Table of Contents
Wood chipper machine is a key equipment in many industries such as wood processing, biomass energy production and paper making. It slices raw materials such as logs and branches into thin slices to provide suitable material for subsequent processing. The right choice of wood chipper is essential to improve productivity, ensure product quality and reduce operating costs. However, there are a wide variety of chipper machine on the market with different performances, so how to select the most suitable wood chipping equipment for your needs among the many choices is a difficult problem faced by many enterprises and practitioners. This article will detail how to choose a wood chipper machine from a number of aspects.
Types and features of wood chipper machine
Working principle of disc chipper
The disk chipper cuts wood mainly through the high-speed rotating cutter disk. Logs are pushed onto the cutter disk, and the blades on the disk come into contact with the logs and cut them into chips. The cutter disk is usually mounted on a horizontal shaft, and the motor-driven shaft drives the cutter disk to rotate.
Advantages of disc chipper
- Relatively simple structure, easier to operate and maintain.
- Capable of handling logs of large diameter, with a wide range of applications.
- High cutting efficiency and strong production capacity.
Disadvantages of disc chippers
- For some harder woods, the blades may wear out more quickly.
- The size of the cut pieces is relatively less uniform and may require a subsequent screening process.
Drum chipper working principle
The drum chipper works by leaning the log against the rotating drum, which is equipped with blades that cut the log into chips as the drum rotates. The logs are pushed by the feeding device to move in the direction of the drum and come into contact with the blades.
Advantages of drum chipper
- The cut wood chips are of better quality, relatively uniform in size and have a smoother surface.
- Stronger adaptability to wood, able to handle different kinds and hardness of wood.
- The equipment runs relatively smoothly with less noise.
Disadvantages of drum chipper
- Relatively complex structure, high manufacturing and maintenance costs.
- The feeding requirements are relatively high, and the logs need to be more consistent in diameter and length.
Industrial wood chipper（Integrated chipper）
Industrial wood chipper
Industrial wood chipper （Integrated chipper）working principle
The integrated chipper combines some of the features of disk and drum chippers, usually with multiple knives and drums, capable of cutting wood in multiple directions. It can choose different cutting methods according to different wood characteristics and processing requirements.
Advantages of industrial wood chipper （Integrated chipper）
- Combining the advantages of disk and drum chipper, it has strong versatility and adaptability.
- It is able to adjust the size and quality of the chips cut to a certain extent to meet different production requirements.
Disadvantages of industrial wood chipper （Integrated chipper）
- The structure of the equipment is more complicated, and it is more difficult to operate and maintain.
- The price is relatively high and the investment cost is larger.
Considerations for choosing a wood chipper machine
Production process requirements
Wood chipper machine production capacity
According to the production scale and order quantity of the enterprise, determine the output of the required wood chipper. If it is a large-scale wood processing enterprise or biomass energy production plant, it needs to choose an industrial wood chipping machine with high output to meet the production demand. For example, for an enterprise that needs to process a large number of logs per day, it may need to choose a large wood chipper that can produce tens of cubic meters per hour.
Quality requirements for wood chips
Different industries require different quality of wood chips. For example, papermaking industry usually needs wood chips with uniform size and smooth surface to ensure the quality of paper; while biomass energy production pays more attention to the moisture content and size of wood chips suitable for subsequent combustion treatment. If the quality requirements of wood chips are higher, you should choose the best wood chipper with high cutting precision, which can ensure the stability of wood chips quality, such as drum chipper or high-end integrated Industrial wood chipper.
Characteristics of raw materials
Types of wood: Different types of wood with different hardness, density and grain structure have different requirements for the chipper’s knives and cutting methods. For example, hardwoods such as oak and walnut require stronger knives and greater cutting force, while softwoods such as pine and fir are relatively easier to cut. For companies that process more hardwoods, they should choose a chipper with good tool material and high strength.
Wood size: the diameter and length of the log is an important consideration in choosing a chipper. If the raw material logs are large in diameter and long in length, it may be necessary to choose a disk chipper capable of handling large-diameter logs or an integrated chipper with a large feed opening; if the logs are more uniform in size and the quality of the chips is high, a drum chipper may be a better choice.
