From the Wood Education and Resource Center website:
The Wood Education and Resource Center, located in Princeton, WV is a USDA Forest Service facility with offices, training facilities, and a rough mill. The WERC mission is to facilitate interaction and information exchange with the forest products industry to enhance opportunities for sustained forest products production in the eastern hardwood forest region of the United States.
Dennis Socling, President of PCS VacDry Kilns (http://www.vacdry.com) / Process Control Specialties, Inc. (http://www.pcspecialties.com) will be speaking at the WERC Vacuum Drying Workshop, presenting a seminar on vacuum kiln technology and operation. The workshop will be on Thursday December 4th, from 12:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. The location will be the Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) in Princeton, West Virginia. WERC will have the online option if you can't travel to West Virginia. The workshop is offered for free, regardless of how you attend.
More details:
Why attend?
As secondary wood products try to increase their competitiveness, many are moving towards a leaner manufacturing process. Lumber is normally kiln-dried in large batches and takes a great percentage of the total manufacturing and supplying time. Vacuum drying has the potential to reduce drying times, reduce batch sizes and have product quality comparable or superior than conventional drying, while allowing delivery of the product to the customer on time.
What is the objective of the Workshop?
The goal of this workshop is to provide information about vacuum drying technology for hardwoods, including how the technology can support the concept of leah manufacturing.
Who should attend?
Primary hardwood lumber and secondary manufactures (flooring, furniture).
Lumber drying operators.
Location and Dates
Time: 12:00pm to 5:00 p.m.
Date: December 4th, 2014
Location: Wood Education & Resource Center, 301 Hardwood Lane. Princeton, WV
Important features: The Workshop will include an online teaching and interaction component (Webinar). This will allow both presenters and attendees to participate from a distance if they desire not to travel to West Virginia.