Wood Chipper
Have you ever thought, how does wood chipper work? What really is a wood chipper? A tree chipper or woodchipper is a machine used to convert big pieces of wood (often tree limbs or trunks) to smaller woodchips. They are often transportable, mounted on wheels and dragged behind a car or van.
In general, internal combustion engines generate between 2 and 700 kilowatts of energy. Additionally, high-power chipper models mounted on trucks and powered by a separate engine are available. Additionally, these kinds are often fitted with a hydraulic crane.
The earliest recorded use of the term was in 1894. The first known patent was issued in 1902. In the early days of this industry, there were many different types of machines available. Some of these machines were designed to reduce logs down to chips, while others were designed to reduce trees to firewood. In this blog, we also have best wood chipper that you might want to read about it.
History
There are records of wood chippers as far back as 1858, when they were used to cut timber for railroad ties, but the first chippings were made for horse feed. By 1900, the first large scale commercial chipping operations began in North America. In 1916, the first electric chipper came out. This chipper used electricity from a gasoline-powered generator. A few years later, another type of chipper was introduced that used steam as its energy source. The first steam chippers were produced by the American Lumber Company. These steam chippers were made with two sets of blades, one set for cutting branches and the other set for chopping trunk or log material.
How Does Wood Chipper Work
So, how does wood chipper work? Wood chippers, regardless of their size or manufacturer, operate in the same fundamental method. The gadget is propelled by an internal engine, either an electric motor or a fossil-fuel engine.
A gearbox connects the engine to a series of knives through pulleys and v-belts; the pulley allows the engine to regulate the speed at which these blades revolve, while the v-belt transfers the engine’s power. Additionally, internal gears inside the gearbox aid in speed and power regulation.
Typically, wood chippers feature two distinct chutes for processing wood. The smallest of the two chutes shreds branches into chips. The second, bigger chute is equipped with blades and various equipment, such as hammers, for the purpose of mulching surplus plant material (such as leaves).
The kind of wood chipper blade design dictates the type and thickness of wood that the chipper can handle. Generally speaking, the bigger the wood chipping machine, the greater the load capacity.
Blades may be operated independently or together. If numerous blades rotate on separate shafts, the wood will be chopped repeatedly as it passes between the blades at a high rate of speed.
While intermeshed blades are slower, they are self-feeding in that they suck the branches into the blades. Additionally, intermeshed blades provide uniform chip size from the wood chipper.
Types of Wood Chippers
Wood chippers come in a variety of sizes, from small residential models to large industrial models.
High-Torque Roller
High-torque rollers are typically slow. They are also quiet due to the fact that they are powered by an electric motor, which makes them a popular choice for residential applications. Additionally, they are self-feeding, and some come equipped with anti-jamming capabilities.
Drum Wood Shredder
A drum wood chipper gets its name from the large, motorized drum located in the machine’s center. As with a feeder, the drum draws material in and chips it as it moves toward the output chute. The procedure is extremely rapid and noisy, and it poses significant safety risks.
Due to the direct connection between the drum and engine, any type of drum jam can cause the engine to stall and pieces of wood to become lodged in the drum. Additionally, operators must use caution while feeding the machine to avoid clothes or appendages being entangled in the drum, which may result in serious damage or death. Certain models include additional safety features that help ensure operator safety while also reducing machine noise.
Disc Chipper
A disk chipper is comprised of a disc, typically steel, with attached cutting blades. Hydraulic wheels draw material from the hopper and direct it toward the spinning disc. As the disc spins, the blades come into contact with the wood, slicing it into pieces. Industrial disk choppers may have a disc diameter of up to 160 inches and a horsepower rating of up to 5,000.