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Do you have a chip question? Ask the MOTAG wood and chip experts at the "MOTAG - South Question and Answer Forum"
EMAIL your Questions
Forum Objective: Provide MOTAG participants with timely and practical answers to their operating questions.
During and between MOTAG meetings, participants can ask or submit questions to Bill Fuller, FRM Consulting. Bill will either answer the questions based on his 35 years experience in the chip production and quality business or consult with other experts in woodyard and woodroom technology. The answers will be printed in MOTAG meeting minutes and archived in the MOTAG web site.
Questions from the 2003 MOTAG - South meeting
1. What knife life is being experienced in oversize slicers? · There is a wide range of intervals between sharpening of slicer knives. · If the contaminant removal system (aerodynamic separator, chip washer, or stone traps) is not operating correctly, the knife life can be less than a day. · Slicer knives have lasted up to 60 days on a 2 - shifts per day basis. · Testing the slicer output periodically will provide guidance on setting a time limit between knife changes. Increasing fines and pin chips is the primary indicator. Irregularity in the cut surfaces is a visual indication that the knives are being damaged.
2. Does anyone have an unbinding rack with a design other than the old swing arm concept? · Mead/Westvaco at Stevenson has a drive-through tower. · Driver operated. · 2 saddles stabilized load - can't leave with the saddles
3. Who knows how well the Deal and Fuji King systems are doing in bark, wood loss and production?
· None of the attendees had experience with this relatively new technology. Bill Fuller will make some inquiries and share his personal experience in a future edition of the MOTAG Questions and Answers Forum
4. Does any on have any ideas on how to keep the attention on preventing chips from being contaminated with plastic? · Periodic "plastic patrols" search the mill grounds and collect plastic (and other contaminants) in bags (paper, of course) by mill area. The results are posted and the bags are given to the area the material was collected. · Sawmill employees are brought to the mill for a mill tour, a demonstration of the effects of plastic on the paper products made at the mill and a brain-storming session on how the sawmill can do its part in keeping plastic out of chips. · Be sure the signs, placards and plastic program communications are kept current and in good condition. Waste cans must be emptied on a regular basis so "the cans are always full" can never be used an excuse for not disposing of plastic properly. · Network with other mills to find out what programs are working for them. Implement those that fit your mill culture, processes and products.
5. During cold and wet weather, the ladders and catwalks on chip dozers are very slippery and could cause a fall. Who knows a way to prevent slips and falls in this hazardous situation?
· The best prevention is education on how to prevent slips and falls in all situations. The "3-points of contact" rule says that there needs to be three points of contact before making the next move. This requires concentrating on what the best points should be. The training must be hands-on and using situations that will be encountered in normal and exceptional work activities. · De-icing chemicals similar to those used on aircraft have been tried, but this only addresses the increased hazard of freezing conditions rather than the more fundamental skills of preventing all types of slips and falls.
6. What is the debarking wood loss when you keep bark levels at a level that the mill can tolerate (usually ½ to 1%)?
· You must be careful in comparing wood loss numbers. For some mills, it is the whitewood that goes with the bark to the fuel system. Others report the loss based on the wood fed to the debarker. The latter is complicated and most mills do not have the resources to measure the flows, sample and do the analytical tests. · Most mills used the whitewood content of the bark rejects and the values ranged from 2 to 10% with the higher losses occurring in small diameter softwoods. The size of the bark slots, the time of year and how long the wood was stored.
WSF - 9/21/03
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