As the global wood products industry increasingly embraces automation and artificial intelligence, manufacturers are investing in advanced technologies to improve production quality, optimise operations, and address growing customer expectations. Demonstrating this shift toward intelligent manufacturing, Koskisen, one of Finland’s leading wood processing specialists, has successfully modernized its veneer composing line by implementing Raute’s AI-enhanced veneer analyzer, significantly improving defect detection accuracy and production efficiency.
With more than a century of expertise in plywood manufacturing, Koskisen is internationally recognized for producing premium Finnish birch plywood used across transportation, construction, industrial applications, and interior design. Maintaining consistent quality is particularly challenging when processing birch veneer, one of the most demanding materials in plywood production due to its complex grain patterns and naturally occurring variations.
Prior to the modernization project, Koskisen’s veneer composing line had been operating for nearly 30 years. Although dependable, the aging equipment increasingly struggled to meet modern production requirements. Traditional machine vision technology often failed to accurately distinguish between bark defects and healthy knots, resulting in inconsistent defect identification, unnecessary material losses, and additional quality inspections.
“Birch is one of the toughest challenges for AI in wood processing. Its complex structure makes defect detection extremely difficult, and our previous machine vision system simply couldn’t deliver reliable real-time accuracy,” said Marko Hokkanen, Development Technician at Koskisen.
To overcome these challenges, Koskisen partnered with Raute to pilot an AI-powered veneer analyzer integrated into its upgraded veneer composing line. Unlike conventional rule-based machine vision systems, the AI solution continuously analyzes veneer characteristics in real time, enabling more accurate identification of defects while reducing false detections. The technology enhances production consistency without requiring major changes to existing workflows, allowing operators to continue working within familiar production processes.
The implementation has delivered measurable operational improvements. Real-time defect detection has strengthened quality assurance by ensuring only suitable veneer sheets proceed through the manufacturing process, helping reduce waste and improve material utilization. Improved inspection accuracy has also streamlined production, minimizing manual interventions and supporting more consistent plywood quality across production batches.
Beyond production performance, the modernization has had a positive impact on the workplace. Once regarded as one of the least desirable workstations in the plywood mill, the upgraded veneer composing line has become one of the facility’s highest-performing operations. Enhanced automation, improved system reliability, and more consistent inspection results have increased operator confidence and job satisfaction while reducing the repetitive challenges associated with manual quality assessment.
The project reflects a broader trend across the wood processing industry, where artificial intelligence is becoming an important tool for optimising manufacturing efficiency. AI-based vision systems can adapt to natural material variability far more effectively than traditional inspection technologies, helping manufacturers improve product quality, reduce raw material waste, and make better use of valuable timber resources. As demand for sustainable manufacturing continues to grow, intelligent inspection technologies are expected to play an increasingly important role in maximising yield and supporting responsible resource management.
For Koskisen, the successful implementation demonstrates how targeted investments in digital technologies can modernize long-established production lines while preserving proven manufacturing practices. By combining decades of plywood manufacturing expertise with advanced AI-powered inspection, the company has established a more efficient, reliable, and future-ready production process capable of meeting the high quality standards expected in global markets.
The collaboration also highlights the growing role of artificial intelligence in the forest products sector, where smarter automation is helping manufacturers improve precision, strengthen competitiveness, and build more resilient production operations. As digital transformation accelerates across the industry, innovations such as AI-driven veneer analysis are setting new benchmarks for quality, efficiency, and operational excellence.
Read on: wood veneer, LVL, panel processing, edgebanding, machinery, manufacturing
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