented their first machine that used a computer system to optimize wood cut from boards.
"We knew the potential savings [for companies] were huge," Mullin said. "It was obvious if we were going to make any contribution...the only way to do it was to go into business."
Since then, the company has developed several products aimed at improving productivity in the wood industry, including a saw that can make precise cuts at 1,000 linear feet per minute and a computer program that allows managers to oversee all cutting equipment in a plant.
The company boasts that it has saved more trees than the Sierra Club, an organization of 700,000 dedicated to preserving the earth's natural resources.
North Carolina companies, including Broyhill Furniture in Lenoir and Century Furniture in Hickory, are among the users of Barr-Mullin technology.
"You use less labor to get the same amount of work done," said Danny Arnold, operations manager for Vaughan-Bassett's plant in Elkin, which uses Barr-Mullin equipment to make bedroom suites and other furniture.
"You increase your yield because the computer is making the decisions É instead of people, who may be having a good day or a bad day."
Barr-Mullin's most promising tool so far for advancing the goal of bigger and cheaper yields could be the Cellscan.
The company started developing it ten years ago and can now manufacture the machines for customers. About a dozen Cellscans, which range in price from $500,000 to $1 million, depending on configuration, have been installed from Russia to Chile. Some of those were for test customers, Mullin said.
