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Earl Kline

Professor; Ph.D. (Texas A&M)
Headshot of Earl Kline
D. Earl Kline
Brooks Forest Products Center (0503)
1650 Research Center Drive
Blacksburg, VA
24061

Earl Kline is a professor of wood products manufacturing systems. For the past 22 years at Virginia Tech, his main priority has been to teach and mentor students for the next generation of wood products business managers and leaders. Subjects taught include computer control applications for forest products manufacturing, lean manufacturing, production operations management, and systems engineering design principles. Dr. Kline is currently faculty advisor of the Wood Enterprise Institute, a student-owned and managed production enterprise that offers a vehicle for "hands-on" learning and experience that only come by leading and managing real day-to-day production business operations. Dr. Kline also has extensive R&D experience resulting in over 70 peer reviewed journal articles in the area of industrial engineering and process control technologies to improve upon wood products manufacturing facilities. Work in this area has involved developing and applying new automation technologies such as machine vision and computer integrated manufacturing to optimize manufacturing systems. Recent work has utilized industrial systems engineering concepts such as lean manufacturing and supply chain management to help link critical production operations more closely to market demand. 

To learn more about Earl, read this article from our series One of Us.

Areas of Expertise

  • Manufacturing Systems Engineering
  • Continuous Improvement Technologies
  • Lean Manufacturing Methods
  • Production Operations Management
  • Computer Applications in Manufacturing
  • Process Automation and Process Control

Education

  • B.S. - Virginia Tech, 1982
  • M.S. - Virginia Tech, 1984
  • Ph.D. - Texas A&M University, 1987

   

 

Mechanical Properties of Wood
SBIO 3314 Spring 2013
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 19

Introduction to Wood Design and Craftsmanship
SBIO 1234 Fall 2013
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl and Urs Buehlmann
Number of Students: 20

Wood Design and Innovation
SBIO 3446 Fall 2013
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl and Urs Buehlmann
Number of Students: 9

Independent Study - Furniture Reproduction
SBIO 4974 Spring 2013
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 1

Wood Design and Innovation II
SBIO 3446 Spring 2013
Instructor: D. Earl Kline and Urs Buehlmann
Number of Students: 18

Intro to Wood, Design, and Craftsmanship

SBIO 1234 Fall 2012
Instructor: D. Earl Kline and Urs Buehlmann
Number of Students: 20

Wood Design and Innovation
SBIO 3445 Fall 2012
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 18

Wood Enterprise Institute

WOOD 3446 Spring 2011
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 8

Wood Enterprise Institute II

WOOD 4984 Spring 2010
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 8

Forest Products Business Systems
WOOD 3464 Spring 2010
Instructor: D. Earl Kline (25%) and Henry Quesada-Pineda
Number of Students: 7

Introduction to Wood Science and Forest Products
WOOD 1234 Fall 2010
Instructor: D. Earl Kline (75%) and Urs Buehlmann
Number of Students: 16

Forest Products Business Systems
WOOD 3464 Spring 2010
Instructor: D. Earl Kline (25%) and Henry Quesada-Pineda
Number of Students: 10

Undergraduate Research: Market research for sustainable & flexible product designs
WOOD 4994 Fall 2010
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 1

Wood Enterprise Institute
WOOD 3445 Fall 2010
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 8

Wood Enterprise Institute I

WOOD 4984 Fall 2009
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 8

Computer Applications in Forest Products

WOOD 4154 Fall 2008
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 7

Wood Enterprise Institute
WOOD 2984 Summer I 2008
Instructor: Earl Kline, David Jones, Brian Bond, Tim Stiess, Gavin Wherry, and Amy Jahnke
Number of Students: 4

Wood Products Operations Management
WOOD 4624 Fall 2008
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 12

Undergraduate Research: Wood Enterprise Institute
WOOD 4994 Spring 2007
Instructor: Earl Kline, Brian Bond, David Jones
Number of Students: 12

Special Study: Wood Enterprise Institute
WOOD 4994 Summer I 2007
Instructor: Earl Kline, Brian Bond, David Jones
Number of Students: 12

Wood Products Operations Management
WOOD 4624 Fall 2007
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 15

Independent Study - Product/Process Design
WOOD 4974 Fall 2007
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 1

Computer Control Systems in Forest Products
WOOD 4154 Fall 2007
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 13

