Cutting with Circular Saw of Traversal-Structured Panels Obtained from Spruce (Picea abies L.) Branches

Finding new wood resources is a permanent challenge nowadays, especially due to the fact that there is a crisis of these resources through the continuous degradation of forest areas that can be exploited. In this general context, the use of spruce (Picea abies L.) branches to create panels with a transverse texture becomes the main purpose of this research. Going beyond the current stage of research in the field, this research highlights the particularities of cutting panels with a transverse texture made from spruce branches, especially due to the cutting direction compared to the wood grain. In addition to the activities of collecting and sorting the branches, processing and joining, in order to obtain dimensionally stable panels, the workability of these panels with a transverse texture represents a new challenge in this field. The work methodology was based on the effective measurement of the cutting and advance power during cutting with a circular blade. The obtained results referred to the comparison of 10 working regimes from the point of view of the electrical power consumed, according to the two main parameters taken into account, which are the rotational speed of the circular blade and the advance speed. The final conclusion of the work highlighted the fact that the processing of panels with a transverse structure requires specific work regimes, namely an optimal regime of electric consumption of 2.2 kW, at a cutting speed of 79.2 m/s and an advance speed of 3.7 m/min.