2016 Marcus Wallenberg Prize to Federico Giudiceandrea

10 2016

CT scanner for whole tree logs receives scientific award

CT scanning of whole tree logs to identify knots, cracks and rot can increase the value of the sawn products by at least 10 percent.
 The 2016 Marcus Wallenberg Prize is awarded to Prof. Alexander Katsevich and Dott. Ing. Federico Giudiceandrea for the development of this technology.

– The introduction of this new technology marks the beginning of a new era for the sawmill industry. The groundbreaking research and innovative implementation have opened new horizons, facilitating further optimization of the sawing process, says Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of the board of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize.

MWP 2016 Award – Full motivation

The log scanner has an outstanding capacity. It has a band speed of up to 180 meters per minute, to keep pace with modern sawing lines. 
In modern sawmills where 3D scanning of the log is used, an approximate of 10 to 15 percent increase in value of the output can be derived. A potential increase of 20 to 25 percent is possible if all the advantages of having access to the internal features of the timber are realized. An investment in this kind of equipment is likely to have a payback time of not much more than a year for an average-sized sawmill.

The CT Log has been installed at Danzer, North America, Arauco, Chile, Siat et Braun, France, Idaho Forest Group, North America and HIT, Germany.

A great honor

Laureate Ing. Federico Giudiceandrea with Queen Silvia of Sweden at the award ceremony in Stockholm.

His Majesties with the Giudiceandrea Family

Claudio Nizzoli, Arianna Giudiceandrea Nizzoli, Stefania Marazzani, H.M.Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden, Federico Giudiceandrea, Alessandra Giudiceandrea and Marco Di Bello

Acceptance speech

Federico Giudiceandrea giving the Marcus Wallenberg Prize acceptance speech.

In modern sawmills where the CT Log is used, an average value increase of eight percent has been experienced. An investment in this kind of equipment is likely to have a payback time of less than a year for an average-sized sawmill.

Marcus Wallenberg Prize Reception

About 500 invited guests, most of them involved in forestry, sawmilling and further wood processing participated at the reception.  

The Laureates

Federico Giudiceandrea implemented Katsevich’s theoretical knowledge with the CT Log scanner that has been installed worldwide. Wood industries in Chile, the US, Germany and France have invested in CT scanners to make the most of their wood resources.

Beautiful ceremony

“The introduction of this new technology marks the beginning of a new era for the sawmill industry.”, says Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of the board of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize.

Katsevich and Giudiceandrea - problem solved

Both Marcus Wallenberg Prize winners discussing the CT Log algorithm.

Prof. Alexander Katsevich

Graduated in applied mathematics at Moscow Institute of Oil and Gas and got his Ph.D. in mathematics at Kansas State University. He is a full professor at the Mathematics Department of the University of Central Florida and co-founded and is CTO of iTomography Corporation.

CT Log introduction at Ligna 2011

Federico Giudiceandrea and the CT Log rotating gantry.

The Marcus Wallenberg Prize

The purpose of the Marcus Wallenberg Prize is to recognize, encourage and stimulate path breaking scientific achievements, which contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within important fields to forestry and forest industries.