The use of multi-saw machines in woodworking

How to choose multi-rip saws for wood

The production of lumber is based on a technological process that makes it possible to obtain a certain number of boards or timber from a tree trunk.
A multi-saw machine is convenient in that it produces several blanks or finished material from a carriage at once. Thus, a two- or three-edge carriage is obtained from a log using a sawmill, and after that the raw material can be immediately laid out onto the board. The difference between a multi-sawing machine and a sawmill is that it is more precise. It uses band saws or circular saws. A frame-type machine with band saws is more expensive, a machine with circular saws is cheaper, but sharpening the disks is more expensive.

Types of multi-rip machines

All multi-sawing machines can be divided into frame machines, disc machines and canter machines.

Frame multi-saw machines (frame multi-saw, as it is called in everyday life) are used for sawing timber into several boards. The essence of the operation of such equipment is similar to the operation of a sawmill: a cutting tool stretched in a saw frame cuts the incoming workpiece. The crank mechanism allows the saw frame to perform reciprocating movements.

Disc multi-saws (disc multi-saws) are used for high-quality sawing of timber into special edged blanks. This type of machine is characterized by higher quality and accuracy of the product obtained as a result of cutting than frame multi-saws. In addition, they cut frozen wood more efficiently, accurately and much more easily. In this regard, multi-disc saws are more common in northern regions and countries.

The main cutting tool in this mechanism is circular saws.

Regarding cantering machines, we will not consider them in detail here, since we have written a separate detailed article on this topic; we will only note that they are needed for longitudinal cutting of large logs.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to mini multi-rip machines. Nowadays, in some organizations and private workshops, a mini multi-saw machine, which stands out for its smaller size compared to conventional ones, is becoming popular. By choosing such equipment, its owner has the opportunity to achieve significant production results regarding product quality. At the same time, you will save significant money.

How to choose a machine according to your needs

If you are involved in a business in the forest processing industry, you undoubtedly know very well how important it is to have high-quality equipment that suits all parameters. It is necessary to estimate in advance how much wood needs to be processed per shift. The machine must meet these power requirements with a margin.

It also takes into account what types of wood will be processed. Pine is quite soft, while oak and larch are harder. Accordingly, when constantly working with hard wood, you need to consider what kind of disks the device will be equipped with. It can be supplemented with imported or domestic consumables upon purchase.

When making small parts, after cutting the material, you can use wood cross-cutting machines to cut off the corner parts. And after that, grind out parts that have a round or cylindrical shape.

It is necessary to consider how the saw blades will be sharpened. Companies that supply machines usually also offer tools for sharpening circular or straight saws. These tools cost a certain amount, but if you sharpen consumables at a service center or buy new ones, it will not be more profitable.

There are models of this equipment on the market, both domestic and foreign. Main manufacturing countries:

• Germany
• Italy
• Turkey
• Taiwan
• Slovenia
• Turkey
• Russia

Purpose of multi-rip machines

The functions of the machines are very different. They can produce boards from a two- and three-edged carriage, cut timber into smaller boards, produce a board from a slab, then the saws in the machine are not only longitudinal, but also transverse.

Most people use a multi-saw after cutting the log down to a two-edge beam with a band sawmill. Models differ in the number of saws, band or disk. The maximum number of installed disks is 24 pieces.

When choosing, take into account the power and weight of the unit. Large productive machines can weigh more than one ton, and a concrete foundation will be needed so that the tool stands level and does not vibrate during operation.

Traditionally, wood sawing machines have a single saw blade. If the operation of cutting material into pieces of equal width is performed many times a day, you should think about buying a multi-saw. It has better performance.

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Machine design

All of these devices have certain basic parts:

• Bed - includes all components of the device, may also include a lumber supply line.
• Power unit - creates a rotational or reciprocating motion of the saws processing the material. It also drives the workpiece feed unit.
• Sawing mechanism - consists of one or more shafts on which saw blades are installed. The shafts can be in a horizontal or vertical plane.
• The mechanism responsible for feeding the workpiece . The larger the feedstock, the more powerful this unit should be. It is responsible for uniform transportation of the carriage or timber. The accuracy and evenness of the saw depends on this element.

Differences between machines

By the number of shafts . Most often there are two of them - one on top, the other on the bottom. But there are models with one shaft, and with three or four - both longitudinal and transverse sawing.

According to the type of workpiece feeding - caterpillar, roller. The caterpillar feed is smoother.

Cutting height - if the machine is two-roll, the source material can be of maximum height. The number of saws on each axis can reach twelve. Thus, the log is sawed simultaneously from above and below with different disks, and the depth of cut increases.

Width of the workpiece – when purchasing, you need to consider what width the source material will be used. If these are centuries-old pines and larches, you need a machine with a maximum width. When using already processed timber, which needs to be put on small planks, a smaller size will suffice. The difference between such machine models in price will range from one hundred to several tens of thousands of rubles.

Specifications

Among the main technical parameters of multi-saws are:

• workpiece dimensions;
• number of saws installed;
• feed speed;
• workpiece cutting speed;
• saw diameter;
• greatest distance between saws;
• power;
• dimensions of the equipment itself;
• weight.

Now let's look at some basic parameters in more detail.

The maximum dimensions of the material that can be processed allow us to determine the permissible dimensions of the workpiece.

The number of saws installed on the equipment shows the maximum number of boards and blades obtained per pass of the workpiece through the cutting device of the machine.

The feed and cutting speed of the workpiece with a multi-rip machine greatly affects the productivity of the machine and production as a whole.

The diameter of the saws determines the depth of the cut in the workpiece.

By the distance between the saws you can understand how wide the processed lumber will be.

We advise you to carefully select a multi-blade machine, taking into account the parameters described above depending on the required volume of work, operating conditions and production tasks.

Installed saws

Which machine is better - single-shaft or double-shaft

When using a single-shaft device, a so-called step is not formed. There is no need for complex adjustments and debugging. Save money on purchasing an additional set of saws. This mechanism is more reliable and fails less often. It is suitable for a small company that produces boards or timber in limited quantities.

For two-shaft machines, saw blades of smaller diameter are intended. If the settings are set correctly, the quality of the cut is higher than that of a single-shaft one. During operation, less waste is generated, which allows you to save on the purchase of material and disposal. The cost of such a unit is higher, and it is purchased for processing large quantities of wood at large enterprises.

Wood saws and their types

Depending on the tasks, a multi-saw is selected for wood processing.

Here are step-by-step instructions for taking into account a number of parameters when selecting a machine:

• The maximum size of the workpiece being processed, and this is the maximum size of the raw materials entering for processing. There are saws with one shaft and with two shafts.

A multi-saw machine with a single shaft has the advantage of the absence of a “stitch” sawing defect. The position of this saw is rigid...

Multi-saw machine with two shafts, the position of this multi-saw is rigid. The advantage is a higher cutting speed and a smaller thickness of the saw body, due to the division of the load into two saws...

Rigid-mounted machines are quite common on older sawmill lines. Here you just need to remove the stocking from the shaft once or twice a shift, change the separations and install the saws back. It is used in places where lumber or double-edged timber is the same width.

• The need for frequent changes in supply; supply changes frequently when raw materials are not sorted and can change less frequently when processing raw materials of the same width. The multi-saw machine is also divided into two types according to the flexibility of cutting and reconfiguration, these are with rigid fastening of saws and with floating saws, or as it is also called with flexible positioning.

Multi-saw with flexible position. In addition to the saws, the speed at which they change the position is quite high; the bed itself also moves, which makes it possible to improve the time for changing the position.

The photo shows a machine with a flexible frame and one shaft... This machine can often be found when edging unedged lumber, when a separate frame is needed for each board.

Naturally, a machine with flexible delivery will cost much more, because there is also automation of the machine and more complex mechanization of the equipment.

