2017 International Forest Industries Magazines May 2017 SHOW Special | Page 54

Productivity is essential to a successful operation in the forestry and recycling industries , which is why it ’ s important for companies to continuously seek out ways to simplify machine maintenance , according to Matt Eul , Marketing Specialist with Vermeer ’ s Recycling and Forestry division .
“ For horizontal grinders and whole tree chippers specifically , the chip drum and its knife style can have a dramatic impact on performance , as well as the amount of time needed to perform routine maintenance ,” he told International Forest Industries .
Babbitt versus non-babbitt knives Dull knives can cause unnecessary wear to the machine and inconsistency in chip sizes , which is why regularly sharpening the jobsite .
While non-babbitt knives can reduce maintenance times , many traditional non-babbitt knife designs will require additional maintenance time as the knives work their way out of place during operation , and potentially coming into contact with the shear bar .
Developing better solution In 2013 , Vermeer set out to develop a better non-babbitt knife style . Through research and testing , Vermeer identified and corrected common issues companies working in recycling and forestry applications were experiencing .
In the typical non-babbitt knife , the two push screws are placed on the back of the knife and threaded in-between the bolts that clamp the knife down . This configuration allows the blade to “ work out ” when processing certain materials , Eul said .
Jeff Bradley , product manager at Vermeer : “ When Vermeer started to explore converting to
It may seem like a small detail for many people , but we understand how important knife design is to the overall performance of a machine and how labor-intensive making adjustments and sharpening can be
Jeff Bradley , Vermeer
The state-of-the-art chipper knives within the Vermeer units
a non-babbitt style knife on chip drums , we wanted to make sure our customers would benefit from the switch .
“ We knew the labour necessary to adjust the size of the knives after sharpening would be significantly reduced , and there was a benefit of no longer having to work with molten metal .
“ However , the problem of knives working out of place during the processing of large , hard materials remained an issue . Our testing determined that working out of place could lead to the knives contacting the shear bar , which could cause significant damage to the knives and shear bar .”
Vermeer developed a solution to this problem by relocating the screws to line up with the bolts that clamp down the knives . This alignment prevents the knife from working out because the end of the screws protrudes into the knife slot and butts up to the clamping screw .
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Placing the screws in line with the bolts also allows the screws to act as a shock absorber in the instance the knives encounter a contaminant . Instead of the knife absorbing the damage from hitting a foreign object , the shank of the screws sticking out of the knife body will buckle , helping to minimize the damage .
All Vermeer grinders and whole tree chippers utilize this patented non-babbitt knife design in the chip drum mechanism to better meet the needs of recycling and forestry professionals .
“ It may seem like a small detail for many people , but we understand how important knife design is to the overall performance of a machine and how labour-intensive making adjustments and sharpening can be ,” adds Bradley .
“ The non-babbitt knives on Vermeer grinders and whole tree chippers will help keep you up and running .” knives is important . However , not all manufacturers use the same style of knives .
It is common for manufacturers to use babbitt knives on their machines , often requiring the use of a ladle , bench vice , torch and lead file to aid in resizing and sharpening a set of knives . This work requires a trained professional and often will have to be done in the shop since the process involves working with molten metal .
Non-babbitt knives are another style offered by manufacturers . Instead of using molten metal , nonbabbitt knives add length to the knife using two push screws on the back of each one . When sharpening and adjusting the knives , the user simply adjusts the push screws , which can be performed on the
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48 International Forest Industries | APRIL / MAY 2017