Do you want to buy a horizontal circular sawmill in Moscow?

And again I am glad to welcome you to the pages of Andrey Noak’s blog. Today I want to talk about which sawmill is better, belt or disk. After all, sawmill equipment is the basis for organizing both large-scale wood processing production (for example, for organizing the production of radial materials), and for small sawmills or even home use. And the profitability of the enterprise and user comfort largely depend on the quality and operational characteristics of the sawmill.

Introduction

I won’t delay and I want to immediately offer you my new book “HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF A BAND SAW MACHINE.” The book provides simply unique information based on my personal experience working on band sawmills.

It tells you how to work to get everything from a band saw. What kind of wood to cut and what needs to be done to reduce the number of downtimes. The main advantages of the ribbon are described, which you simply need to use. More details about the book in the “BOOKS” section. I’ll say right away that you definitely won’t find such information on a regular forum!

Advantages

1. The size ruler is equipped with tips for the operator. This will allow you to quickly and accurately set the desired size without lengthy calculations.
2. Ideal geometry of the resulting lumber.
3. Minimal adhesion of sawdust to the guides.
4. The lowering and raising of the saw frame is carried out by an electromechanical drive. For more precise adjustment of the required size, the electric drive is equipped with a pulley with manual adjustment.
5. Improved rail track and guides made of calibrated rolled steel.
6. Easy to maintain and operate.
7. There is a certificate of the Eurasian Union.

If desired, the sawmill can be supplemented with the options “smooth feed”, “electronic ruler”, etc.

Relevance of sawmills

One of the most important decisions that a sawmill owner needs to make is the choice of specialized equipment for cutting logs, and the efficiency of future production largely depends on this decision.

The user needs to understand what manufacturers offer today from different types of equipment, what advantages and disadvantages certain units have, and also which of them are not worth the buyer’s attention due to low quality and frequent breakdowns.

I would like to note that today only band and disc sawmills are used both in large enterprises and in small workshops.

Kinds

According to the principle of operation, circular sawmills can be divided into the following types:

1. With one disc. This sawmill is equipped with a carriage with a rotating mechanism and one disk. At the beginning of the cutting cycle, the saw blade is in a horizontal position. When moving the carriage along the log, a horizontal cut is made. At the end of the carriage stroke, the disk turns over to a vertical position. On the reverse stroke, a vertical cut is made. One cycle produces one board (or other lumber). Then the sawing cycle is repeated. There is no idle speed.

2. With two disks. Sawing is done with two saw blades perpendicular to each other. The cutting is carried out simultaneously in the vertical and horizontal plane. Double-disc sawmills are more economical. With the correct sawing pattern, they leave virtually no waste, which increases the profit of the enterprise.

3. Horizontal. Sawing is carried out with two saw blades located in the same plane. Cutting is carried out both forward and backward. There is no idle speed. It is one of the most common. Produces minimal waste. The yield of finished products is up to 85%.

Disc machines

They are often used for large and small woodworking industries. They are mobile and compact in size, so they can easily be brought to a remote logging site. Their advantages include:

1. Mobility and ease of installation and dismantling of equipment, although the ribbon is even simpler in this regard;
2. Unpretentiousness when processing wood;
3. Simply indispensable in woodworking production for producing radial boards;
4. Excellent for processing substandard timber;
5. The quality of lumber will delight specialists and clients;

The disadvantages include:

• Expensive cutting tool;
• It is not possible to process timber diameters that are too large, and even if this is possible, the costs are greater than on a strip;
• The need to install an additional multi-rip machine.

"DPA 550PK"

This horizontal circular sawmill is designed for the production of timber, edged and unedged boards, slats and sawing logs from all types of wood. Sawing is carried out in a plane by horizontal movement along a rail track along a fixed log. The cutting tools used are circular saws with pobedit tips made of alloy steel. The saw carriage moves downwards to the size of the workpiece along vertical guides using an electric drive.

The productivity of this sawmill is higher than that of a band sawmill. It is achieved through sawing, which can be done in both forward and reverse directions (there is no “idle” reverse motion). The maximum hard drive eliminates the appearance of nicks and “waves” in the cut. The cyclicity of teeth sharpening reaches two shifts depending on the condition and type of wood.

The “DPA” disk sawing unit is usually used for sawing hard wood: larch, birch, etc. This model of the disk sawmill does not require specially highly qualified personnel and is easy to use. Control is carried out from the operator console, which is installed directly on the machine. With high productivity, this machine will provide precise geometry and export-quality surface quality of elements.

Band machines

They are intended for small volumes of work on farms and small industries; in some cases, several sawmills installed are also used in large enterprises.

