Efficiency of Machine Sanding of Wood

Maciej Sydor,Radosław Mirski,Tomasz Rogoziński,Kinga Stuper-Szablewska

doi:10.3390/app11062860

Abstract

We hypothesized that the type of wood, in combination with the grit size of sandpapers, would affect sanding efficiency. Fixed factors were used in the experiment (a belt sander with pressure p = 3828 Pa, and a belt speed of vs = 14.5 m/s) as well as variable factors (three sand belts (P60, P120, P180), six hardwood species (beech, oak, ash, hornbeam, alder, walnut) and three softwood species (pine, spruce, larch)). The masses of the test samples were measured until they were completely sanded. The sanding efficiency of hardwood species is less variable than for softwood species. Maximum sanding efficiency for the softwood ranged from 1 to 2 min, while for the hardwood species, it ranged from 2 to 4.5 min at the start of sanding and then decreased. The average time for complete sanding of the softwood samples was: 87 s (P60), 150 s (P120), and 188 s (P180). For hardwood, these times were 2.4, 1.5, and 1.8 times longer. The results indicate that the factors determining sanding efficiency are the type of wood, and, secondly, the grit size of sanding belts. In the first phase of blunting with the sanding belts, the sanding processes of hardwood and softwood are significantly different. In the second phase of blunting, sanding belts with higher grit numbers (P120 and P180) behaved similarly while sanding hardwood and softwood.

Highlights

Sanding is widely used in the furniture industry
For all wood species and all abrasive belt grit sizes, it is about 2–3 min after the start of machining when the sanding process moves into the second phase
In the case of softwood sanded with a P60 belt, the sample material finishes just after reaching the beginning of the second blunting phase

Summary

Introduction

Sanding is widely used in the furniture industry. The objectives of sanding may be to achieve the required surface smoothness to be painted, to achieve the required roughness necessary for gluing on the surface, and effective and controlled material removal to obtain the desired shape or dimensional accuracy of the workpiece. Providing appropriate working conditions by reducing the exposure of workers to respirable wood dust in the air is the first important aspect [1,2,3,4,5,6]. Another group of problems are the economic issues of the used technology; in other words, obtaining high quantitative efficiency and productivity and the expected surface quality and/or accuracy of the shape for the workpieces. These two groups of problems are solved by properly selecting the production equipment, parameters of the abrasive tools and parameters of the sanding process [7,8]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion