HewSaw lands new mega projects globally

HewSaw’s latest projects include Japan’s largest mill, the USA’s fastest line, and the largest sawmill investment in Finland.

When the name HewSaw is mentioned, two things might come to mind: efficiency and the company’s original R-Series machines, including the HewSaw R200 and HewSaw R250 models.

HewSaw has made a name for itself with these workhorses, which process small to medium logs in a single pass and take up minimal real estate on the sawmill floor. Hundreds of R-series machines have been delivered worldwide, including installations in Australasia. In fact, the first HewSaw delivered to Australasia was a HewSaw R200 SE commissioned in 1998 to The Australian Sawmilling Company (TASCO).

While many R-series machines from the late 1990s are still in service today, the modern HewSaw has undergone significant upgrades and is fully equipped with the latest technology from the company’s in-house R&D team. HewSaw’s focus on innovation has also led to the rise of HewSaw’s SL lines in new and larger projects around the globe.

HewSaw’s Modern Technology

In HewSaw’s modern R-series machines, logs are delivered via a V-flight scanning conveyor equipped with a 3D or true shape scanner. Based on the scan information, logs are then positioned for the best recovery by a LogIn system, which includes HewSaw’s rotary log positioner. Next the log is chipped on all four sides. The resulting cant is processed through a ripsaw with the top and bottom boards being edged within the one machine with no downstream edging required.

HewSaw’s SL Lines, or multi-unit sawlines, were first introduced in the late 1990s. The chipper canter, cantsaw, and ripsaw can be configured to meet the customer’s goals. Each unit is connected by conveyors, and in some cases, the cant is turned between processing units. In the SL lines, edged sideboards can be removed from all four sides of the cant. Board separators are used to remove the edged sideboards along the way and, like in the smaller R-series machines, no downstream edging is required.

HewSaw’s Factory and Worldwide Presence

HewSaw’s equipment offerings are not the only thing that has undergone massive upgrades. HewSaw’s factory in Mäntyharju, Finland, has made major investments over the years. Recently, the company’s Saw Machine Factory 2025 project, which aims to increase the factory’s efficiency and production capacity, added a brand new paint shop, a state-of-the-art welding shop featuring robotics, additional warehouse space, and several new BURKHARDT + WEBER machining centres.

HewSaw has developed a strong global presence and has established offices and warehouses in numerous countries, including Australia, the USA, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Sweden. Additionally, local HewSaw representatives serve customers in Japan, South America, France and Poland.

HewSaw has maintained a presence in Australasia since 2007. Today, the office in Geelong, near Melbourne, provides service, capital sales, and parts to customers in Australia and New Zealand. HewSaw is the only major sawmill equipment company to maintain a fully stocked parts warehouse in Australasia.

HewSaw has delivered over 400 machines in more than 30 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, across six continents. Recently, HewSaw has commissioned several major sawline projects around the world.

Japan – Kushiro Wood Products

HewSaw is expanding its global footprint with a new installation in Japan.

A HewSaw SL250 3.4 sawline is scheduled for delivery to Kushiro Wood Products in Kushiro City, on the Northern island of Hokkaido, in the Spring of 2027. The mill is expected to be operational the following spring.

It’s projected that Kushiro Wood Products will be Japan’s largest sawmill. The company’s goal is to expand the domestic lumber market by offering sawn and dimensional lumber from Hokkaido-grown logs, such as Todo-fir.

USA – Stimson Lumber Forest Grove

HewSaw’s dx Sawing™ is coming to the USA! Stimson Lumber’s 96-year-old Forest Grove mill is undergoing major upgrades. Located just under 50 kilometers west of Portland, Oregon, the company has invested $50 million USD in a new high-speed sawmill line. The SL250 5.5 dx™ is equipped with both dx sawing™ and inline splitting. HewSaw’s proprietary dx Sawing™ technology allows the line to run faster with a thinner kerf and extends saw life. Inline splitting can increase a mill’s throughput, improve efficiency, and add greater flexibility by splitting sideboards into two or three boards within the line’s “in-line” edging unit. It’s expected that the line will be operational in early 2026.

The mill currently produces approximately 200,000 cubic metres of 50x100mm and 50x150mm studs annually, and Stimson anticipates that this will triple once the new mill is operational.

The mill will process Douglas Fir and Hemlock logs 10-40 centimetres in diameter at a rate of 70 2.4 meter logs per minute, making it the fastest sawline in North America.

Finland – Metsä Fibre Rauma

At 260 million Euros, Metsä Fibre’s recent investment in its Rauma sawmill marks the largest sawmill investment ever in Finland. Construction began in the Spring of 2020, and the HewSaw SL250 5.5 dx was operational in October 2022. The line features scanning and optimization from Canada-based Prologic+ and Finnish company Finnos. The sawmill also includes technological innovations such as machine vision and self-learning artificial intelligence, and the mill’s operation is controlled from a single central control room.

The 130 metre sawline has a maximum sawing speed of 250 m/min, meaning it can handle up to 40 logs per minute, depending on diameter and length. Metsä Fibre Rauma’s annual capacity is 750,000 cubic metres of premium pine sawn lumber, which is sold in Europe and Asia.

Canada – Hampton Fort St. James

A slightly smaller version of HewSaw’s new lines is also available. One recent example is Hampton Lumber’s HewSaw SL200 3.3 line, which is designed to process short logs at high speeds. It can run at speeds of up to 213 metres per minute, depending on the log diameter and pattern.

The sawline produces stud products under 3 metres in length, mainly in 50x100mm and 50x150mm sizes. The line is located at the company’s Fort St. James mill, approximately 600 kilometers north of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

You can see below the HewSaw at Hampton Lumber Fort St. James in action.