Band saws for sharpening…

If you decide to purchase a unit for your home, then a tape unit will be quite enough. Such machines have the following advantages over disk machines:

• Inexpensive in cost;
• Consume little electrical energy;
• A thinner cut and, accordingly, on a thin board, the yield of lumber is 5 - 7% higher than that of a circular sawmill;
• They allow the operator to visually assess the condition of the logs after each specific cut, and, if necessary, make adjustments to the work of the models, in other words, you can make individual cutting of the log, although the disk one does it better, but we will also write down the ribbon as a plus;
• Possibility of using mobile sawmills with gasoline engines or electric ones;
• In addition, when using this type of installation, the logs rotate, which will allow a person to choose for cutting the side where there are the least defects. For example, if the main wood used for processing is birch or aspen, then a band saw is better than another option, since you can easily cut out high-quality material, leaving the core.

Flaws:

1. Problem with saw repairs and constant frequent replacement of band saws;
2. Poor ability to process dirty, dry or burnt wood due to the fast output of the band saw.

Design and principle of operation

The design of any circular sawmill includes:

• motors (electric motors);
• circular saws;
• rail track;
• carriage.

Typically, an angular circular sawmill is called equipment that has two saws located orthogonally, i.e. at an angle of 90 degrees. to each other.

The principle of operation of this technique is as follows: 2 rotating disks are lowered to the required amount and move along the log, as if cutting out lumber of the desired shape. The position of the saws is adjusted using special technical devices.

When installing an electronic ruler (as a rule, this is an additional option), the productivity and accuracy of cutting increases due to the quick and accurate installation of the saw at a given coordinate.

Sawing occurs in both directions. Cutting is carried out without idling, which improves the quality of the finished product.

Idling is a special mode of engine operation characterized by the absence of useful work performed. For a sawmill, this means that work is carried out in two directions of movement of the log, and this increases productivity.

Corner sawmills are equipped with motors with controlled rotation speed. This is necessary so that you can set a certain angular speed of the power plant, which allows you to control the speed of movement (feed) of the saw spindle. The yield of finished products reaches 60 – 80%.

Comparative characteristics

Which machine to choose for your own sawmill? How to understand whether “Taiga” or “Kara Master” or a model from another manufacturer is worth the attention of buyers?

To answer this question, I also visited a forum of experienced sawmill owners and asked their opinion on this matter, and now I invite you to read a comparative description made by me from my own experience and the experience of sawmill owners.

The choice of a specific type of sawmill equipment largely depends on factors such as the size of the sawmill, the nature of the logs used, the experience of the sawmill owner, etc. No less important are such characteristics of equipment for cutting logs as productivity, efficiency, and the presence of shortcomings in work. Of all these parameters, I highlighted the following points as the most important:

• The quality of the resulting board wins over the disk board;
• A radial or regular cut is required, if radial is also a plus for the disc;
• Speed ​​of installation, plus the ribbon;
• Cost-effectiveness in electricity costs is a plus for the ribbon;
• Economical use of wood or a useful solution - a ribbon;
• Productivity is approximately the same.

More about efficiency

It is important to compare the cost-effectiveness of both options. This makes belt units more economical to operate. The price of the issue sometimes reaches decent amounts. Let me give you a specific example. The cut made by a band saw is 1.5-3 mm thick.

As a result, from a log with a diameter of 26 cm, 9 boards can be obtained using such equipment. Their thickness will be 27 mm. At the same time, the cutting thickness of the disk machine is 6-9 mm. From the same log, using such a unit, you can get 8 boards with the same thickness (27 mm). Thus, belt equipment produces almost half the amount of waste.

And if you multiply these results by the scale within a work shift, you get some pretty impressive savings. In approximately a certain period of time, you can save even a carload of boards using a belt unit for cutting wood.

Understanding how much such a carriage costs, which is approximately 90 cubic meters for 6,000 rubles, totaling 540 thousand rubles, the user will appreciate the advantages of band saws for cutting trees.

Another plus for the ribbon

When choosing a specific type of sawmill equipment, the diameter of the logs used when cutting is of great importance. The productivity of disk equipment with large-diameter material is practically zero. That is, a disc machine cannot handle huge logs. You can't cut large cedar with it.

But the tape installation in this regard is the most productive and expedient. In other words, the advantage of this type of sawmill model is the good quality of the boards, even if the logs had an impressive diameter.

One of the successful models of a band sawmill, in my opinion, can be seen in the video below:

Features of operation

Band cutting equipment for logs requires some experience in managing the entire process. Only if this condition is met, the output material will be sawn into boards with high quality, and there will be no defects on it. This mainly concerns such a defect on the ribbon as “WAVE”. From time to time, when a saw fails and needs to be sharpened, this defect appears, and only the experience of the operator will help identify it at an early stage, preventing it from becoming defective.

But disc sawmills work much easier; it is enough to change the cutting tool once a shift. An inexperienced sawmill owner can follow this principle and get quality boards by gaining experience without producing defects.

