RICHMIOND, BC — Richmond Plywood unveiled its cutting-edge panel repair system last Friday. This $17.4-million system combines robotic technology with artificial intelligence (AI) to repair defects on plywood surfaces, something that was previously done manually, according to the company. …“Having state-of-the-art technology reflects the commitment of Richply to minimize material wastage, reduce costs and increase productivity to stay competitive in today’s market…We cannot wait to showcase the result of our latest capital investments,” said Bhavjit Thandi, CFO of Richply. …MP Parm Bains announced the federal government earmarked $6.7 million for the company to help fund the facility through Natural Resource Canada’s Investments in the Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT) program. …Richply said it’s also investing in a $40-million dryer project with advanced technology to replace its almost 70-year-old dryer that’s “very inefficient” by today’s standards.