Improved Life of Circular Saws Used in Primary Wood Processing

Abstract

The effects of the Engineered Micro-Geometry (EMG) of the carbide teeth of circular saws on their wear rate and resulting sawing variation for 2-time intervals were studied. The objective was to improve the wear resistance of circular saws used during the primary transformation of wood. The tests were carried out under industrial production conditions with two series of circular saws; 1- with up-sharp tips, and 2- with cutting edges honed to adopt a waterfall geometry. The duration of the tests was 255 min and 645 min. Wood studs were sampled to measure sawing variation. Recession on the rake and clearance faces of the tips as well as the width of the wear land were measured. The wear mechanisms of the cutting edges of both types of saws were studied. Chipping and cracking were the two dominant wear mechanisms observed on the up-sharp tips. Saws with waterfall hone tips showed remarkably reduced chipping and cracking. Wear rate of the latter was notably lower than that of saws with up-sharp tips at both periods of sawing. Between-stud, within-stud, and total sawing variations decreased when saws with modified cutting edges were used.