McDonough Manufacturing Unveils Redesigned Website

5/15/2015 4:20:39 PM

McDonough Manufacturing, of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, the world leader in sawmill solutions, is proud to unveil its redesigned interactive website. The new website, www.mcdonough-mfg.com was created by the team at LumbermenOnline.com, the sister company of LUMBERMEN’S Equipment Digest and features improved graphic interface and easy to use navigation. Since 1888 McDonough has followed a simple “good neighbor” philosophy coupled with a family atmosphere that puts the customer’s need for profit and efficiency first. Visitors to the new site will find complete product information including features, product specifications and video as well as quick print product information, career opportunities and more. If your sawmill operation needs to learn more about kerf savings offered by band resaws and headrigs, how edger optimization can improve your bottom line, advanced material handling, a new carriage or a complete turn-key installation you’ll find it online at www.mcdonough-mfg.com.

MAINTENANCE TIP – Maintaining Linear Edger Performance

5/27/2014 3:04:36 PM

The key to linear edger performance can be taken right from the machines name, in that everything needs to run on a straight line or in a “linear” fashion. While this is arguably the simplest way to handle the optimized edging process, eliminating all of the starting/ stopping, grabbing and positioning that takes place between the scanning and sawing operations of a transverse edger system, linear edger users still need to keep a close eye on their edger system in order to keep things working properly. This is of course in an effort to realize the highest possible recovery of yield and value that their edging system can provide.
In particular, mills should pay very close attention to:
- Edger infeed belt tracking, making sure that the belt tracks perfectly parallel to the edger system centerline.
- There are no humps or twists in the belt path that will cause the board to “walk” or “spin” on the surface of the belt.
- Transition areas need to be smooth and level, in particular those:
• Through the scan zone.
• Between the infeed belt and the edger feed system.

Saw calibration to the transfer system.
After transfer systems are aligned then saw entry points that are consistent with those planned by the optimizer are established by:
- Calibrating one saw (usually the center saw) to the entry points desired by the optimizer.
- Each of the remaining saws are then calibrated by sawing more lumber and comparing the sawn piece width to the target piece width.

See our website for a more detailed explanation on Maintaining your Linear Edger: If you need any help with this or any other type edger system maintenance, please don’t hesitate to call McDonough to schedule an appointment.

MAINTENANCE TIP – Preventive Maintenance

5/27/2014 3:00:02 PM

Are you keeping up with your Preventive Maintenance? With the current economic situation we are all facing, it is more important than ever to take great care of the equipment we have. With staff cuts or hours being reduced, it is natural for certain things to be overlooked. Much like an oil change every 3,000 miles for our vehicles, you need to have certain preventive maintenance for the machinery you own in your mill.
Simple preventive maintenance items can save you money by keeping costly repair expense down, greatly reducing your downtime and increasing the life of your machinery.
Basic preventive maintenance schedules typically include a schedule for oiling chain and greasing bearings, checking chain drives for loose chains that need tightening, and making sure the machine is free from debris and sawdust.

MAINTENANCE TIP – LINEAR BEARING TOP GUIDE

5/27/2014 2:58:19 PM

Linear Bearings are being used a lot these days at McDonough. We started using them on our Modular Horizontal Resaws to replace the Round Way shifting mechanism. They have worked so well that McDonough expanded the use of the Linear Bearing on our Edgers and our Band Mill Top Guides.
Top Guide maintenance should be a key area when striving to produce accurate lumber, but it is often overlooked. Well, McDonough Engineers delivered by offering an upgrade to replace the standard Gib and Way system that has been used for several years on our Top Guides, to the accurate and durable Liner Bearing Top Guide. This upgrade can be supplied with any new Band Mill or can be quoted for your existing Top Guide. Maintenance will be greatly reduced and the accuracy from your Top Guide will be precise.
This upgrade is particularly important for those mills wanting to move their Top Guide automatically with Linear Positioning cylinders. This creates a lot more wear and tear than a conventional, operator controlled Top Guide and the Linear Bearing Top Guide is strongly recommended for this application.

MAINTENANCE TIP – WHY DOES MCDONOUGH USE CAST IRON BAND MILL WHEELS?