Wood Products Operations Management

WOOD 4624 Fall 2006
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 5

Independent Study: Inventory Management for Wood Products Manufacturing Systems
WOOD 4974 Fall 2006
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 1

Computers in Forest Products
WOOD 4154 Fall 2006
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 12

Special Study: Manufacturing Systems Modeling
WOOD 5984 Spring 2006
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 3

Wood Products Operations Management

WOOD 4624 Fall 2005
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 8

Computers in Forest Products
WOOD 4154 Fall 2005
Instructor: D. Earl Kline
Number of Students: 6

Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources (50% my responsibility, with Dr. H. Burkhart)

WOOD 1114 Fall 2004
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 25

Forest Products Industry Study (50% my responsibility, with Drs. Dolan and Hammett)
WOOD 4514 Fall 2004
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 12

Forest Products Industry Study

WOOD 4514 Fall 2000
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 15

Computer Control Systems in Forest Products
WOOD 4154 Spring 2000
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 8

Special Study, International Forest Products Industry Study (50% my responsibility, with Dr. R. L. Smith)

WOOD 4984 1st Summer 1999
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 7

Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources (50% my responsibility, with Travis Brendon)
WOOD 1114 Fall 1999
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 18

Mechanical Properties of Wood I
WOOD 4315 Fall 1999
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 17

Forest Products Industry Study (50% my responsibility, with Dr. R. L. Smith)
WOOD 4514 Fall 1999
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 28

Computer Control Systems in Forest Products
WOOD 4154 Spring 1999
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 7

Introduction to Renewable Natural Resources (50% my responsibility, with Tim Copeland)

WOOD 1114 Fall 1998
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 16

Computer Control Systems in Forest Products
WOOD 4154 Spring 1998
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 9

Mechanical Properties of Wood I
WOOD 4315 Fall 1998
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 33

Forest Products Industry Study
WOOD 4514 Fall 1998
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 27

Mechanical Properties of Wood I

WOOD 4315 Fall 1997
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 25

Forest Products Industry Study
WOOD 4514 Fall 1997
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 20

Forest Products Industry Study

WOOD 4514 Fall 1996
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 20

Mechanical Properties of Wood I
WOOD 4315 Fall 1996
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 25

Microcomputer Applications in Forest Products

WOOD 4154 Fall 1995
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 14

Mechanical Properties of Wood I
WOOD 4315 Fall 1995
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 22

Microcomputer Applications in Forest Products

WOOD 4154 Fall 1994
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 21

Knowledge-Based Systems in Agriculture (50% my responsibility, with Dr. N. Stone)
ALS 5984 Fall 1994
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 4

Mechanical Properties of Wood I
WOOD 4315 Fall 1994
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 9

Forest Products Industry Study
WOOD 4514 Fall 1994
Instructor: Kline, D. Earl
Number of Students: 14

 

  • Eoghan O'Conner. 2013. Undergraduate. Visiting student exchange scholar from Ireland.
    Professor(s): Earl Kline, Bob Bush, and Patrick Tobin

  • Bisha James V. 2012. Ph.D. Correlation of the Elastic Properties of Stretch Film on Unit Load Containment.
    Professor(s): D. Earl Kline

  • Timothy Stiess. 2010. Ph.D. Information Sharing in the Hardwood Supply Chain.
    Professor(s): D. Earl Kline

  • Garrett Norman. 2008. M.S. Pull Manufacturing System Design for Rough Mill Systems: A Case Study.
    Professor(s): Earl Kline

  • Patrick Rappold. 2006. Ph.D. Activity-based product costing in a hardwood sawmill through the use of discrete-event simulation.
    Professor(s): Kline, D. Earl and Brian Bond

  • Taylor Leonard. 2005. M.S. Time-based Manufacturing System Design for Softwood Lumber Production.
    Professor(s): D. Earl Kline

  • Xiangyu Xiao. 2004. Ph.D. A Multiple Sensors Approach to Wood Defect Detection.
    Professor(s): D. Earl Kline and Richard W. Conners (Co-Chair)

  • Widoyoko, Agus. 1996. M.S. thesis. Evaluation of color-based machine vision for lumber processing in furniture rough mills.
    Professor(s): Kline, D. Earl

  • Hou, Y. Jason. 1993. M.S. thesis. Developing a flexible range sensing system for industrial inspection applications (Co-chair with Dr. Richard W. Conners).
    Professor(s): Kline, D. Earl
  • Lin, Wenjie. 1993. Ph.D. dissertation. Evaluation of a direct processing system for converting No. 3 grade red oak logs into dimension parts.
    Professor(s): Kline, D. Earl