Disadvantages of sawmill equipment

Band machines, like any other technology, are not perfect. Problematic issues that may accompany the operation of a sawmill must be taken into account when choosing a specific type of saw.

Such units may have the following disadvantages: low productivity and frequent need for sharpening and spreading blades (every 3 hours subject to continuous use). And only an experienced specialist can perform this operation efficiently and without negative consequences. A beginner in such matters cannot undertake such a task.

At the same time, circular saws do not require regular sharpening. They are sharpened a little once every 8 hours, and full sharpening is required for such equipment only once every couple of days.

Where there is no electricity

“PD-2000 Buran” is a circular rotary sawmill equipped with a PM3-640-34 gasoline engine with a power of 34 hp. With. (25.35 kW). It is intended for sawing round logs and blanks into all types of lumber - timber, beams, edged and unedged boards, etc.). Edged lumber can be obtained by turning the saw 90 degrees.

Among the advantages and features of this gas-powered circular sawmill are the following:

1. Low operating costs.
2. There are no drive components that significantly depend on the ambient temperature.
3. Cutting can be done in both directions thanks to a circular saw with a diameter of 560 mm.
4. The gasoline engine allows you to work in areas with poor electrification or directly on the plot.
5. When sawing, the log does not bend; the parameters of the sawmill make it possible to obtain lumber with ideal geometry.
6. Due to the reliability of the cutting element, the unit allows you to work with difficult-to-cut materials - with high density, resinous and rich knots. As wear occurs, the disc is replaced.
7. Easy transportation and quick installation are a consequence of the comparative compactness and simplicity of the operating principles.
8. Russian-made drive elements are used: bearings, motors, belts and other available parts.
9. Ease of repair - there are no complex components and parts, frame elements are made of affordable, standard rolled metal.

Characteristics of the rotating disc sawmill "Buran":

• diameter of sawn log: 800 mm;
• processed log length: 6500 mm;
• circular saw diameter (external and internal): 560/50 mm;
• productivity on unedged boards 50 mm: 10-12 shifts/m3;
• maximum cutting depth: 200 mm.

Video on topic

Each user must decide for himself which characteristics of sawmill equipment are most important to him in the process of work. As a result of the above, I note that band sawmills are still characterized by wider application in comparison with disk models. They can produce boards of good quality, and have a greater useful yield, and, accordingly, greater profitability.

I hope my article was useful to you and you can make the right choice. Read my articles, subscribe to updates and recommend my blog on social networks. Until we meet again, Andrey Noak was with you.

Making a homemade sawmill

Before manufacturing the installation, detailed drawings of all components included in the design of the unit should be drawn. The simplest installation option is a single-disc sawmill. The scheme of such a design includes the following elements:

• moving carriage;
• two electric drives.

One of the electric drives ensures the movement of the portal along the guides, and the second drive serves to move the circular saw.

Sawmill assembly diagram.

This design is called horizontal. The device carriage is made of metal; it should easily move on rollers along the installation guides.

Making equipment with your own hands begins with preparing tools and materials for construction, these are:

• construction trestles;
• boards;
• metal plates;
• elements;
• electric motors;
• a set of tools and accessories for assembling the unit.

To manufacture the unit, you first need to assemble the frame of the device. For this purpose, construction trestles are combined using boards. The length of the boards used depends on the size of the material that is supposed to be processed on a homemade machine.

After making the frame, proceed to the plane of the table. Its base is made of wood, and metal plates with a width of 230-250 mm and a thickness of 1.2 mm are fixed to the surface. The plates are connected to each other by jumpers and screws. After making the table, a groove is made in its wooden part in such a way that the installed circular saw does not come into contact with its edges.

You can make a cutting tool yourself, but it is best to purchase it at a hardware store. The disk is fixed on a shaft, the drive of which is carried out using a belt drive. When securing the engine, it should be possible to move it slightly, which is necessary to tension the belt drive. The guide for the sawmill is made of boards.

Operating principle

Before making the structure yourself, it is necessary to study the operation and features of the configuration of a miniature circular sawmill. It is often used for processing medium and large logs. As a result, timber and boards are formed.

The main element of the design is the power unit, which ensures the rotation of the sawing discs. In addition, to ensure automation of work, the following components are required:

• supply line. It can be automatic and motionless. Often the latter solution is preferred because it is more economical to do it yourself;
• cutting unit. May include one or more cutting blades. It can also be transverse and horizontal;
• control block. It is located on top of the cutting unit. Using this device, the master has the opportunity to adjust engine speed, start and deactivate equipment.

The corner sawmill is used for radial and tangential sawing of workpieces. The design features of such an installation allow the entire log to be used extremely efficiently.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=KLywkPkCryE