Moisture content: Wood with high moisture content may cause more problems during the chipping process, such as increased tool wear and chip sticking. Therefore, if the moisture content of raw wood is high, you should choose a chipper with better drainage and dehumidification function, or add drying equipment before the chipper
Performance of wood chipper machine
Wood chipper machine power
Generally speaking, the higher the power, the greater the hardness and diameter of the wood the machine can handle and the faster the cutting speed. But at the same time, high power also means high energy consumption. When choosing, it should be considered comprehensively according to the actual production demand and energy cost. For the need to deal with a large number of hardwood or large diameter logs, should choose a higher power equipment; and for the treatment of general wood and production requirements are not particularly high, you can choose a moderate power chipper, in order to reduce energy consumption and equipment investment costs.
Wood chipper machine quality of blades
Blade is the core component of wood chipper, its quality directly determines the service life and cutting effect of the equipment. High quality blades should have high hardness, high wear resistance and good toughness. Common blade materials are alloy steel, high-speed steel and so on. Alloy steel blade high hardness, good wear resistance, suitable for dealing with high hardness of wood; high-speed steel blade has good toughness, suitable for some of the cutting precision requirements of high occasions. In addition, the sharpness and durability of the blade is also a concern, Huaxin Machinery can customize the chipper for customers, equipped with a device that can automatically sharpen the blade or quickly change the blade, which can improve the operating efficiency of the equipment and reduce downtime.
Feed system for wood chipper machine
The stability and efficiency of the feeding system has an important impact on the overall performance of the chipper. A good feeding system should be able to deliver logs to the cutting part evenly and avoid log blockage and poor feeding. There are various feeding methods, such as belt conveyor feeding, chain conveyor feeding and so on. In the selection, the matching of feeding system and chipper and the adaptability to different size logs should be considered. At the same time, the power unit of the feeding system needs to be strong enough to ensure that it can smoothly push the logs into the wood chipping machine.
Wood chipper machine discharge system
The function of the discharge system is to discharge the cut wood chips from the equipment in time to avoid the accumulation and blockage of wood chips in the equipment. There are gravity discharging, wind discharging and mechanical conveying discharging etc. Gravity discharging is simple and reliable, but the discharging speed may be slow. Gravity discharging is simple and reliable, but the discharging speed may be slow, applicable to some small chippers; wind discharging using the airflow generated by the fan will be blown out of the wood chips, the discharging speed is fast, but it may lead to wood chips flying, need to be equipped with the corresponding dust removal equipment; mechanical conveyor discharging through the conveyor belt or screw conveyor and so on will be transported to the designated position, discharging stable and controllable, applicable to large chippers and discharging have special requirements. It is suitable for large chippers and occasions with special requirements on discharging. When choosing the discharge system, it should be considered whether the discharge speed matches the production capacity of the chipper, and whether it can effectively avoid the breakage and blockage of wood chips.
Wood chipping equipment quality and reliability
Brand and reputation of the chipper manufacturer
Choosing a well-known brand and a wood chipper manufacturer with a good reputation is an important way to ensure the quality and reliability of the equipment. Famous brands usually have richer production experience, advanced technology and perfect after-sales service system, such as Huaxin Machinery.
Chipper manufacturing process and materials
Examining the manufacturing process of the equipment and the materials used is also the key to judging its quality. A quality chipper should adopt advanced manufacturing process to ensure the structural strength and precision of the equipment. The welding process of Huaxin machines should be strong and reliable, and the machining precision of parts should be high to ensure the smooth operation of the equipment. At the same time, the main structure and key components of the equipment should be made of high-quality materials, such as high-strength steel, to improve the abrasion and corrosion resistance of the equipment and prolong the service life of the equipment.
Chipper safety protection measures
Wood chipper has certain safety risks during operation, so safety performance is a necessary factor to consider. The equipment should be equipped with perfect safety protection devices, such as guards, emergency braking devices, overload protection devices, etc., in order to prevent injuries to the operators and damage to the equipment. Meanwhile, the electrical system of the equipment should comply with safety standards and have good grounding and insulation to avoid electrical accidents. When selecting equipment, you should carefully check whether the safety guards are complete and effective, and understand the safety operation procedures and maintenance requirements of the equipment.
Selecting the right wood chipper machine is a complex and important work, which needs to comprehensively consider factors such as production demand, equipment performance, quality and reliability. Scientific selection method can improve the investment efficiency of the equipment and provide strong support for the production and operation of the enterprise.