Therefore, the use of flexible supplies is recommended in cases where, as mentioned above, the raw materials are not sorted; this technology can significantly increase the yield of high-quality lumber.

This technology is also used in conjunction with laser sensors and when there is no time to replace supplies...

Equipment

Machines of this type can be designed not only for producing boards from massive blanks, but also for cutting veneer, laminate, and cutting lining scraps to produce glazing beads.

In some models, the width of the stand, that is, the distance between the saws, is adjusted. This is necessary if work will be carried out with material of different dimensions. The machine can also be equipped with a CNC module.

The device can be equipped with so-called “claw” operator protection. Many models have adjustable material feed speed. It is necessary to change this parameter in case of different density and humidity of the material. Regulation can be stepped in cheaper models or stepless in expensive ones.

The machine can be equipped with a feeding table with a centerer. An indispensable device is laser pointers. They are designed to level the workpiece before feeding it into the machine.

Use in everyday life

Many craftsmen are fond of making crafts on a wood lathe. In this case, a gang saw can provide an invaluable service. He will cut the necessary materials, be it veneer, plywood or timber, into small pieces. At a furniture factory, a multi-saw is useful for cutting solid wood, laminate, and plywood to produce a large number of similar parts. A compact multi-saw machine designed for working with small parts will cost one hundred to two hundred thousand rubles.

Disc gang saws

The main advantages of disc multi-rip machines

are
cutting board
, high productivity and ease of maintenance.
Circular saws
are characterized by high durability of the tool – circular saws.

Multi-rip machines

designed for high-performance sawing of timber into edged lumber.
Disc multi-saw machines
have maximum productivity, high precision and cut edged boards of excellent quality.
The tools of a multi-sawing machine
are
circular saws
.

Disc multi-saw machines are divided into 2 types: single-shaft disc multi-saws and double-shaft disc multi-saw machines.

Technologically single-shaft disk multi-rip machines

It is simpler, however, with an increase in the thickness of the timber cut on a multi-saw machine, it becomes advantageous to use
a twin-shaft multi-saw machine
.
The approximate sawing height range of a single-shaft circular multi-rip machine
is 100-180 mm.
There are models of single-shaft multi-saws
with a cutting height of 200 mm, however, to ensure a large sawing height on a single-shaft circular multi-saw, it is necessary to install saws of large diameter, with a large cutting width.

To reduce losses

When cutting wood,
twin-shaft multi-saw machines are used
- they use small-diameter saws with an acceptable cutting width.
Twin-shaft multi-sawing machines
work with timber
with a thickness of 160 mm or more
.

Differences between disc gang saws:

according to the method of supplying the workpiece

• grouse
• chain
• end feed - combined feed

by number of saw shafts

• single-shaft multi-rip machines
• twin-shaft multi-rip machines

Setting up saws on multi-rip machines

It happens:

• hard - saws on the shaft of a multi-rip machine
  stand through spacer rings - separation
• floating - multi-rip machines with a high price
  , allowing you to change the distance between the saws on command from the control panel of the multi-rip machine

Application of multi-rip machines

Timber machines

They work as stand-alone machines in small and medium-sized industries, and as first-row machines in sawmills that include all machines for sawing wood:

Canter machine

gang saw

edge trimmer

and all station mechanization:

• Feed conveyor to the canter machine
• Piece-by-piece delivery of logs to the timber cutting machine
• Rotator in front of the canter machine
• Reception table after the timber cutting machine - pulling out the sawn log and separating the boards and slabs from the double-edged timber
• Driven roller conveyor with storage in front of the multi-rip machine
• Drive roller table after multi-rip machine
• Sorting table

Features of operation of the multi-saw

In order to avoid sawing defects, you must correctly observe the operating conditions. If there is a danger of overload, reduce the material feed rate. If defects appear, you need to stop the machine and adjust it. Each material has its own processing conditions. Harder and damper wood is processed at a lower speed.

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