Effects of Cutterhead Diameter and Log Infeed
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EFFECTS OF CUTTERHEAD DIAMETER AND LOG INFEED POSITION ON SURFACE QUALITY OF BLACK SPRUCE CANTS PRODUCED BY A CHIPPER-CANTER Svetka Kuljich PhD Candidate E-mail: [email protected] Roger E. Hernández*† Professor Centre de recherche sur les matériaux renouvelables Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt Université Laval Québec, Canada E-mail: [email protected] Carl Blais Professor Département de génie des mines, de la métallurgie et des matériaux Faculté des sciences et de génie Université Laval Québec, Canada E-mail: [email protected] (Received July 2016) Abstract. The effects of the cutterhead diameter and log infeed position on surface quality of black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill] B.S.P.) cants processed by a conical chipper-canter were evaluated. Three cutterhead diameters (345.2, 448.7, and 661.5 mm) combined with three infeed positions or vertical distance from the cutterhead axis to the bedplate on which the log was supported, were studied. The nominal linear cutting speed was fixed at 23.5 m/s. Rotation and feed speeds were adjusted to obtain a nominal feed per knife (chip length) of 25.4 mm. For each cutting condition, two sides of the log were machined at either frozen or unfrozen wood temperatures. Surface quality was analyzed according to waviness and roughness standard parameters. Results showed that surface quality was affected by the cutterhead diameter, infeed position, and wood condition (frozen and unfrozen). Surface quality improved as the vertical distance from the cutterhead axis to the bedplate increased. The global action of the bent knife induced some vibration into the canting edge, which could explain the variation in surface quality among infeed positions. Moreover, frozen logs produced smoother surfaces compared with unfrozen logs. In addition, the effect of the angle of the canting edge with respect to the wood grain on cant surface quality depended on the orientation of the growth rings and on the wood condition (frozen and unfrozen). These results give useful information to improve surface quality within the studied range of infeed positions and cutterhead diameters. Keywords: Chipper-canter, infeed position, attack angle, surface quality, black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill] B.S.P.). INTRODUCTION is an important performance control tool for wood products manufacturing. Indeed, it is a Surface quality is an essential concern in many criterion to determine final product quality areas of the woodworking industry. Its assessment and general wear of cutting tools as well as errors that are arising in the machining centers * Corresponding author (Lemaster and Taylor 1999). However, assessing † SWST member the wood surface quality is very complex due to Wood and Fiber Science, 49(3), 2017, pp. 1-14 # 2017 by the Society of Wood Science and Technology 2 WOOD AND FIBER SCIENCE, JULY 2017, V. 49(3) the wood anisotropy and property variations including anatomy, density, and MC, along with the kinematics of the cutting process and machine conditions (Sandak and Negri 2005). In fact, the surface geometry of wood can be considered as a superposition of various sub- geometries related to the manufacturing process, and to the tool workpiece dynamic relationship. Also, some surface irregularities are conse- quence of wood properties and microstructure Figure 1. (a) Front and (b) side views of a conical-shaped (Sandak 2011). In addition, wood surface cutterhead fitted with eight uniformly distributed knife characteristics might be different due to variable holders, each with a bent knife and a knife clamp. The bent anatomical structures along and across the grain knife has two cutting edges that are joined at an angle; (a1) the shorter or canting edge smooths the cant and (a2) the directions. Higher values of surface roughness longer or chipping edge severs a slice to produce chips are generally obtained from measurements (courtesy of DK-Spec Inc.). made across the grain than along the grain (de Moura and Hernández 2006; Hernández and Cool 2008). nearly across the end-grain (tendency to a 90-90° mode) to produce chips and the canting edge In eastern Canada, chipper-canters are frequently smooths the cant when cutting across the side- used in softwood sawmills, due to the beneficial grain (tendency to a 0-90° mode) (Fig 2a-c). effect of producing squared lumber and chips in a The feed per knife defines the thickness of the single operation. Although the surface of cants slice, which will correspond with the length of is frequently obtained by finishing or canting produced chips. The type of wood failure knives, its quality is, in certain cases, unsatisfac- (splitting or shear parallel) during fragmentation