Influence of Thermal Treatment on Power Consumption during Plain Milling of Lodgepole Pine (Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana)

Abstract

This paper investigated the energy consumption differences during plain milling of thermally treated and untreated lodgepole pine wood (Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana). Thermal treatment was completed at four temperatures, which were 160 °C, 180 °C, 210 °C, and 240 °C. Power consumption measuring equipment was used for analysis in order to determine the cutting power of the milling process parameters during circumferential plain milling of lodgepole pine wood. The results indicated that the increase of cutting speed as well as feed speed caused a growth in cutting power. On the other hand, the increase of rake angle and thermal treatment temperature led to strong lowering of cutting power. The highest decrease (26.9%) in cutting power was caused by thermal treatment temperature 240 °C.