Introduction:
Sawmills are an important industry in the Georgia manufacturing economy. There are over 150 saw and planning mills located around the state, employing over 7,000 people. As with any other industry, equipment uptime and reliable, consistent operation are primary considerations in assuring profitable operation.
Because of the harsh conditions presented by a saw mill, MAC Valves have become the de facto industry standard, due to their ability to shift through contamination and operate for extended periods with little or no maintenance.
Listed below are several examples of how our products can help sawmills optimize the performance of their machinery.
Applications:
Log Kickers
Special circuits using a MAC 67 Series valve close mounted to the cap end of the cylinder have been developed to increase cylinder speeds, yet still provide effective cushioning.
Double Length Infeeds
These machines typically have up to (30) hold-down rolls in a row, each applying pressure on top of the log to assure it does not move. The MAC 93 Series is ideal for this application. Its high flow allows for more logs per shift and its fast response time reduces log spacing. The valve is a plug-in style which means less maintenance downtime and the 4-way pilot provides more consistent shifting times.
Lumber Trimmers
Fast response times are critical on trimmers, so special valve circuits have been developed for this application. MAC 6300 or 6500 Series are very common, but many OEM’s are now using 93 Series, which utilize MAC Valves’ 4-way pilot technology for faster response.
Lumber Sorters
When a valve sticks energized that particular bin will be filled with all kinds of wood. This means someone will have to manually sort that bin. Because repeatability and response times are so critical on a sorter, we have worked with customers to develop a special valve-and-cylinder combination to achieve maximum extend and retract speeds. By using special energy absorbing piston seals, our Bimba-TRD cylinders last longer, produce less noise and can actually cycle faster than cylinders using standard adjustable air cushions.