tory. Some machine manufacturers install a thin mainly depends on the attack angle formed by circular saw to increase this quality. However, the the rake face of the chipping edge and wood saw increases the proportion of fines (sawdust), grain (Kuljich et al 2017). which is not desirable as raw material for the pulp and paper industry. Therefore, improving the Surface quality of cants produced by the chipper- surface of cants produced by the canting knives canter was found to be affected by some cutting is certainly desirable. In fact, producing a good parameters like the cutting width and cutting surface from the first step of log processing height (Hernández et al 2010), rake angle and should contribute minimizing production costs, cutting direction of the canting edge with respect material losses from lumber oversizing, lumber to the grain (Kuljich et al 2013; Hernández et al grading, and expenses during secondary break- 2014a), and knife wear (Ghosh et al 2015). The down operations. condition of the wood, whether frozen or unfro- zen, also influenced surface quality produced The most common chipper-canter used in eastern by chipper-canters (Ghosh et al 2015; Hernández Canada has a conical-shaped cutterhead fitted et al 2010, 2013). On the other hand, this quality with uniformly distributed knife holders, each remained similar when cutting speed varied from with a bent knife and a knife clamp (Fig 1). The 18.9 to 27.1 m/s (Hernández et al 2013). Cant bent knife has two cutting edges that are joined at surface quality was measured in terms of rough- an angle; a longer or chipping edge and a shorter ness (R) and waviness (W ) standard parameters, or canting edge. In some cases, the bent knife is as well as for the occurrence of torn grain. The replaced by a dual-knife set. The cutting work is correlation between R, W, and torn grain was performed by the simultaneous action of both found to be very high (Hernández et al 2010, cutting edges. The chipping edge severs a slice 2014a; Kuljich et al 2013). Kuljich et al—CUTTERHEAD DIAMETER AND LOG INFEED EFFECTS ON CANT SURFACES 3 Figure 2. Diagram showing details of the three log infeed positions for the larger cutterhead tested (ø 661.5 mm). (a) Side view of P1-P3 infeed positions. The canting edge enters the log following the orientation of the growth rings (FGR) until it reaches the center of the cant (discontinued gray line). From this center to the knife exit, the canting edge cut against the orientation of the growth rings (AGR). (b) Front view of the attack angle formed by chipping rake face and wood grain direction. This angle varies through the cutting path. (c) Front view showing the angle between the cant- ing edge and wood grain, which also varies through the cutting path. (d) Front view of the knife mark patterns generated for each infeed position. 4 WOOD AND FIBER SCIENCE, JULY 2017, V. 49(3) The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Log Processing effects of cutterhead diameter and log infeed Logs were processed with a laboratory chipper- position on the surface quality of black spruce canter equipped with one cutterhead manu- cants produced by a conical chipper-canter. These factured by DK-Spec (Quebec, Canada) that effects were tested by machining logs under fro- had the shape of a shallow truncated cone zen and unfrozen wood conditions. Surface (Fig 1). The experiment consisted of processing quality was assessed by means of waviness and 2.4-m-long logs using three cutterheads with roughness parameters. 345.2, 448.7, and 661.5 mm of inner cutting diameter (Fig 1b). The cutterhead was fitted with six or eight (depending on its diameter) MATERIALS AND METHODS uniformly distributed knife holders, each of Testing Material them with a bent knife and a knife clamp. For each cutterhead, logs were fed at three infeed Tests were carried out with 126 logs of black positions or height positions. This position is spruce (Picea mariana [Mill] B.S.P.) coming defined by the vertical distance from the from the region of Mauricie in central Quebec. cutterhead axis to the bedplate on which the log This tree is one of the most important boreal was supported (Fig 2a). Fourteen logs were species in eastern Canada and is part of the processed for each of the nine cutting condi- spruce-pine-fir wood group, which is widely tions studied. used for construction applications and in the pulp and paper industry (Zhang and Koubaa For the chipping edge of the bent knife, the 2008). Logs were freshly debarked and cross- angle between its rake face and the grain direc- cut at 2.80 m long. The crosscutting position tion was calculated and named angle of attack was chosen to have a small end diameter (AA). This angle varies through the cutting path of 152.4 mm, which yielded a mean taper of (Fig 2b). Thus, a mean AA between the posi- 6.8 mm/m.