  • Regalado, Carmen de Castro. 1991. M.S. thesis. Optimization of edging and trimming operations for red oak lumber.
    Professor(s): Kline, D. Earl

  • Rider, Chris and D. Earl Kline. 2011. Table Project and Product Innovation Analysis. Undergraduate Research Final Report. Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 8 p.
  • Brashaw, Brian, D. Earl Kline, Brian Bond, and Robert Vatalaro. 2011. Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) for the Wood Products Industry. Final Report, Cooperative Research Grant # 07-DG-11420004-104. Wood Education and Resource Center, USDA Forest Service, Princeton, WV. 161 p.
  • McDonald, Scott, W. Cook, Shawn Crawford, Jon Diamond, Matt Mohr, Will Rand, Jandir Santin, Andrew Bernard, and D. Earl Kline. 2011. Wood Enterprise Institute: 2010-2011 Final Report. Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. (in press).
  • McDonald, Scott, W. Cook, Shawn Crawford, Jon Diamond, Matt Mohr, Will Rand, Jandir Santin, Andrew Bernard, and D. Earl Kline. 2011. Wood Enterprise Institute: 2010-2011 Business Plan. Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 17 p.

  • Kline, D. Earl and Steve Hunter. 2010. Advanced Lean Production and Certification for the Wood Products Manufacturing Industries. Final Report, Cooperative Research Grant # 06-DG-11244225-302. Wood Education and Resource Center, USDA Forest Service, Princeton, WV. 9 p.
  • Rider, Chris, Anthony Muscatello, Kevin Roberts, Nick D'Amico, Tyler Schloen, Dabney Beahm, Yoocheol Seok, and D. Earl Kline. 2010. Wood Enterprise Institute: 2009-2010 Final Report. Annual Business Report. Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. 15 p.

  • Buehlmann, Urs and Earl Kline. 2009. Lean thinking workshop series concluded. Inside VTWood 4(17):2-3.
  • Buehlmann, Urs and Earl Kline. 2009. Lean thinking workshop in Harrisonburg, VA. Inside VTWood 4(11):4.

  • Brinberg, David, Earl Kline, Delton Alderman, Philip Araman, Ed Cesa, Steve Milauskas, Tom Walthousen, Jan Wiedenbeck. 2008. Exploring research priorities for the North American hardwood industry. Feature Article, Forest Products Journal 58(3):6-15.
  • Earl Kline. 2008. Students Run a Business in an Academic Setting. CNR Newsletter, Fall 2008.

  • Kline, D. Earl. 2006. Demand Driven Supply Chains for Successful Market Competitiveness. 2006 Annual Magazine, Tennessee Forestry Association. P. 15.

  • D. Earl Klne. 2005. Sloan Foundation Forest Industries Center at Virginia Tech. Center Focus, Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management, Virginia Tech.
  • Taylor Leonard. 2005. Time-based Manufacturing System Design for Softwood Lumber Production. Masters Thesis. Major Professor: Kline, D. Earl.

  • Kline, D. E. 2004. Machine vision systems to grade and process hardwood lumber", Report of the Forest Service, Fiscal Year 1992, USDA Forest Service, Washington, DC, February 1993. p 78.
  • Cumbo, Dan, Earl Kline, and Bob Smith. 2004. Interview with a Continuous Improvement Engineer: Background Work To Do and Pitfalls To Avoid For A Successful Lean Transformation. Research Update, Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. March. 2 pgs.

  • Cumbo, Dan, Earl Kline, and Robert Smith. 2003. An Introduction To Lean Manufacturing With Emphasis On The Wood Products Industry.  Report to the Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management membership. 2 pgs.
  • Kline, D.E., D. W. Cumbo, and R. Lovorn. 2003. VFPA 2003 Summer Confernce - Lean Manufacturing: Doing More With Less. Virginia Forest Products Association Newsletter. July-August.
  • Kline, D. E. . 2003. Life Cycle Performance of Wood Building Materials- Southeastern Oriented Strandboard Prodution. Final Report Submitted to Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials ( CORRIM, Inc.) Seattle, WA. December .

