It’s commonly understood that preparing logs with a debarker and flare reducer prior to processing is a good idea. Preparing logs decreases maintenance headaches and reduces downtime down the line, which benefits the sawmill financially in the long run.

For those of you who haven’t yet invested in a debarker or reducer, here are six reasons to get on board for each machine:

Why the Debarker?

1. Cleanly debarked logs reduce dirt at the saw and increase saw life.
2. Clean slabs going to the chipper increase chipper knife life.
3. Very low maintenance costs, mostly just replacement cutters.
4. High speed (approximately a log per minute).
5. The debarker follows the log shape and does not remove good wood, increasing yields.
6. The smooth surface makes hand planing faster and easier with less wood removed after the vats, increasing yields.

Why the Flare Reducer?

1. The flares and flutes at the butt end hold most of the dirt. Removing them with the reducer puts that dirt in the bark pile instead of the debarker teeth, the saw blades, the vats, and the hand planers.
2. Cylindrical logs are easier and faster to saw on the carriage.
3. Cylindrical logs are quicker to roundup on the half round.
4. The first sheets of veneer are easier to catch and accurately stack at the slicers and at the dryers. Accurately stacked veneer clips more accurately, increasing yields.
5. Flares take extra space in the dryer, reducing dryer capacity.
6. Flares can plug chippers, causing downtime and dangerous replacement.

For more information about our rosserhead debarker and butt flare reducer, visit the product pages on our website. If you’re looking for a roller debarker, check out the product page on the website for Biomass Engineering & Equipment, a division of Veneer Services^®.