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Welcome to SAWMILL Online manual |
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We hope You can find answer to any problem or question connected to using SAWMILL. If You can’t find the answer to Your question or problem, please contact us!
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Select the interesting topic about the SAWMILL:
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TO WHOM ITS DEVELOPED TO?
SAWMILL is a tool for professionals in sawmills and/or in timber sales organisations or for even portable sawmill owners, who are daily responsible of making quick decisions about existing or new sawing patterns / products and about products profitability. After our market research in software market, we concluded that although there are some products available on the market with same orientation, none of these products did not respond on following 5 main criterias:
Fast financial results on EBIT and EBITDA level (€ / m3). Rawmaterial (log) Ability To Pay (ATP) calculation (€ / m3). Comfortable and quick product adding and sawing pattern composition and comparing. No disturbing overstated figures. Only top priority info for decision making. Calculation overview with formulas.
NB! USER’S MUST BEAR IN MIND THAT ALTHOUGH PROGRAM SIMULATES THE SAWING RESULTS USING THE INSERTED AVERAGE KEY FIGURES, THE SIMULATION CAN’T NEVER BE 100% REALISTIC. ACTUAL RESULTS ARE INFLUENCED BY MANY COMPANY BASED VARIABLES (HARDWARE, ROUND WOOD QUALITY ETC.). SIMULATION JUST GIVES THE USER AN IDEA ABOUT THE RANGE THE ACTUAL RESULTS MAY BE IN.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
SAWMILL is so-called easy sawing pattern simulation program that works with user inserted average figures. Although there are some much more scientific simulation programs available in the market with much higher price, series of studies have shown, that for mandatory decision making, all of the needed key indicators can be calculated by using avereage inputs. So no overstated figures, just plain and simple. Our target is to keep the product affordable, easy to keep update and with good price / function ratio. Users can create complex sawing patterns and see the simulated physical and financial results that are calculated based on the user inserted key figures and by mathematical formulas. During the pattern creation the program calculates the suitable rawmaterial (round wood) diameter that is optimized for the pattern. Based on selected timber dimensions, kilning shrinkage and sawblade thicknesses its calculating the diameter needed. It also adds additional blade thickness to ensure the produced timber is square edged. After roundwood diameter calculation it calculated the timber yield taking into account also average lenght change (trimming loss). After that based on sawblade thicknesses, the sawdust yield is calculated. For last, the chips yield is calculated. We admit that one of the keyfigures for getting the trustworthy results, is possibility to let users to influence the average roundwood volume calculation formula. As this is the basis for all the later calculation, users can change the calculation coefitsent to better meet the location country principles of round wood volume calculation. Addition to all by-products (sawdust and chips), program also gives financial indicator of bark income. SAWMILL gives results by logic that at least 1m3 of timber is produced with simulated sawing pattern. So it takes into account each product share in the pattern and also its volume and price. By using these, it calculates what is the income of 1m3 of sawn timber that is produced with created pattern. Then the by-product income is added and for last calculations with cost base are done resulting the financial results of the pattern.
STARTING THE SAWMILL
All the needed files to run the SAWMILL program in any Windows system computer, are included into the setup files. Although some extreme cases may happen that hinder the startup of the program. In this case please feel free to contact our Info mail (info@romware.eu) and we will assist the next steps to get the program up and running. By default also program start-up folder is created into the Windows start menu and also possiblity to add the shortcut to Windows desktop. First steps after starting the program is to select the interface language (see pic). By default the program has two languages included (English and Estonian). FULL version of SAWMILL comes also with instructions how to add Your own local language into the program interface. After selecting the language users can select whether the selected language is default also for next start-up. So by making the check into the “Skip this window on next startup” the next time the program start, the selected language is selected automaticaly.
If users do want to see the language selection window again, then it can be done, by selecting the menu Program - Settings - and uncheck the box infront of “Dont show the language box at startup”. Then click “Save” and restart the program. Next step for setting the SAWMILL ready to go is “Creating the new profile”.