  • Kline, D. Earl. 2002. Research Assignment Leave Final Report. Office of the University Provost, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  • Kline, D.E., A. L. Hammett, N. Hosterman, and P. A. Araman . 2002. Life Cycles Analysis: Potential for Hardwood Floorings From Recycled From Pallet Material . Forest Products Society 53rd Annual Meeting. Boise, ID. June.
  • Kline, D. E. 2002. Oriented Strandboard - Southeast. Phase II Interim Report. ubmitted to Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM, Inc.), Seattle, Washington. 2. Cumbo, D. and D. E. Kline. 2002. Measuring value chain performance with emphasis on the forest products industry. Center for Forest Products .
  • Kline, Earl. 2002. Visiting International Scientist Report. SWST Newsletter, January-February Issue.
  • Kline, D. E. 2002. Oriented Strandboard - Southeast. Appendix E. In: Life Cycle Environmental Performance of Renewable Building Materials in the Context of Residential Building Construction. Phase I Interim Research Report on the Research Plan to Develop Environmental-Performance Measures for Renewable Building Materials with Alternatives for Improved Performance. Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM, Inc), Seatt.
  • Kline, D. E. 2002. Oriented Strandboard - Southeast. Phase II Interim Report. Submitted to Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM, Inc.), Seattle, Washington.
  • Cumbo, D. and D. E. Kline. 2002. Measuring Value Chain Performance With Emphasis On The Forest Products Industry. Report to Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management membership. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. 27 pgs.

  • Cumbo, Dan W., Scott A. Bowe, Robert L. Smith, and D. Earl Kline. 2001. Scanning and optimization technology in the hardwood industry. Report to the Center for Forest Products Marketing and Management. 18 pp.
  • Kline, D. Earl. 2001. Evaluation of Multi-sensor Machine Vision Systems for Automated Lumber Grading. Final Report, Cooperative Research Agreement No. SRS 33-CA-99-732, submitted to the Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Blacksburg, Virginia.

  • Bowe, S., R. Smith, P. Araman, and D.E. Kline. 2000. Use of Advanced Hardwood Sawmill Equipment and Desired Features for Next Generation Systems. Final Report. Center for Forest Products Marketing and Mangement. 9 pgs .

  • Kline, D. E. and R. W. Conners. 1999. Characterization of Wood Features Using Multi-Sensor Information. Final Report, USDA-NRICGP Grant #97-35103-5145, Submitted to the USDA CSREES, Washington, D. C.
  • Kline, D. E. 1999. Performance evaluation of the CAPH Center's multi-sensor lumber inspection system. Final Cooperative Research Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.

  • Kline, D. E. 1998. Performance data for the wood furniture industry. Final Cooperative Research Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Princeton, West Virginia.

  • Kline, D. E. 1997. The information superhighway: its role in our scientific community. Wood and Fiber Science 29(1):1.

  • Kamke, F.A.; E. Kultikova and C.E. Lenth. 1996. Influence of resin distribution on OSB properties. report to Structural Board Association, Willowdale, Ontario. 73 pp.

  • Kline, D. E. 1994. utomatic edging and trimming of hardwood lumber - Phase III. Cooperative Research Final Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  • Lin, T. and D. E. Kline. 1994. Computer simulation of a wood furniture job shop. Final Visiting Scientist Research Report, Department of Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  • Sarin, S., and D. E. Kline. 1994. Development of an integrated production control system for furniture manufacturing: Phase I. Final Cooperative Research Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Princeton, West Virginia.

  • Kline, D. E. 1993. Automatic edging and trimming of hardwood lumber - Phase II. Cooperative Research Final Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.

  • Kline, D. E. 1992. Automatic edging and trimming of hardwood lumber. Cooperative Research Final Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  • Kline, D. E. 1992. Optimizing processing systems which convert hardwood logs to rough dimension stock - Phase II. Cooperative Research Final Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.

  • Kline, D. E.. 1990. Optimizing processing systems which convert hardwood logs to rough dimension stock. - Phase I. Cooperative Research Final Report submitted to the USDA Forest Service, Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, Blacksburg, Virginia.

  • Kline, D. E., J. F. Reid, and F. E. Woeste. 1982. Computer simulation of hourly dry-bulb temperatures. Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin No. 82-5, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia.