5/27/2014 2:56:14 PM

The longer a Saw Blade keeps its tension, the better it will run, Right? Heat in the Saw Blade robs it of tension. By using a Cast Iron Wheel you absorb and radiate heat faster than steel. By greatly reducing the heat generated by the Saw, you maintain Saw blade tension. The Graphite in Cast Iron is a natural lubricant too. This all helps dissipate heat, keeping the Wheel round and in balance.
On the other hand, Steel Wheels and a Steel Saw Blade (Steel-on-Steel) generate heat that leads to hot saws and hot wheel faces. Many Saw Filers claim Saw Blades coming off Steel Wheels are too hot to touch. Not on a McDonough. The result, a loss of tension in your Saws.
Steel Wheels, because they are fabricated (welded together) will get hard spots over time making annual Wheel Grindings much more difficult. The heat generated and the instability of a Steel Wheel will ultimately result in an egg-shaped Wheel.
So why doesn’t everyone use Cast Iron Wheels? Bottom line is, the patterns to make a Cast Iron Wheel are very expensive to build and maintain, but it’s worth it.
A Casting Pattern also allows McDonough to have “balance pockets” in the wheel for perfect hand balancing by our skilled assemblers. This perfectly balanced wheel eliminates any vibration as the wheel spins, resulting in a better sawn lumber. To try and balance a Steel wheel, you have to weld on pieces of steel to an area of the wheel.
So next time you are considering a Band Mill, remember how important Cast Iron Wheels are. It’s just one of the many qualities that set McDonough apart from the rest.

LINEAR EDGER MAINTENANCE TIPS – Electric Actuators

5/27/2014 2:53:07 PM

McDonough Linear Edgers are available with optional electric actuators that allow us to achieve very high saw set speeds with tremendous accuracy. These actuators contain an internal ballscrew assembly that drives the rod to its target position while an internal high-count encoder keeps track of the number of turns on the screw and therefore the rods position. As these actuators will see tens of thousands of strokes over their service life it is normal for the internal ball-screw to develop some wear and therefore a small amount of measurable play at the end of the rod. The easiest way to measure this is to use a dial indicator set up against the end of the rod to measure a 1/2" stroke both toward and away from the dial plunger. As the actuator wears you will find that the rod will actually move slightly less than the target 0.500" in each direction that it is being commanded to move. Fortunately, due to this service wear being common to many types of actuators, electric and otherwise, we have the capability to tune the actuator to compensate for that play or “backlash” by adding or subtracting that distance to the commanded move depending on the direction of travel. If your machine is equipped with electric actuators then your machine interface likely has provisions for you to change the “mechanical backlash” setting for each individual saw. By keeping this number in tune with the actual measured numbers on each actuator rod you will realize precise saw positioning performance over the life of your machine. If you need assistance in measuring and/or adjusting the backlash settings for your saw actuators please do not hesitate to contact your McDonough edger division representative.

MAINTENANCE TIPS – Guide Pressure

5/27/2014 2:48:01 PM

Over the 120 years at McDonough, technology has changed a lot. What was adequate for Guide Pressure 30 years ago may be different today. McDonough has had several different recommendations for guide pressure settings. Of course each mill is going to be different based on the filing, type of saw blade, the material you cut, or general preferences. But here is the McDonough factory recommended setting for guide pressure:
44in — 1/4in
46in — 1/4in
54in — 5/16in
62in — 5/16in
6ft — 3/8in
7ft — 7/16in
8ft — 1/2in

Air Strain:
The exclusive McDonough Air Strain system has been an industry leader since the mid 70’s. Its success lies in the simplicity of the design. But how much Strain should you use? Like Guide Pressure, there is no correct answer for every mill. The best answer is, “as little as possible”. The less strain you run, the less work you need to do to the saw blades in the filing room. The biggest concern when you run your Strain near redline is the life of the bearings. The closer you get to redline, the sooner you will need to replace wheel bearings. As a general guideline, start at 50% less the redline and increase the strain gradually.

MAINTENANCE TIP – Band Mill Wheel Resurfacing:

5/27/2014 2:45:27 PM

We are often asked, “When should I grind my wheels?” While there is no clear cut answer, a general rule of thumb is once every 2 to 3 years if you are running a single shift or .005” wear. Some mills do it once a year and some do it once every five years. You don’t want to find yourself fighting filing room problems and find out your wheels are not flat.

To check your wheels, place a machined straight edge across the face of the wheel. Make sure you insert a feeler gauge between the wheel and the straight edge to get an exact measurement. A little light can be very deceiving when trying to estimate wear on a wheel, so we recommend using a feeler gauge. To ensure your straight edge is accurate, rotate the straight edge 180 degrees and remeasure. If the gap is more than .005”, it is time to call McDonough to assist you in grinding your wheels.

