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Automated Twin blade sawmill build.

Started by CaseyK, September 24, 2014, 10:19:37 AM

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CaseyK

Hi Piney woods, can you refresh me on how to post pics in a reply. Ive got them added into my gallery, Our internet police blocks our ability to view video but i read the help thread and tried to link my gallery to my profile but when i looked at the picture in the gallery it had a 6 digit number and when i went to my profile and tried to link the gallery it would only let me put in 5 numbers so i added the last 5. But it still doesnt work. I click "click here to add photos to post"but it takes me to my computer instead of the gallery.
Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

The first pic above is for raising and lowering the saw frame up and down. Used 50H chain and 1"acme rods on all 4 corners.

Second pic  shows the poor man clutch, over center toggle  idle wheel tension adjuster.

Third pic shows the 26"vertical saw and to the right the 21"horizontal saw blade.

Forth Pic shows a front view of the sawmill as looking from the log. I was able to get it up on the rails just a few hours before leaving to go back offshore.

Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

I was able to run the carriage left and right and the saw frame up and down by using relays and switches giving me a low speed and high speed (12v / 24v). Now that im offshore im starting to work on the PLC program and wiring schematics and do it such a way so that if the plc has problems i wont loose any of the manual functionality but with the flip of a switch have a full range of automated movements and functions depending on if i want to cut dimensional lumber or 1xs and be able to plain saw or quarter saw with or without multiple cants. That along with all the safety interlocks and options looks like it is going to be really neat program to write and debug.
Oh and yes i am going to make some guards for the blades before anyone picks on me about it.
I get home January 8th so my goal is to have it set up in place and cutting manually by mid January.
Home built automated twin blade

WmFritz

Awesome build. I look forward to see it up and running.
~Bill

2012 Homebuilt Bandmill
1959 Detroit built Ferguson TO35

Swatson

Now that is interesting.  That would make dimensional lumber really fast.  Do you still have the capacity to cut wider boards ( 2x the blade cut depth) with it?
I cant figure out which one I like better: working with wood or making the tools to work with wood.

CaseyK

Swatson, due to being a twin blade im not going to be able to 2x horizontal blade cuts but there is a rumor that a slabber attachment and/or a band mill at the other end of the 40ft track may be my next project once this one is operational.
Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

Still on the rig for another 5 days but my UPS delivery man is going to be wearing my driveway out between now and then. I got the bulk of all the remaining items ordered over the past 2 days:

encoder adapters, encoder flex couplings, additional photo eyes and associated cables and mounting brackets, PLC rack, PLC I/o cards, PLC motion control cards, battery disconnect switch, junction boxes, back plane for main electrical panel, Touch screen operator panel, PLC software, graphics software, estop cable pulls, extra bearings, extra acme nuts for reworking the carriage left / right fine tune adjustment, laser level, emergency fuel and air shut off solenoids,  ect.

Finalized how I was going to wire everything up interfacing the wireless remote and PLC in case the PLC or Operator develops a problem I can flip one switch and run manually. Just got to draw it up pretty for when I start laying out my panel.

Have dumped probably 20 Hours into programming the automatic log cut optimization program & Its coming along nicely. Just about when I think im done I think of another option I would like to add. So far it can:

Scan the log and automatically measure length and diameters at each end, consider if you want to reject a bad core section out of the solution, consider if you have selected  that you want a certain number of certain sized cants, then consider if you want max width, primary selection, or secondary width boards and then primary and secondary thick boards. Then you can select it you want the entire log to be cut plain sawed or quarter sawn. Then it will crunch the numbers and show you 2-3 options and total up the number of boards of each size and the % of boards that will be quarter sawn compared to rift sawn and see which option you would like to cut.

That may sound real simple at first but when you add center core rejection, cant selection, multiple boards sizes option, and then the quarter saw option it gets a little complicated to say the least since it will have to calculate the exact (x,y) location for every board and the sequence it will occur before ever starting the first cut.

After reviewing tons of the old post of what could happen I have added some unique safeties into the mill that can initiate an all stop and shut down the diesel engines air and fuel and kill power to all motors and outputs.

Now im just ready to get home and get her set in place, leveled and plummed, wired, programmed, debugged, and started up. Im going to try plain sawing first to tune out the blade alignments but im really looking forward to being to Quarter saw an entire log without ever turning the log and minimize the waste cuts.

Once she is up and running I can work on the bells and whistles part of the plc and the operator interface.
Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

Last night on the rig and I got some more stuff ordered today to complete the feed works gear ratios.

The speed will be variable with a top speed of 6.5" per second. I am thinking this will be a nice starting point but I ordered a few spare sprockets to adjust it up and down if I need to.

Tomorrow will consist of waking up at 1AM Louisiana time on the rig, catching a chopper, getting visa processed, 4 hr car drive, 7hr wait at airport , 16hrs of flights and layover to make it back home for lunch Thursday. Then get home to start opening boxes and see what all is still left to be delivered & start welding and finishing her up.
Home built automated twin blade

Tom_Averwater

Just curious,  where is the rig at you are working on ?
He who dies with the most toys wins .