Support for the Wood Enterprise Institute
Whitehurst Family Entrepreneurial Scholarship. 
Funding Source: Brooks Whitehurst Family donation.
$8,000
2015-2016

Support for the Wood Enterprise Institute
Investigator(s): D. Earl Kline
Sponsor: Various
Amount: $45,524
July 1, 2012 - June 31, 2013

Use of Southern Yellow Pine as an alternative Material for the Manufacture of Cross-Laminated Timber Panels for Commercial Construction
Investigator(s): Daniel Hindman, Earl Kline
Sponsor: Southern Virginia Higher Education Center
Amount: $342188
October 1, 2012 - April 30, 2014

Development of Low-Grade Hardwood Cross-Laminated Timbers
Investigator(s): Hindman, D., Loferski, J., Kline, E., Bond, B., and Quesada-Pineda, H.J
Sponsor: Forest Products Research Program at USDA
Amount: $300,316
October 1, 2012 - September 30, 2015

Support for the Wood Enterprise Institute 
Funding Source:  Various sponsors and donors. 
$187,527
2010-2016

2010 VCE Workshops
Investigator(s): Urs Buehlmann, Daniel Hindman, D. Earl Kline, and Philip Araman
Sponsor: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Amount: $1,500
March 24, 2010 - August 5, 2010

Globally competitive U. S. hardwood industry enterprises
Investigator(s): U. Buehlmann, D. E. Kline, D. Saloni, J. O'Dea, S. Walls, K. Wampler, J. Schultz, D. King, J. Womack, J. O'Donnell, R. Aernoudts, and Dan Jones
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service, WERC
Amount: $159,310 with $79,655 from WERC
August 1, 2010 - July 31, 2011

Computer Numerical Control Technology for the Innovation and Design Laboratory

Funding Source: Virginia Tech Equipment Trust Fund
$172,000
2011

Online course and workshop development funds

Investigator(s): Quesada Pineda, H.J. and Kline, D.E
Sponsor: USDA/WERC
Amount: $5,196
January 1, 2010 - December 31, 2010

Support for the Wood Enterprise Institute
Investigator(s): Kline, D. Earl
Sponsor: Various
Amount: $15,000
July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2011

Reduce Energy Consumption Through Lean Thinking
Investigator(s): Quesada-Pineda, H.J., U Buehlmann, B. Bond, and D. E. Kline
Sponsor: Wood Education Research Center (WERC) at the USDA Forest Service
Amount: $158,512 with $79,256 from WERC/USDA
July 1, 2010 - June 30, 2012

Space Renovation for the Innovation and Design Laboratory

Funding Source: Provost Office, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Virginia Tech. 
$92,000
2010

Workshop for remaining competitive in hardwood components production
Investigator(s): Urs Buehlmann, Brian Bond, Thomas Walthousen, Steve Lawser, Earl Kline, Steve Ehle, Jan Wiedenbeck, and Ed Thomas
Sponsor: National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA)
Amount: $5,000
January 1, 2009 - December 31, 2009

Dust Collection System for the Brooks Forest Products Center
Sponsor: Virginia Tech Equipment Trust Fund. 
$71,000
2009

2009 VCE Workshops
Investigator(s): Buehlmann, Urs, D. Earl Kline, and Phil Araman
Sponsor: Virginia Cooperative Extension
Amount: $1,776
March 24, 2009 - May 14, 2009

Online Distance Learning Course Development
Investigator(s): Quesada-Pineda, H., Kline, D.E., Bond, B. and Buehlmann, U
Sponsor: Provost Online Course Development Fund at Virginia Tech
Amount: $13,368
March 9, 2009 - June 30, 2010

Small and medium sized enterprises (SME): The future of the U.S. hardwood lumber industry

Investigator(s): Urs Buehlmann, Tod Riggio, Earl Kline, Shawn Grushecky, Scott Bowe, Daniel Saloni, Adam Taylor, Matthew Bumgardner, and Al Schuler
Sponsor: Wood Education Resource Center (WERC); USDA Forest Service
Amount: $197,572 with $98,786 from WERC
August 15, 2008 - August 14, 2010

In kind contribution: Donation of Cherry Lumber for the WEI program
Investigator(s): Quesada-Pineda, H. and Kline, D.E
Sponsor: Frank Miller Lumber Company
Amount: $4,500
November 1, 2008 - December 1, 2009

Total Productive Maintenance for the Wood Products Industry
Investigator(s): Earl Kline and Brian Brashaw
Sponsor: Wood Education Resource Center, USDA Forest Service
Amount: $84,500 (VT Share: $42,250)
July 1, 2007 - June 30, 2009

