Quality Management Systems

Mid-Columbia Lumber provides extensive process controls and standard machine settings to ensure customer satisfaction.

• Final visual grader override to ensure minimum wane in joints and to maximize joint quality.
• Inline moisture detection for each piece.
• Inline glue system pressure gauges monitor catalyst/resin pressures, temperature, spread ratio, joint lengths and wafer thicknesses.

• Press section monitors squeeze pressures, upper and lower control limits on crowder rolls, along with edge crook detection.
• Operator Hourly Quality Assurance Checklists, Dock Audits & Quality Assurance Audits provide mistake-free production.
• Off-line tension break tests and cyclic de-lamination boil testing for joint quality.
  • Samples are selected hourly from production for continuous quality control monitoring.
  • Glued joints are subjected to de-lamination tests to simulate long-term, end-use conditions or changes in moisture content. The test samples are then subjected to tension forces equal to, or exceeding, the published design values for solid-sawn lumber.
• Daily costing reports track inbound suppliers by PO#. Outbound units are tracked individually by order number and car number, providing order traceability.
• Entire plant is tracked for percent runtime. Each area is monitored and graphed for improvements, driving lower costs for customers.
• Each Order is Documented with Hourly Tension Tests & Delam Test Result prior to Shipment.

Everything we produce is carefully loaded on railcars for the trip to our customers' facilities. We make every effort to ensure that we have "Packaging That Stays On" so that shipments arrive at our customers' locations fit for immediate use.