Wood is an unusual and especially valuable material. For all his familiarity, he possesses an amazing set of technical and physical properties that a person cannot repeat with the help of synthetic substitutes. This is due to the extensive use of blanks from this material in a variety of industries.
Modern wood processing technologies and the production of wood products as a whole allows us to provide people with furniture, building materials, jewelry, utensils, etc. Joiner craftsmanship still requires certain skills and talents from performers - only in this case can a manufacturer create a real valuable product.
What kind of wood is used in production?
The modern woodworking industry works with blanks of various origins that differ in technical, functional and aesthetic characteristics. It can be both traditional species like oak and pine, and exotic ones - wenge, morado, rosewood, etc. Directly in Russia, about 30 species are in demand, most of which in one form or another find their place in construction. Nevertheless, each industry has its own requirements for harvesting, which also determines the division of wood into classes. For processing, in particular, the classification of the material according to the quality state of the structure is important:
- Class III The blank is uneven in color and patterned. Partial flaws and defects like drop-out knots may be noted, but they do not have fundamental significance for reliability, from the point of view of the intended use. Another thing is that the product class of products from such a tree will be low.
- Class II Heterogeneous coloring and slight flaws on the surface also appear. With proper processing, the manufacturer can get an externally worthy material, however, one can hardly count on high decorative properties.
- Class I. Smooth, solid and natural in the color range of workpieces, which are in a suitable condition for almost all types of processing and areas for further use. Limitations are determined only by the characteristics of the tree species to which the harvesting belongs.
What is wood processing?
From forestry, the material is not immediately sent to the production of final products. Up to this point, logs go through several stages of special preparation, during which semi-finished products necessary for specific tasks are formed. Depending on the type of wood processing envisaged at the stage of primary processing of raw materials, the following blanks can be obtained:
- round timber;
- boards;
- veneer;
- timber.
In most cases, preparation operations mean stripping and sawing in several versions, but depending on the requirements for semi-finished products, preserving and protective operations using chemical impregnations, varnishes and paints can also be performed. However, chemical methods of influence on wood billets will be discussed below.
Mechanical restoration
The oldest, but relevant to this day, woodworking method, which is available to almost everyone. In the process, a physical effect is exerted on the workpiece in order to change its shape. Technologists use the special quality of the wood structure in the form of its ability to divide along the fibers. For example, this property is successfully used when chopping wood. This is the simplest kind of manual wood processing, but in the conditions of the production process, of course, there are more complex tasks. The advantages of this method include environmental cleanliness, efficiency and processing speed. But, from the point of view of technical organization, this is a rather complicated and expensive method when it comes to large production lines.
Basic operations of mechanical woodworking
In order to give the workpiece the desired look, it must be processed with the necessary parameters. In practice, the woodworking industries implement dozens of operations of this type, many of which are carried out on the same multifunctional lines. Woodworking on a lathe alone may involve boring, countersinking, drilling, reaming and other work steps. In a wider scope, operations of a different format can also be represented:
- sawing;
- cutting;
- trimming;
- grinding and polishing;
- planing;
- chiselling;
- milling;
- Thicknessing.
Machining Equipment
How great is the variety of mechanical woodworking operations, the spectrum of technical means by which these works are carried out is just as wide. The most popular are the units for ensuring the technology of wood turning, during which cylindrical parts of the desired shape are obtained. Turning operations can also be performed manually, when the operator holds the working tool in his hands without using a holder, but most often modern machines of this type operate in full automatic mode.
Among other types of equipment for woodworking, milling, format-sawing, jigsaw, circular and mortising machines can be distinguished. Again, manufacturers seek to combine several functions on one frame, so most factory units provide for the implementation of several operations - it is enough to change the operating mode of the electric motor and update the equipment.
Biological treatment
This is a special group of woodworking methods, the purpose of which is to obtain agricultural raw materials. The raw materials used are waste from woodworking factories - for example, sawdust, shavings, wood chips. Biological mechanical processing of wood is organized in special workshops with tanks where fermentation processes are organized. As activators, special bacteria, fungal spores, and even some insects are used. At the output, such processes of artificial destruction of wood make it possible to obtain feed materials, ethyl alcohol, xylitol, furfural and other derivatives of microbiological synthesis necessary for agricultural activities.
Chemical treatment
One of the main disadvantages of wood material is its low service life, which is reduced in adverse operating conditions. It is to maintain viability while maintaining technical and physical properties that the chemical method of wood processing is designed. The production of wood products and its semi-finished products without fail provides for the organization of individual technological areas where a complex of protective procedures is performed.
It can manifest itself in various forms, including the application of coatings and impregnation. The processing means used vary. For example, materials from the group of flame retardants give fire resistance to the material, and the application of antiseptic substances prevents the development of harmful microorganisms, which, in turn, can trigger undesirable processes of the same biological destruction.
Types of carpentry
According to the general classifier, the following types of industries associated with woodworking are distinguished:
- Production of lumber from 6 mm thick.
- Production of straws, cork and all kinds of materials for weaving.
- Production of panel materials. Mechanical wood processing in this case is especially closely interfaced with chemical protective impregnation, which allows for a fine structure to provide high wear resistance to the product.
- Production of materials for flooring - this group includes lamellas, parquet, logs, etc.
- Production of wood web, wood flour, wood chips, etc.
- Large-scale production. The work of such enterprises is associated with the manufacture of beams, beams, boards and other structural elements that are used in the construction of the supporting foundations of wooden buildings.
Principles of production of wood products
When organizing a production woodworking process, a professional leader initially sets before the employees several orienting principles according to which the technological process should take place. The principles of this kind in carpentry include:
- Functionality. The product must correspond to the anthropometric dimensions of a person, this also ensures its ergonomics and ease of use.
- Rationality. When detailing, the product designer precisely calculates the smallest characteristics, which allows you to use a minimum of funds to achieve your goals.
- Performance. Certainly, the processes of wood processing and the manufacture of wood products in a broad sense should focus on giving the final subject an optimal set of positive “working” properties, including strength, durability, maintainability, aesthetics, durability and reliability.
New technologies in the production of wood products
Recent changes in this area are associated with the active introduction of automated and even robotic processing and assembly lines. Even the simplest circular machines today can be provided with CNC and other means of "smart" control, which increases the quality and speed of production processes. Changing the principles of operation of machines. For wood processing, large enterprises use laser devices, multifunctional four-sided modules with high-precision milling cutters, etc.
Conclusion
Approaches to the processing of billets from wood raw materials cannot but change against the background of constantly growing requirements for final products. Demands are rising not only in the construction sector, where it is a question of responsible building materials, but also in the domestic segment. Even small decorative and hardware items today must withstand fierce competition in the market, which forces manufacturers to look for more effective methods of processing wood.
The manufacture of wood products is an industry in which specialists from various fields work. These are not only representatives of technical professions, but also designers with carvers and artists. Only in such a community of masters can one count on receiving a product that is favorably distinguished by its structural and aesthetic qualities in an equally high degree.