Experiential Business Learning Environment through the Wood Enterprise Institute
Investigator(s): Earl Kline
Sponsor: Virginia Tech, Provost Office Summer Session Grant Program
Amount: $5000
January 1, 2008 - January 31, 2008

Advanced Lean Production and Certification for the Wood Products Manufacturing Industries
Investigator(s): Earl Kline and Steve Hunter
Sponsor: Wood Education Resource Center, USDA Forest Service
Amount: $25,000 (VT share: $12,500)
January 1, 2006 - January 30, 2008

A Simulation Decision Support System for Rapid Comparison of Lean vs. Batch Furniture Manufacturing

Investigator(s): D. Earl Kline
Sponsor: Mississippi State University/Wood Education Resource Center
Amount: $25,100
September 9, 2005 - February 28, 2007

Woods to Goods: Creating a web-based community to promote sustainable and competitive forest to consumer value streams
Investigator(s): Brian Bond, Dan Cumbo, Earl Kline, Jim Johnson, Eileen Van Aken
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service, Wood Education and Resource Center
Amount: $179,378

Meeting the needs of the Wood Education and Resource Center (WERC) Constituents
Investigator(s): DavidBrinberg, Earl Kline, Kent Nakamoto, Dan Cumbo
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service, Wood Education and Resource Center
Amount: $157,500
July 1, 2005 - June 30, 2007

Development of a Lean Manufacturing Based Management Tool for the Secondary Hardwood Manufacturing Industry

Investigator(s): D. Earl Kline and Dan Cumbo
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station
Amount: $8000
7/1/04 - 12/31/05

Lean Rough Mill Management

Investigator(s): Dan Cumbo, D. Earl Kline, Robert L. Smith
Sponsor:
Amount: $15,145
8/03 - 7/04

Machine Vision Project for Cabinet Manufacturing"

Investigators:  R. W. Conners and D. E. Kline.  
Sponsor:  Aristokraft, Inc.   
Amount:  $317,709.
1993-1997

Development of a Computer Vision Technology for the Forest Products Manufacturing Industry. 

Investigators:  D. E. Kline and R. W. Conners. 
Sponsor:  Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology. 
Amount: $74,000.

1991-1993

 

