Poplar Mechanics

Knot Easy, As Scanners Boost Timber Industry

CT scanners employed to peer inside humans are now being trained by scientists on hardwood trees to detect knots, cracks and other imperfections in a bid to help lumber mills make the best possible cuts of valuable logs. Five tree species - hard maple, black cherry, yellow poplar, white oak and red oak - are being run through the scanner. With the US hardwood lumber industry facing growing foreign competition, enlisting the technology is vital. Using black and white images, the CT scans show slices of the log that reveal knots, cracks, insect damage, areas of decay, growth rings, grain patterns and other features.