In a significant move that underscores the long-term confidence in the Canadian engineered wood sector, LVL Global has announced a major upgrade to its production capabilities. The company has placed an order for the highly advanced LVL Lay-up Line R7 from technology supplier Raute for its manufacturing facility in Ville Marie, Quebec. This investment is positioned to not only boost the mill’s overall capacity but, more importantly, to set a new internal standard for the quality and efficiency of Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) production.

The decision is particularly notable given the current robust demand for engineered wood products like LVL, which are essential components in the rapidly expanding mass timber construction market across North America. LVL’s inherent strength, dimensional stability, and efficient resource utilization make it a preferred, sustainable alternative to traditional solid lumber, concrete, and steel in structural applications.

The Synergy of a Three-Decade Partnership
The relationship between LVL Global’s Ville Marie mill and Raute is long-standing, tracing back over 30 years. This history has seen Raute supply numerous critical technologies, including specialized lines for veneer peeling, drying, composing, and previous generations of LVL production equipment. The continuous modernization, with the most recent upgrade to the peeling line in 2019, highlights the mill’s ongoing commitment to adopting state-of-the-art machinery.

This latest delivery, scheduled for installation in spring 2026, represents a pivotal technological leap, incorporating Raute’s latest R7-Series innovations designed for minimal waste and maximal product integrity.

R7 Technology: The Blueprint for Optimized Production
The core value of the new LVL Lay-up Line R7 lies in its ability to integrate high-level automation and data-driven quality control at the most critical stage of LVL manufacturing: the structural lay-up of veneer sheets.

1. Precision Grading with Veneer Analyzer R7: The line’s centerpiece is the Veneer Analyzer R7 vision and microwave moisture detection system. In LVL production, the structural integrity of the final product is directly tied to the quality and consistency of the individual veneer sheets.

Vision Technology: The system utilizes advanced vision technology to scan and identify defects, ensuring that only structurally sound veneers are selected for lamination.
Microwave Moisture Detection: By accurately measuring the moisture content throughout each sheet of veneer, the system ensures optimal conditions for the adhesive bond. This precise moisture control is vital for preventing warping, maximizing bond strength, and maintaining the dimensional stability for which LVL is valued. The combination of visual, moisture, and potential strength analysis allows for highly optimized dry veneer grading, which directly improves the end-product’s performance and structural reliability.

2. Next-Generation Adhesive Application: The R7 line includes an advanced curtain coater, a key piece of machinery that significantly enhances the gluing process. Curtain coating applies the structural adhesive—typically a weather-resistant phenolic resin—in a thin, uniform curtain across the veneer surface. This method offers several advantages over traditional roll application:

Uniformity: It ensures a flawless and consistent glue application, which is crucial for achieving the permanent, waterproof, and high-strength bonds required in structural LVL.
Efficiency: It optimizes glue consumption, reducing material costs while maintaining the highest quality bondline.

3. Capacity and Automation: The new line is engineered for high-capacity, continuous production. The advanced feeding system and streamlined lay-up process contribute to increased throughput and improved operational efficiency. The R7 technology is characterized by a high degree of automation, allowing complex production phases to be handled with a minimal operating crew, thereby optimizing labor resources and enhancing mill productivity.

Securing Canada’s Leadership in Structural Timber
For LVL Global, this upgrade is more than a simple machine purchase; it is a strategic maneuver that reinforces the Ville Marie mill’s position in the highly competitive North American structural timber market.

“Investing in the R7 Lay-up Line allows us to leverage decades of trust with Raute while ensuring our LVL products not only meet but exceed the increasingly stringent quality demands of modern construction,” said a representative close to the project. “This step secures our long-term competitiveness and commitment to supplying high-performance, quality LVL components for the Canadian and U.S. markets.”

The integration of the Veneer Analyzer R7 and the R7-level curtain coater positions the Quebec facility at the technological forefront of the veneer and engineered wood industry, enabling them to maximize resource recovery from logs and produce LVL components that are consistently strong, predictable, and structurally superior. As the global construction industry continues its shift toward sustainable, engineered timber solutions, this upgrade ensures LVL Global remains a powerful player in the future of building materials

Source: raute.com