  • Brenes-Angulo, O., Bond, B., Kline, E., and Quesada-Pineda, H.. 2015. The impact of vacuum-drying on efficiency of hardwood products manufacturing. BioReources 10(3):4588-4598.
  • Lyon, S., Quesada-Pineda, H.J., Smith, R., and Kline, D.E. 2013. Identifying Market Opportunities for Appalachian Forest Products Companies in Central America. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry. 37(4): 202-207.
  • Wang, Chao, Henry Quesada, D. Earl Kline, and Urs Buehlmann. 2011. Using value stream mapping to analyze an upholstery furniture engineering process. Forest Products Journal 61(5):411-421.
  • Wang, C., Quesada-Pineda, H.J., Kline, D.E., and Buehlmann, U. 2011. Using Value Stream Mapping to Analyze an Upholstery Furniture Engineering Process. Forest Products Journal. 61(5): 411-421.
  • Omar Espinoza, Brian H. Bond, Earl Kline. 2011. Supply Chain Measures of Performance for Wood Products Manufacturing. Forest Products Journal 60(7/8):,700-708.
  • Espinoza, Omar, Brian H. Bond, Earl Kline. 2011. Supply Chain Measures of Performance for Wood Products Manufacturing. Forest Products Journal May, In-Press.
  • Espinoza, Omar, Brian Bond, and Earl Kilne. 2010. Quality Measurement in the Wood Products Suppy Chain. Forest Products Journal 60(3):,249-257.
  • Rappold, P, D. E. Kline, B. H. Bond, and J. Wiedenbeck. 2009. Reciprocal estimation of the raw material cost of producing hardwood lumber using the principles of activity-based costing. Forest Products Journal 59(7/8):84,90.
  • Buehlmann, Urs, D. Earl Kline, and Janice K. Wiedenbeck. 2009. A regression-based method for estimating rip-first rough-mill lumber yield. Forest Products Journal 59(11/12):48-55.
  • Buehlmann, Urs, D. Earl Kline, Janice K. Wiedenbeck, and Robert Noble, Jr. 2008. Validation of the Standardized and Simplified Cutting Bill. Wood and Fiber Science 40(2):202-213.
  • Buehlmann, Urs, D. Earl Kline, Janice K. Wiedenbeck, and Robert Noble, Jr. 2008. The influence of cutting bill requirements on lumber yield using a fractional factorial design - Part II: Correlation and number of part sizes. Wood and Fiber Science 40(4):610-619.
  • Buehlmann, Urs, D. Earl Kline, Janice K. Wiedenbeck, and Robert Noble, Jr. 2008. The influence of cutting bill requirements on lumber yield using a fractional factorial design - Part I: Linearity and least squares. Wood and Fiber Science 40(4):599-609.
  • Buehlmann, U., J. K. Wiedenbeck, R Noble, and D. E. Kline. 2008. Creating a Standardized and Simplified Cutting Bill Using Group Technology. Wood and Fiber Science 40(1):29-41.
  • Bond, Brian H., D. Earl Kline, and Philip A. Araman. 2007. Differentiating defects in red oak lumber using color, shape and density. Wood and Fiber Science 34(4):516-528.
  • Kline, D. Earl. 2006. Gate-to-gate life-cycle inventory of oriented strandboard production. Wood and Fiber Science 37(CORRIM Reports):74-84.
  • Cumbo, D., D. Earl Kline, and Matthew S.Bumgardner;2006.;Benchmarking Performance Measurement and Lean Manufacturing in the Rough Mill. Forest Products Journal 56(6):25-30.
  • Buehlmann, Urs, Janice K. Wiedenbeck, and D. Earl Kline. 2003. Effect of Cutting Bill Requirements on Lumber Yield in a Rip-First Rough Mill. Wood and Fiber Science 35(2):187-200.
  • Kline, D. E., C. Surak, and P. A. Araman. 2003. Automated hardwood lumber grading utilizing a multiple sensor machine vision technology. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 41(1-3):139-155.
  • Abbott, A. L. and D. E. Kline. 2003. Imaging and Analysis of Logs and Lumber. Computer and Electronics in Agriculture 41(1-3):1-6.
  • Sepulveda, P., D.E.Kline, and J.Oja; 2003. Prediction of Fiber Orientation in Norway Spruce Logs Using an X-Ray Log Scanner: A Preliminary Study. Wood and Fiber Science 35(3):409-428.
  • Bowe, S. A., R.L. Smith, D. E. Kline, and P. A. Araman. 2002. A Segmental Analysis of Current and Future Scanning and Optimizing Technology in the Hardwood Sawmill Industry. Forest Products Journal 52(3):68-76.
  • Cumbo*, Dan W., Robert L. Smith, D. Earl Kline.;2001. Characterizing adopters of automated lumber grading systems. Forest Products Journal 51(7/8):37-43.
  • Nystram, J., and D. E. Kline.;2000.Automatic classification of compression wood in green southern yellow pine. Wood and Fiber Science 32(3):301-310 .
  • Buehlmann, U., J. K. Wiedenbeck, and D. E. Kline.;1998.Character-marked furniture: potential for lumber yield increase in rip-first rough mills. Forest Products Journal 48(4):43-50 .
  • Kline, D. Earl, A. Widoyoko, Janice K. Wiedenbeck, and Philip A. Araman. 1998. Performance of color camera machine vision in automated furniture rough mill systems. Forest Products Journal 48(3):38-45.
  • Conners, R. W., D. E. Kline, P. A. Araman, and T. H. Drayer. 1997. Machine Vision Technology in the Forest Products Industry: A Multiple Sensor Approach. IEEE Computer 30(7):38-45 .
  • Lin, W., D. E. Kline, P. A. Araman, and J. K. Wiedenbeck. 1995. Design and evaluation of log-to-dimension manufacturing systems using system simulation. Forest Products Journal 45(3):37-44 .
  • Lin, W., D. E. Kline, P. A. Araman, and J. K. Wiedenbeck. 1995. Producing hardwood dimension parts directly from logs: an economic feasibility study. Forest Products Journal 45(6):38-46 .
  • Lin, W., D. E. Kline, and P. Araman. 1994. Dimension yields from Factory Grade 2 and 3 red oak logs. Forest Products Journal 44(9):19-25 .
  • Wiedenbeck, J. K. and D. E. Kline. 1993. System simulation modeling: a case study of the model development life cycle. Wood and Fiber Science 26(2):192-204 .
  • Kline, D. E., C. Regalado, E. M. Wengert, F. M. Lamb, and P. A. Araman. 1993. Effect of hardwood sawmill edging and trimming practices on furniture part production. Forest Products Journal 43(3):22-26 .
  • Regalado, C., D. E. Kline, and P. A. Araman. 1992. Value of defect information in automated hardwood edger and trimmer systems. Forest Products Journal 42(3):29-34 .
  • Regalado, C., D. E. Kline, and P. A. Araman. 1992. Optimal edging and trimming of hardwood lumber. Forest Products Journal 42(2):8-14 .
  • Araman, P. A., D. L. Schmoldt, T. H. Cho, D. Zhu, R. W. Conners, and D. E. Kline.;1992;Machine vision systems for processing hardwood lumber and logs. AI Applications 6(2):13-26.
  • Wirt, D. L., F. E. Woeste, D. E. Kline, T. E. McLain. 1992.;Design procedures for post frame end walls. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 8(1):97-105 .
  • Taylor, S. E., D. A. Bender, D. E. Kline, and K. S. Kline. 1992;Comparison of approaches for modeling the effect of length on lumber tensile strength. Forest Products Journal 42(2):23-30.
  • Kline, D. E., J. K. Wiedenbeck, and P. A. Araman. 1992.;Management of wood products manufacturing using simulation/animation. Forest Products Journal 42(2):45-52 .
  • Kline, D. E. and D. A. Bender. 1990. Maximum likelihood estimation for shifted Weibull and lognormal distributions. Transactions of the ASAE 33(1):330-335.
  • Bender, D. A., D. E. Kline, and B. A. McCarl. 1990.;Postoptimal linear programming analysis for farm machinery. Transactions of the ASAE 33(1):15-20.
  • McCarl, B. A., D. E. Kline, and D. A. Bender. 1990;Improving on shadow price information for identifying critical farm machinery. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 71(8):582-588.
  • Kline, D. E., D. A. Bender, and B. A. McCarl. 1989.;FINDS: Farm-Level Intelligent Decision Support System. Applied Engineering in Agriculture 5(2):273-282.
  • Kline, D. E., D. A. Bender, B. A. McCarl, C. E. Van Donge.;1988. Machinery selection using expert systems and linear programming. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 3(1):45-61.
  • Kline, D. E., D. A. Bender, and J. L. Nieber. 1987.,Modified regression approach for modeling probability distributions. Transactions of the ASAE 30(3):697-702.
  • Kline, D. E., D. A. Bender, W. A. LePori, and J. K. Schueller;1986. Evaluation of automated cable-drawn tillage systems using simulation. Transactions of the ASAE 29(6):1549-1553.
  • Kline, D. E., F. E. Woeste, and B. A. Bendtsen. 1985;Stochastic Model for Modulus of Elasticity of Lumber. Wood and Fiber Science 18(2):228-238.
  • Kline, D. E., F. E. Woeste, V. O. Shanholtz, and J. F. Reid.;1985. Co-generation of hourly dry-bulb and wet-bulb temperatures. Transactions of the ASAE 28(3):875-880.