MAINTENANCE TIP – Band Mill Wheel Bearing Grease schedule:

5/27/2014 2:41:48 PM

One of the most common issues we see arise is that of improper Wheel Bearing greasing. The Wheels are the heart of the Band Mill and must be a priority. Almost all bearing failures occur because of contamination. Care must be taken to keep zerk fittings clear from all contaminants before applying grease. Carefully replace any fitting that cannot be completely cleaned of all residue. Even microscopic sawdust will cause imperfections in the rollers and races of a bearing causing failure.

Here are the key items you should know:

- Timken Drive Wheel Bearings: Grease once every 10,000 hours (that’s only once every 5 years for single shift operations!).

- FAG or SKF Idler Wheel Bearings: Grease once every 2 months (single shift usage)

- McDonough recommends: Shell Albida SLC 220 Premium Quality Synthetic based Lithium
Complex Grease.

- Normal operating temperatures: Timken Drive Wheel = 165 to 185 degrees. FAG or SKF Idler Wheel Bearings = 120 to 145 degrees.

- Note: After you grease a Bearing, it will run hotter than normal until the Bearing purges out the excess grease.

McDonough Manufacturing Reports on Recent Activity

5/13/2014 5:20:24 PM

High Country Lumber in Wilkesboro, NC has ordered a lineal edger infeed table for their existing Valley Machine lineal edger. The McDonough design offers a smoother feeding to the edger increasing recovery compared to the old one. The infeed table is scheduled for a February delivery and will be installed in the mill right away. This adds High Country Lumber to the list of nine Valley Machine edgers that McDonough is currently servicing. Pike Lumber Company’s new mill in Milan, IN started up the first week of January. The new mill includes a McDonough 6' headrig as well as McDonough’s seventh edger system. This edger system features McDonough’s ValueMax system which allows an operator assisted visual defect upgrade of the optimizer’s solution and is Pike Lumber’s second edger system of this kind.
Rex Lumber Company’s new tandem arbor lineal edger, for their new 20' Southern Yellow Pine facility in Brookhaven, MS, tested in the shop in early January and shipped to the customer. This innovative machine design features two skewing saw boxes in one machine center. Sold to perform up to 50 pieces per minutes, once operating this will be one of, if not the, fastest edger in the world. The machine is scheduled to be commissioned the first week of March. This will be McDonough’s eighth edger product since they started making edgers just three years ago.
D.G. Limited of Beauce, Quebec, Canada will be receiving a
McDonough 54" horizontal resaw in February. Sold by Akhurst
Machinery, the horizontal is a new design for McDonough as the
bandmill will be installed directly behind a moulder and tilt up to 15 degrees from horizontal. McDonough has a long history of making
54" vertical resaws with tilting feed rollers which allow customers to make beveled boards to be used for house siding. But a machine installed directly behind the moulder will reduce the need to have a separate machine setup and the surrounding material handling equipment required for the operation as well as an additional operator. The machine will start up soon after it is received. For more information on McDonough Manufacturing’s custom line of sawmill machinery, please call (715) 834-7755

Maintenance Tip: Maintaining Linear Edger Performance

5/13/2014 5:12:35 PM

The key to linear edger performance can be taken right from the machines name, in that everything needs to run on a straight line or in a “linear” fashion. While this is arguably the simplest way to handle the optimized edging process, eliminating all of the starting/stopping, grabbing and positioning that takes place between the scanning and sawing operations of a transverse edger system, linear edger users still need to keep a close eye on their edger system in order to keep things working properly. This is of course in an effort to realize the highest possible recovery of yield and value that their edging system can provide.
In particular, mills should pay very close attention to:
¦ Edger infeed belt tracking, making sure that the belt tracks perfectly parallel to the edger system centerline.
¦ There are no humps or twists in the belt path that will cause the board to “walk” or “spin” on the surface of the belt.
¦ Transition areas need to be smooth and level, in particular those:
Through the scan zone
Between the infeed belt and the edger feed system.
Saw calibration to the transfer system.
After transfer systems are aligned then saw entry points that are consistent with those planned by the optimizer are established by:
¦ Calibrating one saw (usually the center saw) to the entry points desired by the optimizer.
¦ Each of the remaining saws are then calibrated by sawing more lumber and comparing the sawn piece width to the target piece width.
If you need any help with this or any other type edger system maintenance, please don’t hesitate to call McDonough to schedule an appointment.
If you have any maintenance tips to share or would like one answered don’t hesitate to contact McDonough today at 715-834-7755.

