Furniture Company in Brazil transformed its radiata pine drying process by purchasing our high-speed softwood drying kilns. This innovative fast drying technology cuts the drying time to just 1/5 of the original. It significantly reduced wood drying defects and helped secure an order for 800,000 dining chairs. Here’s how it happened.

Company Overview

Established in 2007, the Brazilian furniture manufacturer specializes in solid wood dining tables, chairs, and customized bedroom furniture components. The company operates 3 modern panel furniture lines and 2 solid wood processing lines. It has an annual capacity of 25,000 furniture sets. To maintain high-quality standards, the company has strict requirements for the stability and processability of radiata pine (its main raw material).

Challenges of Traditional Lumber Drying Methods

Previously, drying radiata pine logs took 45 to 60 days. Traditional drying kilns, operating at temperatures below 100°C, couldn’t meet the company’s production demands. Fluctuations in wood moisture content led to a 12% deformation rate in the wood panels, causing annual losses of over $2 million. These outdated methods didn’t meet North American quality standards, and the snail – paced drying held back production.

The Innovation of High Temperature Fast Drying Kilns for Softwood

To solve these problems, we designed high-temperature drying kilns specifically for plantation softwoods like radiata pine. Unlike traditional kilns, these new kilns can reach temperatures up to 120°C, offering major advantages:

Fast Drying

Small – sized radiata pine can be dried within hours, 3 to 5 times faster than traditional drying ovens. This greatly boosts production efficiency.

Improved Wood Quality

High temperatures soften wood components, especially lignin, which binds wood fibers. This kiln features a high-efficiency reversible fan system that continuously alternates airflow direction to eliminate stagnation, ensuring uniform moisture distribution across lumber stacks.?This helps prevent common drying issues like twisting and warping, ensuring the wood stays structurally sound and dimensionally stable.

Customized Kiln Drying System

• 6 X 50m^3 kilns (300 cubic meters in total)
• 100 -120 °C Drying specially desgined for softwood
• PLC intelligent control system with 12 sets of high precision temperature and humidity sensors (accuracy: ±0.5°C/±2% RH).
• Multi-stage drying process, precisely controlled the moisture content of radiata pine, kept between 10% and 12%
• The drying cycle is reduced to 7 – 15 days.

Annual Drying Capacity Increased by 70%

The new drying kilns brought outstanding results.

• Defect Reduction: Internal cracks plummeted from 9% to 1.2%, and panel deformation dropped to 3.2%.
• Energy & Capacity: A 60% cut in energy use and a 70% boost in annual drying capacity (to 75,000m3).
• Business Growth: In 2024, the company’s exports surged 35%, fueled by a landmark 800,000 chair order from the US.

Radiata pine is a cornerstone of forestry in South America, Australia and New Zealand. Tech drying solution addresses common pain points faced by drying softwoods.