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Ouyang, Yunshu

University of British Columbia

Sawing is a critical machining process in the wood manufacturing industry, transforming logs into usable lumber for various applications, including construction and furniture making. Despite significant research, optimizing the sawing process to balance productivity, cost efficiency, and environmental sustainability remains challenging. This thesis investigates the effects of five key cutting parameters (wood species, tool wear, wood condition, rake angle, and feed speed) on cutting power and dust emission during circular sawing of Douglas-fir and Western maple, with the overall aim to identify optimal parameter combinations to enhance sawmill operations. It was found that all cutting parameters significantly impact cutting power and dust emission. Notably, sawing Western maple and dry wood required higher cutting power and produced more dust compared to sawing Douglas-fir and green or frozen wood. Increasing feed speed resulted in higher cutting power but reduced dust emission, while a worn tool and a smaller rake angle increased both cutting power and dust emission. The results indicate that maximizing feed speed can improve productivity and reduce dust, but at the cost of higher cutting power. By offering insights into the complex interactions between cutting parameters, this research contributes to the development of more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable sawing practices in the wood manufacturing industry.

Text

2024-08-29

Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/89094

Forestry

University of British Columbia

UBCV

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/