Nowadays, Brookhuis is a global authority in hygrometers and wood strength meters. The company launches measuring systems on the market for measuring damp content from the time when the wood is sawn up to and including the time when a floor is made and is already fitted. They also have measuring systems to detect cracks in the wood even before it becomes an end product.

Have you put your data to work?
We called on Pieter Rozema, Brookhuis’ chief technical officer, to ask mainly how his company sets about measuring damp in wood. The company slogan best summarises his reply: ‘Have you put your data to work?’Basically, this means: ‘Don’t forget to use the information which you collect!’

Pieter Rozema tells us: ‘The best way to start is to outline who we are to help people understand the products better. We supply our measuring equipment all over the world, not only to floor fitters or the wood trade, but also to parquet manufacturers. In the parquet industry you can call us a big player, although most people only know us for our hygrometers for floor fitters and end users, whereas the real work is actually done beforehand.’

Mr Rozema shows us a film clip about the activities of Brookhuis in the wood industry to explain the slogan clearly. You’ve collected a lot of information, and that’s fine, but the key thing is to use that information to draw the right conclusions.

Much broader than just the parquet industry
‘What it boils down to is that information is much more important than the equipment itself. It all revolves around what you do with that equipment,’ he explains. ‘We also offer much more than just hygrometers. An important point in the professional wood trade is that we can also measure the strength of the wood for construction applications and we’ve developed special scanner systems to detect cracks in the wood and to distinguish heart wood from sap wood.’

‘In the parquet trade we’re known mainly for our “hand-held” hygrometers. We operate on the basis of two principles. Either we put the meter simply onto the wood, or we drive an electrode into the wood. And so, it’s a question of whether or not to damage the wood to make a measurement, and each device is more or less suitable in specific circumstances.’

It always has to be correct
Pieter Rozema stresses that all Brookhuis measuring instruments have to comply with the highest possible standards and store a maximum of data. This data serves as the basis for drawing up a report. That is important in matters such a damage claims.

‘We’re quite proud of the fact that our meters never deviate, whatever happens to them or wherever in the world they are used, whatever the weather conditions. Our clients know that whatever they buy from us always works correctly,’ he explains. ‘We give a different sort of reliability to the whole picture. Everything is regulated digitally within, inside an extremely stable instrument.’ Mr Rozema then tells us specifically about the in-line hygrometer. This is designed for parquet manufacturers and measures each separate plank in the production, both solid wood and composite. With this system, you send precisely the correct data to your clients so that they can process the wood into an end product with no problem at all. Literally all the details are correct, something which is vitally important in the parquet industry, which is an important industry for us.’

We also hear that Brookhuis, thanks to a recent development, is now able to measure the damp in whole pallets. Mr Rozema also briefly considers wood strength measurement, although that’s not immediately groundbreaking news for the parquet industry. What’s more interesting as a closing item is how they set about crack detection.

Internal crack detection or ICD
‘With “internal crack detection”, we check to see whether or not there are any crack formations or cavities in the wood. The plank is subdivided into zones of a few millimetres thick so that you see any crack formation at the start of the process. And so, you know immediately if something is suitable for processing before any work is carried out on it and that saves considerable labour costs. The same applies for glueing. By using a continuous measuring system when the top layer is applied to the bearer, you notice immediately if there are any air bubbles, and that helps you to prevent or avoid later problems or compensation claims.’

Everything is tested
‘We also highlight these developments explicitly where we can do so with all our systems. If you use Brookhuis equipment, you must know as a client that we strongly prefer prevention to cure and that we’re already present during the production process. Moreover, all our clients can be absolutely sure that everything which we supply is tested and that we are responsible for any potential extra test, if that is necessary.’