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CREATING THE NEW PROFILE
In SAWMILL the profile is specific set of key figures that is connected with certain item. For example the profiles are used to describe the certain round wood spiece specific key figures. So if user have need to make sawing patterns for 5 different wood spieces then of course also the key figures like prices and coefitsents must be changed too. So avoid the need to retype the keyfigure each spiece change, the users can create uncountable number of different profiles (so called profile settings) and simply in case of need, just select the suitable profile from the list. Each profile includes all the prices and prodution related data that are inserted into the Settings window. FULL version of SAWMILL also comes with instructions how to copy the profiles from one computer to another. So all the inserting can be done by one user and the up-dated profiles can later used by all other users. Default profile for first start is named “SAWMILL”.
So first steps for creating the new profile is to click on profile name label on main screen (see pic). This is the place to manage the profiles. Users can create new profile by clicking on “New” and then inserting the name of new profile. After creating the new profile users can select whether the selected profile is also default profile. Default profile the the profile that is loaded automaticaly each time the SAWMILL starts. To make the default profile, select the profile name and check the box “Make it my default profile” and then click “Save”. If users have created or found the required profile then after the click on “Load” all the profile specific key figures are loaded from profile data file.
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INSERTING PRODUCTION KEY FIGURES
After the new profile is created, the user must insert all the needed settings. Select menu Program - Settings. Here is the place to change all the basic variables of calculations. Users must define some production related keyfigures and then many financial costs that are needed for later costbase calculation.
1) Trimmings - here users must insert the average trimming length of the products that they have usually. The trimming length (or the length loss) is defined in mm and is inserted separately for center products (centerboard) and side product (sideboard). To better understand and illustrate the names, please see the this picture. See also our Know-how page for more info. As usually most of the sawing patterns are made in the way, that main wanted product is centerboard, then in SAWMILL is possibility to simulate the needed round wood diameter where centerboard is square edged in full length. To enable that feature, users must select the check “Calculate only with square edge volume”. This influences the calculation logic so, that if selected round wood diameter is not enough to get square edged centerboard, then the maximum square edged length is calculated based on roundwood length and roundwood conical figure. This influences the sawn timber length and then also its yield and volume.
2) Log (round wood) info - users must define the length module step that is later used when changing the log length on the main screen. So if users define that length module is 10 cm then this is the varible that is used then log length is changed on the main screen during new sawing pattern creation.
3) Costs related to production - cost base includes monthly fixed costs, variable costs, amortization and capital employed. These variables are used to calculate the cost base for 1m3 timber production.
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INSERTING COSTS
After the new profile is created, the user must insert all the needed settings. Select menu Program - Settings. Here is the place to change all the basic variables of calculations. Users must define some production related keyfigures and then many financial costs that are needed for later costbase calculation. Costs are split to fixed-, variable- and amortization costs. These costs are basis for EBIT and EBITDA calculations. In addition users must insert average capital employed value to get ROCE% figure during calculations.
NB! All the costs are saved into profile file and are connected with the profile that was activated when costs are inserted.
1) Fixed costs - costs that are not production based but needed to keep the venture working. Usage of “fixed costs” can vary but commonly it is used to describe costs like wages, electricity, common functions etc.
2) Variable costs - costs that are created during the process. In sawmills it can contain costs like packaging materials, fuel, maintenance costs etc.
3) Capital employed - amount of finances that are in average used to keep the process running. May contain cost of the capital like buildings, stocks, receviable accounts etc. ROCE is calculated as sawing pattern EBIT devided with capital employed. Shows the % of financial return.
4) Monthly amortization - average monthly amortization cost. Used to get production cost on EBIT level. Production costs without amortization cost are used to get sawing pattern financial return on EBITDA level.
5) Production volume - average monthly production volume. Used to devide the fixed costs to get amount of fixed cost per produced 1m3. Then added average variable cost per 1m3 to get total production cost. TIP: During the creation of new sawing pattern the users can simply change the production volume by clicking on “Production cost” label (see pict.).
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INSERTING LOG PRICES
To calculate the round wood (rawmaterial, log) costs, user must insert the round wood prices. Prices can be inserted per certain diameter qroup or same price for all diameters.
