THE LUMBER KILN SIMULATOR




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Save money on over-drying, productivity, energy and quality losses.
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Generate kiln schedules that fit your kiln setup and lumber while specifying the allowed stress.
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Determine at what temperature drop across the load (TDAL) the target moisture content is reached in your kiln. Hence, use the simulator as a moisture measurement tool.
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Study the effect of kiln type, wood species, lumber properties, temperature schedule, air speed, sticker thickness, fan reversals, etc. on final moisture content distribution, internal stresses and productivity. See the example videos.
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The simulator is free for educators and students (course participants). Educators, contact us to get the software keys.
Download a 7-day free trial. Version 1.4.1. Updated 2026-10-13 (new installation method for Windows).
In this version: Now supports display scaling and high resolution screens
Known issues: On Windows it may take about 20 seconds for the app to open on the first run. You may need to ask your system administrator for permission to run the app.
MS Windows:
Check your downloads folder for the msi-file and double click.
Linux:
Check your downloads folder for the deb-file, double click and install.
For other Linux branches:
Check the downloads folder for the flatpak-file, and run the following command in the terminal while in the downloads folder:
flatpak install LumberKilnSimulator.flatpak
Linux flatpak link 1
Linux flatpak link 2
MacOS:
Install VirtualBox (www.virtualbox.org), then install Linux (e.g. Linux Mint) or Windows inside VirtualBox, and then download and install the appropriate package as listed above inside Linux or Windows. The arrows showing air direction in the rendering of progressive kilns may not be visible. Otherwise, the simulator should be fully functional.
When the trial runs out, you will be prompted for a key. Industry customers can contact us to purchase a one year license ($2000 excl. tax per user) and enter the key that you will get in the email. As mentioned, educators and students get a free license.
Contact us if you have any problems or suggestions.
System Requirements for the Lumber Kiln Simulator
Our simulator is a modern, cross-platform application. To ensure a smooth experience, please review the following system requirements for your operating system.
Key Requirement for All Systems
The most important component for the simulator's 3D kiln preview is a graphics card that supports OpenGL 3.3 or higher. Most computers manufactured from 2015 meet this requirement.
For Microsoft Windows
Minimum Requirements:
(Sufficient for running small to medium-sized simulations with a responsive interface.)
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Operating System: Windows 10 or newer (64-bit)
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Processor (CPU): Dual-core processor, 2.0 GHz or higher (e.g., Intel Core i3 / AMD Ryzen 3, 4th generation or newer)
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Memory (RAM): 8 GB
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Graphics Card (GPU): Integrated graphics (Intel HD/UHD Graphics) or a dedicated card with support for OpenGL 3.3.
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Storage: 500 MB of free disk space for installation.
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Screen Resolution: 1280x720
Recommended Requirements:
(For a smooth experience with large, multi-zone simulations and a fluid 3D preview.)
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Operating System: Windows 11 or newer (64-bit)
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Processor (CPU): Quad-core processor, 2.5 GHz or higher (e.g., Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5, 8th generation or newer)
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Memory (RAM): 16 GB or more
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Graphics Card (GPU): Dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with at least 2 GB of VRAM (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 / RTX series, AMD Radeon RX 500 series or newer).
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Storage: 500 MB of free space.
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Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 (Full HD)
For Linux
Minimum Requirements:
(Sufficient for running small to medium-sized simulations with a responsive interface.)
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Operating System: A modern 64-bit Debian Linux distribution (e.g., the latest Linux Mint long term service version)
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Processor (CPU): Dual-core processor, 2.0 GHz or higher (e.g., Intel Core i3 / AMD Ryzen 3, 4th generation or newer)
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Memory (RAM): 8 GB
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Graphics Card (GPU): Graphics card with OpenGL 3.3 support and properly configured drivers.
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Storage: 500 MB of free disk space for installation.
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Screen Resolution: 1280x720
Recommended Requirements:
(For a smooth experience with large, multi-zone simulations and a fluid 3D preview.)
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Operating System: A modern 64-bit Debian Linux distribution with the latest updates (e.g., the latest Linux Mint long term service version).
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Processor (CPU): Quad-core processor, 2.5 GHz or higher (e.g., Intel Core i5 / AMD Ryzen 5, 8th generation or newer)
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Memory (RAM): 16 GB or more
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Graphics Card (GPU): A dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics card with the proprietary drivers installed. (e.g., NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 / RTX series, AMD Radeon RX 500 / 6000 series or newer).
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Storage: 500 MB of free space on a Solid State Drive (SSD).
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Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 (Full HD)
Important Note for Linux Users:
The 3D visualization features of the simulator rely heavily on good graphics acceleration. For users with dedicated NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards, it is highly recommended to install the official proprietary drivers provided by the manufacturer. The default open-source drivers (e.g., Nouveau for NVIDIA) may result in poor performance or visual artifacts in the 3D kiln preview.
