Analysis of the kiln drying process of a sawmill in Espírito Santo state, Brazil: a case study

Resumo

There is great interest in assessing the wood drying process due to its importance in the further processing of lumber. The objective of this work was to analyze the process of kiln drying of wood in a selected mill located in the Espírito Santo state, Southeastern Brazil. The analysis was carried out in situ, represented by the monitoring of the entire drying cycle of three kilns and encompassed four stages: dry kilns and manpower, lumber preparation for drying, drying schedules and quality of the dried lumber. The initial hypothesis was confirmed, that the mill’s managers need more technical knowledge on kiln drying practices. The main problem was observed in the conduction of the drying process, in which there was no moisture content control during any stage of the cycle.