CaseyK

Im in the Atlantic 150 miles south of Rio De Janeiro, Brasil. Been working down here for 5 years, 28/28, as a electronics tech. Before that I was a field engineer 12 years with Rockwell Automation specializing in PLC, drives, and safety systems.
Home built automated twin blade

Jemclimber

Thanks for taking the time to take us along this build. It's great that you have your 5 year old son helping you out to teach him.   

Do you feel the 2 belt powerband (that's what it appears to be, Im not sure of the proper terminology) is sufficient to transfer the 35hp. The reason I ask is I have a 37hp wisconsin on a chipper that I'm contemplating adapting to over center similar to what you have done but it came with 4 belt pulleys coming off the clutch. The clutch was for the smaller engine and the 37hp engine I believe was too much for the clutch to handle and it burned up as well.
lt15

CaseyK

Finally getting a few free days to work on the mill. When balancing the saw carriage frame that moves up and down discovered there was too much sag in the frame when the motor was in the middle so we added channel bracing and then had to cut the vertical side of the angle iron and through the new brace to raise up the middle and Reweld but the fix worked perfectly, with less than 1/16" deflection now in the middle. Added the battery box, reworked the side to side acme rod connections to the saw carriage, added the feed works sprockets, changed 12v alternator to a 24 volt alternator, and am now cutting out the saw carriage safety brackets to prevent possible lifting of the engine /blades carriage. Pics to follow Sunday or monday
Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

 

 
This is a stage 2 pic of the PLC panel back plane once the PWM pulse width modulators were added and the H bridge motor direction relays were added. All the relays to the left are for the speed selection, direction control, and run command of the 3 motors. All functions will be able to be initiated from one of 2 wireless remotes. One remotes inputs will be wired into the PLC where as the other will be wired in parallel to the PLC outputs to the relays which will be enabled with a selector switch in case the PLC has a problem.
Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

this weeks punch list is:
Mount the carriage safety brackets.
Mount the photo eye brackets and reflectors. (Front log detect PE, rear log detect PE, diameter PE, rail alignment safety PE)
Mount the wire drag chain for the up/down.
Mount the wire drag chain for the left / right.
Mount the wire junction box's
Swap orientation of horizontal gear box.
Mount the wireless junction boxes and the PLC backplane in the enclosure to give manual function ability.
Add terminal strip on side of panel for encoders, photo eyes, and estop cables.
Home built automated twin blade

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

CaseyK

Well today i got 5 min to work on the mill, hoping tomorrow will be a little more productive
here is 2 pics of the feedworks drive system.


  

 
Home built automated twin blade

Southside

Subscribing as I want to see how you put this together.  Where did you get the inspiration for the design?

One question, in the photo of the PLC I see gray, female, bridges.  My processor has these same units with a clear relay plugged into it.  What is the name of this style of relay?
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

CaseyK

Hi Southside,
My inspiration came from endless hours on you tube and google searches trying to come up with the best design to achieve the following goals:
1. Has to be able to be ran by a single person.
2. To minimize the amount of labor involved to produce a finished board.
3. To be able to cut an entire log as either rift or quarter saw without having to handle or turn the log.
4. To be able to compare the best log cut optimization solution and know the % utilization, board sizes, and board feet that can be produced for the number of saw passes, and also allow cant selections from the core along with min, max, secondary and primary board width and thickness selections.  (note this is turning out to be the most complicated)
5. Design a primary breakdown sawmill system that can be added to with additional equipment to produce a very high production system operated by a single person.
And thats how i came up with the design.

The 3 power relays on the right side of the panel is AB 700 type power relays with 4 swappable No or NC contacts for the H bridge. The relay bases in the middle and left are idec 11 pin relay bases type SR3P-06 relay bases to be used with Potter and Brumfield 11 pin 24 volt relays type KRPA-14AG-24.
Everything was purchased off of ebay.
Home built automated twin blade

Southside

Thanks CaseyK,

I really like what you are doing there.  Yesterday my wife gave me the OK to get a mill!!!  Been one of those additions I have wanted for years.  We were going over the list of projects and lumber costs and she looked at me and asked how much a mill would be seeing that we have the timber.  I agree on the desire to not move the logs and be able to QS. So now I need to figure out what is the best design to pursue.  Ballpark what do you think you will have into components when you are done building?  Thanks  Jim
Franklin buncher and skidder
JD Processor
Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
Riehl Edger
Woodmaster 725 and 4000 planner and moulder
Enough cows to ensure there is no spare time.
White Oak Meadows

CaseyK

Rough estimate of around 8K for the mechanical, 1K for basic electrical, 2k for Automation for being able to automatically position the (x,y) cutting axis for each board without having to adjust anything.

Once the build is done im going to make a list of the lessons learned so that anyone else building one can save a lot of time and money building their own.
Home built automated twin blade

CaseyK

Rained the last 2 days but getting real close on the mechanical and was able to work on the electrical today, hope to mount Plc backplane and photo eyes saturday.
Home built automated twin blade

Swatson

Very interesting so far...look forward to seeing it run!
I cant figure out which one I like better: working with wood or making the tools to work with wood.

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