 

 

  • Quesada-Pineda, H.J. and Kline, D.E. 2010. Business Process Management (BPM) Leads to Increased Customer Service and Profitability Levels. Hardwood Market Report (Executive). 3(4):.
  • Bond, Brian and Earl Kline. 2009. Preventative Maintenance Efforts Start with Overall Equipment Effectiveness. Pallet Enterprise April, pp. 56-59.
  • Bond, Brian and Earl Kline. 2008. Preventative Maintenance Programs Increase Productivity and Reduce Costs. TimberLine 14(10):39.
  • Bond, Brian and Earl Kline. 2008. Preventative Maintenance Programs Increase Productivity and Reduct Costs. Pallet Enterprice October, pp. 36-37.
  • Kline, D. Earl. 2008. Forest Industry Sustainability begins with the Customer. HMR Executive 2(11):1-2,4.
  • Winistorfer, P. M., C. Becker III, D.E. Kline. 2005. Will Virginia's Forest Industry Survive Global Competition? Virginia Forests, Virginia Forestry Association. VOL. LXI (3):10-14.
  • Cumbo, Dan and D. Earl Kline. 2005. Taking Stock of the Lean Rough Mill. Wood and Wood Products. January, 2005.
  • Cumbo, Dan and D. Earl Kline. 2004. Opportunities Provided by Lean Manufacturing. Pallet Central (2):13-15.