UDC 004.932
UDC 330.131.7
In the context of low profitability of the Russian forest industry sector (less than 10%), the implementation of Industry 4.0 technologies for optimizing production processes becomes critical. The aim of the study is to assess the economic feasibility of implementing automatic optical lumber sorting systems, taking into account Russian market realities. The paper applies a comparative economic modeling method, taking into account direct losses from defects, productivity growth, and product value maximization. Technical implementation is based on IIoT architecture using machine vision and edge analytics. Results showed that the total annual benefit (NAB) for an enterprise with a volume of 10,000 m³ can reach 156.4 million RUB due to the synergy of defect reduction, labor cost savings, and improved classification. Payback critically depends on capital expenditures (CAPEX), ranging from 10 to 50 million RUB. It is concluded that there is high potential efficiency provided accurate integration with existing ERP systems and consideration of equipment cost limitations under import substitution conditions.
Optical sorting, economic efficiency, automation of wood processing, lumber, payback period, import substitution
1. Woodworking Machinery Market Size, Share & 2030 Growth Trends. Mordor Intelligence. – URL: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/woodworking-machinery-market (data obrascheniya: 14.03.2026).
2. Annual Report 2024. Stora Enso. – URL: https://www.storaenso.com/-/media/documents/download-center/documents/annual-reports/2024/storaenso_annual_report_2024.pdf (data obrascheniya: 14.03.2026).
3. Forest Products Annual Market Review 2023–2024. UNECE. – URL: https://unece.org/sites/default/files/2024-11/2413966E_FPAMR24_WEB.pdf (data obrascheniya: 14.03.2026).
4. Scalable AI-driven automation for visual lumber grading. ScienceDirect. – URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0959652625023431 (data obrascheniya: 14.03.2026).
5. Sensor-Based Ore Sorting Technology in Mining. MDPI. – URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/9/9/523 (data obrascheniya: 14.03.2026).
6. Digital Transformation of the Wood Industry. ResearchGate. – URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/390558789_Digital_Transformation_of_the_Wood_Industry (data obrascheniya: 14.03.2026).
