If you own or operate a sawmill, you know how important it is to have a reliable and efficient operation. In order to achieve this, you need to have the right tools and equipment. One piece of equipment that can be extremely helpful is a video monitoring system. 

Video systems are a safe, effective way to monitor sawmill operations. However, when choosing a camera for sawmills, you should consider the environment where the machine operates. Sawmills have dust, humidity, temperature fluctuations, a lot of vibration, and loud noise levels, all of which can affect the performance of the camera.

There are a few different things that you need to take into consideration when choosing a video camera system for your sawmill. The main thing you need to think about is what the camera needs to be able to withstand inside a mill.

Cameras That Can Handle Vibration

A sawmill is an environment that is characterized by high levels of vibration. This can make it difficult to get clear images, and even more difficult to find a camera that lasts. However, there are sawmill cameras available that are specifically designed to handle these conditions.

We help sawmills handle vibration a few different ways:

• High-quality components in our industrial cameras (e.g., CC02, CC02-TVI, CC03 Explosion Proof Camera, and more)
• Durable camera housing that ensures long camera life by protecting the imaging components from vibration
• Special camera mounts that stabilize and protect the camera, no matter where it’s placed in the mill
• A satisfaction guarantee and equipment warranty

Without vibration protection, the quality of your images will suffer and you’ll be replacing cameras more often than necessary. Opticom cameras and mounts are proven to last in sawmills—even directly on a log debarker. We have customers who were previously replacing their cameras every few weeks. Now, they just have to replace the mounting bracket…well, they’ve only had to replace it once in eight years.

Protecting Cameras from Dust

A cheap, consumer camera will bug out the second a piece of dust gets into it. An industrial sawmill camera is designed with dust protection in mind, as well as protection from larger bark and wood particles.

The lens is sealed so no dirt or moisture can get inside. The surrounding housing is made of virtually indestructible titanium alloy, so a little dust won’t hurt it (the CC02 has even survived getting hit by a log and being run over by a truck). The housing is specially sealed to IP-68 rating (certified to withstand dust, dirt and sand) according to NEMA.

Dustproof housings also provide better image clarity because there’s less chance of interference from dust. And if you’re worried about dust affecting the camera, we offer optional dust covers for both the camera and its mount.

Still Recording in Extreme Temperatures

Sawmill environments are hot, cold, humid, dry, dusty, wet, and everything else in between. A good camera must be able to survive all of these. Opticom cameras operate reliably in both high and low temperatures without the need for a heater or fan. You can focus on controlling temperature on your processing equipment without having to worry about your cameras. 

Opticom Sawmill Cameras

Opticom’s cameras have survived the harshest sawmill and industrial environments. They’re specifically designed to help sawmills monitor operations to improve safety and efficiency. Our industrial line offers the durability and reliability you need to stay up and running. 

Choosing the right video camera system for your sawmill doesn’t have to be complicated. Just start by thinking about what type of camera system you need and what features are important to you. For robust, industrial, sawmill-tested cameras, contact us.