Edson Forest Products
For my first co-op term I worked with Edson Forest Products, a division of West Fraser Timber. Edson Forest Products is a single line mill that produces SPF lumber in varying dimensions. In the sawmill I was trained to calibrate the various cutting tools and sensors that create the rough sawn boards. This required me to use cutting edge software and scanning systems, as well as the old-fashioned method of pulling boards off the line to measure them with measuring tape and calipers. In the planer mill I worked on calibrating our new system for automatically grading lumber. This was accomplished by cross checking automatically graded boards with the National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) rule book. Quality control has really helped me understand the big picture process as I learned not only what processes are involved in making the product, but the economics behind the company’s decisions that dictate what the mill makes. The knowledge and skillset that I have acquired in this short time will help me with my major study looking at the profitability of different sizes of logs. I am grateful for the learning opportunity and I appreciate the relevance of this co-op term to my future career path.