NB! Log prices are saved into profile file and are connected with the profile that is activated when log prices are inserted.
One way to add or change the log prices select menu Program - Settings. Then select “Log prices”. Other way is select sheet “Products & prices” on the main screen and there select “Log prices” from the down left corner.
TIP: During the new pattern creation the log prices can be easiliy accessed by clicking on the “Log usage” label (see pict.).
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INSERTING NEW PRODUCTS
To insert new products, please navigate to “Products and prices” sheet. Select the product type you want to insert “Centerboard”, “Edgerboard” or “Sideboard”. After that you can start inserting the products data. Insert nominal (products end measures by what the product is invoiced) thickness and width. After inserting the thickness and width, select the oversize % to use for calculating the cutting sizes. After that press “Calculate”. Next must insert products estimated quality distribution and prices. For quick inserting can use also average price. Just but 100% under any of the qualities and insert average product price into its price textbox.
TIP: During products inserting when cursor is in “Width” textbox, press “Enter” on the keyboard to automatically calculate the cutting sizes (WetThickness and WetWidth). Program uses default 3% overmeasure to calculate the cutting sizes.
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ADDING COMMENTS TO THE PATTERN
Users can add the comment to each pattern. Just press “A” button (see pict.) on the main screen to insert the comments. Comment can be added or edited also from the print preview form (see pict.).
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CREATING THE NEW SAWING PATTERN
After user have inserted the steering data (settings), log prices, products the user can start creating the sawing pattern. Select product to add and press product adding button. First the centerboards must be added and then can add side- and edgerboards. After selecting the product type, only proper product adding buttons are enabled. So if centerboard products list is activated, then only centerboard adding button can be pressed.
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FITTING THE LOG DIAMETER
Insert centerboards and all the rest dimensions needed. During the creating the pattern, the program automatically calculating the suitable rawmaterial diameter that is needed to cut the created pattern. Users can also change diameter manually to see the effect to yield and other results. Diameter can be changed by using the scroller buttons beside diameter value (see pict.)
TIP: Users can select whether optimized rawmaterial diameter is calculated based on centerboard or by sideboards. To select is, make the right click on “Fit log diameter” button and select by which product the optimization is made. Users can also disable the automatic fit if needed.
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COMPARING THE PATTERNS
After sawing pattern is created the user can add it for quick comparing. Make right click on the pattern and select “Add for compare”. All the patterns that are added for comparing are visible on comparing window (see pict.). Later can quickly select the needed pattern and change if needed or delete from comparing window.
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SAVING THE PATTERN
After pattern is created, user can save the pattern by pressing the “Save” button. By default the program gives the systematical pattern name to use. This will ease finding the pattern later. By default the pattern name is combined by profile name, diameter, centerboard dimension. By default the patterns are saved into the “my patterns” folder that is located in programs folder.
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LOADING THE PATTERN
User can load the saved patterns by pressing the “Open” button or selecting the “Pattern” menu and then “Open”. Select the needed pattern from the list and press “Open pattern” (see the pict.).
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PRINTING THE PATTERN
Create or open the pattern for printing. Press the “Print” button for quick printing or select “Pattern” menu and “Preview” for print preview and adjusting. On the “Print preview” screen the user can edit or add the comment into the comment textbox. If the printout is for somekind of working instructions the user can add also the “Workorder” number by pressing the little button on top left corner to make “Workorder” label visible. User can also select wheter financial data is visible on print out. Financial data can be hidden by pressing “X” button that is located below yield figures (see pict.).
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3D VIEW
Program has also 3D overview of the pattern. Make right click on the pattern and select “Show 3D”.
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SUGGEST FEATURE
Program has also built-in suggest feature that helps to find most geometrically optimised center product for selected rawmaterial diameter. Select “Suggest” on main screen (see pict.). After that must select that for which rawmaterial diameter the products are looked for. Then select ex-log of the center board and oversize of the product. After that select “Show pattern”. The optimised product is added into the new pattern info and visual picture of the cutting is show. After that user can add the sideboards to see the results.
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