Superior Hardwoods of Ohio

5/13/2014 5:00:51 PM

Superior Hardwoods of Ohio, Inc, was founded in 1971 and has grown into the largest green lumber producing company in the state of Ohio. Total company annual production is over 50 million board feet. The company also owns over 3,500 acres of timberland which are in co-op with the Ohio Div. of Wildlife for hunting. They saw primarily red oak, white oak and poplar but also some hard maple and cherry at certain locations.
Superior Hardwoods has four operations each with bandsaw headrigs and linebars located in McArthur, Cambridge, Barlow and Wellston,
Ohio which also serves as its headquarters. Their facilities are positioned amongst the forestlands of eastern and southern Ohio enabling them to serve local, interstate, and international customers via the extensive interstate road and rail systems of this region.
Emmett Conway was raised in McArthur with sawdust in his veins as his father, Emmett Sr., was a forester and superintendent of the D. B.
Frampton Company, Ohio’s first large stationary sawmill. Graduating from Ohio University with a degree in botany in 1971, he began a logging company that expanded in 1974 to also include a portable sawmill. Emmett’s love for sawmilling grew resulting in the construction of Conway Lumber in McArthur, OH in 1978. His business continued to grow, leading to the acquisition of a sawmill in Wellston, OH in 1982. At that time he incorporated as Superior Hardwoods of Ohio. His continued passion for sawmilling and business growth led to the purchase of the Cambridge, OH facility in 1985. With the big dive in lumber prices and hardship for a lot of sawmilling companies around the country, Emmett also saw the opportunity in 2009. In a time when a lot of people were simply surviving, he chose to expand with the acquisition of a sawmill in Barlow, OH. As primarily a producer of green lumber, this move opened new doors for Superior Hardwoods with its
320,000 board feet of kiln capacity. “The dry kilns have given us added markets as well as added value, flexibility and diversity” says Emmett.
Emmett Conway doesn’t really see himself as the boss. “I am now a coach. I enjoy going to my various operations and not being the boss but coaching my employees on how to be successful in life” he says, “but every now and then, when they don’t listen, I do have to put my boss hat back on.” Continuing with his desire of sawmilling are his two sons, Will & Adam, both full time members of the “team he coaches.”
“Superior Hardwoods of Ohio has always had one constant philosophy” according to Emmett Conway, “every year, put money back into the company. A philosophy that continued with their latest equipment upgrade in June of 2010. The Wellston Facility received a new McDonough 2 press roll round way linebar. It replaced a 1973 McDonough linebar that they retired after 37 years of operating at a double shift production level most of the time. The linebar project also included a new McDonough infeed table, programmable setworks and a McDonough operator’s cab. “The decision to purchase another Mc-Donough was easy,” says Emmett, “We put a lot of lumber through the old McDonough linebar, running two shifts here at Wellston the majority of the last 35 years. McDonough machines work, they are proven.”
Superior Hardwoods believes in being involved and supporting the industry. All locations are members of the Ohio Forestry Association and the National Hardwood Lumber Association. Emmett is past president of OFA and still serves as co-chair of the OFA’s “The Paul Bunyan Show.” “In my spare time,” he says with a chuckle, “I enjoy golfing and spending time with my family.”

McDonough Celebrates 125 years!

11/20/2013 1:25:58 PM

Frank McDonough started a company to build custom made equipment that was better than anything being built at that time, with a focus on Efficiency, Production, Design, Durability, Simplicity and Strength. Today, 125 years later, we are proud to say we are continuing Frank’s legacy. On November 13th, McDonough will be hosting an open house from 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm to celebrate our 125th birthday. When Frank incorporated in 1888, McDonough Manufacturing started out servicing sawmills in the Eau Claire area as well as other mills around the State. Today, McDonough’s customer list spans the globe to countries like Australia, New Zealand, Austria, France and Brazil. McDonough’s product line has also grown to include: bandsaws for headrig and resaw applications, log carriages, linebar resaws, horizontal resaws, center-splitting resaws, lineal or transverse optimized board edgers, gang edgers, manually fed edgers and industrial drill bit grinders. For more information contact McDonough Manufacturing at (715) 834-7755.